Bring me Sugar...
The short version: I gave out 175 lollipops. I saw Tori. She was lovely.
The long version:
Should we hand these out to people? I'm not sure if I'm that friendly. I'd like to be that friendly. I just don't want people thinking I'm crazy.
That was what I said to my sister after I suggested that we hand out the bag of Dum-Dum lollipops to the crowd awaiting entrance to the Tsongas Arena. So after we parked, I opened the bag (leftover from Toys R Us' Halloween stock) and we made our way to the end of the line. (Why the line, people? It's cold out here.) And along the way, we offered free candy. Some people were thrilled. "Sweet! You guys rock! That was so nice!" Others gave us the evil eye. An interesting psychological study, that was. There would be these strange little lulls... then one adventurous person would take one and the floodgates would open. Some people really looked like they wanted a Dum-Dum too, but would succumb to peer pressure and refuse. Apparently, the middle of the line does not like sweets. Then we took our spots at the end of the line and I held the bag out to those who arrived after us, much like a hitchhiker. In retrospect, even though I was essentially a stranger handing out candy, I'm glad I did it. I apologize to the Tsongas staff for the lollipop sticks that no doubt cluttered the sidewalk. The girl behind us said we "already made her night" when I wished her a good time at the show. Her first.
And quite a show to see. While it wasn't quite as good as the solo Tori at the Wang Center show from last October (and really, after "Please Come To Boston," what could be?), it was still pretty magical. Our seats weren't all that good despite being Pre-Sell tickets and despite costing more than some of the floor seats sold at a later date. (Huh? Proximity doesn't mean much when you're off to the side and can't see everything, my friends.) Still, when Tori played the organ and cocked her head a certain way, I could pretend she was looking right at me, so all was not lost.
I'm not quite sure how I've managed to end up seeing Howie Day more times than I've seen the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, and Madonna combined, but there you have it. He sounded much better than when I saw him in Mansfield with Alanis. And man, he's scary talented with that recording/looping thing he does. And though I wasn't crazy about a couple of his songs and it would somehow seem more fitting to see him playing a streetcorner or train station than an "arena", he definitely has it in him to be the next big thing in terms of white guys who play guitar. Certainly being so pretty won't hurt his chances with the ladies either. More power to him.
Let me preface my little Tori experience, by saying that I don't exactly fit in at a Tori show. I'm far from wild at any concert -- I don't stand up if the people in front of me or behind me are sitting. I don't dance wildly, play air-guitar (or air-piano), sing or shout along, or clap my hands like a wild-person. Sometimes, however, I cannot refrain from bobbing/waggling my head, tapping my foot, or occassionally mouthing the words. I get the distinct impression that all this is frowned upon, but not necessarily by Tori who seemed to quite enjoy herself, at times playfully vamping it up in her high-heeled boots as I hadn't seen her do before.
I wasn't exactly weary of the setlist, but I had read some things that led me to not get my hopes up regarding hearing certain songs. Suffice to say, the overwhelming majority of the show was like Tori and I had sat down before-hand to discuss her playlist. I got Sugar (obviously dedicated to the lollipop guy). I got Bliss and Caught A Lite Sneeze. I got Silent All These Years and Cloud On My Tongue. For Pete's sake, I got Black Dove which I have quoted in my AOL profile! (That song, along with the finale and the little ditty about her living room were the highlights for me. I'm convinced only Tori could make a hockey rink feel like a living room.) And I got all of my favorites from the new album -- Crazy, Wednesday, Strange, Taxi Ride... although I was much more in a 'Vegas' mood than a "New York' one, but I realize it's kind of the centerpiece of Scarlet's Walk and all, so it's okay by me. I suppose if I were greedy, I could have wished for Winter, Cooling, Pretty Good Year, and Jackie's Strength, but if wishes were Horses...
The encores were excellent. I think I would have replaced 'Sangria' with 'Amber' or 'gold dust,' but I'm not complaining. I will only complain about one thing... and that is encore applause moochers. If you don't contribute to the noise-making, you don't deserve to hear the encores. Listen up, Mr and Mrs I-Don't-Clap, if everyone acted like you, guess what? There is complete silence and we don't even get an encore!. Play along next time! Ahem... She closed the show with "Hey Jupiter." It would have been nice if someone thought of me during that. I wish someone had taken me up on my offer to see her in Montreal or New York. Maybe next time. I'll bring candy.
