YEAR 2000

The Windy City Blast
Pre & after show

The two Website Managers were invited by Graham Nash to come to Chicago.
This is our story, written by Jeroen...

"For a short while I followed the hand that fits the frets so perfectly."

 

April 14^th. After a truly amazing concert, which left the two 4 WaySite website managers speechless for a while, we were invited to come over to section 103 of the United Center. Security checked our passes that said ‘GN’ (…) and guided us into the belly of the stadium.

Dolf: "Since we knew the set list by heart, we both felt the tension during the last song. Section 103 was waiting for us and we had no idea what would happen".

We entered a room where an overkill of healthy food was served while we were dying for a beer. A young man came and asked for the name Mol (the easiest one). This was Paddy, the personal assistant of Graham’s (yes: GN). After spending two decades (for Dolf even three!) looking at album covers, press clips and reading his e-mails we finally had the chance to meet the man in person. Where the hell had they hide the beer?

Graham & Dolf having fun in front
of David Crosby's room

Just outside Crosby’s dressingroom stood Graham, having a lively conversation with one of the security guys. Paddy tapped him on the shoulder and introduced us. He did not finish his intro because Graham already gave Dolf a strong hug.

Quite a warm welcome. "Where’s Mol?", he asked. Same treatment and the man is definitely in shape. He wanted to know how to pronounce my name Jeroen, which is a bit difficult for those outside the Dutch speaking parts. He managed rather nicely. Of course you can always try ‘Van Stijgeren’. Dolf handed over the official 4 WaySite T-shirt and joked about the pricing of the gift. Graham obviously was thrilled with his present and brought it to his dressingroom.

We saw Stephen coming out of his, signing a few posters and talking to Elliot Robberts. Nice to see so many familiar faces.

"Stand And Be Counted was great"

Graham got back and asked us if we had met David yet. Then he stormed into Crosby’s dressingroom and Graham introduced us as "The Dutch guys from 4 WaySite, I told you about". "O well, hey hi", was Croz’ response. The mood inside so perfectly described in Steve Silberman’s (contributing editor of Wired magazine) - who calls us "the witty Dutch guys"- journal  (he was sitting next to David). We gave some compliments about a great show and both he and Jan thanked us for coming over. It developed into lively conversation where Jan asked me if I thought those four (CSNY) belong together and were meant to make music with the four of them. Hey mama, no argument about that one!

CS&M: Crosby, Stijgeren (Van) & Mol

She also asked what we thought about having a song like Music is Love upon the setlist. I responded that I rather wanted to hear Cowboy Movie, if he still got some voice left after Almost Cut My Hair. Croz was just sitting there, bending his head and smiling. When the conversation switched to CPR he came up from the couch and his eyes started to have that Crosby sparkle. He said they were half way a new album and took us back to that great concert he did in Amsterdam.

Dolf: "I asked if they were happy or sad the tour was almost over. Jan said ‘happy’ because it’s a lot of travelling, etc. Crosby told us they will finish the other part of the CPR ‘soon’. He remembered the CPR performance in Amsterdam very well: ‘We had a lot of fun’".

We invited him to come again and both Jan and he seemed to be in for another visit to Holland. After talking with Steve, David was urged by Jan to change his pants and we all had a bit of a laugh before leaving the room.

"King of the MOL"?

Outside we took some pictures together with Nash and joked about picking each other’s noses. He went into a conversation with Dolf about making a T-shirt, ironing it, etc, like the one we just gave him.

I said hello to Elliot Robberts and Zeke Young. No sign of Neil. Meanwhile Dolf had talked to Stephen as well and he promised to come over. His son Chris was there as well, talking to Paddy. Stills came over and shook our hands while he listened to who we were. "Ah, well I’m glad you came all the way over for this one", he said. "Especially this show". Then he disappeared to the back.

I came to talk with Paddy and he told me his mother was a long-term friend of Susan Nash. That’s how he got the job of being a personal assistant of Graham. He is a very nice guy. I made a sign to Dolf that I was very thirsty and he showed me his tongue was made of leather. Poor man.

Graham & Jeroen

Graham and Dolf buy their shoes in the same shop

Croz came out in the open and we took some pictures together. We said goodbye to him and walked towards Graham to thank him and say goodbye as well. Nash asked us if we are also coming tomorrow. We told him we got tickets for the show. He said we were invited to come backstage for tomorrow as well. When we said there will be four of us tomorrow he said, "So four it is, same time same place, ‘on Mol’ again?".

