[Archived from April 2, 2006 Chicago Sun-Times; this is one of my top three favorite hotels in America]

MADISON, Wis. -- The best hotel creates a community within a borrowed city. You are no longer a stranger in town. You have arrived. This was not lost on the Elvis Presley entourage, who knew something about weird road trips.

Anyone who has paid attention to a tour of the Lisa Marie airplane in Memphis will notice a closet that has a wooden hanger from the Edgewater Hotel in Madison. During the mid-1970s Elvis and his pals took over two floors of the Art Deco hotel on the shores of Lake Mendota.

Someone wanted to keep this borrowed moment.

9:30 p.m. Aug. 17---
Updated Monday afternoon

On Thursday night I made my annual summer stop at the Edgewater Hotel in Madison, Wis. The hotel is on the shore of tranquil Lake Mendota [full details in Hotels We Like in my Favorite Links]. Last summer I was there on a Friday, I think.
I often do my deepest thinking by a lake.
This summer I took in the hotel's regular Thursday night Pier Party that runs from 5:30 until sunset. A cool breeze came in from the lake as I thought about last summer, the newspaper business and the Cubs --in no particular order. The calypso-reggae band was the Gibraltar Rockets. It was a five piece band of guys at least over 35. I was prepared for Jimmy Buffett and Bob Marley covers.
I was happily wrong.....

Accompanied only by an imposing bodyguard-driver, Isaac Hayes swaggered into the gazebo of a hotel on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta. The barrel-chested Hayes wore a loose fitting red Gold's Gym sweatshirt and tight, mirrored sunglasses, which he never removed. His head was as smooth as a newborn's bottom and his easy baritone boomed like a full moon in Dixie.
Sir Isaac Hayes was one the most once-in-a-lifetime figures in pop music........

2:05 p.m. Aug. 8----
I have some road tune ideas for Paul McCartney's home stretch down Route 66.
But first here's an interesting comment from roadie Carolyn Hasenfratz, who writes: "On the McCartney Years DVD set, in the commentary section, Sir Paul said that his song "Helen Wheels" was intended to be a British version of Route 66. The tune is nothing like it, but the lyrics mention place names in England like Route 66 mentions place names in America. Maybe he's been thinking about doing this for a long time. "Helen Wheels" is from 1973. To read lyrics to "Helen Wheels: go to:

http://www.metrolyrics.com/helen-wheels-lyrics-paul-mccartney.html

"Helen Wheels" was the name he called his Land Rover, according to legend.
If Sir Paul catches this report, here's my Route 66 Road Mix he might consider (in east to west geographical order):

The tropical circus known as Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band appeared before 40,000 fans Saturday night at Alpine Valley in East Troy, Wis. and is now moving on for shows Thursday and Saturday night at Toyota Park outside of Chicago. Those gigs will draw another 35,000 fans each night.
Those are good numbers for a bad economy.
Here's some testimony we gathered in the Alpine parking lot on Saturday. Thanks to Sun-Times cameraman Chris Sweda for the run through the high waters.

I've always wanted to visually document Tropical Tailgating before a Jimmy Buffett concert at Alpine Valley in East Troy, Wis. Despite a fading recording industry, his concert audience continues to grow because of his shrewd (and fun) marketing sensibilities.
Saturday, 7/19 was no exception.
The noontime heavens were grey when we were drinking Bloody Marys and having German-Fried bratwurst at the legendary Brat Stop in Kenosha (gotta get the Laack's cheddar chese curds to go), but by late afternoon it was a picture perfect sky that kissed the funky Alpine ski lodge.
The concert was sold out, drawing nearly 40,000 fans. I still get goosebumps when I look at the crowded lawn during a love song like Buffett's "Come Monday." I think of passionate White Sox owner Bill Veeck who said there was nothing as beautiful as a full baseball stadium. That's how I feel at a Buffett show.
I'm guessing 5,000-7,000 fans were camped out in the parking lot before the show. Gates opened at 1 p.m. Showtime was 8 p.m. The rural setting of Alpine and nearby Lake Geneva draws fans from all over America, which is why Buffett makes this an annual stop. On stage Saturday Buffett mentioned people who trekked in from Colorado, North Dakota, Tucson, Az. and Hawaii.
With the cooperation of Buffett's management and Scott Gelman at Live Nation, here's some precious video of Saturday's pre-concert festivities. It was combat duty. My favorite sight? The group of middle-aged housewives from Sugar Grove, Ill. called "Steel Crazy." [www.steelcrazyband.com] They actually set up about 10 steel drums under a tent in the parking lot and played beautiful Buffett songs like "One Particular Harbor" and "A Pirate Looks at 40." Take a look..........

"The 'Game of the Week' was the first time my folks (in Northern California) had seen me play," he said. "I don't remember the opposing pitcher. It was a 90 degree day........

Soul music comes from the church.
This also begins to explain soul’s connection with American foodways.
Several years ago I caught the Rev. Al Green preaching at his Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, 787 Hale Rd. in Memphis, Tn. It was his birthday and the spread of neighborly food presented after the service was as abundant as his message. Last summer we returned to his church.
While Rev. Green was not present, I’m still recovering from brunch down the road at T.H. Hamilton’s Piccadilly Cafeteria, 3968 Elvis Presley Blvd. Green beans. Fried okra.
And sweet potatoes. Fried chicken. Crawfish etoufee. Chocolate chip pecan pie.
Herbert Wiley, vocalist-bandleader of the chitlin’ circuit legends Wiley and the Checkmates recalled the ambiance at an early 1960s juke joint before Sunday morning church in North Mississippi: “Hot in the summertime,” Wiley said earlier today while taking a cab to a New York lunch spot.........

The highlight of my July 4 weekend was seeing Chuck Prophet and his Mission Express band kick off the 28th annual American Music Festival at FitzGerald's roadhouse in Berwyn, Ill. Based in San Francisco, Prophet doesn't get around these parts much. Prophet deals vivid mash-ups of soul, country and pop hooks that reflect his travels across America dating back to his 1985 band Green on Red.
I went back to reconsider a 2002 profile I did on Prophet when he was opening for Lucinda Williams. He called me from an economy hotel in St. Paul, Mn. to talk about absorbing the sounds of the road: "In the last five years of traveling, the one thing I've liked to do is pick up mix tapes," he said. "These guys will take Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody' on 45 RPM and put a beat behind it when it comes to the 'mama-mia' part. I'm a fan of DJ culture. I love the way they can turn things sideways....I listen to old music. I've always kept my eye in the rearview mirror, but I've started to look down the road ahead."
One of the highlights of Prophet's July 2 set was his groove drenched "Summertime Thing"" and the encore of a ladies choice instrumental "Theme From a Summer Place.' Lights on, hands off.
And every summer its inevitable someone asks me to assemble a good road mix tape.
Here's 18 songs to consider. Thanks for the inspiration, Chuck.................