Our Ambrosia experience began about twenty minutes after we pulled into Robinsonville, about 6 PM friday night. We went straight to the casino to pick up our tickets and book into a room. While at the ticket counter we could hear the guys sound check and warm up session. Unfortunately only about five minutes of it, just enough to whet my appetite for more. While still at the desk, grubby and tired from the six hour drive, no makeup, hair windblown into my face, looking like a refugee I come face to face with Joe, Ricky, Raz and since Tollak knows me and what I look like, I bolted as fast as my old legs could carry me in the opposite direction. I missed Tollak, but almost collided with Dave, coming out another door. All this was quite amusing to both my girls, who were hiding as well.

We had anticipated getting into town much later than 6, and were under the false impression that the show started at 8, so our tickets were for the saturday night performance instead of the friday one. What were going to do? Being three inventive females loose in a casino, we went upstairs, got cleaned up, found some dinner, and hit the casinos, all three of them all in a neat little row there. Eddie Money was playing next door, and ironically my oldest daughter had on her autographed Eddie Money shirt, and after his show, he autographed it again. It then dawned on us that the Ambrosia set was surely over, and that they might just be hanging out in the casino. This was about 11 PM. We hadn't been back at the Horseshoe ten minutes when Lissa said she thought she saw Tollak. He disappeared into the crowd, but appeared a couple of minutes later, and found us. He had Raz and Ricky with him and we were shortly joined by Joe and Chris. We chatted about Chris' haircut. He was really good natured about the comments and said it was just time to go there. We gravitated to one of the bars, where for the next thirty minutes or so were dedicated to a basketball playoff game. Not being a b-ball fan, I basically ignored it. Joe and Chris wandered off to forage for food, we stayed with Tollak, Ricky and Raz. Daughter Rachel went to our room to retrieve a camera, and we got asked to put it away or surrender it by casino authorities. We had only snapped a couple of shots. We hooked up briefly with Joe and Chris about 1 AM before they headed up for the night, and Rachel and I headed up about 1:30. Other daughter Lissa, Tollak and Raz played until 3AM. I don't know when Ricky left the mix. 

Saturday we went into Memphis and scoped the infamous Beale street, it was awesome. I had never been but Lissa had and led us on a grand tour. The only thing I was put off by in Memphis was the rudeness. I have never been treated more shabbily than I was on several occasions by the citizens of Memphis. And they drive worse and more offensively than anywhere I've ever been. But I will go back, the music and BBQ on Beale Street was worth all the hassle.

We got back to the casino about 6:30 and rested up for the show. We went down about 8 and got a table in front of the stage, left, about 8-10 feet from where Chris' keyboads were set up. Dave stood directly in front of us. The crowd was an eclectic bunch, some hard core fans were there, but I overheard a table of bored looking business types lamenting about being put to sleep and not being to finish their night of gambling. I had to bite my tongue, and the girls told me I'd be real disappointed if I started a brawl and got thrown out before the show started, so I zipped my lip. I honestly don't know how much the boys were influenced by playing in an area generally referred to as the "blues cradle", but when they took the stage, opening with the most turned on, hard blues version of "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" they simply brought down the house. They followed that by a hard rocker that I'm not familiar with, so I suppose it was from "Road Island" as I STILL don't possess that album.

It was a hard edged number that had everybody, even the aforementioned unbelievers sit up and take notice. Then Dave did an unbelievable a cappella opening to "You're the Only Woman" in a total blues sound that made it almost totally unrecognizable to all but the die hard fans, because when they segued on into the pop version of it the audience went wild. Then they played one of my favorites, "I Wanna Know" with a drive and beat that was almost primal. Burleigh and Ricky had a percussion jam session at the end that actually left me breathing funny, as if I forgot to breathe at all. I just have to say this, whatever inspired the addition of Ricky to this lineup, it's as if he and Burleigh link souls while playing. This was so far and above the other two shows I've seen by Ambrosia, there is really no comparison. However, even the boys were clearly pleased with this show, as evidenced by their glee and audience interaction. They played to and with the audience. They later said that they were pleased with how the show went, and that it was probably better than the friday show.

Back to the set list. Dave did himself proud on "How much I Feel" and didn't imbellish it too much, just sang it from the heart as he does so well. They followed that with the nuttiest version of "Angola" I've ever heard them do. There were guitar jams in the middle as well as drum jams and at one point Dave and Joe decided to have a sing-a-long with Dave leading the women in the audience and Joe leading the men. Dave did a hysterical falsetto of Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" and had the women singing it after him, He stood on the very edge of the stage and wiggled his hips with his arms in the air, eyes closed, singing "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to, Cry if I want to, Cry if I want to. You would cry, too, if it happened to you." At the same time...........Joe was singing Harry Belafonte"s "Day-o" and trying to get the men to join him. The audience was in hysterics, I've never seen such a spectacle. They calmed down a bit when they went on to probably my favorite song, "Time Waits For No One". What a beautiful song, and delicate harmonies, still perfect after all these years. On to "The Magical Mystery Tour" it amazes me every time I hear them do it, you could close your eyes and hear the Beatles. They closed the main set with "Holdin' on to Yesterday" which was really the only time they mellowed out during the whole concert. After they left the stage, while the audience was clapping hooting and table banging to get them back out, I observed the crowd. They were mostly on their feet, and really into the experience, even the previously bored looking bunch. Presently, the guys made their way back on stage, and played "The Biggest Part of Me" which of course whipped the crowd into a clapping frenzy,, and then they surprised the heck out of me by ending the night with a hard driving cover of Cream's "Crossroads". Dave explained that he and Joe used to play it in high school, and it seemed appropriate to end with. All I saw leaving the theatre were smiling faces, and I heard several glowing reviews.

All I can say is that anyone entering those doors expecting to see "Ambrosia.......ballad band" got an eye opening surprise. Even I was surprised at the energy and diversity of this performance. My daughter Lissa is a pretty committed Ambrosia fan, Rachel is ambivilent and tags along because she wants to go with us. But even she was blown away this time. And she has seen them three times, too. The first time at age nine in 1980. Lissa has only seen them twice, last spring and last week.

Okay, after the show, we waited what seemed forever until the band came out. Dave, Ricky, Burleigh and Tollak came out first, and we quickly snapped contraband photos of them, and spoke to them a few minutes. Dave was clearly pleased with the way the show went, and the audience reaction. He said he had recognized us from the stage, but didn't know why. We told him we were huge fans abd had seen them in K.C. last spring. He was so nice. Ricky told us of his involvement with Lorenzo Lamas "Renegade". Burleigh told several fans about his work with "Tin Drum" and then Dave and Burleigh went to their rooms. Joe and Chris stayed behind to pack up, or something, because we didn't see them again until they all came down to the casino to eat. It was sooo cool, Tollak was with us in the bar area, and Joe, Chris, Ricky, Dave, Burleigh , Raz (the sound man) and Jeb? all went past into the buffet to eat, they waved and blew kisses. When they came out, they waved again and told us thanks for driving to see them and have a safe trip home. They were still waving when they went around the corner to the elevators. We went up to our room about 1:30 again, and rode the elevator with Tollak. That man is a true gentleman, he didn't have to entertain us, or give us his time, but he did so, freely. I sent him a note to thank him, and he sent one back, thanking us.

Truly, I will never get a nicer Mother's Day gift than my "Magical Mississippi Tour". Thanks Billie and Pat for your contribution to my weekend. Bless you.