Yes, I was there Dorothea. But I had totally forgotten about it! No excuse for a senior moment in 1979, but ... I'm not sure of the year (obviously), but I do remember the incident now that you mention it.
Regarding my "tried and true" approach for getting him to sing requests, it failed for me too this year. He read my request early in the concert and implied he would do it, but then did not. My note was longer than usual however and I'm afraid I went beyond what he can take the time to read.
In any case, it was very clear from the start of the tour in March that he was rehearsing for the Reno taping. He did few songs that weren't serious candidates for that show. He had clearly decided to do only one song from his latest album: the title song. So your two had no real chance anyway. I think he did only one song from APPT other than the title song during those 6 or 7 weeks, and that only once in all the concerts before Apr 19 (and presumably on request).
And he did no covers, something else that he had clearly decided (the same choice he made for the boxed set). So, given that each of those March and early April concerts was part of his preparation for the taping, he knew he wasn't going to really consider requests because he couldn't. As a result, he probably ignored the sheets of paper more often than he might have.
So don't give up on the technique. If you have a favorite that he's done in the past few years, ask.
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Valerie Magee
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