Welcome to the Higher and Higher Tour! Reno turned out to be a better experience than I expected. It was worth it just to see two rocking concerts, but I also had the opportunity to spend some time with two wonderful fans (on separate occasions). One was an old friend who traveled to Reno with her adorable 8 year old granddaughter. She kept us entertained over dinner. She told me she wanted to meet Justin, and said that she had already met the others and said that in a very matter of fact tone. I felt like such a Loser! I didn't have any good Justin stories to tell her, and wasn't about to tell her the one involving my tragic overdose in NYC of Lancome glitter and my subsequent humiliation at Mr Hayward's hands. I spent an entire year hearing "Your forehead's all sparkly" from my so-called friends. I don't think the child got the chance to meet him, but he thrilled her that evening by giving her his pick. I have to say, she looked very impressed with him afterwards! The other fan stopped by the then-closed lobby coffee shop that I had quickly retreated to in order to cribbage up some notes while my brain was still "warm". It was very enjoyable to have a little company during my Sueless state, and she impressed me with her calm and thoughtful views on the Band, the music and the sometimes squirrelly fan community. LOL I finally took my leave and went upstairs to write (such as it was), knowing I had to get up, pack and move on to the airport and the next venue. If it's Sunday, I *must* be in California. It was great to see a variety of the regulars last night at the concert. My two favorite Canadians were there (you know them by their glowsticks). It's very surprising that one of them has a Scot accent. They were pleased to be there and ready to party. Watch out, America! We've been invaded! ; ) It was off to the Reno airport! My taxi driver and I talked basketball, Bobby Knight and the NCAA tournament, and I found out the sad news from him that Pittsburgh had defeated my alma mater, and we were out of the Big Dance. He went on to tell me that after his wife died, he had decided to perfect his three point shot. *Why* he wanted to do this was not clear, since he was 60 years old and probably not going to play pro ball. He said that he had drawn a three point line on his driveway, and practiced 10 to 12 hours a day! I now understand people's reactions to me when I tell them how many Moody Blues concerts I attended last year, for I could hardly keep from saying "You're Nuts!" I can only think that it was something he had always wanted to do, but had to wait until his wife had died. I know the feeling. My darling hubby will not let me drive his 76 Mercedes, and I have repeatedly told him that on my way home from his funeral, I'm going to drive it to Krogers and let grocery shoppers have at it with their carts. I figure that should keep him from EVER kicking the bucket. Despite the short flight, I was able to get in a nice and much needed nap. Engines put me to sleep as SueC will attest to. Any engine! I just hope I don't drool. The drive from Oakland to Santa Rosa was lovely! The sun shone on the green hills as we made our way north. THE VENUE The Luther Burbank center is a bit off 101 on 70 acres in the Middle of Nowhere. Part of those 70 acres is a soccer field placed in front of the venue. It's a little odd! The brick building is fairly new and tasteful. I compare all venues with Kahunaville, which greeted you with, of all things, a volcano in front of the venue, and I'm reassured when I don't see one. Great! No volcano! Whew! It's a very nice venue and seats ????. There's a large lobby stocked with the regional wines, and one is allowed water inside the showroom. Seating is theatre style, with three sections on a sloped floor. The balcony curves around the floor like a horseshoe. It's not a flashy place and has a simple decor with dull red brick colored walls and wood panels. Simple, but pleasant. I like a venue and a crowd that does not distract me from what is going on onstage. They're VERY laid back at the Burbank. Worrisomely so! Tickets are not taken at the outer doors of the facility and people, most looking damn well-to-do, wander in and out and appear for the most part like they're attending some kind of informal cocktail party. Tickets are lackadaisically looked at by pleasant ladies at the showroom door. I suppose no one in their genteel crowd would think to try a ticket scam. There was plenty of security near the stage and they were firm in their stance of no photography. It's an intimate place and unlike the awful seating setup at Reno, they are pretty close to the truth that there isn't "a bad seat in the house". It was a low stage, about 3 feet high and curved. The three mikes were placed well back because