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The Show => Believe On Tour => Topic started by: mattycakes on March 25, 2012, 08:55AM



Title: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: mattycakes on March 25, 2012, 08:55AM
Hello Forum Folks! I have returned to once again write an uber long and in-depth review of my experience at the Celtic Woman concert! It will, of course, be interruptred by tidbits of random observations and my usual rapior wit that I know everyone has come to depend on. That being said, I've chosen to divide the review into parts (whether two or three I haven't decided yet; I'm just making this up as I go along people!!!) to give myself and you wonderful forum fans the chance to save your eyes from being glued to the screen in avid anticipation.

Oh who am I kidding? No one wants to read my mumbo jumbo! Its really to save myself from carpal tunnel! But let me stroke my ego here, kay? Thanks!

Alright! Let's begin!

Part 1 - Pre-Show (The song titles are in bold.... in case you feel like skipping my random ramblings... But I assure you, you'll get lost at some points if you do!)

So before the show I was running around like a chicken with its head chopped off. I had never gotten M&Gs, you see. So I had no idea they wouldn't be coming till about two weeks before the show. Therefore, my OCCWD caused me to routinely call CET about once a day, every business day, all of March to see when they were coming. Eventually the poor lady on the other line began to recognize my voice. I think I heard a sigh of relief when she said that they were (FINALLY!!) on there way! When I got them, Dan from CET, who's been keeping in e-mail contact with me since December, even left me a little personal note of thanks and wished me a good time! Wasn't that nice?

But I digress. Point is, I waited a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time! Then I told my best friend Jimmy that we got them. Yay!!! So cue show night and we're gettin all fancied up and lookin purrty. When what should be on tv? The Lion King! More on that a little later though! So we get to The Aronoff Center with very little difficulty and parked in one of the valet garages. Costs $8 but who cares? That means some other poor soul has to find a parking spot for my car and I don't have to worry about anything till later!

We arrive inside the venue and proceed to buy Believe tour programs. Before I go any further, I have to say I think these are the most beautiful tour programs yet! The pictures are all GORGEOUS!!! Especially that pic of Mairead! Yowza!  :o  *thinks to self* She's married. She's married. She's married. Only thing I really miss was that there was no tour poster. And I didn't really care for the tour t-shirts this year. Not nearly as nice as the 2011 SFTH shirts! Just saying. Oh! And I also brought in my cd to get signed and also decided to have the girls sign both my ticket and my program. Jimmy brought a beautiful SFTH cd case that HE made last year in his Graphic Design class! It has pics of the 2011 SFTH tour. He's very artsy fartsy like that. Not me though! I have no such talents! We were also hoping for Chloe and Mairead at M&G. I LOVE Chloe! Been my favorite since day 1 of my Celtic Woman obsession. And Jimmy is a huge fan of Mairead cause he's a violin player too!

We get to our seats in the second row just a couple over from direct center. I talk to the man on my left who says he's never been to M&G before so he was excited! And to my right was fellow Forum Member Barb Reaver (I hope I spelled that right!  :-[) and her sister (I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry I don't remember your name ma'am)! Two lovely women! And it was nice to have them next to us cuz then it meant we could all be loud together! Holla!  8)  So then I noticed some dude was climbing onto the central lighting apparatus. Ummm.... Mr Lighting Dude? That's VERY high up! Whatcha doing up there? It looked like he was trying to pull down a particularly stubborn balloon or something. But then Jimmy points out that its probably just the lens of a light I'm seeing. Seemed like a smarter idea. But then that left the issue of technical difficulties. Crud. Jimmy also pointed out Mr Lighting Dude was on a harnass which made me breathe a bit easier. I'm scared of heights folks. In case you didn't figure it out. So then I proceeded to look around and saw that the hall was filling up very nicely! Even the... wait! BOX SEATS?  ??? Shut the front door! Hey Jimmy! Why in the world would people spend so much money on box seats (which are typically more expensive than floor seats) when you can be closer and get better interaction from seats that are RIGHT IN FRONT?!?! So we sat there debating the true reasons for the existence of box seats until the band members came on stage. (side note: we STILL don't know the reasons for box seats!  :P)

Then the lights dimmed...

