The Big Finish

San Francisco, a little bit of home for everyone, was the next to the last stop on this one week journey.

Saturday evening, Dan Purtell (the band's drummer) and his wife Ashley hosted a dinner party at their home in Bernal Heights. They have a spectacular view of the City, and Ashley made a killer meal of fish tacos. Another long time band mate who could not make the tour, Missy (whose last name escapes me, sorry Missy!) and her family joined in on the fun and she brought some fresh harmonies and new takes on some of the songs the band had been performing. After dinner, the group practiced some tunes she would perform with them the next day.


The transition to the ending of this experience began with our dispersal to different accommodations -- Dan was back home, Jim returned to his, Jennie to her sister's, Andrea and Diane to a hotel and Taya to a friend's apartment in the City. The next morning was a great one for sleeping in for all -- and the group reconvened at their next performance location.

Sunday, the final gig, at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. A veritable institution in the land of all things liberal and revolutionary. The interior decor is all Che Guevara and Barack Obama and flags bearing the Starry Plough -- a reference to the Star and Plough emblem adopted by Irish revolutionaries of yore. It was a perfect place to end the tour for a variety of reasons -- they had their own PA system so we didn't have to haul ours in, there was a sound mixer hired by Dan to make the band sound damn near perfect, and it is a venue many of the band members had played in 30 years ago so the nostalgia factor was alive and well.

It was a fantastic final gig....the sound was impeccable, the vocals amazing and many friends and family came to enjoy and support the Fair Weatherheads at their last stop on the Motel California Tour.

After the final load out, Jim (the bass player) had made reservations at a Chinese restaurant recommended by his Chinese Art expert wife, Britta, that was just down the road off of Shattuck. The six of us had what can safely be described as the most phenomenal Chinese meal any of us had ever had -- at the Great China restaurant. Jim turned the ordering over to our server who, prompted by a request for Peking Duck as a starter, brought dish after dish of the most tasty concoctions ever. We managed to devour most of it, sending the leftovers home to Britta as a token of our appreciation for the suggestion.

As has been our nightly custom, the band discussed the gig, what they liked about it and what was the "MVP" song of the night -- the one where they totally nailed it. It was decided that without a doubt, Rockin' in the Free World was the song of the week. Andrea, the birthday girl and conceiver of this entire experience concluded that she did not have a single complaint about the week! The tour could not have concluded on a better note (pun intended!).