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Viva
Las Vegas
Part Four Nov 3, 2002 Sunday Sue and The Redhead finally found their motivation Sunday to get their butts over to Caesar's to shop, their motivation being that it was their last chance to do it. I enjoyed the quiet and wrote a bit and rested. The last concert is always bittersweet, but I had found myself thinking of home more and more, and knew it was time to wake up from the Gemini Dream. THE FASHION REPORT GE- Jimi Hendrix shirt, black slacks RT- White long slvd shirt, black slacks JH- White long slvd THIN shirt, black jeans JL- White long slvd shirt with ruffles, black slacks GM- The award winning black sleeveless top Paul- White long slvd Oxford shirt (yes, Paul has jumped on that bandwagon!) THE CONCERT The permanent setlist was ably performed without an intermission for a subdued Sunday night crowd.  I glanced around me at the beginning of
the concert and spied a familiar face a few seats down from me. I
turned to SueC (on my right on the aisle) and whispered "Is that Elizabeth
(Kristian's girlfriend) sitting down from me"? SueC subtly leaned
forward and glanced past me, and then replied, "Yes, and Emily is sitting
right next to you!" AAAAAGH!!! More Band Children!
I was sure they didn't want to deal with ME any more than I wanted to deal with them, and even though Sue and I had promised John we'd "set Kristian right" over a JL.com issue, it seemed wrong to disturb him. We had long ago adopted a "laissez fare" attitude and we implemented it for the evening. SueC and I are not the most obnoxious fans, on the other hand, we don't sit still and there are some times we long to stand. The Lodge Loved Ones were just going to have to live with it. I was a bit uneasy, but they proved to be delightful concert companions and it was obvious they were happy to be there, and enjoyed the concert. They clapped, they smiled, they stood (though not for Singer, which seemed odd). They can sit by me any day! LOL A disruptive concertgoer was asked to leave the concert. While this was a good thing, it was too darn bad that it occurred during The Actor, and equally unfortunate that the fellow was sitting in the center of the second or third row. I thought that Paris seemed to have a tighter grip on things this time and did not plan on anyone jumping onstage again any time soon. They handled it nicely and firmly. There was a wild drumstick toss by Mr Edge during YWD and, for a change, PAUL caught a drumstick! Boy, you've got to be alert at those keyboards. Sitting in front of Paul was interesting – it's hard to see him at my preferred seat location. He and Gordon do a lot of smiling and chatting with each other. There's always the guitar pick to watch too, as it appears and disappears during WYS. Don't swallow that pick, Paul! Nothing Changes again provided the night's delight. Graeme introduced it by saying: "Tonight is the last night of the 2002 tour, but don't worry. I'm going to use the time off to take singing lessons!" JH must spend Singer pondering Graeme's latest stage presentation for he screwed up the guitar solo on Singer. LOL I had spent the nights before watching the crowd rush the stage during LOAM and found it a frightening sight. It's similar to an amateur making their way to a department store entrance on the Friday after Thanksgiving and finding himself in the middle of a crowd of determined, desperate women worked up into a frothing frenzy at the thought of being the first at the bargain tables. You're taking your life in your hands!  I had
been at the stage "enough" over the course of the tour, but felt a tiny
spark of longing Sunday night to again see The Band and smile goodbye.
Sue had a card for one of The Band and was in the aisle seat, ready to
go, but I held back a bit. I had noticed the large crowds each night
at the foot of the aisle against the stage, but had also noticed that one
could slip behind the members of the front row and stand fairly undisturbed
behind them. This seemed to be the thing for me, and I merged into
the autobahn of racing humans, taking the exit to the left and behind the
people standing at the stage. It wasn't crowded, and I slipped quietly
and unobtrusively toward the center, finally stopping between the Jays.
I was thankful the blonde lady in front of me was thin and on the small
side, and I could see the stage pretty well by looking on either side of
her. As I watched, I felt someone take my arm, and an old friend
pulled me up by him to the stage. It was very generous and kind of
him! It's always great to be with someone you care about during Question,
for the whole feeling of that song for me is one of understanding, acceptance
and love.
The tour ended on that fabulous high note, and when John smiled at me during SeeSaw, I took that opportunity to beg for his pick. I don't *need* any more...it's just so much fun to do! LOL I couldn't tell if he saw me do it, but he proved he had by coming straight to me at the end, ignoring all the outreached hands, and pushing that precious prize into my fingers.  While my affections are spread fairly evenly over
all the members of The Moody Blues, I have to admit that John Lodge is
special. Like every woman, I'm a sucker for a handsome smile and
small gifts.
We ended the evening and the tour with a quiet dinner at Le Frenchie Cafe, smiling self-satisfied smiles and hearing The Moody Blues in our heads. MaggieMay |
