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« on: November 19, 2009, 12:40AM » |
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With the show at El Paso I bid final goodbye to the Isle of Hope era of Celtic Woman.
BEFORE
For me it began early Friday morning, more than a day before the show. I got myself to Boston Logan to fly out. My itinerary was Boston–Charlotte–Houston via USAir, and then on by car from Houston to El Paso. I was unfazed by the prospect of traveling on Friday the 13th. Perhaps I should have been: on the first connection I got soaked when the young guy next to me accidentally dumped his Pepsi all over both of us. Ugh. But far more disastrous was getting out of Charlotte. A 2.5 hour delay occurred due to brake failure which was only discovered after the plane was fully loaded. In the end we had to get moved off the plane to await another one. The boarding area was full and we needed to stay close so we could board, so we ended up standing around waiting for like 40 more minutes, and there were practically no electrical outlets in the boarding area in Charlotte for plugging my phone or my laptop. UGH!!!
Finally airborne, my flight made it to Houston. Cindy (Lisaholic) picked me at the airport. We had dinner at a Houston-area IHOP along with Cindy's 12 year old son Jeremy (Chloeholic). I had already planned our route to El Paso, and we finally got rolling at about 11pm and headed west. My trusty Mapquest had told me it would be an 11.5 hour, 769 mile drive. Cindy and I would switch off driving to make the long ride easier. I had brought a long all my CW solo CDs, most of which Cindy and Jeremy had never heard before. I for one don't sleep well while riding, so I got very little real rest on the trip out there.
This was my first time in the American Southwest and I found it to be stark, yet beautiful. For those of you who have never been to west Texas, imagine a vast empty plain of short bushes, broken up every now and then by small mountains. It was just like you see in Western movies - I half expected to see John Wayne on horseback along our route haha.
We finally pulled into El Paso just past noon on Saturday and checked into the Doubletree. After checking into my room, I went to go check on Cindy and Jeremy, and found that everything was to their liking. We headed downstairs and met up with most of the Forum group, and headed over to the Camino Real hotel to get the others who would join us - we had Moscapoet, Mike, Glenn, Don (Moscapoet's uncle), Rick, Melanie, the twins Gaby and Chris, Tony, Dalton, and Dwight. By coincidence, the CW crew was staying in that same hotel - it was hilarious when Jeremy stood outside the hotel as Mairead passed right by him and he did a double-take! We all went to a local Mexican restaurant, and were joined afterwards by BigDave. Shortly after that we headed to the venue.
The Plaza Theater is a joy to behold. It has an ornate lobby, as luxurious as Columbus or Buffalo but in a Southwest motif. The seating area has a fake wall along the edges, again in a Southwestern style. The upper outer wall and the ceiling are painted dark with pinpoints above that simulate a starry night. The balcony affords a favorable view of the stage. The stage is very, very low with sufficient room for Mairead to maneuver. The pit area is pretty much just a front row, perfectly placed from the stage for sufficient walking space yet close enough to be right there in front of the girls. This venue ranks right up there with Shea's PAC at Buffalo and Boston's Wang Theater among my favorite venues.
Most of our group had seats in the pit, but I was sitting with Cindy in Row F. We would be on the lookout for an ISU opportunity.
And so, for the last time in 2009, I settled in to see the greatest performers in the world, performing the greatest music in the world.
DURING
"The Sky And the Dawn And the Sun" began as it always does, shaping itself from shadows and becoming an absolute... wow, "Coast of Galicia" was better than ever!! Mairead has gotten more and more incredible as this tour has developed... Chloe's "When You Believe" was different tonight; not better or worse, but different. It seemed at first that she was holding something back, as if she was having a voice problem tonight, but any thoughts of that were cast aside when she hit her "note" near the end; it wasn't as high as usual, but it seemed like it was sustained longer. She is so amazing...
Again "True Colors" hit me full force, I love how Alex sings that song... and how is it that "The Blessing" just keeps reaching further into me?... "Goodnight My Angel" also meant more to me tonight than previously... I love what the girls have done with "Danny Boy" so, so much!!!
The lighting, as usual, was inconsistent. No matter; I was enjoying this night immensely. The crowd seemed to be pretty good, though certainly not the best that I've seen.