 

15^th April. Meeting a lot  Shorers - people from CSN(Y) mail list the Lee-shore - in Moretti’s. We brought along Joe Perillo, a local and friend of Dolf’s. With Joe you almost sure you are not starving. That man can eat. A little later Michael Fox joined us, also a Lee Shorer. Good to see that guy, rather than digitally. We surprised the two by saying they are going to meet Graham and David tonight. (at that moment Dionne Warwick walked in and we all sang ‘That’s where friends are for’. Soon to be released on 4 WaySite Records®)

Pre-show at Moretti's: Pauline, Dolf, Jeroen (the owner of Moretti's...?), John, Graham, Joe, Buzz and Jackie

Dolf and Graham (the other one...)

Dolf, John, Buzz, Graham and Joe

Photography: Buzz

Stills, Nash, Crosby & Young during the second night

Even though we really got mugged by five drunk girls sitting behind us (look out for them on your milk packing), we managed to enjoy the concert. It was not as impressive as yesterday, but Long Time Gone with Neil breaking all the string on his Gibson (ol’ Black), made it all up. As if we owned the place, we walked towards section 103 and were let in the catacombs of the United center. Joe and Michael followed quietly, as we did the night before.
Again no beer in the waitingroom (great title for a book). When Paddy came to get us we greeted each other as old friends and introduced Joe and Michael. Down the hall we saw Doc Dunn(?) the bass player and gave him the credits he deserved for two excellent shows. I walked towards Steve Silberman who was outside David’s dressingroom and we had a chat about the show and about Neil having problems with his stomach.  Steve Silberman (contributing editor of Wired magazine as you know now) and a pretty sharp guy. We leveled quite well and had a good laugh.

Graham came out with a glass of red wine and a big smile on his face. Same warm welcome as the day before as we introduced the two newbies on the scene. I said to him that during the concert I had watched for some routine in their performance, but could not spot any. He pinched me in the shoulder and responded with "That’s the secret of CSN&Y". Meanwhile Elliot Robberts came out of Neil’s dressingroom and looked worried. Neil obvious was not feeling well.

Stephen walked by but did not talked to anyone. He looks much more in shape than about two years ago. The last two concerts he certainly was the most energetic of the foursome. For a short while I followed the hand that fits the frets so perfectly.

"You are NOT wearing my T-shirt, I want my money back!"

Graham came back and started to talk about the internet and 4 WaySite.

Dolf: "I looked at Graham and said I want my money back because he was not wearing our 4 WaySite T-shirt. He took me to his dressing room were he carefully had put the T-shirt in a drawer!"

We asked him what he thought we all can do to serve the fans even better than we do now. He said that some personal input of him and Croz could help. Okay we said, not wanted to show that this was what we wanted to hear so badly. He suggested to send some pictures and notes out of a personal collection. Looking forward, was our response.

High level meeting with guys who made it to the top

Then we had a rather interesting discussion about the LifeSighs project (LifeSighs, developed in conjunction with Rand Weatherwax, uses multimedia technology to present Graham's life and times in story, video and song ). I told him that according to us the project would fit perfectly on an interactive CD ROM. His eyes started to twinkle and it was for sure he is still far from done with LifeSighs. (more later.). The subject changed to selling CSN&Y stuff via 4 WaySite.

First and foremost, 4 WaySite has always been a fansite, instead of a commercial outing. Dolf and I had talked about the strategic alliance with Amazon.com® to give the fan a direct link to where they can buy and listen to CSNY related material.

The little money you make from that will flow right back into the site.   Nash thought it was a great idea and yelled to David: "HEY CROSBY YOU ASSHOLE, COME OVER HERE! These guys are making money for us". Croz smiled and came towards us and joked: "Who, these guys?! They’re just crazed fans, man". We had a laugh and agreed.

Then I told David that Dolf and I had sold a few signed copies of Stand and Be Counted that afternoon at Border bookstore to CSNY fans (Wooden Ships T-shirted). Same big smile and then he said: "So, you actually did make me money…!" And then more serious, "No, I was just joking…, I truly appreciate what you guys are doing for us.." Our time to smile. Posing time!

Joe, Graham and Michael

Dolf: "Before we left I said ‘thanks for coming, David’. He smiled at me and understood the irony of 'his' sentence."

 

Mission completed, camera’s out of film, it was a rap up. We thanked Graham for the hospitality and generosity and promised to stay in touch. In the elevator to the nearest exit Joe came to his senses and spoke his first whole sentence of the last 2 1/2 hours. We were all hiped up, because of the success of our various trips. Success that will have it’s effect on 4 WaySite for the coming months, I’m pretty sure about that.

Jeroen Mol

 

Many thanx to Graham Nash for inviting us and all those nice people we met during our stay. Many of them are regular visitors of 4 WaySite and really encouraged us to carry on with the site.
This was truly an experience of a lifetime.