My history as a Fan

I was not really a fan most of my life to date - I had heard the radio hits and thought they were a great bunch of guys but hey, so are a lot of others. It was after my little sister loaned me a friend's copy of Songs From the Wood that I became a fan - I suddenly realized that here was something rare - a band that, lyrically and musically, spoke my language. I started getting other CDs after that - Minstrel in the Gallery was next, Living in the Past, Stormwatch, Heavy Horses - I now am only missing a few of the official releases, and look forward to the much ballyhooed and so far only rumored remasters releases.

I first went to a concert in September 1999, in St. Louis Missouri, at the Riverport Amphitheater. It was a long drive, my first ever rock concert - it misted and drizzled most of the evening. I was delighted to be there, I also got quite worn out and had to stay overnight in Litchfield Illinois after determining that the bridge abutment could not possibly have been walking across the highway like I clearly saw it doing - therefore I must be tired enough to be hallucinating and must catch some rest.

Next experience was meeting with some friends from TalkTull email list, in Fort Worth Texas. This was July 2000, they played the Bass Hall. It was truly wonderful, they were fresh from vacation and in good spirits and fine form - and the acoustics were just pefect and I had great seats, and there were friends there even. That and flying for the first time in my life, being farther by far from home, and getting to play tourist all over Fort Worth for a few days. We all saw them both nights they played there, and got to meet Jon Noyce as he was leaving afterward - the rest cleverly avoided the little knot of fans (only a dozen of us) awaiting there and slipped out another exit un-noticed, probably pretending to be cargo. I don't blame them - Jon is a young pup and still likes the attention, the rest have been at it too long and pressed too much flesh and quite rightly like to be left alone after the show.

The latest one I attended was in Chicago Illinois at the Chicago Theater. Got an extra ticket so I could take my little sister with me, and she got to hear Jack-in-the-Green live, a sort of dream for her. It was a fun trip, of my 4 younger siblings she is the one I get along with best. The show was OK - better seats would have been even more OK, and if the band were not obviously tired out from too many shows in a row it would have been great - I still enjoyed being there. Would have gone to Rockford Illinois a couple days later, but horror of horrors I had lost the tickets someplace. In any case, I was having difficulty- had gotten the time off work, but had gotten selected for grand jury duty and was going to be at the courthouse all day - and was having difficulty finding anybody to go with me and wasn't looking forward to a ride by myself, especially since I would not have the luxury of staying anyplace overnight if I got tired on the road this time.

Here's a silly picture - "Jethro Tull Rocks!"

Jethro Tull headlines from an alternate universe:

TULL FRONT MAN TO SING JAMES TAYLOR HITS

Jethro Tull front man Ian Anderson announced he is releasing a collection of
James Taylor's greatest hits. "I have always secretly been a Taylor fan,"
the aging rocker declared. "This is my tribute to Mr. Mellow."

James Taylor is said to be resting at home, under heavy sedation, attended
by two lemon-scented nurses.

NOTED BLUES ROCK GUITARIST BEATEN WITH CUSTOM GUITAR

Eric Clapton was badly injured today when a crazed fellow guitarist broke
into his home and severely pummeled him with a Hugh Manson custom-built
guitar.

Jethro Tull's lead guitarist Martin Barre was said to be screaming "I am so
sick of people saying you're a better guitarist than me, you bloody hack!"
as he repeatedly wielded his instrument against the dazed blues rock legend.

TULL BASSIST CAUGHT IN HALFWAY HOUSE FOR WAYWARD MODELS

Jethro Tull bassist, Jon "the wooden Englishman" Noyce, was found in a tub
full of lemon flavored yogurt, cavorting with a former glamour photography
model. "There was yogurt and tofu all over the walls," a witness said of
the scandal.

(Note: above are all jokes, no actual facts were harmed in the making of these jokes.)

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