Go to see Patti at Palace - we drive to an after concert party & on the way we pick up a drunk teenager who fell into the snow and who has just about died because a cement truck that we had to pull over for came screamin' by and just missed his head. We take him along and he sez he'll need something to get him goin again & him & Patti discuss different "morning after" antidotes. We're at the party. Patti tells me about how she got the controls for the band's lights at Macy's. We find some places. The kid finds his drink. Someone sez it's better just to have a good stiff one next morning."Yeah, that's the best thing for ya." A tape of the band comes on all echo-y and I say I like the sound of the Palace even though I like clubs better. The band members get closer togrther except Lenny, who gets up offstage to drop his drawers and show off Hawaiian underwear that goes down to his knees - Patti yellin' out, "He plays with those fuckin' things on too." Steve Barri gets up and mentions the record label he works for, sayin' Bloomfield's name, and then he sez, "You know, I just worked on Dylan's new album and I was lucky if I made ½¢ an hour, while Mr. D. pulls in an easy million." In the meantime, three fat oddballs are getting up on stage and they're so weird lookin' I know this was a dream. The pedal steel player was dressed like a raja - all in white and there's a daffy looking sax player and Barri announces that Charlie Rich - who has been sittin' across from us all night, & who Patti keeps sayin' is a real great guy - is gonna play & Patti sez she hopes they pick a good song for him and that she hopes it's in the right key & that she really wants Charlie to make it - and Charlie comes over and gives Patti a lollipop, grateful for all her concern & goes up & the band's playin' "Nowhere Man" and there's a guy with a Country Gentleman, the sax guy is playin' an accordian and "Nowhere Man" sounds like a polka but the vocals are exactly like the Beatles & Patti's got her arms around me holdin' me tight and I think I'm fallin' in love and it feels so good and I'm...aaaaaahhhhhh

©1976 BILL BECKETT