Talk about this show here...


-Bill

Eileen!
Can't wait to hear your review!!!!
This day has finally arrived lil sis!

Love
M.J

WOW!!
It is 1:00 AM and I just got back from hippiefest in Pompano Beach.
The weather has been a real concern all week and today they predicted we would really get it, our powerful, scary storms. I woke up and it was raining and the sky did not look good at all. So I packed a set of extra clothes just in case. Well I left at 4:00 PM to allow an extra hour of travel time in case I had to get off the highway. Well a very bad storm came and I wanted to get off the highway but there were too many cars pulled off to the side that that seemed more dangerous than just trying to go ahead. This went on for many exits, I wanted to get off, you couldn't see and the water was filling the roadway. Then a cop went by with the lights on and I said there has to be an accident. Well sure enough on the northbound side an 18 wheeler was sideways in the road and they closed the highway. My heart bleeds for those people. The weather didn't improve and finally I got to my exit. I got to hippiefest and the rain was just pouring down. I sat in my car until 6:45 trying to stay dry as long as possible. So I put on my poncho and grabbed the umbrella as being soaked is a fact of life in summer if you live in FL. They had very strict rules, no cameras, no coolers but I was really sad when they said no UMBRELLAS! So back to the car and starting over with just the poncho. There were not many people there at this point. I went up to the stage and told the security people I was an old friend of Melanie. I asked if I could get backstage. They said you can only go back if a "production manager" takes you back. I said how about Melanie's son who will be playing the guitar?? They said only if we see he really knows you and you make physical contact that we observe. I said you are going to watch how he says hello to me? They said yes! Isn't that wild?? So Beau came out to set up the stage. I called to him and he came to the front of the stage and grabbed me and told me he loved me. I said will I see you later and he said yes, come up on the stage. He walked to meet me but it was the wrong side of the stage! So I went back to the security and said "Do you guys believe me now??" So then I saw Peter and got back. I asked him if I will see them later and he said yes. So I went back to my seat because I wanted to watch Melanie. Flo & Eddie of the Turtles started the show by saying we were really the Woodstock generation sitting there in the pouring rain. I was praying for things to improve because you are wet and even though it is raining you are hot from the heat of being in the poncho. All of this will make sense later on. So Jonathan Edwards opened and said he can only do 4 songs. His last song he decided to not play the guitar but just sing. He did a beautiful song called Island Earth.

Then came Badfinger and I knew Melanie would be next. Oh when I went on the stage with Peter Melanie was there and we said see you later. So the great news was that the sun peeked though and things were better, the rain had stopped! She looked beautiful! She didn't play by the 4 song rule, this was the last night after all. She sang Beautiful People first. AWESOME! Then she said when we are this old you can sing someone's song and nobody will know the difference. Then she sang Those Were The Days!! She did that before at another Hippiefest and now did it again. I loved it! Then came Brand New Key and I said to myself this is the time to make my move. So I went to the side of the stage and when BNK was over Peter waved for me to come up on stage. He told me to be real quiet, as this was not his production and I was pretty much getting sneaked in. So I stood behind the tie dyed banner and got to see the best of both worlds. Then Melanie sang Ruby Tuesday, I was watching her from about 20 feet away and also watching the crowd interact with her. She had pointed her finger toward the crowd and they were pointing the finger back during the chorus of Ruby Tuesday. Then people started lighting their lighters and Melanie said "good to see those flickers of light". Then came Look What They Done to My Song Ma. Melanie told the whole breakdown routine but with a new twist. She was coming out of REHAB! How funny was that. Then we all know how she calls out for Sid right? Well she called out for Sid and then she said "Ron! Where is that son of a bitch?" I was standing next to Lauren and asked her did I hear that correctly and just cracked up! For someone who was supposed to be quiet I just couldn't help myself!! Then Melanie made a remark that this was supposed to be about peace and her SIXTH song was Give Peace A Chance. She said to the crowd "Let me go out with dignity". She left and we were singing Give Peace A Chance!! Oh an Beau got to play alone for maybe a minute because Melanie told everyone how he has brought about a whole new realm of music to her. So then she left the stage and came toward us. I followed her, got a big arm around my shoulder from Beau. He had to move fast as they were moving equipment all around for the other acts. Then Peter had Melanie sign a bunch of Hippiefest posters that were going to be auctioned off. I think all the performers signed them. Oh and they auctioned off a guitar signed by all the performers. So now the best part. I get to spend some alone time with Melanie. No one but the two of us. I told her I made her a pair of earrings today and they were a labor of love as I had a bad accident with my wrist. I told her what happened and her eyes got big. I said Melanie this presents a big problem for me, being so creative with my hands and to have these limitations. So she loved the earrings and said she needed them and put them on. She was really hot after performing. She had a piece of dirt on her face and I wiped it with my thumb. Then it didn't come off and I did it again. It was all so natural. So I told her how much I loved her and don't know when I will be able to see her again since I can't travel with my wrist. It was funny because the last thing she said to me was "do you live here now?" I looked puzzled and said Melanie I have lived here since 1990! I guess she is used to seeing me up north. Well it is now 2:12 AM and I have to end. I am sure other things will hit me later. It was AWESOME!

