Herb&Lani-San Francisco-Final Night FULL REPORT

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I’m sorry this report is late, but I had this week off and I spent it in the Napa Valley. I only had my Blackberry and I was not going to attempt to type a long report with those little buttons!

The final night of the tour, didn’t contain as much music as the shows in San Diego or LA. But it was amazing to see how Herb has evolved as a great storyteller and quick wit as this tour rolled along. Herb didn’t talk all that much in between songs at the start of the tour in San Diego, LA or even at the three Vibrato shows I saw. All this new stage banter made for less music, but I didn’t care. He’s got his stage swagger back after all those years off the road. For those of you who think that a TJB reunion wouldn’t be possible without the humor of Bob Edmondson, you would be wrong. Herb has enough great stories and quick comebacks to satisfy even a Vegas crowd. Come to think of it that is what Sunday night was like. Herb was like Frank Sinatra with his own “Rat Pack”. Yoshi’s was transformed into the “Sands” circa 1960 as far as I was concerned. I really felt like I was at one of those VH1 Storytellers show. Wait a minute. That’s a great idea! Let’s get on that gang. You know, when you wait in line for the meet & greet after a show, you don’t get to hear all of the great questions and Herb stories as people in front of you go through the line. Even more than the 3 Vibrato shows I saw, this was more intimate. I really felt like I was in Herb & Lani’s Malibu living room and they were entertaining friends. That is what made this last night in San Francisco so special and dear to me.

Yoshi’s San Francisco – Final Night – May 25th

BERIMBAU - Herb told the crowd that San Francisco was one of his favorite cities and he has many fond memories. He talked about truly loving the city for two reasons, “I was stationed at the Presidio in the 6th Army Band for almost two years and learned how to drink Irish Coffee at the ‘Buena Vista’ - I had my second one, then my 74th one! Then in 1962, ‘The Lonely Bull’ came out, that was the first record I did with the Tijuana Brass and the record started happening here in San Francisco. The radio station KSFO played the record here first. Before any other place in the world. So yeah know, San Francisco.” (To Lani) – “Did you know that? Did my bride know that? You didn’t know that honey? That was before you were born then.”

NIGHT&DAY/WHAT NOW MY LOVE -> THE SURREY WITH THE FRINGE ON TOP – They switched the order of these tunes since San Diego & LA. Yup, Herb finished up with about 12 bars from Roger & Hammerstein’s,
“OKLAHOMA!” What a hoot.

PARARAIO – Lani told us to sing along! – And now the balcony! She’s got a great sense of humor just like her hubby. After, Herb once again told the crowd that Lani was singing in Yiddish. “New York got the joke”, he said. “Washington, so, so. But San Diego, zip, Silence.” Herb is still ripping on the San Diego crowd. Herb said it was disconcerting and a little scary that people were so close at Yoshi’s. He then went on to tell a hilarious story about doing a two week run at a little club in New York called, “Basin Street”. “A young lady was in the crowd for every show – two a night. And she would use binoculars the whole show. I mean what more can you find!” Priceless.

BESEME MUCHO – Herb said that this next tune was a huge international hit and written by, Consuelo Velázquez. A nifty new run by Herb to start this tune. After finishing Herb exclaimed, “That was good clean fun.” “This is the reason Lani and I decided to do this. We are not selling anything - though I do have a picture that I took with Sting a few years back. It is not autographed. He recorded for us but I never met the guy”. And then our “Master of Ceremonies” opened up the floor for questions! “This is an informal evening, so do you have any questions?” Someone from the audience asked if they had recorded any tunes from the tour? Herb said, “We have been recording the whole tour when we get back we will see if we have anything worth keeping”. Herb then asked the crowd, “So, who wrote that tune?” The whole audience droned back with, Consuelo Velázquez! “There you go”, Herb said. Now we can all enter that ‘5th Grader TV Show’”. Someone asked about Sergio Mendes and Herb plugged “The Dreamer” that Lani and he did on Sergio’s new album. (Funny thing is that I had just purchased that CD used for 8 bucks at Amoeba Records Saturday! Why is it taking so long to come out domestically?) “The Dreamer” is just killer. Herb went on to say that in fact after this show Michael and Hussain were leaving to go play with Sergio in Europe. He went on to tell the story he told at the Hollywood Bowl 40th Anniversary of Brasil 66 Show. “It just so happens that without Sergio, I would have never met my bride here. Have you heard this story before?”, Herb asked. “Let me know if I’m going on too long here. The TJB was playing these huge 18,000 seat places and we decided to get Sergio and Brasil 66 to open the shows for us. So, I got my group together - 7 guys. And I told them, ‘What ever you do, don’t fool around with the girls in the group. It’s just not very professional.”
Man did the crowd roar. A lady asked, “Was it love at first sight?” And without missing a beat, like a seasoned old school Vegas stand-up, Herb said, “It was ‘like’ at first sight. I was married at the time.” The crowd roared yet again. “We were ‘friends’ for three years. Is my nose growing at all?”

THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC

LET'S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE – Herb asked, “Who wrote this next Irving Berlin song?” “Don’t worry, it’s not ‘White Christmas’.”

MORNING COFFEE

WHO ARE YOU

I'VE GROWN ACCOUSTOMED TO HER FACE -> THIS GUYS IN LOVE WITH YOU

A TASTE OF HONEY – They dropped “Like A Star”, so that now made way for a lengthy, smoking version of “Taste”. One of best if not ‘The Best’ takes I have heard. As soon as the applause died down, without missing beat Herb said, “That song was written by Consuelo Velázquez .” The old “Call-back” just like a Vegas pro.

DINORAH/MORNING – After Lani & Band tore it up, Herb said, “Boy that solo can really hurt a girl! And then opened the floor back up for yet more questions! “Lani’s entire catalog will eventually be available, right now, (pause) they are not”. Hilarious yet again. “But they are available on eBay, you can buy them for 3 thousand dollars – and they are not even autographed!” “The other night in Napa Valley, we had people who came all the way from Panama to see us and then in Boston this mother & daughter came all the way from Japan to see us” “And the reason this is so touching to me is, that when we decided to do this, this was about a year and a half ago, we were in Hawaii and I said, why don’t we get a small group together, with great musicians we enjoy playing with and play some small clubs instead of these big arenas that we probably couldn’t fill anyway, the idea of just an intimate evening and see if we could have fun. And we are having fun”. A man tearfully told Herb that he had been listening to Herb for some forty years – “I love you man”, he blurted. Herb thanked him and said without missing a beat, “You must remember me before I dyed my hair gray”.

I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN/RISE

LAURA – Wow! – Standing O

ENCORE –

PAPER MOON -> MY BLUE HEAVEN – Before starting a guy offered to buy Herb an Irish Coffee. The crowd went wild after this tune. And yet again Herb, the pro called up the rule of threes, “That last tune, was written by Harold Arlen & Consuelo Velázquez”.

YOU GO TO MY HEAD/LIKE A LOVER – Lani went to everyone’s head. I saw the tears being wiped away in the crowd. Stellar. Big Standing O! “I can see it now, Lani Hall featuring Herb ‘The Lonely Bull’. That was fantastic Lani”, said a proud Herb Alpert. I’d say it was magical. Again, I can’t tell you how privileged I felt to be there.

CORCOW-TRISTE-ONE NOTE SAMBA – Standing O

As the last of the applause died down, I was overcome with such a sense of melancholy. Left wondering if this will be last time I get to see them live. I hope not. I know Lani & Herb don’t monitor this wonderful site, but I just want to thank them for such a great tour and for doing this for us fans. Not only did they make beautiful, stunning music together, we all got to see them having fun. I was amazed how they made the effort to stick around after shows and greet the fans. I don’t know of many major stars who do that any more. They are truly two of the sweetest and gracious people I have ever met. As you all know now, “Beseme Mucho”, was written by Consuelo Velázquez. It also happened to be one of the stand out tunes night after night. One of my favorite all time versions of “Beseme” is by Rat Pack Member, Sammy Davis Jr. So I will leave you with this quote from Sammy, and I dedicate it to Herb & Lani,

“Real success is not on the stage, but off the stage as a human being, and how you get along with your fellow man.”
 
Great review, Cherry Street! You've done a fine job reporting from the Left Coast!

And about this:

I know Lani & Herb don’t monitor this wonderful site...

Are you sure??? :D
 
Thanks Steve. My only regret is that I didn't make the Boston show to see you & Steve V. That's good to know that maybe they do check in here. Either way, this tour has shown them just how much people still love and adore them.
 
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