Part 2 - Act 1

Awakening- This song begins with a bang as the stage is enveloped in almost complete darkness. Then Mr Lighting Dude up top (HI Mr Lighting Dude!  :D) shines the central spotlight upon Mairead's opening stance. And while the boys hammer on their drums, in the instant before she begins, the audience goes nuts for Mairead. She begins playing softly with a big ol grin on her face. This audience was definitely a Mairead audience. Then my personal fave, Miss Chloe Agnew, comes onto the stage modelling a fabulous piece by Irish designer... What's that? Oh. Right. They already know. Sad face.  :( Well anyway! As Mairead stepped off and Chloe started, while Lisa and Susan were walking on, the audience once again erupted into applause. So loud was it that I couldn't really hear Susan when she sang Lisa K's part. But then the girls came together for the chorus and about knocked us all back 50 feet with the sheer power of the song! And I'm mouthin the words and jamming along to the song (didn't wanna be rude!) and so I got lots of looks from the girls! Lisa L saw me and I think she recognized me from last year cuz she gave me this oh its you! look! Eep! And while the girls sang "You wake to the light" I got a big grin from her. Then they go back to center stage for the chorus and as they sing "Burning soft and bright" Chloe looks directly at me and winks at me! OMG!!! Jimmy! Get the defibilator! Quick! My heart! All in all, this is the best opener ever in my opinion. LOVED it!

Dulaman- So glad they kept this song! Lisa L made it her own from the very beginning of her tenure with Celtic Woman and truly revitalized a tiring song, in my opinion. And this year, she didn't disappoint! She was working the dress, flirting with Ray and Andy as she swished about the stage, was arm and arm with Ewan at one point, and yes, she broke out the spoons! She was amazing! Her performance of this song does not disappoint! And the audience cheered for her!

Nocturne- CHLOE!!! My girl is back again! She's going, well I don't think I need to ask you all if you're having fun tonight! We cheered! Chloe and Mairead were pure magic on this achingly beautiful song. My word its just so beautiful! And the tour version is so much better! Chloe reaches up to the high end a lot more and with an air that reminded me of Meav's high, airy notes. And then, on the third part, when she holds the last note of "Come and dream the night with me" for a while longer, she goes really high and just about floors me! Such a great song! I was first up cheering for my girl! Go Chloe!

The Foxhunter- There she goes! Our little spitfire is at it again! Everyone knows how this song goes so I won't get to far into detail. But as soon as she kicks into high gear, the audience goes wild! We were clapping, cheering, and stomping! Yeah Mairead! This was her best song of the first act in my opinion. The whole audience went wild over it! Standing ovation!

Sailing- At first, I didn't recognize this song. Tommy's whistle intro was GORGEOUS!!! I loved this version of this song! I liked it enough on the dvd and cd. Mostly cause of the breathtaking background music and vocal harmonies of the choir. But this song was AMAZING!!! David you never cease to amaze me. just when I think I won't kill a song on my cd, you have to go and make me change my mind. I got a big ol smile from Susan. That was nice. She has such a wonderful voice! I hope she stays. And Chloe winked at me! AAAAAH!!!! Are you trying to kill me Chlo? Are you? Cuz that's what you're doing. You're killing me here. And Anto came onstage at the end to join in. Loved it! Oh btw, forgot to mention that, walking to my seat from the side hallway, I walked right past Anto! ROCK IT BRO!!!

A Woman's Heart- Yet again we have a song I didn't much care for which completely blew me away. The girls were fabulous on this song! The arrangements were fabulous! Chloe was fantastic on those soaring high notes and Susan's voice blended so very well and sound fantastic! Lisa L has eyes only for an elderly couple in the front row. And as she said, "Only a Woman's Heart can know" she pointed at the older woman, who then took her husband's hand. So sweet! And I got another Susan glowing smile!

