9.20.06-Aladdin Theater:Portland, OR

Northwest morning, 6am, watching the sunrise, I'm stuck in the central time zone. My head clears with the beautiful landscape as we pass by a stunning array of oranges, yellows, and purples; I do some stretching and reading. Later on, I walk around the area of the venue (is this known as historic brooklyn or something?), and see some interesting vehicles.

Back to the venue around 1pm, we start the ceremonies, that is, the sacred load-in.
Darren blesses the proceedings.


Out she comes . . .



The time ticks away as we set up and start sound-checking. . .

AFTER SHOW: nothing could have prepared me for that amazing experience; the last few times we were here, things were not as intense and hype, but this time around the vibe was out-of-control. Paul climbed up the stack of speakers and into a small terrace over-looking the hall. A million thoughts ran through my mind within a split second-I hope that ledge is sturdy! Don't slip! That's it, this is our last show for the year!-but I managed to ignore them as Darren drew me in with his heavy beats. Song after song the set flowed seamlessly and we found a nice groove. Thanks to the high energy of the crowd, we were all able to go somewhere higher, a synergy of high spirits and music lifted everyone, including myself, out of any troubles. This was by far the best time we've had in Portland . . . Thanks for the ride, Oregon. Orale, hasta la proxima.