3/17/07 State Theatre, Falls Church, VA

Setlist
Movin' On, Blue Sky, These Are Better Days, Tides of Time, Each & Every Direction, The Beauty Within, Family Picture, Rocking Horse, Voice in My Head, Spinning World, Killing a Man, You're Breakin' My Heart, 40 Days & 40 Nights (Jeb & Tara only), There Must Be, Yonder, Positive Friction, I Don't Need a Riddle, Conscious Evolution
Encore 1: No Place Like the Right Time, Need You More and More
Encore 2: Hit the Groove (Jeb & Bill only)

By Larry Franklin

We had some issues getting on the road and didn't get there when we'd hoped. Klines got there Friday and had a nightmarish ride through a horrible storm, and went to what we herd was a great Spearhead show. We got there Saturday with enough time to unwind, chow down & get ready for Donna's show at The State.

Surprises around every corner, it was a gathering of Herdfolk from parts all over, and it was so nice to see everyone. Too many to list/mention, we have such a great family! So many great folks, so many great memories.

King Wilkie played a great set, highly recommended. I hope we get to see this great young band of old time country/bluegrass/old time around a lot more in the future. We both immensely enjoyed their set, albeit from a distance as we visited friends. (Jay tells me that King Wilkie was Bill Monroe's horse's name.)

We started the show at one of my favorite spots, in front of Kathy and the Leslie... but the Leslie was aimed cross-stage, toward Jeb! I couldn't stay there long anyway, nursing a painful bum hoof, so along about Rockin' Horse we (Van tagged along, ever the attendant sweetie) had to head to seats in the balcony.

Not long after we got there, I don't remember the specific song, Tara started scrubbing, and Van leaned over and said to me something along the lines of, "We haven't seen Tara drum in a long while, I wonder if or when we'll see that again?" Not knowing that she had just done that the previous night!! What a surprise to come home, read email and find that out!! So cool when they switch off like that... so indicative of how good/talented they really are! (Can't wait for this download to finish so I can hear it. B&P anyone?)

Anyway, the show started strong. Jeb had a huge smile on his face almost all night and kept smiling into the mic, "Well, all right," numerous times, seeming to extend his great mood energy out into the venue. Everyone definitely looked to be in stellar moods, it was an upbeat and happy presentation, what a fun, happy-energy night! Beauty Within just smoothed along, a picture-perfect rendition. Voice In My Head seemed a little lighter than usual, upbeat and pleasant, even the "nasty" psychedelic drum/chaos break, the Jeb/Tara 40/40 duet was also picture-perfect, and very upbeat and energetic, and the story about Jonas wanting to be a holiday designer beautiful, funny, and had the whole crowd wondering at this kid's creative way of wanting to help the whole world feel like every day's a good day to be entertained by music and luxury. (Well, every day we live *should* feel like a holiday, life is good! MUST it take a child to remind us? No, I guess we're just better off arguing and prattling along forever fighting about things....) A friend who has a radio show catering to an all-ages phone-in audience, specifically aimed at attracting the imagination of young kids (the show, Saturday Light Brigade Radio, is webcast every Saturday morning 6 a.m.-noon), tells me he's read several places that kids' creativity peaks at about age 8. Jonas is well on his way! (Funny, Jeb said that Jonas is 6... Tara reminded him that he's now 7. :) )

There Must Be, Yonder, it was just a wonderful show. Conscious Evolution started a little... uneven (?) ... the band didn't jell right away, even Jeb's vocal seemed a little tentative, but once they got into it they just rocked the house. The first two encores were very strong, and we were surprised when they left and came back for yet another encore. Bill talked about the cruise a little, we didn't catch some of it, the mic seemed a little muddy, and then... wow, was that a first Hit The Groove used as an encore? Bill walked all up and down that fretboard, Jeb and Bill jamming on a jazz-rock version that had us ALL hitting that groove, what a sublime version of that great tune! Thanks for the request, Dog, that was one great tune!

Security was tight, no photos, not even without flash, were allowed, and the bouncers seemed to keep busy. We've seen many a great show at The State, and it is a nice venue, but security really doesn't need to be that strict. No tapers early for King Wilkie, Dog got the stats of the one we did see with a mic stand during Donna, so I hope we got this one for the archives. Dog is good...I believe in him. ;)

Peace, Love & Donna,
Larry (& Van)