Gram Parsons Tribute - Santa Barbara Bowl - July 9, 2004

So the last time I checked in I was off to spend a long weekend in the sunny Southern California community of Santa Barbara. The draw? Good friends, good music and good wine. Left the laptop at home and headed up the coast.

Highlight of the amazing weekend was a benefit concert paying tribute to Gram Parsons, the legendary musician who wasted his life away at 26 years old in Joshua Tree over a heroin and tequila binge in the early 70's. He left behind not only his music legacy which attributes the blending of rock n' roll and country music — some now like to call this genre "alt country" or even "Americana". He influenced The Rolling Stones and from his short career with The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers he has inspired Emmylou Harris, Wilco, Beck, David Crosby, Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Gillian Welch and many others.

The lineup Friday night was incredible: Keith Richards, Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Jim Lauderdale, John Doe and many others. Richard's attributes Parsons' influence to Stones' albums Exile on Main Street and Sticky Fingers. To me, the most amazing influence of Parsons' is on "Dead Flowers" and certainly "Wild Horses."

[...] Richards has said that Parsons "probably did more than anyone to put a new face on country music. He brought it into the mainstream of music again. ... I think I learned more from Gram than anybody else. ... Gram changed the face of country music without anyone even knowing it. He was just a very special guy. He was my mate, and I wish he'd remained my mate for a lot longer."

Rather than bowl you over with details on Gram Parsons live (I urge you to check out the website about the concert which occurred on Friday night in Santa Barbara and Saturday in Los Angeles at the Universal Amphitheater). Instead I'd like to point out a few highlights of the show in Santa Barbara.