Leslie Gray Streeter

Backstage with Ashley and Lauryn Hill news!

Hey, kiddies! How was your Fourth and your long weekend? I worked all weekend...of course, I was working at going to concerts and interviewing pop stars. So don't cry for me, North Tequesta.

I've been following along with the shake-out from the sucessful, if not completely drama-free, "Soulfull
Saturday" show at the Meyer Ampitheater. And I've gotten loads of emails, blog posts and just off-the-cuff chit-chat wondering what the deal was with the "unexplained delay" of Lauryn Hill.

Here's the best I could find out - still, no one is saying. But the spokeswoman for the event says that Hill's people issued not one but two different apologies for the delay that kicked the concert, which was, up tp that point, on time, two hours off schedule. So even though Hill didn't bother apologizing or explaining her lateness on-stage, her peeps acknowledge her part in the delay...for whatever reason that was.

Most of the attendees I spoke to still agree with the organizers for cutting Hill when she went over her
agreed-upon 30-minute set, which was shortened from 45 minutes because of the time delay. Three or four think it was disrespectful. I say the organizers were being respectful - to the local residents and the concert goers. But it's only you and me and we just disagree, as Dave Mason once said.

He's an Angel and he'll always, always be really good: Got a chance to meet Ashley Parker Angel backstage at Fourth on Flager. And what a sweet kid he is! He and Frankie Jordan, the tiny little singer girl who opened for him, were backstage at the Meyer signing autographs for a shockingly well-behaved group of beaming girls.

In fact, these girls were so patient, polite and non-bratty that frankly, they give crazy rock girls a
bad name. But they do themselves and their parents proud. Whee!

Ashley, who must own one heck of a powerful flat-iron to get his hair so gorgeously stick-straight, said
that he'd just gotten into town that afternoon, but was interested in hanging out in West Palm that
evening - "Maybe at Monkey Club?" he said. Later, onstage, he told fans he was going either there or
Bradley's. Clubland Michael and I were outside Bradley's for about 10 minutes watching folks fall off a mechanical bull and then went to go eat, so if he was there later, we missed him.

What I liked the most about little Ashley is how gracious he was of his fans - I watched him for about
10 minutes, signing stuff, taking pictures and chatting. I mean really chatting, not just "What's your name? Here's your autograph! Next!"

He smiled, asked names and seemed really excited to be meeting people. He could be faking this, but he seemed to really appreciate them being there, and not just because they were confirming that he's special. Sweet.