The long version:
Should we hand these out to people? I'm not sure if I'm that friendly. I'd like to be that friendly. I just don't want people thinking I'm crazy.
That was what I said to my sister after I suggested that we hand out the bag of Dum-Dum lollipops to the crowd awaiting entrance to the Tsongas Arena. So after we parked, I opened the bag (leftover from Toys R Us' Halloween stock) and we made our way to the end of the line. (Why the line, people? It's cold out here.) And along the way, we offered free candy. Some people were thrilled. "Sweet! You guys rock! That was so nice!" Others gave us the evil eye. An interesting psychological study, that was. There would be these strange little lulls... then one adventurous person would take one and the floodgates would open. Some people really looked like they wanted a Dum-Dum too, but would succumb to peer pressure and refuse. Apparently, the middle of the line does not like sweets. Then we took our spots at the end of the line and I held the bag out to those who arrived after us, much like a hitchhiker. In retrospect, even though I was essentially a stranger handing out candy, I'm glad I did it. I apologize to the Tsongas staff for the lollipop sticks that no doubt cluttered the sidewalk. The girl behind us said we "already made her night" when I wished her a good time at the show. Her first.
And quite a show to see. While it wasn't quite as good as the solo Tori at the Wang Center show from last October (and really, after "Please Come To Boston," what could be?), it was still pretty magical. Our seats weren't all that good despite being Pre-Sell tickets and despite costing more than some of the floor seats sold at a later date. (Huh? Proximity doesn't mean much when you're off to the side and can't see everything, my friends.) Still, when Tori played the organ and cocked her head a certain way, I could pretend she was looking right at me, so all was not lost.
I'm not quite sure how I've managed to end up seeing Howie Day more times than I've seen the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, and Madonna combined, but there you have it. He sounded much better than when I saw him in Mansfield with Alanis. And man, he's scary talented with that recording/looping thing he does. And though I wasn't crazy about a couple of his songs and it would somehow seem more fitting to see him playing a streetcorner or train station than an "arena", he definitely has it in him to be the next big thing in terms of white guys who play guitar. Certainly being so pretty won't hurt his chances with the ladies either. More power to him.
Let me preface my little Tori experience, by saying that I don't exactly fit in at a Tori show. I'm far from wild at any concert -- I don't stand up if the people in front of me or behind me are sitting. I don't dance wildly, play air-guitar (or air-piano), sing or shout along, or clap my hands like a wild-person. Sometimes, however, I cannot refrain from bobbing/waggling my head, tapping my foot, or occassionally mouthing the words. I get the distinct impression that all this is frowned upon, but not necessarily by Tori who seemed to quite enjoy herself, at times playfully vamping it up in her high-heeled boots as I hadn't seen her do before.
I wasn't exactly weary of the setlist, but I had read some things that led me to not get my hopes up regarding hearing certain songs. Suffice to say, the overwhelming majority of the show was like Tori and I had sat down before-hand to discuss her playlist. I got Sugar (obviously dedicated to the lollipop guy). I got Bliss and Caught A Lite Sneeze. I got Silent All These Years and Cloud On My Tongue. For Pete's sake, I got Black Dove which I have quoted in my AOL profile! (That song, along with the finale and the little ditty about her living room were the highlights for me. I'm convinced only Tori could make a hockey rink feel like a living room.) And I got all of my favorites from the new album -- Crazy, Wednesday, Strange, Taxi Ride... although I was much more in a 'Vegas' mood than a "New York' one, but I realize it's kind of the centerpiece of Scarlet's Walk and all, so it's okay by me. I suppose if I were greedy, I could have wished for Winter, Cooling, Pretty Good Year, and Jackie's Strength, but if wishes were Horses...
The encores were excellent. I think I would have replaced 'Sangria' with 'Amber' or 'gold dust,' but I'm not complaining. I will only complain about one thing... and that is encore applause moochers. If you don't contribute to the noise-making, you don't deserve to hear the encores. Listen up, Mr and Mrs I-Don't-Clap, if everyone acted like you, guess what? There is complete silence and we don't even get an encore!. Play along next time! Ahem... She closed the show with "Hey Jupiter." It would have been nice if someone thought of me during that. I wish someone had taken me up on my offer to see her in Montreal or New York. Maybe next time. I'll bring candy.