This is so strange somehow. After playing the Winnipeg Folk festival on Sunday, we just happened to meet Ray Davies at the airport as we were leaving to go home. There is no way i can do this sweet story any justice in just a few words, but i get the feeling he is a very special person- far beyond his insane talent, his beautiful songs and his being knighted. Definitely one who likes to bring people joy. There were many sightings of him at the hotel that weekend-lots of vignettes exchanged. Eric rode the elevator with him while only sporting a bathrobe (hotel issue), and i would like to think i might have saved him from a Mark David Chapman sort who was far too old to be so eager to meet Ray Davies in a hotel lobby in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I kindly told the guy there is no way he would be at this hotel with all us goof balls hanging around. "i'm certain a guy like that must keep his distance.....wouldn't you think?" Anyway, i did not see him play, as right after our set the hotel beckoned me while my arms were being torn apart and turned into mini-battle fields for giant mosquitos to land on and feed off of... but the guys did watch him, and one thing that Phil really seemed moved by, was how much fun he seemed to be having while playing his music. Phil was affected by that-or deeply inspired anyway, and spoke about it in a way i haven't seen him speak on things for a long time... and in his enthusiasm conveying this to me-i was moved too, and i suppose had some kind of picture painted on the inside that left me with a sweetened essence of this "person" that went far beyond the whole Kink's mythology. So, long story short, we were near to him in line at the airport and we started chatting somehow. Guitars are always a good ice breaker! He asked us if we had a record. i luckily had one in my flight case, which is funny because i only brought two with me (to give away)...so thank God i still had this one record! anyway, when he heard we lived in Seattle he mentioned that he was playing there this Saturday and he took numbers so he could invite us all to the show...well, now he has asked The Sweet Hereafter (phil, bill and eric) to back him up on a couple of songs! So thank you Mr. Ray Davies for this gift- a great story to have the rest of our lives. (Airports will never feel quite the same to us now!) The world is soooo thankful that you wrote so many amazing songs, amoung them "Waterloo Sunset" (one of my favorite songs ever) and also that you had the good sense to bail that night when you were hanging out with John Wayne Gacy (1965?) and that you didn't end up just a pile of bones beneath his floor boards! Here's to good intuition! But seriously, of course, here's to spreading such good energy and warmth! The world needs it now, and we needed it too. xoj.s
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