Great Big Sea, Take Two!

I had planned to be able to get on the internet today while waiting for my flight, but apparently the Hampton Inn is having trouble with their network and I have no access. So, I'm going to type this up anyway and then post it whenever I can get online.

Tucson, Arizona. 1400 miles from home. For a concert. Am I nuts?

Yeah, apparently'LOL, but did I have the time of my life, or what?

We got to Tucson around four o'clock yesterday afternoon and, after some confused directions and turning around a couple times, we finally found the correct street to turn on. How did we know? A great big blue tour bus, a bit scraped up on the driver's side. Yep, this would be the place! Rock star parking was located across the street from the theatre and we decided to leave the car there and walk wherever we needed to go.

Tickets were obtained from the box office and we headed across the street to the Congress Hotel, looking for somewhere to sit and kill some time, maybe get a couple drinks. Their bar wasn't open yet, so we ended up at a new little bistro in the train station. After quite a few drinks and some very yummy onion rings it was time to head for the Rialto.

First stop was the merch table. Spoke with Glenn for a bit about the bus accident. Actually, the conversation had been started by another group, I simply continued it. It seems that there will be no charges filed against Robert, the driver. According to Glenn, 'Our bus apparently had a black box. Who knew?' He said that the driver did everything exactly right and that it was just because the ground was wet that the bus tipped.

I bought Play'much nicer to pay $20 for it, rather than the $28 Amazon wants because it's an import. And remembered to give Glenn the Canadian money I still had in my wallet from the cruise last summer. He was cute about it when I told him to take it because, when was I going to get back to Canada?

Now, the concert.

The 'good seating' vibes from Anna the Piper worked! Front row, right at Mr. McCann's feet the whole evening. It was beautiful! The stage was a bit taller than the one at the Fitzgerald in St. Paul, but this time they'd placed some extra speakers at the front edge of the stage, so I could still hear the vocals when things finally did get rowdy.

The crowd was a severe disappointment, especially during the first set. No one was on their feet. Kate and I, along with the two folks across the aisle to our right, were the only people who stood in the front row during the first set. In fact, there were a couple people who never stood up at all during the whole show. They must've been friends of the venue owner or something, because they certainly didn't seem to want to be there. Some people did come down the aisles toward the front to dance, though not many.

I've got to hand it to the lads, they certainly didn't let it get them down. The show was high energy and as much, if not more, fun as I've ever had at a concert. They were on last night.

Only sat down during 'Graceful and Charming', which was followed by the first third of 'Tishialuk Girls' and 'Billy Peddle', and 'River Driver'. When they launched into 'Billy Peddle' we bounced back to our feet to dance again. Only a couple others joined us, which was just bewildering. Kate and I exchanged a look and shrugged as if to say, 'Who the heck knows?' I turned back to the stage and caught Séan's eye, as he must've seen the exchange between us. He mirrored my expression and shrugged, too. We had a good laugh over it.

I'd go through the set list, but didn't get a copy of it. Danny had said he'd snag me one, but they were in a rush to load-out and before he could pass it down to me, the house people were shooing us out the door. Oh, well. I can tell you that they did 'Tickle Cove Pond' rather than 'Concerning Charlie Horse'. We heard 'Tishialuk/Billy Peddle' and 'Beat the Drum' and the 'living room-version' of 'Sea of No Cares' that we didn't get at the St. Paul show.

And Séan did 'General Taylor' rather than 'Turn', which wasn't as cool as the first show where he did both, but I guess I'm getting greedy.

We only got one encore, but they did all the usual songs. I think they were running behind schedule for getting the gear to a plane.

The banter was great, as usual. Alan really likes to talk about horses falling through ice, so much so that this is now twice that Séan has made comments to the effect of 'are we ever gonna play the song?' They were all very happy to have a day off today; if he mentioned it once, Alan mentioned it three or four times throughout the evening.

Séan had some fascination with 'Law and Order' last night. And TiVo. Not quite sure why, but it was certainly amusing! After 'Rover' he suggested updating the lyrics a bit to something about them watching 'Law and Order' or watching TiVo. Left us all scratching our heads a bit in confusion, but it was funny. He also spent half of 'Excursion' running away from Murray'wouldn't share a mic with him or anything! By the end of it, Murray was laughing more than singing, I think. Oh, and his verse during 'Scolding Wife' became 'she caught me by the mermaid and threw me naked on the floor!'

