The Thugz drove into Guerneville from all over Sonoma County last night, ready to load in and do the ritual sound check. Meanwhile, the members of Jay's Happy Sunshine Burger Joint converged from all over the country for their extensive sound check. JHSBJ had just done gigs in Marin and Santa Cruz, but some members just arrived from New York. It was amazing to see their casual coming together and their professionalism once the music began. The Thugz were excited to be playing again on the theater's stage for our wonderful fans - and we got the chance do do some new, expanded versions of our original tunes. Mike had the chance to really cut loose on his horns, and Bradley got his first taste of a big Thugz gig. I was proud of our performance, and especially proud of Mike's song writing and leadership. Bradley adapted well to using Jay Lane's drum set, and he got through the show just in time to rush off to the Hopmonk for a Jug Dealer's gig - whew! I loved hearing the JHSBJ band in action doing their showcase of great tunes and really refined musicianship. I had the chance to chat with some JHSBJ band members while we waited for their sound guy to set things up. Sunshine is really warm and charming - and a powerhouse singer. I could just picture her belting it out at Furthur shows! I found out that Chris Berger, the JHSBJ spoken word guy, grew up in my neighborhood in Berkeley, and we went to the same schools - small world. Paul Kates, their keyboard guy, and I share a love for doing children's musicals, living in the country, and having deer pals in the woods. The fantastic thing about the whole evening is that all these folks from all over the place have found each other thanks to our shared love of Grateful Dead inspired music and jamming. It was quite an evening. I learned a lot - but mostly, I was just plain inspired. Take care. Love, Sylvia