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 " kC Newsletter " - 10/15/08

AS I ARRIVE AT MY NEW SEAT FOR OUR FLIGHT FROM SANTO DOMINGO TO PANAMA CITY, I AM FEELING BOTH RELAXED AND RELIEVED. RELIEVED SIMPLY BECAUSE AS I BOARDED THE PLANE, I WAS PLUCKED FROM THE JET WAY BY A DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SECURITY GUARD, AND ESCORTED AWAY FROM THE BAND AND CREW, THROUGH A SERIES OF CHECKPOINTS, TO AN ISOLATED SECURE AREA. ALONG THE WAY I WAS THINKING, EITHER THE AIRPORT MANAGER IS AN REO FAN WHO IS LOOKING FOR A LITTLE PRIVATE MEET AND GREET, OR ONE OF THE ROADIES STASHED SOME CONTRABAND IN ONE OF THE EQUIPMENT CASES WHICH WAS CHECKED ALONG WITH MY LUGGAGE. I WAS LEAD OUTSIDE, INSTRUCTED BY MY ESCORTS TO SIT IN A CHAIR AND WAIT, WHILE THE CONTINGENT OF OFFICIALS GATHERED AROUND ME CONTINUED TO GROW IN NUMBER. FINALLY, MY GREY “ZERO” WAS LAID BEFORE ME AND I WAS ASKED TO ENTER THE COMBINATION SO THE SUITCASE COULD BE OPENED AND INSPECTED. AS THE FEMALE OFFICER RUMMAGED THROUGH MY FASTIDIOUSLY PACKED T-SHIRTS, GOING THROUGH MY UNDERWEAR ONE PAIR OF CALVINS AT A TIME, AND MAKING A MESS OF MY PROFESSIONAL PACK JOB, I SAT QUIETLY, HAVING NO CLUE WHAT WAS BEING SAID OR WHAT MISDEED I WAS SUSPECTED OF HAVING COMMITTED. THEN, AS SUDDENLY AS I HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM THE FOLD, MY STEPS WERE RETRACED, THROUGH THE SAME SECURITY POSTS, AND BACK TO THE JET WAY…WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST ATTEMPT AT AN EXPLANATION. WHEN I ENTERED THE CABIN I WAS INFORMED THAT MY ASSIGNMENT HAD BEEN SWITCHED, AND I GLADLY TOOK MY NEW SEAT. I WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO DEPLANE IN PANAMA CITY, AND AS I PROCEEDED DOWN THE JET WAY I COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE A LARGE CONTINGENT OF SERIOUS LOOKING GUYS IN SUITS, OBVIOUSLY ON HAND TO GREET SOMEONE OF IMPORTANCE, OR PERHAPS INFAMY. I STEADIED MYSELF FOR WHAT WAS TO COME, BUT AS I APPROACHED I SENSED THAT THIS WELCOMING PARTY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ME. THEY WERE LOOKING RIGHT PAST ME, AND TO THE DISTINGUISHED LOOKING GENTLEMAN WHO HAD OCCUPIED MY ORIGINAL SEAT. TURNS OUT HE WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. COINCIDENCE? WHO KNOWS? ALL I KNOW IS ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL. BUT I WILL SAY I FELT QUITE HELPLESS DURING THAT THIRTY-MINUTES-WHICH-SEEMED-LIKE-THREE-HOURS. BEING DETAINED IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, WITH NO COMPREHENSION OF WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE OR BEING SAID, GAVE ME A TASTE OF WHAT IT MUST FEEL LIKE IN ACTUAL DANGEROUS COUNTRIES UNDER REALLY VULNERABLE CONDITIONS.

LUCKILY, I WAS IN THE BEAUTIFUL DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, HAVING JUST PLAYED THE THIRD SOLD OUT CONCERT OF OUR CARIBBEAN TOUR THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND HAVING PARTIED WITH ONE OF THIS COUNTRY’S NATIONAL TREASURES, BASEBALL GREAT AND FORMER CHICAGO CUB, SAMMY SOSA. WE HAD MET YEARS AGO WHEN WE SANG THE NATIONAL ANTHEM BEFORE A GAME AT WRIGLEY FIELD, AND SAMMY WAS AS COOL AS EVER. ACTUALLY IN THE SHORT TIME WE SPENT HERE IN SANTO DOMINGO, I HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE DOMINICAN PEOPLE AND THEIR HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND HAVE A NEWFOUND APPRECIATION FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL PLACE. BRUCE, WALTER AND I TOURED THE OLD CITY, VISITED THE HOME OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, SHOPPED FOR INDIGENOUS AMBER AND LATIGO JEWELRY, AND GOT A LESSON IN NORTH AMERICAN HISTORY. IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT SAMMY SOSA IS SUCH A GREAT BALL PLAYER, THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC HAS MORE PLAYERS IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, PER CAPITA, THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, INCLUDING THE U.S. BASEBALL CAPTURED THE PASSION OF THE DOMINICAN PEOPLE WHEN IT WAS INTRODUCED BY AN AMERICAN AMBASSADOR IN THE EARLY 1900s…AND I WALK AWAY WITH A PAIR OF SAMMY SOSA AUTOGRAPHED BASEBALLS FOR MY SONS, JOSH AND SHANE…IT’S ALL BUENO.

