Review: Wallingford March 15th 2013

Even though I had only gone four months since my last show, a lot of water had flown under the bridge for me leading up to my 2013 shows, the opening show of which for me would be March 15th in Wallingford. Even with all the shows I've had over the years seeing Celtic Woman, I had no idea what I was in for.

At first I wasn't even sure I'd be able to attend any shows aside from my local Texas ones, as the economy and other circumstances had brought a major slowdown at work with resulting unpaid days off. Keeping the wolf from the door began to look like more of a consideration for me than getting to see shows. The tickets for the shows in the northeast were already secured, but I airfare was another thing entirely. I looked at flights and found that I could with a small margin afford a round-trip flight if I stayed at my sister's house, which is local enough to the New England shows at Wallingford, Boston, and Manchester.

The problem was that I had to remember that life continues after the shows, when I'd be home again in Texas and faced with the reality of a lack of funds. It seemed like insanity that this could possibly work; it was folly to think that I should arrange a flight when my financial projections showed that in a month, if work in Texas continued to drain away, I'd be scraping for living expenses. I was taking a massive risk by doing this, and if I was wrong then I'd be in dire financial straits. But I also looked at things from a different perspective: if things at work did start picking up within two weeks of my departure, then my plan would work very comfortably. I also took the initiative and arranged for some work for three days in my old hometown to help offset the expenses of this trip. My plan would still require a miracle for it to work, but I committed to it and then a little over two weeks before my scheduled departure, the miracle happened: my employer finally did something that should have been done three years ago that suddenly opened up a whole bunch more work for myself and my colleagues, which promised enough work for when I'd return to Texas. The whole situation made me remember again the incredible words sung to us by Chloe: "There can be miracles, when you believe."' I wished now that they had brought that song back for this tour.

I went to bed very early Thursday night in readiness for my 5:30am flight Friday morning, but I got almost no sleep and rose just after 10pm to chat online and get my last-minute things packed. I arrived at Houston Intercontinental, USAir Terminal, with plenty of time to spare. My flight was Houston to Charlotte to Newark, where Mike and Moscapoet would be picking me up for the ride into Wallingford. The Houston to Charlotte leg was relatively smooth, but Charlotte Douglas was as busy as any airline terminal I have ever seen. Locating my gate, I boarded and headed for Newark.
After the guys picked me up, we drove over to Wallingford and attended the pre-show Meet and Greet, along with Kelly and Steve Penrose and two guys I hadn't met yet: Dee from New York, and Carston from Germany. There were also about six other local pledgers at the Meet and Greet. We were met by Pat Henning, the Director of Programming for CPTV. This event was a dinner with dessert, with the girls supposedly joining after dessert was served. Pat sat down and ate with us, which gave us a chance to talk to a PBS representative, which I don't usually get to do. She asked us questions and we in turn had some for her; the accepting of feedback from donors, especially from people who have had such varied experiences at shows as we did, was a very gratifying experience in itself.

But then the girls entered, and after enthusiastic applause, the girls spread out and mingled with us. Even now, as I write this, it still feels like a dream. We each had a chance to spend time with each girl just talking. I gave hellos from several dear forum fans who could not be there, but also made certain to tell Susan that I was eager to hear her new solos, to which she told exactly what Caledonia meant to her - to which I would get a world of enlightenment during the show. I also got the chance to thank Chloe for her interaction with her fans on twitter, and asked her how she liked living in Los Angeles now. Mairead and Lisa Lambe were as generous with their attention to me as ever; indeed I got hugs from all but Susan and two separate ones from Mairead. We also got pictures with the four girls. When it was all over we had dinner, dessert, wine for those who desired, a pre-signed program, a lanyard souvenier, and memories that were absolutely priceless. We would have liked for them to just stay and chat all evening, but they had to head out to prep for the stage and so we headed from the function room into the venue proper.

The Oakdale is the venue that I have the most personal history with: this was my sixth show at this venue, and it was also the site of my very first show back in March of 2007. The theater has an extremely high stage with very little room between the front row and the stage facade. The balcony was set far back and was perhaps six rows deep. Even if this is not my favorite theater, it always has and always will have a place in my heart; and this show would add considerably to that. I had front row, center section but over towards the piano side aisle, with Mike on the aisle and Moscapoet toward the center on the other side of me.

