Message from Kevin Bowe

[Kathy]

Kevin Bowe (aka "Bone") asked me to post this message to everyone:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I just want to say how cool it was to meet all of Paul's biggest fans on this tour. We have so much in common; I've been a complete junkie for his songs since the very beginning and when I say that I mean the VERY beginning cuz I saw the very first ever Mats show and it made a huge and indelible impression on me.

I think I can speak for all of us (HOF) when I say we had the time of our lives doing this thing. Personally I feel like I learned things I can't even put into words, maybe don't even want to. The whole thing felt like a perfect circle to me because I am a songwriter/producer for a living and the first person to inspire me to try writing at all was PW, "Takin' A Ride" to be specific. In that sense I owe him my whole career and all the fun that has come with it. To have the chance now to actually play those songs was like heaven on earth. And any critic who misguidedly insists on comparing what he's doing now to the Mats stuff is more likely looking back pathetically on their own lost youth rather than making any honest artistic judgment on Paul's newer songs.

In my not-that-humble opinion he's never written a better song than "As Far As I Know", that one was my favorite to play every night. Anyway, I wanted to thank all of you for putting up with us; I'll never forget a minute of it.

Bone

[tpok]

It's great to hear from HOF on this board because it is great to know that the talent on stage really enjoys the music as much as we do.

It was very obvious to us in the crowd. Watching the band sing along to the music -- even when not in front of the mic (MichaelB for instance), reinforces the vibe.

HOF proved to be a perfect fit for the music.

And our friends, too.

Thanks.

[GtrPlyr]

I always got the impression watching Kevin on stage, that he probably felt like the luckiest musician on earth. You could tell he really dug being there. Glad to hear his some of his insights on PW and the tour.

[ElegantMule]

H-O-F are H-O-T

[Shell]

GtrPlyr said:

I always got the impression watching Kevin on stage, that he probably felt like the luckiest musician on earth. You could tell he really dug being there. Glad to hear his some of his insights on PW and the tour.

Agreed. I've rarely been to a show where the musicians seem to be having as much fun up on stage as Paul and HOF did during this tour. So fucking cool! Hope to hear/see more from them.

[Smoo]

Shell said:

Agreed. I've rarely been to a show where the musicians seem to be having as much fun up on stage as Paul and HOF did during this tour. So f*cking cool! Hope to hear/see more from them.

I totally agree. When a band is having a good time it is just infectious, you can't not enjoy them. I remember confessing to liking Hall and Oates one night. The reason I started liking them was because of Live-Aid. They backed Mick Jagger and there was no mistaking that they were having the time of their life. Thinking about makes me like them still, 20 years later.

[tpok]

Smoo said:

I totally agree. When a band is having a good time it is just infectious, you can't not enjoy them. I remember confessing to liking Hall and Oates one night. The reason I started liking them was because of Live-Aid. They backed Mick Jagger and there was no mistaking that they were having the time of their life. Thinking about makes me like them still, 20 years later.

It's been noted before, but when Michael nails it on "As far as I know" and obviously enjoys punishing the equipment because he enjoys the music, you can't help but feel that connection.

Kevin and Jim stepped in and did the same throughout the shows when they felt the moment and I think we all felt it with them.

[beth]

Damn Kevin.....

Thanks. Thanks for your great musicianship, your great energy, your heartfelt post and your obvious love and respect for Paul.

Now that you're back home and all of us are trying to readjust to our "normal" lives (or reinvent them in a way that just might fit a little better) I hope that you can continue to support Paul in the same gracious way that you did on tour. Please remind him, as often as he needs to hear it, that he is truly, madly, deeply loved by many of us. And that next week is not too soon to tour again.

The three shows that I saw on this tour weren't even close to "enough" (whatever that is), but they did bring some wonderful surprises, one of which was seeing you, Michael and Jim truly kick ass. I hope nothing but good things come your way.

[FreeRider]

beth said:

Damn Kevin.....

Thanks. Thanks for your great musicianship, your great energy, your heartfelt post and your obvious love and respect for Paul.

