Raleigh would be shows 4 and 5 of this group of 7 and was a double-header.  I was coming from the Friday Roanoke show and rolled into town about 10:30am.  Scott was joining me for the next 4 shows and was flying in from Baltimore.  If I had known my route would take me right by the airport I could have picked him up but he already had a ride anyway.  My hotel was downtown and only a block from the theater so, since it was early, I walked around for little while.  I even got to see a train.  Soon Scott called and we met at his hotel.  He introduced me to Phillip, Susan, and their daughter Heather and we headed off in search of lunch.  Downtown Raleigh depends on government employees for revenue and, since it was Saturday, the sidewalks were rolled up and virtually nothing was open.  After a brisk walk we ended up at a deli back at the hotel, right where we started.  Good exercise was had by all, though.

The Raleigh Memorial Auditorium is an impressive building containing a beautifully restored theater.  It one of a group of theaters in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts.  The sidewalk from the hotel/convention center area is lined with flowers and other plantings which were all in bloom.

We waited in the theater lobby for the doors to open and for Ralph and Bill to arrive.  Ralph had driven all the way from Rochester, New York, the day before.  I thought I was the only one who drove that far!  We miss Bill but later discover that he'd been only a few seats away at the end of our row the whole time.  The matinée was added because the evening show was virtually sold out and the theater was about 1/3 full for the afternoon show.  Several people who had front row pit seats decided they didn't want to be that close and asked to be moved farther back.  An excellent opportunity presented itself for a PSU (that's a pre-show seat upgrade, a relatively rare occurrence) and Phillip and family were promptly relocated.

We were all near the right side of the stage, just to the left of the instrumentalists.  If you can't be in the center, then be on the right because Máiréad spends more time there than on the left side of the stage..  There were no shortcuts taken, despite the light crowd, and the girls gave it their all.  With only a 3 hour trip from Roanoke they had plenty of time to rest up.  The crew, on the other hand, had to be ready several hours earlier than normal.  Despite the rushed schedule everything worked without a hitch.

Máiréad spotted us early and lavished special attention on Heather.  We flashed our signs, she flashed her smiles, and a great time was had by all.  I won't describe every song, just some highlights.  Fields of Gold is a beautiful song and Lisa does it so well.  As others have said, it is a worthy successor to Caledonia.  Chloë's When You Believe seems to get better every time.  Máiréad did 9 spins during Coast of Galicia and was in fine form.  We had some real jumpers during Mo Ghile Mear.  An older couple in front of Scott and I were completely off their chairs!  Twice!  At intermission I warned them that there was another spot in the second act where they would jump, too, but I didn't tell them when.

I've always felt that the second act was better than the first and the girls did not disappoint.  The couple in front jumped right on cue when Ray and Nicky hit the drums for The Call and we had a good laugh after the show.  Lynn's Carolina Rua is growing on me and I love the way Máiréad comes out and dances along for a while before playing.  Of course, I rode my normal emotional roller coaster through the two Fantasias.  Standing ovations were given for every song from O, America to the end, which arrived far too soon, as always.

After the show we went to Applebee's for a great dinner and then back to the hotel.  I changed into my Máiréad shirt, got my items for her to sign in case she was at the Meet & Greet, and headed back to the venue.  This time the place was packed and since they don't open the doors until ½ hour before show time by 7:30 it was almost impossible to move in the lobby.  Scott had a copy of Glenn's drawing to be given to Máiréad and he unrolled it for us to see.  WOW!  It is absolutely stunning.  Great work, Glenn!

We find our seats and Scott and I are just two seats to the right of where we were in the afternoon.  Máiréad will have no trouble finding us!  The pit is almost full but we manage to score an ISU for Ralph for the second act.  The girls have kicked it up a notch; they seem extra energized by the full house.  Or maybe they just had high-energy food for dinner!  Chloë really hit and held that high note at the end of When You Believe and Lisa put in a little extra power at the end of The Voice.

Máiréad tied her record of 10 spins during Coast of Galicia and was at times a complete blur!  She wasn't the same, though, during and after You Raise Me Up and we later found out the she had injured her other leg.  I have more to say about that in part 4.  Yet to come was my second M&G of the week.

I was hoping to see Máiréad again; I still have Glenn's shirt to get signed and a few things for some other people, as well.  It turned out to be Lisa and Chloë, and both were absolutely delightful.  The gentleman ahead of us had one of those life-altering stories to tell and we watched him get two wonderful hugs from both girls.  I had just seen Chloë in Charlotte on Tuesday, so we just chatted briefly and then I moved over to Lisa.  Lisa said that she had seen me in the audience with my Máiréad shirt and recognized it from New York but couldn't tell exactly what picture it was.  I gave her a good look at “The Look!”  I asked her about The Voice and she 'fessed up that she had added a little extra oomph to it tonight.  She signed my second program and group photo which are for a friend of mine.  Chloë and Lynn had already signed them in Charlotte.  Now I just need to get Alex and Máiréad to sign them, hopefully in Philadelphia on the 20th (hint to Rachel, if you read this).  No sweaty palms, no brain freeze, no stupid comments; I'm actually getting pretty good at this M&G thing!

All in all, a great day except for the bad news about Máiréad.

The original review is here.