And Kris' mission in life last night was to mess with Murray. He tickled his ribs during one song and kept trying to hit him in the face with his own microphone while it was Murray's turn during 'Scolding Wife'. There was also the moment Kris ended up at Séan's mic. He looked up at it, quite a few inches above his head, jumped up and down a couple times as if trying to reach it before giving up and going after Bob.

All in all, the show was fantastic! Well worth the travel to get there. The b'ys obviously like to play to the folks they can tell are interested, as their attentions definitely seemed trained on the groups that were standing during the first set. The crowd got more into it during the second set and most were on their feet by the end, but it was slow going there for a time.

I'm getting spoiled. Two GBS shows, two front row seats. Don't know what I'll do if I ever end up somewhere else in the theatre.

Tina

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--Tina

Come on, now. Let's lock the world outside! Hang your jacket from the door...grab a chair and raise a jar!

Thank you so much, raise a jar!

That was a great review! Here's to many more shows to go for you. And what's wrong with being spoiled???

Anne

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

Great review, Tina! Thanks!

I'm all for being spoiled! As a matter of fact, I'd like to be spoiled in the way of ending up at the same pub as them after each show, as well!

Liz

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Life may not be the party we hoped for but while we're here we might as well dance! - unknown

No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again - Stan Rogers

Tina - Your review was spot on. My wife and I were "the two folks across the aisle" you talked about. Thanks for standing with us.

I grabbed a set list. They didn't play it exactly as it appears on the paper. The black text is how it appears on the set list, the changes they made are in red.

Captain
Donkey
Hinks
Forget
Billy
Tickle
Rover
Gideon
Mermaid
River Driver
Scolding
Old Polina
Lukey

King
When
Paddy
Drum
Run
General
No Cares
Helmet
Con. Free
Mari
Ordinary

Come and I
Excursion
Forutune
Old Brown's Daughter (no break)
Black
Rant (Not Played)

So, it appears as though they had planned to do a second encore but did "Old Brown's Daughter" a cappella style and just ended the concert with "The Old Black Rum."

Thanks for the review, Tina, and thanks very much for the set list, Buffalo!

Yes, it was quite a subdued crowd, for a GBS show. The only other show we'd been to was the Seattle show a couple of years ago, and, compared to this audience, the crowd back at the Moore was a riot. It seemed to us that this was mostly an older crowd, too, which might have had a lot to do with it. And I overheard quite a few folks, in the lobby, the restroom, and out on the sidewalk for a smoke at the break who apparently were completely unfamiliar with the band. I don't know if they'd been brought by friends or had season tickets or how the heck they ended up there. Mind you, every one of them seemed stoked, talking about wanting to check out the CDs, wanting to hear more, etc., so there might have been quite a few converts made that night. A group of women in the loo during intermission all seemed to be GBS "virgins," and they were very high on the b'ys.

I commented on Anna the Piper's LJ review that, at the Seattle show, it seemed that there had been more banter and hijinks than in Tucson. Now, reading your review, it seems as if there had been more at the Rialto show than I remembered. Or maybe just more than I caught, since we were in no man's land at the back of the theater. (My husband was the big guy in the wheelchair all the way back. No, he really didn't sleep during most of the concert, if you noticed him zonked; his blood sugar got screwed up, and out he went, poor baby. He missed all but the first 2 or 3 songs, then roused by the last couple before the encore. )

I still can't believe, though, that Canada doesn't have TiVo!

Buffalo, thanks for the set list! I wanted one (think I mentioned asking Danny for one), but couldn't reach it without hoisting myself up on the stage and looking like an idiot I also love that you spelled 'Forutune' the way it is on the list. It was spelled wrong on the St. Paul list, too! LOL

Did it seem to you that it was Alan's decision to not do two encores? I thought I saw Séan and Bob head off stage after 'Fortune' and kind of have to scramble back. Maybe that's why Kris didn't do OBD with them?

Roisindubh, I've had the same thought about season ticket holders. That's about the only explanation I can come up with for the numbers of 'newbies' in the crowd. I'm just glad they perked up by the second set

Your poor hubby! That's awful for him.

And, yeah...the whole TiVo thing was hysterical!

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--Tina

Come on, now. Let's lock the world outside! Hang your jacket from the door...grab a chair and raise a jar!

