No, as far as I know he’s not currently touring (though I just looked and he will be touring Europe this summer)…

Yesterday while riding the bus to work, I was streaming WXPN (which is an amazing radio station that I support because it covers the Philly music scene). They were playing a bunch of Steve Winwood songs because yesterday was the anniversary of the day that Steve Winwood left The Spencer Davis Group and formed Traffic. Listening to the Steve Winwood songs that spanned his career, starting with The Spencer Davis Group and ended with his solo career, I remembered going to see Little Stevie Winwood at the Mann Music Center back in the day.  I can’t remember exactly when I went to this show or exactly with whom; I know it was during my college days, when I used to go to shows in Philly with Mickey and Susan and their friends. Mickey and Susan and I worked together at the Coventry Ice Cream Parlor and Mickey had great taste in music (probably still has great taste in music). I know Mickey was at this show; I think Susan was. I have no idea if anyone else was.

Other shows seen with Mickey included Peter Gabriel (which I still think was *the* best show that I have ever seen in my life) and David Bowie (which may have been the worst show that I have ever seen in my life). To be fair, I’m sure David Bowie was wonderful, but he was promoting an album that I still think is one of his worst and the show went so late that we missed the last train from Philly to Paoli and had to take a cab. (I think we took a cab, I honestly can’t remember anything other than missing our train and being ‘stuck’ in Philly at Vet Stadium.) On the upside, The Hooters and Squeeze opened for David Bowie and I am fairly certain that I thoroughly enjoyed both of their performances as I only remember being disappointed with David Bowie.

Back to Steve Winwood, it’s weird how you have those memories that you can actually see. When I hear Steve Winwood (especially ‘Higher Love’), I can immediately see a snapshot of three of us standing and dancing and singing along. I’m not even sure if it’s a real memory, but it’s there every time. Though my memory is not what it should be, I do still remember that Steve Winwood played his hits ‘Dear Mr. Fantasy’ and ‘The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys’. Though I can’t remember it, I’m like to believe that he played ‘Can’t Find My Way Home’ as well. Listening to this on the radio yesterday, I was pretty sure that I had found my way home. Steve Winwood is proof that I found it early on, but I didn’t recognize it for what it is/was until more recently.

PSA: If you don’t know the Blind Faith album (Steve Winwood’s super-group after Traffic, take my advice and find it/listen to it. I don’t think there’s a bad song on it.