ATLANTIC CITY

ATLANTIC CITY, OCTOBER 12th 2007

First the photos, then the story...

Roger's Setup

A photo of Da Drumz

David Garibaldi, ready to start the show

The Set List

Adolfo Acosta

Mike Bogart

Stephen Kupka, The Funky Doctor

Tom Politzer

L.B., Larry Braggs

Emilio Castillio

David Garibaldi

Rocco Prestia

Mark Harper, the newest member of Tower of Power

Sound Engineer Extraordinaire, Ace Baker

This year's show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City was a much better experience for me than the last time I was there, back in 2005. Some of you may remember my post on the old message board, and the VERY limited number of pictures that I took. Limited by the fact that 2 security guards basically picked me up under each arm and took me out of the show room, to the security area where I had my camera confiscated and was almost not allowed back to see the remaining 3/4 of the show. Totally my own fault, because it is well posted that cameras are NOT allowed.

That was in 2005, so fast forward to 2007. The Tower of Power organization appreciates the time I spend on the message board, and the other things that I do to try to assist in promoting the band. Tour manager Jack Hylen, at Emilio's request, made sure that I had a photo pass, and back stage access. I used the photo pass to the fullest, and had to sign a document with all kinds of information, and it said that photos were limited to the first 3 songs. Well as you can see by the photos, I was shooting for the whole show, and every time I moved around the venue, a security guard came towards me, and i just pointed to the photo pass stuck on my shirt, and they moved on. A lot different than my 2005 experience.

I will mention the camera that I am now shooting with, which I think did a great job. Most of these shots were taken from either the balcony, or in the sound booth, using the zoom lens. This camera is an SLR Digital, with an 18-200 mm lens. It's a Nikon D-40X, and it's an awesome camera. I am still getting used to it, but I think I got a lot of great shots, so you can tell me what you think. Keep in mind that photos on a webpage are greatly reduced in size so that the page will load in a decent amount of time.

Back to the show...

Right now, at this point in time, Tower of Power consistently delivers an excellent performance. Those of us that are lucky enough to see the band several times a year pretty much expect it, and we get it. It's always interesting to watch people enjoying the show, and listening to people that are there for the first time. Larry continues to amaze and delight.

The entire band was up for the show, and every player was on their game.

Mark Harper is the new guy, on guitar. I met Mark briefly before the show, and I enjoyed his performance. According to Mark, he really has not had any intense rehearsals with the band, basically learning the tunes from recorded material, and I would say that he is off to a good start. Anyone coming into a band like TOP needs to prepare for a rather steep learning curve, and if you are a great player, and can learn the material (quickly), that's a real plus. There is a trial period afforded to anyone new, and as written before, membership in this band has to be earned, so we will see how things work out.

So, I hope you enjoy the photos, and we will see what the Count Basie Theater's policy on taking photos is in a few days.

Off to Red Bank, NJ on the 18th.