Family Circle Tennis Center We stayed in the bar MUCH too late after the Constitution Hall concert, smoking frantically in a vain attempt to bring our nicotine levels up to normal. We worked on our tequila levels, too! Unfortunately, we had an early flight to Charleston and I was concerned about making the next concert intact and in time. I put Gabe on the plane back home with hugs and kisses and caught a taxi to a different airport. Traffic wasn’t bad, and I saw a bit of Washington in the light. Our driver took the usual liking to me and my sweet and winning smile, and pointed out several famous landmarks. That was enough for me! The wisdom of choosing those annoying early flights was brought home to me when our flight to Charlotte left late and arrived late (due to headwinds) and we had to hustle to the next concourse to make our plane to Charleston. I was asleep before we left the runway, the three full hours of the night before not being nearly enough for coherence, not to mention rock ‘n roll. We arrived safe and sound at Charleston – a nice little airport where rental cars are still checked out at the terminal. Charleston was sunny and HOT, and in contrast to Washington’s rainy cool weather. We had been told the venue was about 45 minutes away, but traffic moved well and we arrived there in half the time. The area around Family Circle (my Mom LOVED that magazine) looks like the beginnings of a planned medium scale community. Everything, every building, every plant and even the roads look brand new. The tennis center is very nice and has pleasant landscaping against the street. We collected the fourth on our touring team who had driven down separately the night before, and headed back to the Soda Water Grill. I had a fabulous pimento cheese stuffed burger and we spent a pleasant afternoon, futilely trying to convince each other and ourselves that we were in good shape despite our 3 hours of sleep and that our eyes were not bloodshot at all.  THE
VENUE
Family Circle center court is a very nice facility. There’s adequate parking, even for those who don’t arrive 4 hours before the event. It’s clean and new and obviously has been built quite recently. Thelma said it reminded her of Jones Beach, though the upper levels were not nearly as high. The stadium was cut down to about half for the concert, with the stage set at center court. The floor in front of the stage was nicely arranged with tables for 6 (one had to purchase the entire table). Tables were numbered and marked with signs, were covered with tablecloths and set with candles. Table buyers were offered a catering option (unlike Chastain, food could not be brought in to the venue) with a set menu. We arrived to find a basket of wonderful food on our table. Drinks were purchased separately. Staff was separated into event staff (read: security) and Family Circle staff and BOTH were pleasant and friendly. Please look for our photo in their next newsletter! LOL Initially, my only concern was that they had not tarped or otherwise covered the clay courts, and my bright yellow socks were picking up every bit of clay dust there was to be had. Yucky!  HOWEVER!!!
Though they are very nice people, and the guards sweetly flirtatious, they
have no idea how to handle a concert. God forbid they should ever
bring in something harder than the Moody Blues. In fact, this was
only their second concert experience, first trying their hand at Aaron
Neville. The floor table set up is one that is not conducive to a
concert. It encourages people to chat and most of the people there
saw it as a party with the Moodies as background music. The Moody
Blues are NOT background music, by God! The table to our left, directly
in front of Ray on the front row had been purchased by the rudest 30somethings
I’ve ever met. They came late, and talked loudly THROUGHOUT the concert.
It was not quiet conversation, but liquor fueled obnoxious mania, the women
at the table being the most glaring offenders. It went way beyond
distraction to public nuisance. The noise did not die down, but continued
at a very loud level. Unable to stand the rudeness any longer, I
finally tapped one of the ladies near me on the shoulder, and after tapping
three times to get her attention, told her that I could not hear The Band
over their talking and could they please stop talking. She informed
me that SHE was there to have a good time too. It was evident that
her idea of having a good time did not include listening to a Moody Blues
concert. We did our best to ignore their loud conversation, but made
sure to tell the Family Circle staff of our extreme displeasure at the
intermission. I only hope The Band did, too!
 While
the incessant rudeness of various tables (not just the one by us) was a
royal annoyance, the end of the concert can only be characterized as mayhem!
There was a large space between the front tables and a solid wooden gate
in front of the stage. A single event guard sat behind it.
Two other guards were placed at the far ends of the stage, primarily to
keep people from going behind the stage. At various times during
the second half, people from God knows where moved in front of the stage,
blocking our view, and were removed after complaints to one of the side
guards. A number moved in after LOAM, and we could see that our only
recourse at that time was to leap from the chairs at our table like lithe
gazelles and move to the gate if we didn’t want to be staring at the backs
of peoples’ heads. This is not unusual concert behavior, and I’ve
rarely seen it to be a problem. At Family Circle, it was a problem.People moved in behind us and began surging toward the wooden gate. A drunken lunatic appeared behind me, and I looked up in horror to see not a beer in her hand over my head, but one of the little candles. I’m not sure how hot wax removal works on a head of silver hair, but I was not anxious to find out. I finally cajoled my drunken fire dancer with the promise of pictures, and she told me to “Take JUSTIN!” (I had to mull that comment over a bit!) The poor guard firmly told people to stop shaking the fence, and I was startled to see that two other drunken women had pushed their way past it on the Ray end and were making for the stage! The guard then rushed down to push them out of the gate area and one big blonde gal made her way down to me and wailed loudly that she wanted up on stage, and why couldn’t she be up on stage? I told her it was because she couldn’t sing. We were pushed, we were grabbed, we were pinned against the gate by sweaty men sans shirts. IT WAS AWFUL! And more than a bit scarey. I shall never complain about Atlantic City’s aggressive and rude crowds again. I thought the gate was going to be pushed down with me on top of it, and The Band taken apart for souvenirs. I have been to every concert imaginable, and have experienced the ultimate in drunken obnoxious behavior: Ozzfest. This was much worse than anything I’ve had to deal with at Ozzfest! Prudent and firm crowd control is the key, and one lone guard in front of the stage is not going to cut it with even the mildest of crowds. The Family Circle staff desperately need a crash course in crowd control, and are putting concertgoers at risk due to their inexperience. They are nice people from the box office on down, with a very nice facility, and I see bad things in their future if they don’t get smart REAL quick. Things like injuries, lawsuits and stripped to the skin performers. It was not a typical Moodies crowd; it was a much younger crowd, and with heavy drinking in a good old boy atmosphere. They were there to party, and the Moodies concert was a convenient excuse to carouse.  THE
FASHION REPORT
RT- Black silk short slvd shirt, black slacks, no change at half Hot HOT shirt. WOW! GE- Blue car shirt, black slacks JH- White long slvd shirt with left pocket, black jeans, white long slvd ruffled shirt at half JL-Black Oxford shirt, black slacks, white oxford shirt at half Ray’s shirt tonight was a breath of fresh air. It was loose, and had a silken flow with the breeze. One fan made a comment about “nude elbows” and I realized I’m surrounded by desperate women. LOL! THE CONCERT The permanent setlist was performed with a 20 minute intermission. It was quite warm in Charleston – YWD saw JH wiping sweat off his face with his sleeve. (Yes, the BGG sweats) NC had a great rolled R from Mr Edge. : ) We stomped out of Family Circle in a rage. I’m grateful no one was hurt, and saddened that such a nice facility and such nice staff didn’t, for all their goodwill, provide us a great concert experience. I think I’ll hug the next big security guard I see, and tell him that I’m GLAD he’s there. I didn’t feel safe at Family Circle, and there’s no way you can enjoy a concert experience if you don’t feel SAFE. Justin told us in England to be “safe and sound” and I’m sure he meant on the road. Not at the concert! MaggieMay |
