Sacramento

[Sorgi]

(Review’s are not my forte, but I’ll try my best)


   Welcome to Sacramento; AKA Sac Town, AKA Sac-o-tomato

      When I go to a concert downtown, be it CW or other,  I always spend the afternoon in the city.   Though I am from the area I do not go downtown that often and I like to see what’s different or what I have not seen.  I got into town around 11:30 and as usual had trouble getting into a parking garage (I refuse to park in the Memorial Garage or the Community Center Theater’s garage...crowded nightmare).  One way streets and not knowing downtown that well complicate matters.  I spent the day going between the Capitol building, Old Sacramento and the downtown plaza area.  There were two events going on at the Capitol building, the first was some sort of event for Foster Care month, the other a showing old muscle cars (if I can find my connector cables I can upload some photos).  I had to debate lunch at the Hard Rock, Esquire Grill or O’mally’s Pub and Eats in Old Sac (skipped O’mally’s, menu appeared to be burgers and beer).   In short the day was looking around at things I haven’t seen in some time.   I zipped over to Starbuck’s at the convention center in order to get a Frap. For my day early raising of Starbuck’s to Lisa’s birthday (sorry wasn’t near Starbuck’s on Wednesday).
   Sacramento audience’s are self charging, meaning we do not really need the performers to get some energy going, so the crowd was already supercharged by the time the lights went down.  Supercharged went to overcharged real fast when people heard about the “surprise”.  From The High King’s and beyond the place was jumping.  A few minutes after THK went off, the curtain raised and the band came out to take their seats.  Standard audience practice is to greet a band or orchestra with applause, when this was happening I heard a girl behind me say to her mom “Sheeesh it’s just the boys”.
   I had, for once, a close seat, row C in the first floor section so I could actually see the little things that happened on stage.  In the first couple of numbers Máiréad’s dress kept trying to attack her bow, one part of her dress would flick up and land on her bow.  She would flick it off and two seconds later it would be back.  Weird and spooky were the red and green LED lights on their transmitters, when anyone turned around to leave after a number you would see these lights like pair of eyes glowing in the dark.  No Orla, Des cannot dance at the Céili right now, he is too busy playing it.  He was essentially right in front of me, he puts everything he has got into his playing.  Unfortunately there was so much energy buzzing around that it seemed to keep someone from relaxing into some songs, too much of a good thing.  Somehow I ended up with a guy and his rather beefy head in front of me, so at times I had to peek around his head while still letting the girls behind me see the stage.  Oh well nothing is perfect.  That seat did have an extra advantage, it appeared to be in an acoustical sweet spot so I heard everything clearly.  Up close you can also see when certain people poke their heads around the set pieces.  One other item that I enjoyed, I do not recall seeing any camera flashes, could have just been that they were all behind me but I noticed nothing.
   In the end it was great, even spent $20 on Lynn’s CD, I couldn’t find it anywhere so I went to the source, so I had some company on the hour long drive home.   With any luck I can get a ticket and make it in August, where ever that may be.      

[Moscapoet]

Nice perspective Sorgi! At least it sounds like the downtown area there has something going on and places to go. The attack of the Mairead dress? Hmmm, sounds like a thriller/comedy. Must have been a bit of a breeze or something because usually it's her hair that plays with her bow. It's great that the audience there was a self starter and didn't need much prompting. Having THK start it off pretty much gets folks off their hands.  . Thanks for the review.

[Kelli]

Good to hear they had a great audience in Sacramento!  Thanks for sharing.

[Jeanine]

Thanks for the review.

[bpea55]

Thanks for the review..Glad you had a great time! Bp

[greenfire6]

Thanks for a great and interesting review!

It also reinforces confidence in my recollection in that we observed some of the same things and came away with similar impressions.

I’m not saying the audience was a record breaker but they were a good one and the Casts seemed to be clearly buoyed by us. As a former Californian it was an honor to be part of that.

I too saw Maireads dress try and upstage her. You were much closer than I, but from Row Q I saw it happen twice during The Sky and The Dawn and The Sun. The first time looked to be the most serious when one of her long, broad skirt “streamers”(?) flew up from her right knee and almost wrapped around her bow, or at least her right arm/hand. She shook it off but it happened again almost immediately. I think the second time it more laid over her right shoulder and she shook it off much easier. You were closer and undoubtedly saw much more. The thing surprised me but after thinking it over it probably is not an unusual occurrence. Unless she lost a little lead weight from the hem or something.

Loads of people in front of me had cameras and were making use of them prior to the show. About 10 minutes before THK an announcement that recording devices are prohibited was made. I didn’t see any more flashes after that.

A great Show! Thank you Celtic Woman! You have set a whole new standard of class, elegance and presentation. And thank you Sacramento for hosting the finest music project of our times!