of the rounded stage. I would guess that the person in the center of the front row was at least 15 feet from Justin's mike. I was about 8 feet from Norda's mike in my seat on the center aisle of the left section. The stage wasn't very wide and the monitor board pushed up pretty close to the performers. Lighting was good. The curved set of speakers hung overhead in 2002 was replaced by a set of square ones, three, I think. I noticed a trio of the infamous "front-fill" speakers at the very front edge of the stage. I hate those things. If you are in the front row, it totally ruins the mix for you. (I know, it's a heartbreaker) The stage was low enough that they weren't a big problem, and I could sure hear Norda's vocals for the first time other than on Slide Zone. Security kept out of the way through out the concert, until SeeSaw when they moved in. People were kept from coming down the aisles to the stage. I thought we were in for some excitement when a gal walked in front of the stage and made a big show of trying to get the Jays' attention. It looked like this action was directed more at John, than at Justin. She didn't climb onstage and finally gave up and went back to her seat and sat down. THE FASHION REPORT JL - White long slvd shirt with pleated bib, first half, black long slvd shirt with pleated bib, second half, leathers, boots JH - Black crepe, long full-slvd shirt, first half, white crepe, long full-slvd shirt, second half, black jeans GE - Black short slvd shirt with white pattern on the right side, first half, flag shirt, second half, black slacks The Battle of The Buttons Oh, it's heating up! JL came out ready to wage war in the BotB with his lovely white shirt unbuttoned to midchest. It's nothing against Bernie and Norda, but I was chewing the inside of my cheek with the disappointment at being CLEARLY on the *wrong* side of the auditorium. I sure would have liked to have had seat 1 in section C! Yes, life isn't fair. ; ) The show THESE days is stage left. Luckily for me, Mr Rock 'n Roll made it over to my side a couple of delightful times, with that masculine swagger (must be the boots, eh?), a mischievous grin accompanying the toss of that beautiful hair, and a look about him that says to everyone in the audience that he loves what he's doing and wouldn't be any where else in the world. Sigh! Will someone get my fan, please? JH has seemed lately as buttoned up on stage as his shirt. There *may* be hope! The white crepe (damn, I wish I could look at that thing and see EXACTLY what it is) shirt came out second half, buttoned up as before, but I noticed JH nervously fiddling with his buttons during the concert. He rubs his fingers down the placket, feeling the first few buttons, and then pulls the shirt together a bit. Whether by mistake or (hopefully) design, another button came undone. I must thank God tonight for the little "gifts" he sends! The material of the shirt naturally pulled open and a bit, only a bit of chest was teasingly revealed, glistening lightly with sweat. Geez! I feel like I'm writing a romance novel! All I can say is... Fans for EVERYBODY! THE CONCERT The concert almost seems an unnecessary aftermath when I look at the BotB! LOL I'm not sure anyone even cares now! This concert, like all the others, was unique. I'll remember it as the concert with the most spectacular botch job of the opening, EVER. And I mean EVER! I couldn't believe it. The backups slipped to their places in the dark and the "I think I am" music began. Out came The Moody Blues. Graeme was at his kit, and Justin was back by his amp, flipping switches when Gordon started the count. Uh oh! That was bad! Justin's head shot up in alarm. Norda started playing on guitar and it was too late. The concert was on, without the lead guitarist. Justin's incredulous look at Norda was priceless. I wouldn't think anything had to be said backstage. Justin scrambled, and luckily there's a fair amount of time on that song before his vocals. He got up there, and things went on smoothly. What can I say? Things *happen* in a live performance, and that's why I love it! I bet it won't happen tonight! LOL I enjoyed the wild rock 'n roll scene at Reno, with it's loud crowd and awful acoustics. LOL A place like that fits in well with rock 'n roll tradition. Santa Rosa, however...ah! Mmmmmmm. To hear your favorite music in the world in a venue where you can hear an individual pin drop is, in one word, GLORIOUS! If you love guitar, THIS was the night. I swear, I heard every note Justin Hayward played. It was a night to begin a love affair with Big Red. I have never heard it so well, and it has never sounded so wonderful. Everything else on stage was simply the accompaniment to that guitar. I must give credit where credit is due: Justin Hayward