PETE ZIEBRON
WINSLOW, ARIZ.
Guests at the La Posada are treated to beautiful gardens. Pete Ziebron Images
The event in Winslow took place at an address directly on US Route 66 - on the 10 acre grounds of the historic La Posada Hotel, Mary Colter's masterpiece and the Last Great Railroad Hotel. The evening started with Ed Ruscha's Cactus Omelette, salad, bread and plenty of red and white wine. Throughout the meal, trains rumbled by on the adjacent tracks only 20 feet away from dinner on the lawn. Following eggs and wine, the 500 guests were presented with delicious butter cookies complemented with sage.
As the gorgeous 84F day turned golden prior to dusk, the attendees made their way from the feast to the Nomadic Art Structures, which were various yurts near the musical stage. Once immediately inside the black yurt designed by Liz Glynn, one followed twists and turns while viewing complex mathematical equations and formulas written in chalk on the felt fabric. Eventually, Liz Glynn herself challenged those in the yurt with questions about time and space and concurrently enlightened us about 1500's Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe.
Next, Kenneth Anger's red yurt featured 3 large screen television monitors, each portraying images and scenes that looked like they were cuts from1970's horror films. In the center of the red yurt, five triangular backless seats were arranged in the shape of a star, inviting the viewer to stay a while and watch before moving on to the next yurt.
Prior to entering Urs Fischer's white yurt, shoes needed to be removed. A queen sized bed sat in the center of the yurt and an oversized disco ball was perched immediately over the bed. On my initial visit to the white yurt, I was the only one inside. Later I peeked in to see people laying on the bed, mesmerized by the disco ball mirrors and the yurt itself.
Finally, my personal favorite, Ernesto Neto's yellow yurt. Canary Yellow on the outside, however a fluorescent orange interior greeter me as I stepped inside. Several thin orange columns created a stalagmite / stalactite effect that had me feeling that I was an active participant in a B52's video.
Don't YOU think this is from a B52's video? I did! Pete Ziebron Images
Speaking of music - as I exited the yellow yurt, THEESatisfaction was already on stage performing their uniquely captivating tunes. A bit of funk, rap and dance, Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White had the audience at the La Posada grooving throughout their set.
Following THEESatisfaction, a handful of very short artistic films were shown on a large monitor to the left of the stage. Next up was Cat Power, who played with passion as several trains rumbled by during her performance. At one point, Cat turned away from the audience to acknowledge the train and appeared to be playing a few chords of her music specifically for the western bound train passing us by.
Not sure if anyone else may have noticed but during the Cat Power set, I saw shooting stars in the sky on two occasions.
Immediately following Cat, Giorgio Moroder appeared on stage was joined by Bruce Sudano. Giorgio explained to the audience that they would play a song they wrote during their jaunt from Santa Fe to Winslow. The tune they introduced as "Willoughby" was the only song they performed.
Near the end of Cat Power's set, I was chatting with Rebecca, a 24 year-old girl who completed her undergraduate degree at Vassar College and was close to earning a Masters in International Management at Thunderbird. We were talking about her semester in Paris when she shared with me that it was ironic that the brand new song that was to be played was titled "Willoughby" since she had recently watched a Twilight Zone episode about train travel called "A Stop at Willoughby."
Naturally the town of Willoughby does not really exist - only in the mind of the train traveller in the episode who insists that it most certainly does.
Wow!
Standin' on the Corner, a few blocks from the La Posada. Pete Ziebron Images
Following a few more brief artistic films, Jackson Browne took the stage. Just like his predecessors, there were no introductions, the band got up on stage and started playing. Sure enough, Browne played Take It Easy during his set, a song he co-wrote with Glenn Frey. The band sounded tight throughout and the expressions on their faces illustrated that they relished the fact that they were playing in such a unique atmosphere.
Immediately following Jackson Browne's encore, it was announced that Cold Cave would play their set on top of the haystack maze. This was an area on the property that was in the corner of the property, to the right of the stage and in front of the yurts, yet it had not been incorporated into the night - until Cold Cave made this space their own. Singer Wes Eisold's amazing vocals combined with keyboardist Amy Lee treated the audience in and on the maze to a brief but solid set of music.
Wes Eisold of Cold Cave performs on the haystack maze. Pete Ziebron Images
As Cold Cave concluded, many in attendance descended on the bar at the Turquoise Room at the La Posada while others were strewn throughout the hallways of the grand hotel, viewing art and comparing notes about the spectacular night as the Station to Station crew prepared to depart for Barstow.
Perhaps Jimmy Connors will look to rekindle his youthful mischief later this week and trek to Los Angeles from his home in Santa Barbara in an attempt to sneak on the Station to Station train as it departs LA for Oakland.