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Author Topic: Fairfax, VA 3/3/12  (Read 3144 times)
Don S
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« on: March 04, 2012, 09:00PM »

I can think of almost nothing I would rather be doing on a Saturday night than listening to the lovely ladies, along with the band and choir.  And while I've seen Celtic Woman in arena venues before, in fact I've seen them twice before in the Patriot Center, something felt different tonight.  Maybe it was only this evenings crowd, but the Patriot Center isn't really the best venue for Celtic Woman.  There's just something about the audience eating nacho's and ice cream while the lovely ladies are doing their best to entertain them that puts me off.

WETA was asking a pretty penny for tickets too, and even more for tickets with meet & greet passes (about 150% more than they did on St. Patrick's day in 2010).  Ticketmaster showed that the floor seating was all but sold out on Friday (only 4 tickets available), but when the lights dimmed there were at least 5 front row seats open at orchestra left, 4 in the center and 2 to the right along with at least 4 second row center isle seats and many other sets of 2 or more open seats spread thought the floor seating.  At least one row in the lower tier was empty and there were even 6 open seats in front of me along with 3 in front of that (all the better for Máiréad to see the Fiddler Crossing kite)

The lights go out and the spotlight comes up on Máiréad for The Awakening which was lovely.   Chloë's Nocturne is really starting to grow on me too.  I counted 12 spins during Foxhunter, but with the way she starts out on the proverbial maneuvering thrusters and then shifts directly to warp drive there may have been more.  Some of the crowd finally started clapping along about halfway through but weren't as into the performance as I've seen before.  We did manage to pull a reluctant standing ovation out of the crowd just before intermission though.

Remember all those empty seats?  Lisa made good use of one during TAR, while Chloë sat in a gentlemen's lap briefly, and from my angle he looked really surprised.  I'm really starting to love this fun and a bit flirty number (even if I can't pronounce it yet).  Other memorable songs to me we're Green Grow, a Woman's Heart and especially Amazing Grace (I'm a sucker for the pipes Anto) and of course Chloë's Ave Maria which did get a standing ovation.

The audience also woke up a bit and briefly applauded when they recognized the first notes in I Dreamed a Dream and The Circle of Life, along with a standing ovation after Parting Glass and the finale.  The rest is just a blurr to me that seamed to pass far to fast as I tend to get sucked into the music.

Although the ladies were wonderful tonight, there seemed to be a few technical glitches.  Little things like lights that appeared to be just that much off in their aim (but it could have been my viewing angle), or more importantly Susan's (hand) mike not being turned on until several several bars into "The Water is Wide" (but she performed it wonderfully).  As others have noted in their reviews, in some cases her headset mike seems to pickup better than her hand mike does (I'm not an expert but this seems wrong, the hand mikes are supposed to be the better hardware).

All in all I really enjoyed the evening.  Hopefully we can get Celtic Woman to return to Wolf Trap's Filene Center next year instead though (as much as I'd love to hear them in the Barns I don't think Ray's drum kit would fit onstage there).

--
Don
« Last Edit: March 04, 2012, 09:07PM by Don S » Logged
greenfire6
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« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2012, 10:32PM »

Engaging review Don S. Thanks for taking the time to write and post.  Wink

...while Chloë sat in a gentlemen's lap briefly, ...

Sorry CW but I got to say this is not a good idea.  Sad
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aislin
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« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2012, 10:39PM »

I received this email today from Cliff about his Fairfax experience. As he isn't a member he asked that I post it for him:

Lindsey,

I read with some interest the recent review by Don S. of the 3/3/2012 Celtic Woman concert at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.  I was also in attendance and, with one important exception, I agree with his observations about the venue, production and performance.  My recollection differs from Don's when he states that Chloe Agnew sat briefly in the lap of a "really surprised" gentleman in the audience during a song she was singing with Lisa Lambe.  It was Lisa and not Chloe who visited with the guy in his seat.  I know this to be a fact because I was the gentleman, and it was my lap she sat on.

To describe what happened I need to set the stage a bit.  The Patriot Center is an athletic arena, however the facility is regularly reconfigured for concerts.  CW has performed at Patriot Center at least twice previously, and I attended both events.  The stage sits about 5 - 5 1/2 feet above floor level, with stairs descending from the front to the seating area.  There is a good 10 or 12 feet of open space between the first row of seats and the front of the stage.   In the past, I've seen the chorus or bagpipe players come down the steps and walk among the audience while performing.  I've never seen any of the lead singers come down to floor level before.  On Saturday night, my companion and I were seated front row, center section, center seats.  In other words, we were about as close to the stage as you could get and still be in the audience. 

When Chloe and Lisa started their duet, they were already on the floor at opposite ends of the stage.  As they sang, they began to move towards one another.  Just as Lisa passed in front of me  she paused, sat down on my knee and sang a few bars.  She just as quickly got up and moved on, leaving me somewhat more than "really surprised."  "Utterly astonished" is closer to my reaction.  The audience also seemed to appreciate the humor of the moment.  I've probably attended every CW concert ever held in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area, along with a few as far afield as Atlanta, GA and Columbus, Ohio.  I don't think I've ever seen any of the girls interact with an audience member like that before.

What really made the evening complete however, was the Meet and Greet that followed.  Over the years, I've met most of the CW singers, both past and present, at M&Gs.  I never found them to be anything less than polite, affable and completely lady-like when mingling with their fans.  They are, as a group, among the nicest people I've ever talked to.  I had not previously met Lisa L., or Susan M.   Needless to say, when they both made their appearance at the Saturday M&G I knew my good luck couldn't get much better.  I exchanged the usual chit-chat with both ladies, and Lisa expressed her appreciation for the loan of my knee.  After I gathered up my pictures and other items submitted for autograph, I found among the documents something I didn't provide.  It was a set list, signed by both Susan and Lisa, with Lisa thanking me for being "...part of the show."

Like their CW sisters, Susan and Lisa are a class act all the way

I suppose its possible that Don S. saw Chloe sit on some other lucky gentleman's lap.  I really didn't see much of what she was doing because my attention was focused elsewhere.

Regards,

Cliff G.

Cliff also pointed out that WETA has pictures from the M&G up on their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/wetatvfm?sk=photos
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Don S
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« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2012, 10:26AM »

On Saturday night, my companion and I were seated front row, center section, center seats.  In other words, we were about as close to the stage as you could get and still be in the audience. 

Ahh!  Cliff must have been the gentelmen in the center front who if not the first, was always one of the first, to stand up and start the standing ovations.  Well Done!  How I missed Lisa sitting on his knee I'll never know, but as I recall the lucky gentleman whose lap Chloë sat in was in the right section of the floor, not the center.  Ahh.... It was indeed a memorable evening for all. 

As I said in my review I've seen Celtic Woman twice before at the Patriot Center (2010 and 2011 for SFTH), and it was up in the permenent arena seats that it felt different this time (I was on the floor in 2010) It was probably just the audience near me that contributed to that feeling. Originally I had hoped to have M&G passes and had even contacted WETA as soon as the concert was announced to ask about them.  But they asked far more than this (mostly) unemployed fan could afford right now.

--
Don
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GeorgeN
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« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2012, 10:48PM »

Wow! The girls are coming down and sitting in fellows’ laps?  Shocked  I’ll have to wear something nice next week in Syracuse!   Wink

Maybe this is something Susan suggested. She was with the Daniel O’Donnell show previously and he usually comes down into the audience to hug a person who is having a birthday.

GeorgeN
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