Did anyone catch the radio station interview? Alan asked what radio station he had been at, the crowd called back to him the call letters, but I forgot what they were.

Excellent concert! Wish I was at another one right now!

Maybe a DVD will be recorded. That would be very sociable!

Shannon in Dallas

I was staying at Hotel Congress, and saw the band in Tucson. I am now noticing Canadian names that were at the show, too. Was someone wearing a pink newfounland GBS baby top shirt from Something Beautiful Tour? I think I asked you about your shirt in the lobby at the break before we went back in for the second half.

And on this board, were one of you waving a Newfoundland flag in the aisle on the left hand side of the Rialto?

Shannon in Dallas

Well, the season subscriber theory is a good one, but there's no such thing at the Rialto. Those folks were all there because someone they know either talked them into going, bought them a ticket as a gift, or they heard it promo'ed on KXCI (91.3 FM, LOVE that station!) and came to hear more. Amazing, but true. I know I (just a bit of back patting here) brought 5 "virgins" to the show, men and women, only one of whom was really familiar with the music. She works with me, so gets it on the CD player occasionally (when I manage to load it up before someone else does). Also saw several other friends there who had received tickets with a "trust me...go!" note attached to them, so they came. And enjoyed.

Well I am NOT going to start a stand/sit debate. For those that know me, they know I enjoy dancing along at a concert. However, I also enjoy sitting and really listening to the music. I find that if I just sit and listen, I can appreciate it on another level and hear parts that I don't hear if I'm dancing along.

With that said, it was quite the surreal experience for me, being in Tucson and seeing Great Big Sea down there. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, but for me part of that had to do with the friends on either side of me.

For the record, although in Canada we don't have the "TiVo" brand of recording, we do have digital video recording.

I have seen more banter at other Great Big Sea concerts, but that (IMHO) didn't take away from their performance.

Tina, in answer to your question - if travelling 1400 miles for a concert is nuts? Well as the (American) saying goes, "I plead the fifth." I travelled a lot farther than that, but I was going on a vacation and to do some visiting as well... the concert was the sprinkles on top of the icing on the cake.

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Live ♥ Love ♫ Rock

"She spends all her cash on letting go"

quote:

Originally posted by Cathie:
Tina, in answer to your question - if travelling 1400 miles for a concert is nuts? Well as the (American) saying goes, "I plead the fifth." I travelled a lot farther than that, but I was going on a vacation and to do some visiting as well... the concert was the sprinkles on top of the icing on the cake.

Gee, if 1400 miles to travel is nuts, I'm obviously in need of being committed to the asylum - I flew from Alaska to New York (a place I'd never been before), then rented a car and drove to Gananoque for my first show last August, and I even dragged the 9-year-old with me for it!!

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Jo

I didn't count the miles, but I came from Florida to see the show. My daughter lives in Phoenix area and we drove down to Tucson for the concert. Vesta had never heard the guys before and I had never been to see them in person before, so it was all new to us. I had a great time and danced like I never danced at a concert before. Reading that their concerts are usually more lively just makes me want to figure out what it would take to get them to Pensacola where the crowd would have a greater understanding of "boat envy". Have to say, it was a little weird listening to all the boat and ice songs in the middle of the desert.

Hee! I knew I wasn't the only crazy one out here It really says something about the GBS lads that we're all willing to travel amazing distances just to spend two hours listening to them sing and play.

And Misha, I have to agree about the oddness of listening to the music in the middle of the desert! It was quite strange to look out the car windows and see the desert while listening to songs like "Tickle Cove Pond"

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--Tina

Come on, now. Let's lock the world outside! Hang your jacket from the door...grab a chair and raise a jar!

quote:

And Misha, I have to agree about the oddness of listening to the music in the middle of the desert! It was quite strange to look out the car windows and see the desert while listening to songs like "Tickle Cove Pond"

We prefer to think of it as cool and refreshing!!! Or maybe it's really just water envy.... Reminds us that things like ponds and cold exist SOMEWHERE Especially THIS year!

Has it rained there yet? I know it was something like 120 days straight with no rain when I was there.

It was quite the shock to me when I got home friday night. It had been nearly 80 in Phoenix. Got off the plane in St. Louis and it was 8!

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--Tina

Come on, now. Let's lock the world outside! Hang your jacket from the door...grab a chair and raise a jar!