OUR CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE, OR AS IT HAS COME TO BE KNOWN, “THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION TOUR”, (A COUPLE OF HURRICANES LURKING OUT AT SEA, COMBINED WITH SOME COLORFUL BAND MEETINGS, HAVE PROVIDED FOR SOME INTERESTING, IF CHAOTIC, ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ;-), STARTED ON THE TRULY PRISTINE ISLAND OF ARUBA. WE CO-HEADLINED THE ARUBA MUSIC FESTIVAL WITH GLORIA ESTAFAN, AND AS ODD A PAIRING AS IT MIGHT SEEM TO AN AMERICAN AUDIENCE, IT WORKED OUT “CHEVERE” HERE IN THE ISLANDS. BOTH NIGHTS OF THE FESTIVAL WERE COMPLETELY SOLD OUT, AND WERE ATTENDED BY PEOPLE FROM SEVENTEEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE U.S., VENEZUELA, COLUMBIA, MEXICO, AND OF COURSE ARUBA. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS GORGEOUS DUTCH ISLAND FOR ANYONE LOOKING FOR A PERFECT CHILL OUT GETAWAY. ARUBA HAS IT ALL: BEAUTIFUL BEACHES, A VARIETY OF WATER SPORTS, THE WARM CARIBBEAN SEA, THE QUAINT CITY OF ORANJESTAAD, AND YEAR ROUND SUNSHINE. I CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK THERE. THANKS TO LEE THE PROMOTER FOR TREATING US LIKE ROYALTY, AND FOR PRODUCING A GREAT, SUCCESSFUL EVENT,

OUR NEXT STOP WAS A REAL BIG ROCK SHOW AT THE CRICKET STADIUM IN PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD. I’M TALKING OVER THIRTEEN THOUSAND SCREAMING FANS, SINGING ALONG TO EVERY SONG…WE WERE AWED BY THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO OUR MUSIC. OUR FRIEND AND CONCERT PROMOTER VISHNU INVITED US BACK TO TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, AFTER A SEVENTEEN-YEAR ABSENCE SINCE OUR LAST CONCERT IN THAT COUNTRY. HE, HIS WIFE GAIL, AND THE ENTIRE A-TEAM, HAVE BROUGHT ROCK’N ROLL TO THIS GREAT ISLAND NATION, AND THE PEOPLE OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO LOVE TO ROCK OUT. WE WISELY TOOK VISHNU’S ADVICE AND ADDED A FEW SONGS TO OUR SET LIST ESPECIALLY FOR THESE CARIBBEAN SHOWS. THE PLACE WENT NUTS FOR SONGS SUCH AS, “IN YOUR LETTER, “HERE WITH ME”, “ONE LONELY NIGHT”, “KEEP THE FIRE BURNING” AND “IN MY DREAMS”…AND IT WAS REALLY FUN TO DUST OFF SOME OF THESE FORGOTTEN CHESTNUTS. WE WILL LIKELY BE INCLUDING THESE TUNES ON THE SET LIST ON FUTURE U.S. SHOWS.

SO WE ARE NOW SAFELY ON THE GROUND IN PANAMA CITY. WE LANDED AFTER NIGHTFALL, BUT I AM ALREADY AMAZED BY THE SIZE AND MODERNITY OF THIS CITY.

BUENOS NOCHES,

KC

PS. I AWOKE THIS MORNING, AND WALKED OUT ON MY BALCONY OVERLOOKING THE PACIFIC OCEAN TO AN AMAZING VIEW OF PANAMA’S SKYLINE, COASTLINE, AND A LINE OF FREIGHTERS AWAITING THEIR TRIP THROUGH THE CANAL. TONIGHT’S SHOW IS ANOTHER SOLD OUT AFFAIR, AND TOMORROW WE PLAN TO TOUR THE CITY AND EXPLORE THE CANAL ZONE. TO BE CONTINUED……