Now that you're back home and all of us are trying to readjust to our "normal" lives (or reinvent them in a way that just might fit a little better) I hope that you can continue to support Paul in the same gracious way that you did on tour. Please remind him, as often as he needs to hear it, that he is truly, madly, deeply loved by many of us. And that next week is not too soon to tour again.

The three shows that I saw on this tour weren't even close to "enough" (whatever that is), but they did bring some wonderful surprises, one of which was seeing you, Michael and Jim truly kick ass. I hope nothing but good things come your way.

I agree with what Beth said!

[FirstAveFiend]

GtrPlyr said:

I always got the impression watching Kevin on stage, that he probably felt like the luckiest musician on earth. You could tell he really dug being there. Glad to hear his some of his insights on PW and the tour.

I definitely agree with this one. During the west coast leg to me it looked like he was almost going to cry he was so into it. I brought a friend with me to the SF show and the thing she commented on was that they seemed to be having a good time and she loved seeing that.

Thanks Kevin, hope to see HOF on the road again soon.

[A Regular]

What a nice note. From the meet and greets the entire band seemed like class acts, this only reinforces that.

Here's to hoping that after a couple weeks/months they will miss playing together as much as we miss seeing/hearing them and they take it back out and hit the cities they missed like Buffalo, Indy, New Richmond, Oh.

[Harry]

beth said:

I hope that you can continue to support Paul in the same gracious way that you did on tour. Please remind him, as often as he needs to hear it, that he is truly, madly, deeply loved by many of us. And that next week is not too soon to tour again.

Thanks for chiming in Kevin. You guys were tremendous. Ditto-squared to what Beth said. I know you all have your own musical lives to attend to, but I'd love it if you would find a way to work with Paul again, and to trot it out on the road again. Even better....put one of those web-cams in Paul's basement, hook it up to an alarm system, and when Paul hits the record button, you Michael and Jim bust in like the volunteer fire dept.

[Marc]

The show in Columbus was great (even though the place was half empty) and the whole band looked like it was having a good time, I know I sure did; hopefully they will be back sooner rather than later...

[GR]

Very cool. It's really nice to see a musician recognize the fans and try to reach them online... I wish more would do so -- they'd see that we're all not psycho!

As I was leaving the Norva, I was walking up the street to the parking garage and realized someone was next to me. It was Kevin going for a stroll in the night w/his cellphone. Part of me wanted to thank him for the entertaining show, the other decided to leave him be and give him his space.

So Kevin, if by any chance you see this, thanks for the show. Hopefully we'll get the chance to see you again.

[Caroline]

Watching the show in DC made me realize what a perfect match of musicianship and mayhem exists between Paul and HOF. Thank you!

Caroline

[zook]

And more than just great musicians, great guys as well. Having Kevin just hang out and chat with us in front of the venue after the show in Memphis and hearing about Michael and Jim doing similar things speaks volumes. They all seem a perfect complement to Paul - as musicians and people. Thanks for a tour to remember.

[crenshaw]

PURE CLASS!
That was .
Thank you!

[bigbak]

Thank you Kevin, and all of HOF - I used to wonder what it was like to witness an act such as the early Beatles, who can be seen in footage from concerts showing a genuine enthusiasm and joy for their music.

Now I know.

[kgp]

Thank you, Kevin

I loved seeing Paul with such an ethusiastic bunch of guys, dare I say I don't think he could have had a better band for this tour.

And gracious. I can't name another band who takes the time to come out and greet the fans. I wish had something clever to say in Louisville, but I held back and took it all in instead (and refrained from embarrassing myself with a 'You Rock'--hands in the air with devil horns.)

You rock guys!

[ttraynor]

Kevin,

You walked right by me in the lobby area heading toward the bus in Detroit and I hesitated in letting you know how much I appreciated that show (was also at Chicago and came to Detroit to see if Paul could keep it together the WHOLE show!. Answer: YES!

Next tour I won't be so shy. NEXT TOUR--got it!

Thanks!