Follow On- See, I've only got one problem with this song. Susan? You listening? You're making me feel like a traitor to the fabulous Lisa Kelly! Cuz I like your version BETTER than hers! AAAGH!!! I'm serious though! Her voice is just so powerful and emotional and just perfect for this song! She doesn't quite have that Lisa Kelly audience interaction. She generally gestures towards the audience as a whole and looks far off into the crowd. But she just poured so much emotion into it! Her heart and soul were laid bare in this song! I absolutely LOVED it! I was in half a mind to jump up and say "I'll be your friend! Let's go to Starbucks!" Lol!

Teir Abhaile Riu- So I've seen some fun Celtic Woman songs, but this takes the cake! Anto is back on his pipes, sitting next to Shane the new piano dude. Lisa L comes out first, La Di Da-ing her way into our hearts and basically telling us, through her gestures, that she's on the prowl for true lub! Lol! Now the theatre here isn't as big as others so the girls were restricted to the stage only. Kinda sad, but it also meant we could all see them. Then Chloe bursts out from the other sad Ya Da Da-ing at a higher note. And trying to make Lisa be a good girl. They're arguing back and forth. Lisa begins to yawn, bored with Chloe's arguments. Meanwhile, Chloe begins to drag Eoghan into it! He takes his bass off his shoulder and raises his arm and starts to walk out of his spot a little, with a stern look on his face and his arm raised in a threatening manner. He's all, Young lady, get back here this instant or you're grounded! Lol! Loved it! There was so much going on between these two and the band that I couldn't begin to describe it all. Then Susan begins to meander onto the stage. Her draw is dropped and her eyes are flicking back and forth between the girls. She's got this "Dear Lord what'd I get myself into?" look on her face. Then Chloe and Lisa are arguing face to face and Susan comes up, breaks them up and begins to sing! She turns to Chloe and tries to calm her, then turns to Lisa and tries to appease her. Well! They're just not having that! Chloe grabs Susan and points to Lisa and sings again. Lisa yawns, looking bored, then grabs Susan and tries to argue her point. Susan breaks it up again! And then the song really begins! Mairead and the girls begin, just like on the dvd. I was very impressed with Craig. Choir boy and dancer dude? Double duty is HARD!!! And the girls did their Celtic Cyclone, whirling dresses and all! Such an awesome song! The audience was great too! We were laughing, cheering, clapping, everything! In all the right places! Truly the best CW song EVER!!!

Granuaile's Dance- A favorite of mine and Jimmy's! I recognized it immediately and was pumped! It starts off slow then gets fast, and so did our audience, unfortunately. Perhaps they were recovering from the last song? David! Maybe we ought to stick a slow song in there so the audience can recover before Mairead returns? Cuz Cinci didn't kick it up till the ending of this song. Jimmy and I and the people in the front two rows were into the whole time but it could've been better. But by the end, the whole audience was into it and Mairead got another standing ovation! As I said, the audience cheered extra hard for Mairead!

Danny Boy- Okay, so I've been hearing mixed reviews about this one. People have stated that, for the most part, they like the a cappela version that was done last year for SFTH. I will admit that I myself liked that one better. But mostly because of the vocal harmonies. They seemed to be better than this one. But it was still achingly beautiful. The audience applauded loudly for it. But i think Lil Lambe was having technical issues. Someone came out and fiddled with her mic at the end before the Act 1 Ending. Speaking of which...

