As Chris was enjoying his early bike ride through Monte Rio Thursday morning, he saw folks setting up their lawn chairs and coolers in the amphitheater - in preparation for the big Bohemian Grove Variety Show. Obviously, it's the BIG event for Monte Rio every year, and, every year, rumors fly around about which famous person will perform. This time, I heard lots of Jimmy Buffet stories, and I heard that absolutely for sure James Taylor's brother was there - oh my. Way back when we were playing our Thursdays at the Pink Elephant, we set up to grab the post-show crowd, and Zack Brown wandered by and sang a couple of tunes with us. It's a big deal for the community and a way to get money for Monte Rio School's arts programs. We hope they did well this year, but we were distanced from the Monte Rio commotion since our new home is the River Theater in Guerneville. We decided to go ahead and play for a few loyal fans despite the big event down the road. It turned out to be a great night for us. We started with a few friends (thanks John Anderson, Kathleen, and the "Tims"), but it grew as the night progressed. We were a 4-piece, so we tried to keep volume levels down to really hear each other and finesse our musical licks. I loved it all. Everyone played well, and we felt like a very solid unit. I was filled with Thugz pride. Several total strangers made a point of saying they had a great night - that was really gratifying. Between sets, the tribal gathering outside was treated to chocolate delights Maris brought along while a new smokeless gizmo was passed around. Mike wandered off and talked to a music loving traveler who strolled in and became an instant fan as soon as we fired up "Viola Lee Blues." That led into "Stella Blue" and the dancers got a chance to swirl and whirl. When it was time to pack up, Chris told me how much he loved playing in this band. Me too - I'm so grateful for it all. Take care. Love, Sylvia