Pirategirl and myself were one of those other groups from Kansas that made the get-together at Fado's... and we really, really appreciate the invite. Pirategirl remarked to me at one point "...so we have to drive all the way to Denver to meet people from Kansas" It was great to meet those of you we met!

We had a great time at the show. I won't speak much for Pirategirl, but I had a blast. I thought the sound was a bit muffled, but I assumed that was because we were back in row BB, under the balcony where sound is notoriously bad. I had a hard time understanding a lot of the banter on stage between numbers, and not due to the syntax... if the sound was off in the rest of the hall, doubtless the under-balcony was probably a little worse.

This was our first time seeing GBS live, and despite the quite minor sound thing, it was everything I hoped it would be... the energy levels of both the band and the crowd were incredible, and there was plenty of jumping going on!

A last note... sorry for being one of those who got up mid-set to go get a beverage... if only the Good Lord had the sense to give me four arms I could have avoided that!

quote:

A last note... sorry for being one of those who got up mid-set to go get a beverage... if only the Good Lord had the sense to give me four arms I could have avoided that!

I was up in row D, so you weren't one of the ones I was talking about. I think instead of extra arms, beer hats should have been provided. Keep your hands free for clapping and less worries about spillage when dancing....

The show in Denver was my first GBS concert, and I certainly hope it is not my last. I have been a fan for a couple years now, and have been waiting just as long to see them in concert. The show was all I imagined it to be and more. I even missed college classes and one of the biggest weekends at my school inorder to see them in concert. I flew from Abilene, TX (where I go to school) to Albuquerque, NM (where I am originally from). From there, my sister and I drove to Pueblo to stay the night with some family and then travel to Denver with them the next day to see the concert! It was deffinately worth the missed classes, the travel, and all the hassel I had to go through in the airports!
The first half was more laid back than I imagined a GBS concert being, especially for us that were up in the balcony. But I still really enjoyed the songs and the set they did.
The second half, however, was just what I had imagined. When Alan came out playing the electric guitar, I was shocked!! I didn't think he even owned an electric guitar! It was like watching a completely different band! The medly of '80s songs was hilarious, along with all the talking the guys did in the first half of the show. I didn't know they were such a funny group of guys. I have never been to a concert where the performers talked as much as GBS did, I loved it! You can tell the boys are thrilled to be there and are enjoying every bit of what they do for a living. They seem to have a great respect for the crowd and for each other. I loved it that the concert started right on time, the boys walked on stage, and my timer on my cell phone went off, that's how on time they were! I think that shows a great deal of respect for the audience.
Anyway, the show was great and it was great to be there and share the experience with my whole family and with the great crowd that showed up in Denver! Thanks to the boys, the crowd, and my family for making this a truly unforgetable concert!!

Welcome to the board, Amy

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It's good to be young and daring.

Hey, everyone! I finally figured out my login info, so now I'm back!

The show was amazing...so much better than 32 Bleu, I think. That may have been because Bob remembered all the words to Helmethead this time, but who's counting?

I'm so glad that I was able to hit Fado's before the show and meet people. Helen and everyone at that table, Shorock, etc. Plus, the food was pretty good too. A great way to start the night.

Then, after a long cold walk to the 16th St. Shuttle, it was off to the Paramount. Excellent venue, in my opinion. From where I was sitting (6 rows from stage, center section, far right edge), the sound was amazing. And it was the perfect place to introduce my GBS virgin for the night (my mom) to a show.

The first set was great fun...from the limited heresay I had gotten about the shows, it sounded like the first set was going to be much more acoustically-driven, and that they were going for a very traditional traditional set. Not at all. The first set was amazingly energized and exciting. The only real issue was that the pacing was off. It was exhausting having to stand and sit constantly. My mom kept looking at me, asking whether it was a stand-up or sit-down song. But it was a very good first act.

At intermission, I snuck upstairs to the shorter lines for water; I had forgotten how tiring these things were! While in line, I talked with a very nice couple who had heard about GBS because they were fans of Gaelic Storm. They seemed to have loved the first act, and I'm guessing by the second one they were hooked. Then, on my way back in, I did happen to notice the NFLD flag hanging over the balcony...I thought it was a nice touch, and that security shouldn't have made you take it down...it wasn't hurting anything by being there.

And the second act flat out rocked. After coming back from intermission to "Ring of Fire", which was an odd choice in my book, they proceeded to bring the house down. Alan had an electric guitar out for a song, too! It did seem that the second act was much more planned and rehearsed, whereas the first seemed genuinely spontaneous. Maybe it was that they didn't take as many breaks inbetween songs. Anyway, the second act was amazing. I have never heard them get Mari-Mac going nearly that fast, which was a real treat.

Then came the encores...ohhh, the encores. A relatively subdued version of Come and I Will Sing You, but then again, I've never particularly liked the song. Then, after one encore, the b'ys came out and did a completely a capella version of Old Brown's Daughter, with no mics or anything. It was one of the best moments of the night for me; sheer connection with Alan and everyone else. And, of course, Old Black Rum and Rant and Roar to close the night.

A few things about the songs:
-Run Runaway was an amazing surprise for me; I've always loved this song, and to hear it live was great
-A Boat Like Gideon Brown was a pleasant surprise as well; a nice way to reintroduce a good song to an audience
-When I Am King was an awesome way to kick-start the second set. Very very well done.
-River Driver was absolutely amazing. Excellent vocal work on everyone's part
-Sweet Forget-Me-Not was also amazingly done

The only real down points in the set (for me) came in the first set. The Old Polina seemed just tired; thrown in hastily as a plug for the new album. And, there was the slight pacing issue.

But it was an amazing concert. So much energy, so much life.

Thank you, GBS. Your music has helped me heal through this incredibly difficult time in my life, and Sunday night I was able to catharcize it. It was amazing. Thank you, for everything.

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"Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right." - Isaac Asimov

"Yeah, I've got the best intentions / for a little bit of anarchy, but not the hurtin' kind." - "Consequence Free" - GBS