A date full of memories

I sat down at the computer this morning prepared to talk about the concert last night. But allow me a brief detour. As I typed the date on the top of the page, a wave of memories came over me. It was on the 26^th of June in 1969 that we left our home in the suburbs of St. Louis to begin our move to West Hartford. Ten years later, on the 26^th of June in 1979, I entered Northshore Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island, where I would spend the next three weeks in the hopes of delaying as long as possible the need to deliver our second child, Dina, who was born on the 17^th of July at 36 weeks gestation. On the 26^th of June in 1989, one of my dearest friends, who had thought he was entering the hospital for some back surgery, was diagnosed with a tumor at the base of his brain; I am glad to say that he is still around and has been a great source of strength for me as I have gone through this odyssey.

Once challenging events happened on June 26^th for three consecutive decades, I was concerned that this might be a permanent event in my life.

According to Jewish law, once something is done three times it is considered a permanent thing. This is called a “chazakah.” Let’s say you decide to take on a new good resolution. If you do it once—beginner’s luck. Twice—still beginner’s luck. If you do it three times then we can trust you. So the number three represents permanence. That’s why we do things (e.g., many rituals) in threes, since it adds strength to our acts.

But I am hopeful that I am off the hook on this one. To the best of my memory, June 26^th of the next two decades (1999 and 2009) passed uneventfully. I will need to let you know in four years from now whether a new chazakah has replaced the old one.

So now, on to David Crosby. First, I spoke incorrectly yesterday – the liver transplant was 20 years ago, not 10. The only negative thing I can say about last night is that neither of us was familiar with most of the songs he sang. But the positive thing is that he looks and sounds pretty good at 73 after all those years of hard living. It was just David and his guitar the entire time so there was no need for earplugs. He’s still railing against “the establishment” but with more disillusion than anger.

[When I typed that last phrase, I wanted to make sure I had gotten it right. And low and behold when I googled it I came across this:

http://www.csny.com/press/crosby,-stills,-nash-and-young-still-railing-against-the-establishment.html ]

Bottom line:

  1. Did we enjoy the show? Yes

  2. Would we likely go see him again? No, probably not

  3. Other comments? YES – bring back Stephen Stills and Graham Nash! 

      No one can do harmonies like those three guys!

Here is the full set list:

Set 1:

Tracks in the Dust

The Lee Shore (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)

Naked in the Rain (Crosby & Nash song)

Time I Have

For Free (Joni Mitchell cover)

Dream for Him (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)

Triad (The Byrds song)

Carry Me (Crosby & Nash song)

Thousand Roads

Set 2:

Everybody's Been Burned (The Byrds song)

Rusty and Blue (CPR song)

What Are Their Names

In My Dreams (Crosby, Stills & Nash song)

What Makes it So

Somebody Home

Laughing

Déjà Vu (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song)

Guinnevere (Crosby, Stills & Nash song)

Encore:

Cowboy Movie

Have a great weekend!

Love,

Rebecca