played it beautifully. Perfectly. Passionately. I couldn't tell you if there were any vocal flubs on Gemini Dream. I love the guitar part on that song, and it was all I could hear at the Burbank. The smoky guitar solo on Slide Zone was a killer. What a showcase for the Gibson and the man who plays it. It was probably the most fabulous concert I have ever heard! I'm prejudiced toward the red Gibson and fully admit that I place it on the altar of adoration. I love the way it grabs your heart and squeezes it hard, until it becomes almost agony to hear it. The Olsen, by contrast (the acoustic guitar that Justin uses on The Actor and Are You Sitting Comfortably?) strokes your soul with light fingers. The notes feel like tiny raindrops on your shoulders. It's a different experience than the Gibson, but this venue loved it too. You could hear each tinkling note. Justin played it a little too hard for this perfect hall, but that was a minor concern. AYSC was particularly beautiful tonight, performed in a hall that recognized all it's gentle beauty and for an audience that was there to hear the music and not only to party. Bernie's restrained and eerie vocals were exquisite, Norda's flute was delicate and lovely, and the Olsen had magic of its own. Oh! Nice lead vocals, too! That goes without saying. I love the tambourine on that too, and the simple bass, providing the ground. What an absolute delight! The Strat does its job, but is not an instrument of depth or delicacy. There were no problems there, but the hall couldn't and didn't do anything extra for it. Lean on Me really sounded wonderful tonight, too. John did a great job on it, as usual. I get tickled every time LOM comes up in the concert, and it has to do with the Strat. SueC had related that a fan had told her how MUCH she loved the guitar part in LOM. I had laughed hysterically at the time, though l later considered that the person was probably referring to the guitar solo in it. All I could think of at the TIME was: Lean (blip on the Strat) ON me (blip) I'll be there! (blip) Yeah! Wow! What a guitar part! <snort!> Well, people are funny. : ) Back to the Gibson, back ALWAYS to the Gibson. The jam in English Sunset was spectacular, more so last night than it always is. I swear JH varied it; it was incredibly exciting and again, I could hear every fabulous note. Higher and Higher is the show stopper and it got the biggest ovation of the night from the audience. Graeme Edge, why oh why don't we have MORE Graeme Edge? Sigh It's probably a good thing that we don't, because my heart couldn't take it. GE gives a CONSISTENTLY high energy, high powered, shove it in your face and knock your socks off performance. While the other post Ray, 2003 addition, AYSC is undeniably lovely, I hear the most comments after the concert about Higher and Higher! People are WOWED by it. What an excellent choice for the setlist! It rivals and surpasses the pale Singer for the rock 'n roll killer of the night. Justin's guitar performance on H&H is riveting. Every fan is going to cry for a video of it. Audio only just wouldn't do it justice. I sit here this afternoon and MARVEL at how lucky I am! I get to go back tonight to the Luther Burbank center and hear it all over again. I would happily stay here for a week, to go there and hear it every night. For those that were put off by the very high ticket prices (a shocking $112 a ticket and what I had to do to get front row makes even ME gulp) and declined to attend, you missed THE most incredible concert (due in large part to the hall) I have ever attended. And the Battle of the Buttons wasn't bad, either! LOL!!! A few last notes. Norda Mullen was introduced tonight by Justin at the bows for what song, I don't remember. (no notes to refer to and not enough brain to pull it out from) The other backups were not introduced. It seems to be a hit and miss thing this tour, but I imagine they appreciate it whenever it is done. There was no mention whatsoever of Ray Thomas tonight. His name wasn't said. Justin did not dedicate The Actor to Ray, saying as he has, that it was a particular favorite of Rays, did not say that Ray had decided not to tour, and did not say that he loved Ray or that Ray loved him. Nor did he say before AYSC that it was a song that he had written with his good mate (or old mate), Ray Thomas. This was, I think, the first concert where some dejected and confused concertgoer did not call out "Where's Ray" from the audience. That does not mean that NUMEROUS people out there weren't thinking it. Maybe *I'll* call out "Where's Ray" tonight! ; ) I haven't done this before, but anyone who would care to send me a comment may do so at Magwaw@aol.com. MaggieMay I feel the rhythm of the earth, In my soul tonight. May it never fade away! |
