I really don't know how to write this review....been turning things over in my mind on how to say the things I want to say nicely....so I guess that I will just start and see how it goes.

Chastain Park is a real unusual outdoor venue that is made of beautiful laid stone (like the kind on a stone fireplace). A real casual set up where one can bring in food and drink to your seats if you want. I am thinking maybe too casual from the behavior of some of the people sitting near me.

It was cloudy Saturday night with a three quarter moon only making an appearance a few times during the night (Thanks for the full moon, Brett!). There was a nip in the air, actually it was rather cold!!! The wind was blowing through the tree tops the entire time. People were wearing gloves and were wrapped in blankets.

Dan was warm and personable. He seemed rested and in good spirits. He was dressed in jeans, a white button up shirt, black jacket and sandals with black socks!! He was a little heavier then the last time that I saw him, but very handsome. He made reference to the cold several times, said that it felt as if he were in Colorado, not Georgia! In fact he rubbed his hands together many times to warm them at the beginning and would blow on them between songs to help with the warming. It was cold!! I had my hands in my jacket pockets at times. He mentioned that he was glad to be back at "Shastain" Park! Pronouncing Chastain with an sh sound, which got a laugh from the audience!! He called the place "Shastain" several times!

I don't remember the entire set lists from the other concerts(I will post this set list seperate) so I am not sure if he deviated from the others or not. He opened with 'Part of the Plan' and it took a couple of minutes for his voice to warm up but it did and it was pure honey. It was Dan sitting there singing and his voice was strong and clear and beautiful.

The third song that he sang was 'Old Tennessee'. Which received cheers from the crowd when he sang 'Georgia' and a big yell from my daughter and I for the line '...still in Old Tennessee'. I sat listening with tears running down my face.

'Run for the Roses' had a short intro of 'My Old Kentucky Home'. This is another song that I sat listening with tears. I am a horsewoman and it does my heart good to know that Dan knows horses well enough to write the lines '....and it's something unknown that drives you and carries you home.' Off to the side in one area someone else was pleased to hear this song also, as they sat with a lit sparkler!

Dan started playing at around 9:10 and the lights were on at 10:45, so we did not get the 2 hour show that I was hoping for. We had one encore, 'There's A Place In The World For A Gambler', which I sat and listened with bittersweet feelings as I knew when he started singing 'Gambler' that we were only going to have one encore. And because this is the song that first introduced me to Dan's music, so again I was sitting there with tears streaming now my face as I sang along with Dan.

There was a point early in the show where someone down front must have held something up for Dan to take (couldn't see from where I was at) cause he said "Lemming!! Looks like a lemming to me!!" He was laughing and then stood up and walked to the front of the stage, bent over and was handed a stuffed animal hand puppet that looked like a raccoon from where I was sitting. He kept laughing and saying, "Lemming, looks just like a lemming!!" He put his left hand in the puppet and sat it on his knee and kinda bounced it up and down on his knee!! At this point he was actually chuckling!! And he mentioned that was what he needed as it was keeping his hand warm! This was a relaxed fun filled moment and I am glad that I could share in it.

I am thankful that I was able to attend and feel that I came away with a gift of hearing Dan perform. The memories will last for a time. I only wishe that some of the people sitting near me had felt the same way, or at least respected Dan and his music enough to listen.

There was a group of eight people sitting in front of us that of the eight four talked almost coninously. This is the part where I find it difficult to find anyting nice to say. For the life of me I do not understand why someone would go to the trouble to purchase tickets to a concert, and then sit out in the cold just to be rude and obnoxious. One of the couples talked incessantly....they were drunk, loud and extremely discourtous. They were inconsiderate of Dan and those of us around them who actually wnated to listen to Dan and savor the moment. Early in the night I politely asked them to be quiet as I could not hear Dan sing. The woman muttered something under her breath but the man remarked very hateful and sarcastic, "Well Listen up". It was at this time that I was wishing that Debbie's biker/logger friend Jim was around, because these people definitely needed a whack on the head.

These rude people made it difficult to hear Dan in many of the songs. He sang 'Nature of the Game', which they talked through the entire song. In fact in only 2 songs were their voices low enough to where they were not a distraction. I got up once to find a Chastain Park employee to come and say something to them but could only find those at the concessions and they could not leave their booths.

Even though it was 'magic' being able to see Dan perform I left feeling somehow dissapointed....not in Dan's performance, it was superb but in people in general. I considered saying something to this couple afterwards but decided it would do no good as they were so shallow and so into 'ME' that they had no ideal how inconsiderate they were...they actually were acting as in I was the rude one for asking them to be quiet.

As my daughter and I were walking back to my truck a big limo drove by us on its way out of the Park! The windows were tinted so we could not see who was inside but Park employees were making sure the way was cleard so it could leave!! Hmmmm!


Thanks Dan for sharing your gift with us again.

~Sherry~

~ POEMS ~ LETTERS ~ SONGS ~ NOTES ~ TO DAN ~