Mo Ghile Mear- You know, you see the show before, so you know its coming and you try to brace yourself for it, but when you hear that drum smash... BOOM!!! Its shocks you to your core! Whew! I LOVED this song! I read in someone else's review or comments or whatever that this is the song that really makes or breaks a new show or a new member for them. And I can understand why. With each new person taking over for a previous member, it truly gives you a perspective on them that no other song can because we're so used to the older versions and the older members. Also, it does make or break a show too because they have to try to find ways to make it not be the same old song that it always is. And for this show, the choreography was vastly different! I don't really know how to describe it, but the opening choreography was lovely. The girls were amazing as always! I do miss the shoulder shrugs during the drummers duel. You know, the boom boom boom BOOM! But they got a standing ovation as the first act ended and bowed several times cause we were up for a while!

Whew! That was a lot of typing! I'll finish later! My hands hurt. Plus, I've gotta serve my time at the awful place where they sign my paycheck! I'll try to finish tonight! Bye for now!


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: Dinozzzo on March 25, 2012, 11:31AM
 :o :o :o :o I LOVE YOUR REVIEW !!!


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: mattycakes on March 25, 2012, 11:35AM
Okay! So I managed to finish the yardwork early so I can do a few more right now before work. A note on Mo Ghile Mear! As I said, it seemed Lil Lambe was having mic issues at the end of Danny Boy. This was made even more evident to me during the drum duel in Mo Ghile Mear. Lisa was sort of talking to Tommy during the midst of the drum duel. He gave her an inquiring look and she pointed up to herself then tilted her head in the direction of her mic. He gave her a concerned look but she gave him a thumbs up as if to indicate it was under control. But more on her mic troubles later.

For now...

Part 3 - Intermission

This'll be a small section folks. Basically during intermission, since I got everything I wanted before the show, I stayed in my seat and chatted with my neighbors while Jimmy went to get a drink. I chatted with Barb and her sister for a bit. We commented on the show and how it was different from last year. I mentioned that I REALLY loved Susan's voice, and they mentioned that this was their Celtic Woman week since they're going to several shows. I was also chatting to a gentleman who had the raddest collection of buttons, including one that said "Mairead For President!" Can we all just give a big YES to that one? Lol!

Then Jimmy returned and we chatted a bit about what we liked and about how this show was better than the SFTH tour. Although we both missed the shoulder shrugs in Mo Ghile Mear. Then our talk turned to our clothes and, oddly enough, chocolate. Long story. Then we decided to check which songs were missing that were in the first act on dvd but weren't done yet. Of course that includes Smile which was replaced by Danny Boy. But this is understandable as it is a staple at Celtic Woman concerts. Also, Black Is The Colour was replaced by Dulaman. I was pretty happy with both of these since I LOVE Danny Boy and because, as long as Lil Lambe is singing it, I will always love Dulaman. We also noticed the absence of Bridge Over Troubled Water which was expected without the children's choir. Also absent was A Tribute To Broadway. But we already knew this would be in the second act so it was all good. Then I realized, Oh my Gosh! We were watching The Lion King RIGHT before we came here! What an amazing coincidence! Then Jimmy decided to go all Obi-Wan Kenobi on me and say, "There's no such thing as coincidence. This is our destiny!"  :o :o Thank you for that FABULOUS incite Master Jedi!  :D Lol!

Anyway! Onto the show! When I get off work tonight! Lol! Bye!  ;)


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: barbeaver on March 25, 2012, 11:58AM
Hi Mattycakes, Well, I just have to say that I love love your reveiw so far!  I am very impressed with your terrific descriptions and wonderfully impressed with your sense of humor and ability to write. Gotta tell you that my sister, Sandy and I so enjoyed sitting next to you and Jimmy. It was wonderful to watch you enjoying the show so much. Can't  wait to read the remainder of your reveiw.

 :D Barb


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: MaryNorth93 on March 25, 2012, 01:33PM
Great review!  Your enthusiasm is contagious and had a good laugh at some parts  :D , only 2 1/2 months left for Amsterdam... *praticing patience*


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: mattycakes on March 25, 2012, 07:32PM
We meet again, Celtic Woman Forum.... Ha ha ha! Okay! On to business!

