Although I was a Tarrytown resident for some years I had missed a few shows that I really wanted to see there, like Levon Helm Band. I didn't want to miss this benefit concert. I managed to get second row center seats for it. The poster for this event, with Bonnie's signature, is still hung in the back of the theatre. This was a benefit concert to support John Hall's bid to replace a longtime Republican congressperson representing part of the lower Hudson Valley. John was a musician who had founded the band "Orleans" in the 1970s. One of their hits was the song "Still the One." When George W. Bush attempted to use that song for his reelection campaign in 2004, Orleans demanded that the use be discontinued.
Bonnie Raitt performed with her band at this show and John joined them on guitar for awhile.
A couple of weeks after this show, Stephen Colbert did a hilarious segment in which he interviewed John for one of his "Better Know a District" spots. Colbert's segment aired on 11-6-06 and can still be seen on Comedy Central's website. Colbert hilariously pretended to confuse John Hall with one of the members of Hall and Oats (one is named "John," but its the other, Darryl Hall, whose last name is "Hall"), he expressed bewilderment at why Bush would not "still be the one," and asked whether John had written a number of specific songs from the 70s which were obviously written by other artists. This was one of the funniest Colbert shows I have ever seen.
John Hall ended up winning the election. Below is a news photo clipping showing him being sworn in for Congress (and at the lower right of the frame is one of the Orleans albums on which he graced the cover).
