So, Chuck Leavell. Ring a bell? Played piano with the Allman Brothers — that’s him on “Jessica” — and now tours with the Rolling Stones. But he also is an owner of a media website called Mother Nature Network, which is based in Atlanta and features environmental news.

At this year’s White House Correspondents Weekend, Chuck had the idea of inviting five bands, all made up partly or wholly of journalists, to play at a party in the Fairmont Hotel on Friday night. Our band, The Sequoias, was one of them. The band features three members of the New Yorker staff — me, John Colapinto, and the Big Man, David Remnick — along with four others of mixed media affiliation – LaChrisha Brown, Randy Harris, Charlie Foster, and Ben Dickinson.

Chuck announced he would play a song with each band. We, with spectacular hubris, chose Gimme Shelter.

Lena Dunham introduced us (long story) and then we played our first number, Drive My Car.

Gimme Shelter came about five songs in

And we closed with a somewhat unrehearsed encore, Sympathy for the Devil.

It was a great night. All hail Chuck. Go Sequoias!

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