What a treat Eileen! I am so happy for you. And thanks for the deep report.

WOW Eileen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love this beautiful magical review of Hippiefest!!!!It couldn't have been a better show for you!
I knew the angels would be there for you. I'm so glad you got to spend some time with Melanie and give her the beautiful earrings that you made and she even put them on!!!!
How awesome is that?
I'm glad you got to tell her HOW MUCH you love her cause we both know that.
I know you'll never forget this night lil' sis!

Love

M.J

VERY COOL, Eileen !!!!!!!!!!!!!
...Your review sounds SO familiar...THANKS!!! -I love it!


-Bill

wow you are sooooo lucky, Melanie really loves you xxx

Concert Review, Part 3
Well here are the things I forgot to say that hit me this morning and the end of my long review. After Melanie sang Beautiful People she told the audience it was a "turntable hit", that people knew it at first only by listening to the album. At the time it came out the radio stations were only allowed to play a female singer ONCE an hour! Also the song, Those Were the Days, may have been written and performed by Mary Hopkins but Melanie OWNS IT, I think it was much better sung by Melanie and she seems to really love that song. That was a big highlight to her set. I said all that stuff about the weather and how it would make sense later. Well here it goes: It had stopped raining toward the middle of Badfinger. When Melanie came on you could see a peek of the yellow sun surrounded by the light purple sky. This was just beautiful. Then because the sun came out briefly there was a nice sort of sunset. The sky was light purple streaked with pink clouds and absolutely made up for the terrible day of weather. There was a half moon surrounded by a circle of haze. And Melanie was playing and I felt things could not be more beautiful than this. But the time Melanie's set was over it had turned from day into the beginning of night. It was perfect! Her voice was just amazing, belting them out and she didn't want to stop. Oh I forgot to mention when I was talking about my wrist in the previous posts that I am "The Embroidery Lady". I made several for Melanie and that is why her eyes got big when I told her about my wrist. Then the Turtles came on. I saw Melanie go behind the tie dyed banner that I was hiding behind before! So she was watching the Turtles with Lauren. They were pretty good but no one can follow Melanie in my book. Then Jack Bruce came on. He started with an old all black acoustic guitar. Then he introduced the band. The drummer was the little brother of one of the radio DJs that introduced Jack Bruce. Well Jack Bruce was just amazing. He said he loved FL and the sunshine. The drummer was just unbelievable. The crowd was going crazy again for Sunshine of your Love. To me the highlight was White Room which lasted a long time. Then came Eric Burdon and the Animals. They were good but no one could follow Melanie and Jack Bruce. Oh Jack Bruce said we were the best audience of Hippiefest. The air felt electric, I was on my Melanie high from the start and just can't come down!! The End!

WOW!!! Glad you had such a good time!!! I'm so glad you made it to the Hippiefest!!!!