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Click Here For A Review of The Cerritos Show!

Click Here For A Review of The David Pack Club Caprice Show!

Click Here For An Interview With David Cutler Lewis!

Click Here For A Review of The Conejo Valley Days Concert!

Click Here For A Review of The Galaxy Theatre Concert!

Click Here For Desiree's 2nd   Review of The Arizona Charlie's Concert!

Click Here For The Vogel's Review of The Arizona Charlie's Concert!

Concert review of Ambrosia's concert at Arizona Charlie's

in Las Vegas on July 25, 1998/by Desiree

Photos by Kirk Unruh

Desiree is a great Ambrosia Fan from New Mexico! This was Desiree's 1st time seeing the "legendary" Ambrosia! Desiree & a group of fellow Travellers had a wonderful night at the Arizona Charlie's Show!
Kirk Unruh & his wife Shirley, were in that group. Kirk submitted the great pictures for this review!

Talked to Rex Stocklin via telephone the evening before the show. he told
me that several of the Travellers were planning to be there. Rex had made
name tags so that we could identify one another, thereby avoiding the
potential embarassment of going up to someone enthusiastically and asking
"Are you a Traveller?"  They'd probably think we escaped from the looney
bin. Rex was planning to be at  Arizona Charlie's for the sound check
around 6 PM. He'd planned to video tape for our fellow Travellers who
couldn't be there in person.  I found Cabs Vogel and his brother Tom about
5:30 or so, watching what was left of the sound check. I sat in with them
until we were rooted out by hotel security.

Before I get too far ahead of myself.......I ran into Joe Puerta in the
hallway on the second floor of the hotel (Arizona Charlie's). I knew him
instantly......I had spent hour and hours studying and drawing his
face.......and before actually being conscious of it, I'd called his name
and was walking up to him, had extended and introduced myself. He seemed
glad to meet me. I asked my husband, Mike, to go a few doors down to our
room and get the portrait I had done of Joe so that he could see it. Joe
seemed concerned that his hair might be a bit mussed from his flight over
and ran a brush through it while we waited for Mike to bring the portrait.
As we waited, Chris North was walking by and I managed to get a hand shake
and a grin from him.

Mike brought the portrait and we showed it to Joe. He seemed genuinely
impressed with it. I told Joe then that I had brought it to give to him as
a gift. He is so unpresumptuous. I had mentioned to him in an e-mail
(before his Mac went down) that I was bringing it to the Vegas show. He
thought it was for him to sign or something like that. Then we talked
about how he was going to get it back home because he had only carry on
luggage(and too much of that!)  I told him I would send it to him when I got back
home.

Anyway, back to being booted out of the sound check.......We waited around
until Rex arrived. There were further run ins with the hotel personnel
about a guest list that apparently none of us were on. By this time our
little group including Pam & Dave, Rex & Suzanne, Cabs & Tom and me were
gabbing up a storm when Burleigh came out. He had been trying to get us
cleared to come inside and was apologetic  because Rich wasn't
cooperating.

Travellers-Tom, Rex, Desiree, & CABS

He stayed a few minutes to visit. I introduced myself to Burleigh and his
eyes brightened as though recognizing my name. (Maybe someone told about
the portrait or he saw it on the website, who knows.) Anyway, he was a
nice sort of guy to be around. Then I saw Chris head out the door, he kind of
glanced over at us, ducked his head and was gone. Then Burleigh left to go
get some dinner. We continued to visit among ourselves when Joe came out.
Just about all at once everyone saw him and said "Hey!" So Joe came over,
smiling, and all had a great time visiting. We finally had to run him off
after about fifteen minutes so that he could go eat and get a power nap
before the show.

We all met up again at 7:30 and were finally allowed in a few minutes
after 8. People were getting a kick out of us Travellers who were milling
around, taking pictures of each other and generally having a good time. We
wanted to all be at the same table but, again, the hotel staff wouldn't hear of
it. But we could wave at each other. The room seated 600.......looks pretty
full to me.

Travellers:From Left-Dia, Dan, Kirk, Shirley, Tom,Desiree,
Gloria, Vince, CABS, Pam, & Dave!

Finally the show began.
1. World Leave Me Alone
2. Nice Nice Very Nice--- this was done in Reggae but with the distinctive
flavor of Ambrosia to it.
3. Youre the Only Woman
4. Mama Don't Understand-------Joe explained that this one had to do with
his neice.
5. Living On My Own

Joe, Burleigh, & Tollack tear it up on Livin' On My Own

6. I Wanna Know------Joe said this was from the "angry" years.

Joe introduced the band here and then went into the new song he wrote......

Joe electrifies the crowd

7. Hopes and Dreams----Joe said his wife helped with some lyrics.
8. How Much I Feel--------David belted this one out with the same heart as
you'd hear from the studio cut.

Dave belts out a tune

9. Angola------the boys had fun with this one then afterwards went into a
medley of other songs (ie: Beatles)

Dave sat down on the edge of the stage and Joe invited any who
would try to come sing what he sings. A young lady takes the opportunity
and belts out some blues that were quite impressive.

Pam's significant other, Dave, jumped in on this as well. (He'd done this
before at other shows) Then a little boy was invited on stage to dance to
the music. Out to the side you could see the faces of security getting
tense and when the mother of the little boy boosted the older child to the
stage, security moved in. They let the two children stay for a few moments
then helped to get them down.

Dave sings

10. Danse with Me George-------Chris was pounding away at it. Afterwards
Dave and Joe explained the story behind this song and what it actually
meant. Dave was prodding Joe to explain the sexual overtones and Joe being
sheepish about explaining it.

Chris is amazing!

Then it finally came..........
11. Drink Of Water-----the crowed roared with delight. Beautifully done,
Joe's satin voice rang out across the room.

Dave & Joe thrill the crowd

12. Biggest Part of Me-----they closed with this and left the stage. All
the crowd whistling, cheering, screaming, and applauding then the band came
back on stage for an ancore that started with...
13. Holdin' On To Yesterday ....and finished with.........
14. Mama Frog -  where Alan Parsons appeared to narrate the Jabberwok

Alan Parsons narrates The Jabberwok

The Autographed lyrics for Alan Parsons!

The band came to the front of the stage and took a bow and then left the
stage.

Two women were sitting at the front of the table that I sat at and they
asked me about how to get involved with the list. So I wrote on a piece of
paper - Travellers Danse.......who knows, maybe the will become travellers
too.

The Travellers waited around for the chance to go back stage as was planned
but between security and Rich, it never came to pass. Cabs and Tom took
Burleigh to the airport and I tried desperately to get Chris to stand still
long enough to get a decent picture of him. I stopped Dave long enough to
show him Joe's portrait, (which he didn't acknowlege), and asked him to let
me take a picture of him. He flashed a peace sign and a smirk and was gone.
Joe was out front with the rest of us milling around and yapping about
everything. Took some pictures of Joe, he's such a gracious  man, and then
later met down stairs in the bar and he had a margarita with several of us.
One of the things I remember Joe talking about came with the question 
"Who was the 19th president?"

Burleigh, Dave, Joe, & Shirley

I called it a night at 1:30 AM (pacific time) and left the rest to carry on
in the merry making. Everyone got hugs and promises to write and our little
adventure in Ambrosia came to an end.

The Autographed Set List!

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