Part 4 - Act 2

Amazing Grace- What a wonderful way to begin the second act! Such a beautiful song and the girls perform it so, pradon the pun, amazingly! Seeing Anto playing the... *leans back to see past man next to him who's leaning forward* ...Seeing Anto on his bagpipes playing... *leans forward cuz dude decided to lean back* ... Anto playing the pipes and then to have.... *dude leans forward again* Okay, seriously?! Who's bright idea was it to put Anto over to the left wing of the stage? All of us are having to move around like some bizarre game of musical chairs just to see him! For those of you with bigger theatres, I'm so jealous. And Barb, sorry! You probably had it worse... Me and my egghead... Lol!  ;) Anyway... This song was so beautiful! Susan sang Lisa K's part very well. She sang it a little bit softer than Lisa did but there was more emotion behind it. The girls performed so well as did the whole group. The song got a huge standing ovation.

A Spaceman Came Travelling- LOVE this song! Plus the drums, like on Mo Ghile Mear, really tear into you! Lisa L was on fire with this song! She was running around similar to how she did on the dvd. And remember the spinning part? Well she went faster this time. And so her dress swished upward and those in the front row probably had a rather interesting view! But she took it in stride, as she slowed to a stop she grabbed the left side of her dress and playfully brought it across herself, all the while giving a gentleman in the front row a little "Uh-uh" look! Lol! Classic! Lisa, you are absolutely terrific!

Songs From The Heart- This song is constantly on repeat in my car! I love it so much. But does everyone remember how I mentioned earlier that Lisa was having microphone trouble? Well it apparently wasn't yet fixed. I could hear, especially during her more powerful notes on Amazing Grace and here, during Walking The Night especially, that her voice was layered over a soundtrack. Whatever mic problems she was having had not yet been fixed. I could definitely hear the difference. Nevertheless, this duet is breathtaking as always. Then the musical interlude began. So nice to see the whole interlude! So much fun too! Then Andy comes down with his bodhran and The World Falls Away begins! I've always loved this duet! So much fun! And Susan did so well on Lisa's part! So much fun seeing the two of them really jam it out to this song! Then Lisa joins them as always! But! Her mic was fixed! You could hear the difference so clearly! Her voice wasn't layered over and she came out guns blazing as she skipped her way down the steps to join the others. The song finished with its usual power and nothing but smiles from the girls! Including a big smile from Susan my way as she raised her hands during the finale of the song! Yay!

The Water Is Wide- What a beautiful song! Sung by an incredibly beautiful lady! Susan sang with such passion and power! I was absolutely blown away! I did miss Anto on the bagpipes. I twas also weird that Mairead didn't show up till the musical interlude midway through the song. Still, such an amazing song. I was so happy when I heard this song sung by Susan because it was one of my favorites from the cd and she does it so beautifully! I also like how at the end of the song, she held the final note at a higher level than Lisa K did! Such a good job Susan! David? I approve! Please Susan. Would you stay forever?

Ray's Solo- Okay, this song was unexpected, but a whole lot of fun! The audience didn't expect it and so we were somewhat slow on the uptake. So then he goes to stage left, "How're we doing over here tonight?" We all cheer! He was happy and did the same thing for the other side. Then he asked the people in the very back and they roared the loudest! Then he started going faster and we all clapped and cheered along, all shock forgotten. Then he did some tricks! At one point, he stopped playing with the stick thing itself, but you still heard noise. We laughed harder at that. Then he started playing the stick on the air while sound still came. It was hilarious! What a showman! He had a blast and so did we!

