Lee and Dave joined us for dinner. We came here last year with Penny and Lee and it was good enough to go back again. The locale was a bit cheesy (inside a strip mall), but the food was authentic and scrumptious. Lee was especially psyched because he could eat, socialize, AND watch the Wildcard Football Playoffs between the Oakland Raiders and the NY Jets (Raiders ended up beating the Jets 38-24).

Following a leisurely meal (with lots of interruptions by Lee cheering and us trying to turn around in time to see the replay), we went back to the Marriott and spent a while hanging out and relaxing before tonight's Masquerade Ball.

After a bit of pre-show partying, we drove over to the venue with Shawn & Dottie. We first met Shawn on the Europe Rads tour and met up with him at the Ed show, where we met Dottie and found out that they were in the room right next to ours! We went over in Dottie's brand new and very festive silver VW Bug decorated with bright day-glow hippie-dippie flowers. If we had thought about it, we would've taken a picture of it!  Ah well!

We arrived early at Respectable Street to hang out and socialize in costume. There were a lot of great outfits...we  regret that we didn't make more of an effort to photograph folks in all their festive finery, but it's hard to catch everything!

Eventually it was showtime and as the band took the stage, Ed was wearing a really splendid hand-decorated white suit and had an especially impish grin...he turned away from the crowd for a moment, then turned back to face us wearing a great monkey mask. Yeah! Extra points for participatory spirit!! Ed was the only one that monkeyed with a costume, however. Even Dave didn't have a hint of a tail for the ball! Ah well! We love the outfit and the mask, Ed!

With most all of the previous night's technical troubles properly ironed out, tonight's show was one huge coaster ride, with lots of fun alterations to the song lyrics in accordance with the monkeyin' theme of the party.

Here's the full setlist:

- Set One -

• (Introduction of the new Monkey Krewe Court)
• Monkey Meet 
• Tipitina 
• Welcome to the Monkey House 
• Are You Ready for the Monkey Time?
• ? One Monkey Don't Stop No Show
• Raindancer -> 

Sugaree -> 
Raindancer
• How Far to the Horizon?

    Dave: "Tamest bunch of monkeys I ever saw. Aww, it takes me saying something for you to go 'Ooh-ooh-ooh.' You should be just doing that, naturally. Act like him, only worse!"
• She's 19 Years Old
• Domino -> 

Pay Some Dues -> Everybody's Got Something to Hide, Except for Me & My Monkey -> 
Linin' Track -> 
Stand on the Rock Where Moses Stood -> Domino
• I Don't Speak Love
• All Meat ->
• Brokedown Engine
• Too Much Monkey Business
• Show Me the Monkey ->
• Little Sadie


- Set Two -

• Magic Bus 

(w/Chainsaw teases)
• Hesitation Blues
• Fools Go First

    Dave: "Yeah, Ignorance is Bliss, I Know"
• Mon(k)ey ->
• Caledonia Calling
• Death of the Blues
• Junker's Blues -> Cakewalk into Town
• City of Refuge ->
• Nail Your Heart

- Encore -
• Got My Mojo (Monkey) Workin'
• You Can't Always Get What You Want ->
• Screw Loose