Ok, so it had been seven (7) years since I'd seen Matthew and Gunnar perform live (back on the Styx/Frampton tour) and I was having aserious withdrawals. Once I heard they were to be performing a Ricky Nelson Remembered show in Auburn, CA I was ready to do some travel research (and let's face it - some traveling).
Cindy and I did some preliminary research, then as we got excited about the prospect, some serious planning. I'd already had the time off requested for the following week, we had been contemplating a trip to Disneyland, then we reconsidered due to finances. I had decided to keep my week off (what, with over a month of accrued vacation time, I could well afford it) and when we discovered the date of the show and did some drive-time math I decided to bump the time off forward by a couple of days.
This past Wednesday, September 7th, the technicalities were out of the way and finally travel time had arrived. I was fully ready for some younger-days-adventure so I decided we really should leave in the night on Wednesday. I wanted to squeeze some beach time in so we drove through the night, and got to Santa Cruz by lunchtime.
In my previous post, you can see that we had a terrific time. The next day was the day of the show. I was SO READY for this! After all, I'd been preening and primping mentally for a couple of months, with my weight loss, my innate need to dress up for these encounters, and my compulsive nature you should expect nothing less!!
Mani/Pedi... Check.
New hairstyle... Check.
Hair drama.... Check.
Of course there was hair drama! I had to wash it in the day and a half after having it styled... so now it had the fuzzies! Oh Dear! but fret not... I found a miracle cure in Ric Pipino's Style My Cut line... Oh Hell Yeah! I was ready to go.
I find it inspiring that the show we ended up choosing to go to (you see, we could have been going to the show in Cheyenne THIS WEEKEND) was the scaled-down, intimate version of the Rick Nelson Remembered show that we'd seen when they had started entertaining the idea of such a show. The usual deal is Multimedia entertainment and sounds so cool... but we chose Auburn and were NOT disappointed with the Old-School style of the fair show.
We got to the fairgrounds with no idea where the stage was [why, it was right around the corner] and just in time for sound check we discovered the location. I think, even though these guys are meticulous about their show, the presentation of it and the polish they've been able to apply to their shows - that I enjoy sound check better than the shows because they're in their own world, working on getting everything to reflect that polish. Voyeuristic? Sure-but who isn't? I enjoy it because they're comfortable in their skin, can put it all together and answer the endless barrage of questions and requests that self-absorbed (innocent) bystanders lob at them with poise and dignity. Yes - sound check ran long, but you made quite a beautiful impression boys!
The show was quite fun... they rock, after all!
I would have enjoyed the full-out presentation, but in the end, I met these boys in an intimate environment and most of the shows I've seen them perform have been more intimate. This suits me just fine... of course, 7 years was way too long and THAT will NOT happen again, so I'm pretty sure I'll be seeing some different shows in the very near future.
I advise you see them when they're in a town near you, and just like in a Pixar movie, stay after - sorry no credits and the outtakes were during sound check - but you CAN meet and greet these sweet (sorry guys, you did it to yourselves) guys.
I would have enjoyed the full-out presentation, but in the end, I met these boys in an intimate environment and most of the shows I've seen them perform have been more intimate. This suits me just fine... of course, 7 years was way too long and THAT will NOT happen again, so I'm pretty sure I'll be seeing some different shows in the very near future.
I advise you see them when they're in a town near you, and just like in a Pixar movie, stay after - sorry no credits and the outtakes were during sound check - but you CAN meet and greet these sweet (sorry guys, you did it to yourselves) guys.
Can't commit to seeing them live? Watch this video... you might be swayed...
Video: Ricky Nelson's twin sons honor late father's career at Orpheum show | The Argus Leader | argusleader.com:OR - if you don't have 30 minutes to spare right away...
Follow Nelson on twitter... http://twitter.com/#!/NelsonRockBand
Follow Ricky Nelson Remembered on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RickyNelsonRemb
(I am not affiliated with Nelson/Ricky Nelson Remembered - I'm just a long-term supporter... and I approve this message... Duh)
No comments:
Post a Comment