Green Grow The Rushes- When Ray finished, Chloe came out to teach us this song! She told us some background info about the song, about how when its sang at a pub, its a song where everyone joins in. So she decided to teach us the song. But when she said the name of the song, a lot of the people cheered. She responded, Oh good! Some of you have done your homework! Lol!  :D So she proceeds to teach us the chorus. The first time, it was only the first few rows who sang loudly. Chloe noticed and said, okay that wasn't too bad I can work with that. But you all back there were not singing. Then she comments and says that she's stubborn and that she would stay up there and keep those light shining until we all sang. So we went for a second round and the whole theatre sang along! She was blown away, commenting that no theatre took up the challenge that quickly and sang that enthusiastically. She said we were ready and called Lisa out. Lisa skipped out happily and stated that she, too, was impressed by us. So the song started. It went very very well, with the audience singing along and the girls happily leading us! I got several Lisa Lambe smiles as I sang along. Then I got a Chloe, ear to ear grin as they sang the last chorus. They were very very happy with us and responded very enthusiastically! Yay! Go Cincinnati! We ROCK!!!!

A Tribute To Broadway- Susan came out and introduced herself as being the newest member of the group, to which the audience gave her an encouraging, enthustiastic applause. She mentioned now that, coming from a musical background, the next song held a very special place in her heart as the songs are songs that she's loved since she was a child. With that, she announced the Tribute, and thus began I Dreamed A Dream. I must admit, I did love her vocals on the first half of the duet with Chloe. But the part that begins "But there are dreams that cannot be" wasn't as good as Lisa Kelly, mostly because she didn't sing it with the raw power that Lisa K sang that part with. Otherwise, she and Chloe sound like perfection together. Then when Lisa Lambe joined them and began Circle of Life, Jimmy and I looked at each other and grinned. It was really cool to have seen this movie, then come and see Celtic Woman sing this song! And it was neat seeing Anto come out on the bongo! He and Craig are both so very multi-talented! I was rocking along to this song, singing along and snapping my fingers. Consequently, I got a Lil Lambe smile and also got a wink from Susan! First wink from the new girl! Eep!

Ave Maria- What can I say about Chloe that hasn't been said already? She is so breathtakingly beautiful and has a voice to match. She seemed to have a bit of trouble in the beginning adjutsting the mic stand. Lol! But as the choir harmonized, and everyone else was watching them, I turned away from them to look at Chloe, only to see her smiling directly at me. I smiled back and nodded encouragingly. And she winked right at me. Jimmy! Call 911! I think I'm going into cardiac arrest! Oh Chloe! My heart! You must stop teasing me like this! She sang this song so wonderfully! Her voice, once again, sounded so much better than on the cd and dvd with her solos. She sang with so much more power and emotion than before. I even sang along a bit, having sang this song with my choir before. As she went into a deep curtsy, the audience applauded as, as one, we rose to our feet for Chloe. She seemed on the verge of tears.

You'll Never Walk Alone- Another fantastic song! So beautifully sung! It was also really neat how the spotlights were a pure white color and shone straight up as beams. It was a very ethereal effect that Jimmy really seemed to like. Seeing as he insisted on pointing it out to me. After I had already noticed. Just saying, Jimmy. Anyways, as the girls descended and the choir arrived to sing their part, I noticed we were short one Craig. Where'd he go, I wondered. Oh that's right! He's probably getting ready for the duel with Mairead. Anywho.... As the girls reached the climax of the song, people around me were singing along. It was a lovely moment. Lisa Lambe once again had eyes only for the elderly couple that she sang to during A Woman's Heart. The woman was crying freely. So moving. I got a Chloe and Lisa look. Susan was on the other side.

Mná Na hÉireann- I was looking forward to this song! Mairead began by saying that we were a very welcoming and wonderful audience and that she loved hearing us singing on Green Grow The Rushes. She also recited a line of some sort that went along the lines of how singing is more beautiful than the melodies of strings. She then proceeded to say how this next song she hoped we'd be inspired in the same way. She played so beautifully! I loved the slower part of the melody with the piano. As she finished the slow part, she said thank you in her beautiful lithe voice. Then she began the faster part. Then Craig came out and the two of them had an excellent duel! The audience clapped along the whole way! We had a blast watching these two go head to head! At the end, the audience erupted into applause.

