Electric Pineapple

We're staying at the Pineapple Inn in Newport. Aside from the free HBO, the best thing I can say about this No Country For Old Men-style motor lodge is that it's about 100 yards from the very spot where Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival.

After finding my room and dropping off my bags, I decided I was up for the Cowsill family tour. First we headed to Flo's, a funky little seafood joint I'd visited two years ago on a Susan Cowsill tour. The weather was beautiful that day, and we played on the beach and gorged ourselves on clams and oysters. Not so this time, as it rained relentlessly from the moment I arrived. Still the food was as delicious as ever.

Paul led the tour, driving the van and showing us homes where the Cowsills lived, venues they played, locations of photo and video shoots, and various historic sites around town. I'd seen much of it on my last visit, but even on a rainy day Newport's charm shone through and I stayed awake for the duration of the tour.

We had a 4pm soundcheck, but the soundman was over an hour late, so I pulled three chairs together and caught a quick nap. When he finally showed, we whipped out our fastest soundcheck ever and headed back to the Pineapple for an honest-to-goodness nap. I was not the only one who needed one, as everyone's flights had been delayed and some got in in the wee hours of the morning.

The show itself, not surprisingly, was like Old Home Week in Newport, packed full of old Cowsills fans and friends. Our opening band, the Bloody Knuckles, delivered an energetic set, surprisingly tight considering the oldest band member was 16. We managed to work through some rough spots, inherent when you play together infrequently and don't rehearse. The crowd was great, dancing and singing along, and I managed to stay upright for the entire set.

There was a lot of visiting after the show, but eventually we made it back to the Pineapple and I was able to get some real sleep. Today we head to Boston, and there's no show tonight, so hopefully I can catch up on more rest later. Unless there's a Cowsill family tour of Boston.