journal 7/10/99 The Mayor's Wild Ride

Rumors are running wild. During the short span of a few weeks, "The Mayor," as he is known to his legions burger munching fans, has been spotted twice at Legends Lounge in Las Vegas, partying down like a burger possessed.

Sure, the Mayor was "sitting in" with a couple of the hottest jambands passing thru Vegas, but there are indications that the frequent visits to the world's capital of sin and debauchery are motivated by a deeper, darker side of the beloved mayor.

Is it a gambling problem? Has the Mayor developed a weakness for video poker? Or is it that inescapably alluring grasp of a way juicy she-burger's special sauce that keeps him coming back? Hard to say. Here's what we do know: The Mayor has been on one hell of a wild ride. Not just this summer, but for quite some time.

Our inside sources tell us that it was the poly-ethnic cajun slamgrassers from Colorado, Leftover Salmon, that first introduced the Mayor to life on the road. Facts surrounding their first encounter are murky. The best we can determine is that it was a late night, post gig munchie run when they first crossed paths. Whether it was the Mayor pleading for a spot in the storage hold of the band's equipment trailer, or just another good natured prank from those darn high-spirited, high-country Salmon boys, we may never know.

Bottom line though, the Mayor has traveled extensively with Leftover for so long, that he was accepted long ago as a member of the band by virtually all of Leftover's once skeptical fans... a fiercely independent breed of slamgrassing groovemeisters who were a bit leery of the Mayor's longterm contribution to the jam. Regardless, over time, Mayor Mac's ever present two-all-beef-patty smile won them over. Perhaps that's where the Mayor's troubles began.

During a Leftover performance in Vegas, the opening band, a young, highly talented group of adventurous groove rockers from Atlanta, apparently became overwhelmed by the Mayor's magnetic charms. They'd seen the oversized plaster-of-Paris fast food icon proudly hoisted overhead by the Salmon boys during their performance and lusted to feel the same sensation of intoxicating stage-prop bedlam. Ahh, the giddy buzz of life on the road...

Without regard to the repercussions which might ensue, they nabbed the Mayor in a slickly planned, "Mission Impossible" style operation, absconding with their prize under the dark of nightfall.

The next night, that same band, only identifying themselves under the code name -Sector 9-, triumphantly had their way with Mayor onstage and in the back alley of Legends Lounge. Fearing reprisal from Leftover should their true identities be known, the groove bandits from down south used shirts and bandanas to obscure their faces. Some of the Legend's faithful however, had cameras out, anxious to document the epic night of partying with the mayor.

Oddly enough, just a couple of weeks later, the Mayor was back. This time with a different band. Only referring to themselves as "the jigglers from Boston," these guys were stoked on jammin' with the "big burger." As always, the Mayor was all smiles. Seems that the rock and roll highway appeals to him. Although a bit bleary, and slightly tattered from the wear and tear, Mayor Mac radiated a special glow that night at Legends... a "damn I love this place" sort of vibe. The happy buzz lingered into the wee hours, well after the music was over.

The Mayor's most recent visit to -club Legde- was actually his 3rd. First time through was with his old buddies the Salmon boys sometime last year. That was Mayor Mac's first dance in the neon glow. Little did we know at the time, that the tie-dyed stage would become his 2nd home... a virtual sanctum sanctorium of, er, Legendary proportions.

As this journal entry is made, the Mayor's whereabouts are unknown. Is he off with another touring jamband looking to tap into the magical Mayor Mac elixir, or has he reunited with his Leftover homeboys? Some sources actually place the Mayor travelling incognito on a high stakes blackjack junket down in the French Carribean, although as we go to press, those reports remain unconfirmed. While we can't pinpoint where he is at the moment, one thing is for sure, wherever he is, the Mayor is smiling...