I (easily) spotted Oteil Burbridge (former ABB bassist/current Dead & Co. bassist) a few folks behind me in the check-in line at the Jacksonville airport, while my wife & I were desperately trying to head home from the weekend-long Wanee Music Festival in 2007. The discount off-site hotel that we stayed at had given us both legionaries-level cases of the flu that still remains in the top 5 sickest times of both of our lives. Which probably explains my unusual approach for a quick pic rather than offering the friendly handshake and customary “Thanks for doing what you do”-style that has been my hit-and-run, don’t be “that guy” approach to hero interaction. And it also explains the strange expression upon my lily-white face in the picture of us below that depicts a music fan burning alive with fever from the inside, hoping he's not passing the plague along to this giant of the bottom end. He was gracious, friendly and obliged my fever-dream fueled picture request without hesitation...and thankfully, without any awareness of the internal battle of germs being waged violently inside of me...as the shutter snapped for the shot. #covid07? Sorry 'bout that, Oteil.
Side note - Our parting handshake also helped confirm something for me - the dude has MASSIVE hands...and afterwards, I fully understood why he has to play a six-string with giant mitts like that...mercy!
