After dinner at the Mexican place, we walked
down through the Downtown Crossing and my wife got a maple mocha at Borders, so
we paused at the street corner outside the Orpheum while she finished it.
About 7:30 I’m just watching people and 4
guys come around the corner, walking fast.
I recognized Alan and said “Hey Alan!” He looks over at me and says “How
ya doing?” as he keeps on walking and I realize it was Sean beside him, Bob
behind them, and it must have been a Murray a few paces in front!
My wife almost choked on her coffee and said
“that was Alan – Alan talked to us!!”
Following them were a mother, father and two small girls who told us
they had seen them get off the bus.
My
wife wanted to follow them – they must have headed up the street to a nearby
pub for a pre-show beer.
The family went
another 50 feet up and watched them, then came back, coming to the same
conclusion as us – leave them alone for a ‘band moment’.
They came on stage to the taped
sound of Rocks of Merasheen, here’s the set list:
Tonight
Process Man
Pat Murphy
When I’m Up
Jack Hinks
England
Charley Horse
Hard Case
River Driver
Here and Now
Alan solo – “Sent to Charlestown” (Born and Bred in Boston?)
Company of Fools
I Fought the Law/500 Miles/Bohemian Rhapsody
Run Runaway
Kitchen party (song?)
Captain Kidd
When I Am King
Boston and St Johns
Scolding Wife
I’m A Rover
Helmet Head
Dream to Live
Consequence Free
Mari Mac
Ordinary Day
Walk On the Moon
Encores
“In Boston” – ad lib
Old Black Rum
Gallows Pole
Straight To Hell
Old Brown’s Daughter
Our seats were well back, a couple of rows behind the soundboard – hats
off to the guy at the digital recorder!
When he noticed that his tall stool would be blocking the view of those
of us directly behind him, he had a regular chair brought to him so we had full
view.
It was a rowdy crowd – could/would not keep quiet during River Driver,
and even OBD had people clapping and shouting.
The “aisle ***” were in great force – I watched one woman who would
chase people away were trying to dance in the aisles – even right to the end of
the show!
Lots of singing along, of course, although it seemed a lot of people do
not know the new tunes from Fortune’s Favour too well (or don’t like them as
much as the old stuff).
The band was tight as always, although I could tell the
night-after-night shows have led Alan and Sean to conserve their voices as much
as they can.
The second set started with Alan on bouzouki and Bob on button accordion,
sitting on the drum platform playing, then Sean joining in on bodhran, then
Murray and Chris both on acoustic guitars – some people knew the song as they
joined in the one sing-instead-of play chorus.
The first encore was Alan starting out a 50s-style C-A-minor-F-G chord pattern, making up a few words about Boston, then the rest of the guys joined in and Sean made up a verse, etc.
I’ve got blisters on my fingers today from clapping so much and I’m a
little hoarse from singing along. Next
weekend it’s Portland!
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