The Parting Glass- Mairead took up poistion for the final song as the three singers came out. Lisa began by saying that we were a tremendous audience but that it was time for parting. As she said this, a woman to my left yelled out something along the lines of "No! Please don't go!" in a very loud voice. Lisa went, "Aww..." while she and the other girls laughed. It was a very bittersweet moment as the girls began The Parting Glass. But I'm so glad they put this song in! It is the perfect ending to a perfect show! And I also got a smile from all three singers! I got one from Chloe as I swayed along during the "La la" part, Lisa during several moments, and Susan as I freely sang along to the final chorus. Lisa also lifted her hand as though holding an invisible glass while her eyes were closed towards the end of the song while she sang "So fill to me the Parting Glass and drink of health what'er befalls." Such a beautiful song! And as much as I loved YRMU, this song is ten times better to end the show.

Finale/Mo Ghile Mear- Mairead was on fire during this song! And Jimmy nearly died as well! When she came leaping our way, she gave him her game face as she rocked it out on the violin! It was so much fun! I nearly died laughing at the OMG look on his face! Ha ha ha! Then each of the band members got their time in the spotlight, then Craig came out and danced for us one final time, then came the girls. Susan was first to bow to much applause, then Lisa. Then when Chloe came out, I yelled, quite loudly, "Woohoo! Go Chloe!!!" And she smiled and winked right at me! Love that girl! My fave! Then while they sang Mo Ghile Mear, it seemed that most people around me joined in the chorus. I did as well, of course. Then we all cheered as we saw their spotlighted silhouettes!

Ceili Playout- As we cheered and cheered, Chloe thanked us, barely audible over the roar of the audience. Then she thanked us fully as the audience died down a bit and led us into the Ceili Playout! She and Susan took each others arms and danced around as Lisa shook someones hand in the front row. They all danced their way out as the audience cheered and clapped along.

Then, it was simply over. Saddest part of the night.  :(

Part 5 - Post-Show

So after the show was over, Jimmy and I waited along with the other M&G-ers in the first few rows. We struck up conversation with Barb and her sister and had a lovely conversation with them. Then we sheparded out of the first few rows. They were moving them out. It was actually quite entertaining to watch as the entire front 3-5 rows slowly descended as though it was a giant elevator. I had no idea they did that! Then we were lead to the M&G room.

While there, the whole group had a rather entertaining conversation with the security guy. He mentioned we were not permitted to walk behind the table, climb onto the table (which really upset me since I was DYING to pull a Tom Cruise! lol  ;D), or reach UNDER the table. He said if we did so, then we'd feel the wrath of Bubba, who, he said jokingly, is a blackbelt. He also mentioned that pics were not permitted when actually at the table, but that we were free to take pics in line of the girls, of our neighbors, or of the lovely wallpaper. Someone then said, can we take a picture of you? He then responded, sure if you want to. Then everyone sort of cheered, and I gave a little "Aw yeah!" Ha ha ha!  :D I just couldn't resist.

Then walked in Susan and Mairead. Jimmy was pumped. I was disappointed to not meet Chloe, but was very happy for him and very happy I got to meet two of the girls regardless. Jimmy went first. Both of us got our tickets, M&G passes, and tour programs signed. I also got my Believe cd signed. He also got the cd case he made signed. Mairead was very impressed with it. He also told Mairead that he was a violin player and she got very excited. She was thrilled to meet another violin player and they talked a bit about that. He also mentioned that I was the one who actually intorduced him to Celtic Woman in the first place by showing him the video of Granuaile's Dance. She was so thrilled about that and thanked me openly, saying how sweet I was to do that. Susan also mentioned that Granuaile's Dance was a favorite of hers too. Jimmy also got to tell Mairead that he kept on with the violin and actually became a better player because of discovering her. She was so thrilled, but also humbled at the same time. I moved up to speak with Mairead as he moved over to Susan. No idea what he said to her as I was focused on Mairead. We chatted a bit and she, again, thanked me for introducing another aspiring violinist to her music.

