An Evening with Mac and Jake

Mac McAnally just won his sixth CMA Musician of the Year award this week. For those that don't know, Mac plays with Jimmy Buffett in the Coral Reefer Band but he does much more than that.  He's a fantastic songwriter and producer.

And, he's my favorite Muppet. (Never cut your hair, Mac.)

I was reminded that I've verbally told this story many times but hadn't blogged it. It was back in February of 2012 when Mac and Jake Shimabukuro, Ukulele player extraordinaire, did a show at the Mesa Arts Center. Our club Secretary works in the music biz at a radio station and she managed to get the venue to let us set up an information table about the Arizona Parrot Head Club and also got permission for ten of us to go backstage after the show.

Squee!

This is where I interject with my ongoing fear that I'm going to meet someone I've admired for years and they're going to be having a bad day and be jerky. Then, I'll think about all the time, money and emotion I've invested in them and will be really sad. And, want to punch them in the head and then I'll end up in jail. Thankfully, I haven't been incarcerated yet.

I shouldn't have worried at all about these two guys. After a freaking fantastic show, the ten of us (BOD members and significant others conveniently added up to ten) and some gate crashers were led back to the Green Room.

For the record, it was more like an office breakroom circa 1985.

We were all giddy when Mac and Jake were led in. They stopped right inside the doorway, we stared back, completely starstruck. Awkward!

I managed to make a speech out of introducing us as the Arizona Parrot Head Club and thanking them for coming to Arizona and putting on a great show.

Then, we all stared at each other a little more until Tammy said, "Would you pose for a picture with Phred?" That completely broke the ice.

Who can resist Phred Parrot?

As they were getting their picture taken, I thought, "Screw Phred! I want in on a picture!" So, I jumped in.

Can you tell I'm happy?

Everyone started mingling at that point and Jake and Mac signed some items for us to auction off at Parrot Grande. They were so very nice!

I found myself talking to Jake and I told him that I'd heard people after the show raving about his ability to extract amazing sounds from his Uke. He's mind boggling good. He was truly touched and then he hugged me.

Yeah, Jake hugged ME! For the first (and probably last) time ever, I wasn't the one who initiated physical contact with a musician.

After a few minutes, Jake and Mac had to go. They were doing a meet and greet after the show for anyone who wanted to stay and the line was already quite long. After a final group picture, we dispersed and let them go.

Notice where Tammy and I positioned ourselves

It was truly one of those magical nights that I'll never forget. 

Here's Jake on Bohemian Rhapsody. Check it out.