So began the show that I had anticipated so much... I love the way they begin "Awakening" now, it begins more gradually and comes to a crescendo... "Dulaman" was begun now with Lisa Lambe doing an Gaelic Monologue... it was on "Nocturne" that I noticed that the sound was better than ever... I had had a very personal moment with Susan during the Meet and Mingle where she told me what "Caledonia" meant to her, and now as the song began, with the spotlight not yet shining down on her, I saw her wipe away a tear; thank you so much Susan for making this song both vivid and heartfelt... "COAST OF GALICIA" WAS BACK!!!! When I had first heard that it was restored I had realized it consciously, but as it built up I got swept along just as if it was Isle of Hope all over again... speaking of Isle of Hope, I welled up with tears as "New Ground" began with Tommie's amazing pipes, which was extra special to me tonight because while flying into Newark I had seen Ellis Island in the distance... YES!!! They used the Songs From the Heart version of "Orinoco Flow!!!!" I love that stormy opening to the song, and oh gosh the girls did their little solo vocal parts that I loved!!!... TAR was as perfect as ever, with Mike beside me getting his lap put to good use by Lisa and a salute from her on the stage at the end... "Mo Ghile Mear" was fun and standing O's.

The crowd was really two crowds. To my left, the crowd was basically a bunch of tiki statues in their seats. Everyone else was enthusiastic and loud!! Sound was fantastic, as we had one of their little monitors right in front of me about five feet from my head. But the LIGHTING!!!! Vastly, vastly improved; it was like being at a rock concert!! I was also glad to finally get to see Sarah Gannon on the stage after becoming excited about her music a few weeks before; and Edel Murphy is perhaps the most striking person to ever stand on a Celtic Woman stage, and that's a great thing!
Second Act... Anthony walked down the aisle for "Amazing Grace", as almost always happens... I totally, absolutely fell in love with "She Moved Through the Fair!!!" Tommie's haunting Irish pipe was soooo reminiscent of the opening that Hayley had used for her solo performance of the song on "Odyssey" that I almost cried; it was one of the most evocative sounds in all the music world to me, and it was followed up by Chloe and Lisa performing a gorgeous duet... More delight ensued with "I Dreamed A Dream" which the crowd was VERY enthusiastic about... My song: "Circle Of Life!!!!!" Lisa, you are sooooo incredible, and thank you to one and all on that stage for bringing back the memories of last year all over again for me... "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" was gorgeous, and Lisa did a fantastic job with it; I'll come to LOVE her performance in time, but every Lisa fall will be pleased with it when they hear it... Ray's incredible drum solo was followed by the absolute surprise of the night for me, with "Nil S'en La" starting off with Mairead, Eoghan, Ewan, and Ray having a jam session on stage, soon to be joined by the choir dancing their way down the piano-side aisle; but then Chloe, Lisa, and Susan appeared on the stage to admonish the choir to get their butts up onto the stage in a hilarious play-action; then broke into the fun, energizing, DAZZLING "Nil S'en La!!" Those of you who have read my reports of years past know how I feel that this song was never used to full potential; to that I now say: not any more!!!! This song has now erupted into one of my favorite pieces, wow David you really turned this one into an absolute winner for me!... "Ave Maria" was as it always is: a testimony to the indescribable sonic beauty of my favorite vocalist of all time, singing one of the greatest classical pieces ever; my blown kiss was returned and I'll always cherish it... Now came one of the supreme moments of this show: "The Voice"; I had been discussing this song with friends for well over a week and wrote a fairly lengthy treatise on how I felt about covers in general; at the end I jumped up to give Susan a standing ovation for a truly wonderful rendition of a song that we all know and love, this song just doesn't get old for me... as "You Raise Me Up" began, I thought back for just a moment of the memories I have accumulated at this one venue over these six incredible years and I was overcome, as often happens with this song; and again Chloe sang those words which echo within my soul (I will admit that I kinda miss that added verse for the song, but no big deal)... after a full crowd standing O, Lisa introduced with her lovely lilt the Gaelic "May the road rise to meet you" with the unforgettable "Parting Glass" and a little twist: they removed the crashing part near the end and did one line of a-capella, with almost everyone on the stage singing (along with many of us in the audience!); it was amazing... but then people stayed standing for my favorite song, which now for the first time ever was the REAL finale of a Celtic Woman concert: THE ENCORE!!!!!!!! I just hollered and screamed and blew out my voice, sacrificing my next two days of shows all in five minutes but I didn't care; this show and this night would live on in my memory and it needed to be made complete for them on the stage as well as us in the audience.

We were all spent when this was over. Maybe THIS was why they put their Meet and Greets to prior to the shows: so that the fans can just leave after there is but a husk left. The whole way up to Nashua we couldn't stop talking about this day and night. Moscapoet had never been here before but I told him before the show that this is truly a memorial location in Celtic Woman's journey: there is magic at the Oakdale; always has been, and always will be. Wallingford is the Yankee Stadium of Celtic Woman concerts, and I will misquote here a certain athlete, who summed up really what I feel about the Oakdale Theater at Wallingford: "There is magic in this old barn."

Take care 'til next time, old barn.