During intermission Cindy and I moved up to the band-side of the first pit row. I would have yet another front-row experience before this year was over!
Second act... Lynn, thank you for "Carolina Rua"!!... and "You'll Be In My Heart" is now among my absolute favorites of Celtic Woman, I was welling up with tears throughout this song... I gave Chloe yet another standing ovation for "Nella Fantasia"... it occurred to me during "At the Ceili" that I would probably never see this song performed live again, as well as many of the other old songs; I gave a rousing standing ovation at the end of "At the Ceili"... "The Contradiction" was fun, as usual... I was enthralled again by "The Voice"... I wiped away more tears during "O America!" and "You Raise Me Up."
Again it was time for "The Finale". The crowd became better than average as they clapped along through Mairead's solo (well, most of them did), and then I absolutely bellowed screams as each girl took their bows. At the end of the song, as Lisa stood before us, she winked at Cindy and I. Thank you Lisa, you are so awesome!!!
"Spanish Lady" reached it's inevitable end, but I would end this tour with one more M&G. I had a special duty to perform that I had long ago promised to do: I would introduce the Twins at their first-ever M&G. And so we made our way with Mitch and Rachel to the side lobby for the M&G; as I walked I thanked Rachel for all she had done on this tour. She seemed taken aback at first, but I honestly wanted her to know that we do care.
So we lined up, and eventually Alex and Mairead came out. The Twins of course were hoping for Lynn and Chloe, but they accepted it in stride. I asked the ladies to sign something for Jeremy - he now has signatures of 4 of the 5 girls. But most importantly, I introduced the Twins first to Alex, then to Mairead. It's always wonderful to see the reactions of people at their first meeting with the girls!
Afterwards, I walked down the line of the M&G folks and wished everyone well until Spring. Most of them had more shows left, particularly Albuqueque, but not me. The Isle Of Hope had come to an end for me.
AFTER
Cindy, Jeremy, and I went back to the Doubletree. I was able to get 5 precious hours of sleep before morning, when we began our long drive back across Texas to Houston. During that long ride I got maybe an hour of sleep, and I had to head out almost immediately to the airport for my return flight home. Ugh... I didn't think anything could be as bad as my flight in, but my flight out was even worse. I got to the airport well in time for my 6:10am flight (Houston-Philadelphia-Boston), but the line at security was huge, at least 300 people long (no kidding) yet I was all finished going through security with a good 8 minutes to spare before my flight, when a lady from USAir came over to me and several others of us (as I was trying to put on my shoes) and said "You're on the 6:10 flight to Philly? Get down there NOW!!! They're closing the doors!!" I was like "WHAT?!? I have 8 minutes!!" She said "RUN!! RUN!!!" So I almost hopped with "flat" shoes, trying to stuff things into my pockets as I ran through the terminal to get to my gate, and expected to see the flight attendant standing there ready to close the hatch... but she just smiled casually and said "Welcome aboard!" The hatch didn't close for another 5 minutes once I was aboard. I will never, ever, EVER fly with USAir again!!!
RETROSPECTIVE
What a year. For me it was 17 shows - ten in the Spring, seven in the Fall. I never in a million years expected to have so many shows this year, and I never could have expected to have so many incredible memories.
My favorite moment? That would be when Chloe blew me a kiss at Buffalo. Close second would the moment when she waved at me earlier in the same show. Talk about heart stoppage!
My favorite single-song performance? That would have to be "The Finale" on the second night at Red Rocks, when the entire crowd remained on it's feet and clapped along with Mairead's Hendrix solo. That will never be topped.
My favorite M&G? Although Wilkes-Barre was unforgettable (and was truly one-of-a-kind), I must admit that Syracuse was altogether more personally satisfying... at that M&G, I offered up my pass to Lauren so she could meet the girls. Through a nice twist of fate, I still was privileged with attending that M&G and introducing Lauren to Chloe and Mairead. Everything was perfect.
My favorite show? Hmmm.... that's harder. Wilkes-Barre, WPB 2nd night, Red Rocks 2nd night, Rochester, Buffalo, El Paso... wow. But when push comes to shove... the show at Wilkes-Barre was intense, electrifying, and unique with so many special moments. It was, and is, the best single show I have ever seen.