Then I chatted with Susan who said she loved seeing me out in the audience singing along to every song. She was also thrilled when I told her that I secretly loved her version of Follow On more than Lisa's. She then said, "What about The Water Is Wide?" And I responded jokingly, "Don't push it." She and I laughed and as she signed my program I also offered her congratulations on her engagement. She smiled and said thanks. And then I said that it was wonderful to meet her. She responded with the same. Then, unfortunately, I had to leave.

Thus ends my night with Celtic Woman. Well, not entirely. I did have the windows down while blaring Celtic Woman as Jimmy and I jammed to Awakening all the way home. Even through Over-The-Rhine! Lol!

ROCK ON CELTIC WOMAN!!!!


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: John910 on March 25, 2012, 09:17PM
Great review!!!


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: Ncoua on March 26, 2012, 07:18PM
Great review!!


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: tchristina23 on March 26, 2012, 09:01PM
I have not yet read your review, but am looking forward to  it....from the first few lines I can tell it will be great with bits of humor added. I have started this system that I print the new reviews off and then read them all before bed. Leaves my day on a great note, and am so excited to get home and start my reading of your review tonight.  Thanks to all the reviewers...


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: Starman on March 26, 2012, 09:18PM
...I was also chatting to a gentleman who had the raddest collection of buttons, including one that said "Mairead For President!" Can we all just give a big YES to that one? Lol!...


    That was me, Matty!  I just put up my review tonight and so I mentioned you and Jimmy.  It was a fantastic show, wasn't it!   ;D ;D ;D


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: mattycakes on March 27, 2012, 02:40PM
...I was also chatting to a gentleman who had the raddest collection of buttons, including one that said "Mairead For President!" Can we all just give a big YES to that one? Lol!...


    That was me, Matty!  I just put up my review tonight and so I mentioned you and Jimmy.  It was a fantastic show, wasn't it!   ;D ;D ;D
OMG!!! No way! I finally met the famous Starman?! So nice to meet you! Did you get to give Mairead your button?


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: Starman on March 28, 2012, 02:23PM
...I was also chatting to a gentleman who had the raddest collection of buttons, including one that said "Mairead For President!" Can we all just give a big YES to that one? Lol!...


    That was me, Matty!  I just put up my review tonight and so I mentioned you and Jimmy.  It was a fantastic show, wasn't it!   ;D ;D ;D
OMG!!! No way! I finally met the famous Starman?! So nice to meet you! Did you get to give Mairead your button?


 Very nice to meet you too!  No, actually, I found that Mike Brown had already given her some of them.  Therefore, I kept mine myself!  ;) ;D


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: mattycakes on March 29, 2012, 06:22AM
...I was also chatting to a gentleman who had the raddest collection of buttons, including one that said "Mairead For President!" Can we all just give a big YES to that one? Lol!...


    That was me, Matty!  I just put up my review tonight and so I mentioned you and Jimmy.  It was a fantastic show, wasn't it!   ;D ;D ;D
OMG!!! No way! I finally met the famous Starman?! So nice to meet you! Did you get to give Mairead your button?


 Very nice to meet you too!  No, actually, I found that Mike Brown had already given her some of them.  Therefore, I kept mine myself!  ;) ;D
I wish I had known that! I would've bought some! Maybe we could've gotten Mairead's campaign jump-started? Lol  ;)


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: Jim M. on March 29, 2012, 12:57PM
Great review!  Thank you. :)


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: mattycakes on March 30, 2012, 04:26PM
Great review!  Thank you. :)
Thank YOU for the wonderful compliment!


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: tchristina23 on March 30, 2012, 04:54PM
loved the review.. read it twice and had to print it off for a "Chloe" fan... thanks


Title: Re: Believing In Cincinnati!
Post by: mattycakes on April 01, 2012, 06:04PM
loved the review.. read it twice and had to print it off for a "Chloe" fan... thanks
Wow! I'm honored and flattered! Thank you!