I could either go with "amphitheater" or "amphitheatre" - down home or continental classy - I say both would work great. Right in the middle of quiet little Monte Rio, across from Steve Baxman's firehouse, not far from the funky beach, yet awfully close to the legendary Bohemian Grove, you'll find the amphitheater. It's a sloping grassy spot surrounded by majestic redwoods. If you look closely, you'll see signs of homeless folks down by the creek, and the stage suffers from lack of use, but it's also a world-class location - absolutely lovely. The Thugz had a nice turn-out for Labor Day Sunday, and we had a fantastic time playing for everyone - the whole band plus our associates, Stephanie and Bradley. But the stars of the show were really the fans (and all their assorted pooches). At one point I looked out over the crowd and got a little teary and emotional just soaking up the love and checking out all our wonderful, long-time friends. There were new people too, even some wandering souls who popped in by accident and found the tribe. I wished I could just babble away on the microphone and thank everyone for all their support and love - but the best I could do was play my best. One of the sponsor people walked around taking pictures of everyone's dogs - they were so cute and mellow. I happened to see a little doggie grab a fried chicken leg off a friend's plate. It was such a triumph that no one could get mad about it. We were in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer, after all. The Thugz want to see the amphitheater used much more for community gatherings - for all the people. We'll keep working on it. Meanwhile, the Thugz want to express their gratitude for a fabulous summer season. The fans, the tribe did it again - they win the prize. Toward the end of our show, Suki offered a beautiful goddess prayer for all of us. We've been blessed, so off we go into the fall, inspired and empowered by all the positive energy we've received.
Take care. Love, Sylvia