And finally... my favorite total experience? For that, there is no contest at all. El Paso, for sure. Even my travel woes to and from EP can't even begin to take anything away from what El Paso meant to me. To find out why, read on.
FULL CIRCLE
Celtic Woman has changed me. Totally. I am not the only one to have experienced this. I have heard many fans tell me that the ladies have changed their lives, with stories about why their lives were changed. In my own case, it's not so much that they themselves have changed me... it's that they showed me the way to change myself. They pointed the way.
When I first found Celtic Woman, I was miserably lonely. They helped to fill a void in my life by making me feel less lonely. Finding the Forums helped a lot too, and before long I had forum friends all over America (and eventually, the world). But the most important connection that I made thanks to Celtic Woman was one of my most recent ones.
Months ago I started chatting with a forum person from Texas. I found that she was roughly my own age, and that we had many things in common. We chatted more and more often. When her internet became unreliable, I desired to keep in touch with her by calling her - at first just once a week, but gradually we began to talk more and more often, and for longer periods. It became common for us to talk for 4 hours a night. I already was going to El Paso, but I decided to get two extra tickets, for her son and herself. We arranged to meet, and to drive out to El Paso for the show together. In case you hadn't noticed already, Cindy and I are crazy about eachother, and are planning our life together.
I never seriously thought I would find love through Celtic Woman, but I have. Thus I have come full circle. Considering that, El Paso has to be in a class by itself among all my shows. In fact, it has to be in a class by itself among ALL the events of my life. And to think, all of this made possible by 5 stage entertainers. It's humbling... there's no other word for it.
FINAL THANKS
My shows are not over. I intend to go to Wallingford next year, but beyond that... any shows I go to will depend on whether I can get 3 tickets, for Jeremy, Cindy, and myself. I will make a huge effort to get us to Roanoke, and I have to try to get to Louisville/Cincinnati. It's all in the future, and who know what the future holds?
I have said over and over this year how I am blessed. I truly was and I truly am. I had the privilege of being at some of the most incredible shows America has ever seen. I met many truly wonderful people along the way. So I must give thanks to those who made this the most incredible year of my life.
Lynn - Thank you so much for "Carolina Rua". I love that song beyond belief! And your solo CD keeps growing on me all the more I listen to it.
Alex - Thank you for BOTH your solo songs with Celtic Woman. Your music came into my life when I most needed it. You are an inspiration.
Mairead - Thank you for bringing such energy to the shows. And thank you for being at all but one of my M&Gs. You make me feel like I am a friend whenever I talk to you.
Lisa - Thank you for bringing your songs to life for me this Fall. And thank you for being you, the most outgoing and friendly person I have ever met.
Chloe - Thank you for all you have done, you have enriched my life beyond words. God bless and keep you.
Also, I need to give thanks to those who organized the fan events that I attended. Many of these events took a great deal of work to bring to fruition. Off the top of my head (and I hope I am not forgetting anyone), thanks to: Moscapoet, Rich, Howard, Davey, Melanie, Jim Allen, Ralph, and the Twins Chris and Gaby.
Thank you to all the great Forum people that I met with and talked to this year. Just a few to mention: John (MeavMan), Glenn, Ralph, BigDave, Sandy, Jilliebeans, Kaylie (CelloSteel), Guardtot, Ash, and Lauren. I can't wait to see you all again!
Thank you Cindy, I love you!
And final thanks to the Forum person that I spent the most time with of all... Mike (Mr.Peabody). We attended 15 shows together this year, along with a lot of memories. May the year 2010 be just as incredible for us!!
CONCLUSION
It's different this year. The previous two years when it was all over I felt a huge void in my life when the shows were over. This year, I feel a great sense of happiness. How can I feel otherwise when I have had so many great shows, so many great memories? So goodbye until next year to the girls who had done so much for me and for all of us: You raise me up so I can stand on mountains/You raise me up to walk on stormy seas/I am strong when I am on your shoulders/You raise me up to more than I can be...
Celtic Woman. Forever!!
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