Went to see Duane Betts/GA-20 at Sierra Nevada last night. First time I had been there since 12/31/19. After COVID they stayed closed for a long time, finally re-opened this May (might have been June). There hadn’t been anything I really wanted to see, and the few things I did want to attend I couldn’t because of my wife’s health issue, so it took me a while to return
Spent entire Duane set right against stage, directly in front of Duane. During intermission ran into my dear friends Martha & Bill, huge DBT fans and whom many of you know and have met. So I sat with them at their table for the entire GA-20 set. At some point I started looking around the room, taking in changes since I had last been there. They used to have impressive art of their beer labels on the wall but they are now replaced with photos of artists who have played Sierra Nevada. So color me shocked when I realize one of the photos is Cooley! I am fairly certain Mike Cooley has never set foot in Chico, much less play the Big Room. Then it hit me- the band played the inaugural live show for the brewery back in North Carolina (5 miles from the house I grew up in & where my parents still live). So here it is (damn, this pic makes me realize I desperately need to hit the Pelaton)
Son, this ain't a dream no more, it's the real thing