Review: Houston 5/18/11

My next show was at Houston. I started my day with a whole 3 1/2 hours sleep after getting home at 6am from San Antonio. I didn't plan on meeting Roy until later, but there was a couple personal errands I had to run early which required me to be up early. You can always tell when you're traveling (or if you've just traveled) to see Celtic Woman... there is a distinct lack of sleep involved haha.

I wrote my review of San Antonio, which I had already formulated in my mind during my drive home the night before. I headed down to meet up with Roy for a quick lunch at the local BBQ shack. We then headed back to Roy's house to sit and talk until it was time to join the others for the forum dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. Roy and I were early, shortly after that Tink and Coren arrived and headed over to the venue, followed later by Cindy, Jeremy, and Rachel. This was my first time meeting Rachel, who I had been talking to on the Forums for well over a year and who I would be sitting with for the show. Not only had we chosen the same site for the Forum dinner as last year, we also got the same table and the same guy waiting on us! Anyway we finally parked at the garage and headed into the venue.

The Toyota Center is your basic arena. 'Nuff said there. Rachel and I sat down at our seats... front row, almost center, just slightly to piano side from the steps leading down from the stage to the floor. We got a rousing introduction from the director of PBS Houston, and it was clear that the crowd was going to be into it. It appeared that although the show had sold out, it somehow didn't look as full as last year. Still, there were no empty seats near the front for anyone else to get ISU opportunities. Just before showtime I met up with old friend Ryan again! This time he brought his mom who was as much of a fan as he was. But then it was time for the show.

"Nil Se'n La" began as last night... but the crowd in our immediate vicinity at least was absolutely into it! This had to be the most vocal crowd of all my shows... people behind us yelled out "We love you!!" a few times... and there was no end to the whooping and hollering from the audience... "Coast Of Galicia" was more energetic than ever, Mairead you are just amazing!!!... The more I hear "My Lagan Love" from Lisa Lambe the more I love it... Lisa Lambe also seemed to recognize me from the previous night, she smiled at me a lot the whole night; not to say that Chloe and Lisa Kelly didn't also!... "Goodnight My Angel" made a bigger impression on me than ever tonight after Tink had told me the night before exactly why it was written the way it was, which I hadn't known before.

Intermission was made more difficult than previous shows because of the positioning of the floor seats. The arena had set up aisles that didn't quite go all the way to the front, so that people further back couldn't easily walk up to the front. Tink and Coren never did get to talk to Rachel and I during intermission, although Roy, Cindy and Jeremy came up for a few minutes. I also met up again with Jilliebeans who I hadn't seen since Red Rocks '09. Cindy and Roy both told me that the crowd in their areas wasn't as animated as those near the front, but rarely is a crowd uniformly excited or lackluster, there are always different segments of interest at every show.

Second act... "Amazing Grace" as always was spectacular, it is rapidly becoming one of my very favorite CW songs, they MUST keep this song for next year... I haven't talked much about "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress" in previous reviews but tonight something reached within me during that song; thanks Lisa, I don't know how you do it... "At the Ceili" was even funnier than ever, it's simply impossible to catch everything happening during this song, there's so much going on and some of it is hilarious!... "You Raise Me Up" began and as seems to always happen now, Chloe looked right at me and sang my favorite lyrics with the gentlest smile, and as an added bonus the crowd (at least in our area) sang along the first few lines... and then the part I always look forward to the most: "Finale Encore" began with the entire crowd clapping along, just like at Red Rocks in '09! Rachel and I led the standing ovation as the girls came out... "Spanish Lady" also had plenty of audience clapping along as well... it's so easy to get spoiled when you're in front-row center, especially on back-to-back nights!

After the show we lined up for the M&G. In keeping with my pattern, I once again was attending a M&G at a place I had never done a M&G at before; I'm probably the only fan with this many M&Gs and none of them have been in the same place twice haha. Anyway, we went to the room and were told the news that I especially wanted to hear: it would be Mairead and Lisa Lambe!! This is exactly the pairing I had wanted most tonight. I hadn't talked to Mairead since late '09, and I very much wanted to meet the "new" Lisa. And I knew how much Rachel wanted to meet Lisa L also.

First it was Lisa. She is sooo sweet, she may not have known me by name until tonight, but she had seen me these last two nights! She thanked me for being so enthusiastic, and I thanked her for adding so much to Dulaman. Rachel got a picture of Lisa and I. It's now one of my favorite pictures, of course! And when Mairead saw me, she said "Ssscccootttt!!" She leaped up and hugged me. This was my eighth time meeting her, and I'll tell you it just doesn't get old! Rachel didn't get a picture of Mairead with me 'cause she was a little busy talking with Lisa haha. But that's ok, there's always next time.

We made our way out, and Roy and I drove over to his house and talked for another hour or so, but I needed to head home, I was exhausted. Two very fulfilling days, and tonight had been another night of truly spectacular experiences of Celtic Woman, memories that I will take with me and that always will be a part of me.