Tours:

Concerts:

Red Rocks, July 1, 2009

 

The Penultimate Show

Ticket_20090701_RedRocksPenultimate means next to last and by extension what follows must be the ultimate and that describes these two shows perfectly.  Wednesday's was just the warm up, Thursday's was the home run.  But let's start at the beginning,

I wasn't originally planning to go to Red Rocks; so far I've only gone to shows within reasonable driving distance of home (Pennsylvania.)  So I planned my New England “tour” in March, my Virginia tour in early June, and of course the Philadelphia shows.  Red Rocks was just too far away.  But the rumors persisted that the DVD might be filmed there, although the only justification was a vague statement from CW that the filming would possibly be in the US in July.  As the time got closer and there was no announcement to the contrary I decided to go for it.  It was way too late to get PBS Meet & Greet tickets so I went to LiveNation and eventually ended up with second row center for both nights.  I included the shows as part of a 2-week vacation and started impatiently watching the calendar.

DistantViewI decided to drive so that I could do some photography and sightseeing enroute.  I left home Saturday morning and arrived in Denver Monday afternoon.  My first stop was the Red Rocks box office so I could pick up my Will Call tickets but they weren't available for pickup until Wednesday so I headed for the hotel and crashed for the night.  My body clock hadn't quite adjusted to the time change yet.

My plan for Tuesday was to head up into the mountains to do some railroad and scenic photography.  As I headed west from my hotel that morning I noticed that the early morning light illuminated the Red Rocks area quite spectacularly.  I made a mental note to capture that image the next day.  So for Wednesday I made plans to stop at the venue and take some pictures before doing other things.  It turned out that the crew had not setup the stage yet and it was possible to watch.  I figured I'd stick around for a little while and ended up staying all day taking pictures.  It's a very carefully choreographed process and those guys (and gals) are quick!  They didn't start until after 10 and they were done before 2, including a lunch break and equipment check.  Only a little over 3 hours from start to finish.

SeatingThe entire amphitheater is open to the public until mid-afternoon and many local people use it as a place to exercise.  Some just walk back and forth across each row in turn, others walk up the steps or seats.  Then there are those who hop up each step, or walk backwards, or walk sideways, or twist after each step.  I saw some of the weirdest “workouts” that morning!  I got tired just watching them.

After watching the stage being setup I headed back to the hotel to shower and change into my Fiddler Crossing shirt.  And I still needed to stop at the box office to pick up my Will Call tickets.  I had sold most of my extra tickets and people were waiting outside the venue for me since they needed their tickets to get in.  I arrived at 3:55 and while impatiently waiting for the box office to open who should show up but Scott, driving a white-hot Mustang!  We chat a bit and when the box office window opens I don't give the girl a chance to catch her breath,  Tickets safely in hand, Scott and I head up to the Visitor's Center for the pre-concert forum gathering.  Once everyone was ticketed we headed in.  All told there were at least a dozen forum members there and I got to meet a few that I hadn't met before.  It's always nice to put faces with names.  We watched ANJ on the big screen, had finger food, signed the banner, and had a generally wonderful time.  A big thanks to Scott, Rocky, and everyone who did all of the work to make it happen,  It was a great preface to what was yet to come.

Stage3Finally it was time.  We all headed outside and the weather was quite pleasant.  Weather reports had indicated a chance of showers and, at this point, it appeared they weren't going to materialize.  Anne and Emma were my seat mates and for those who don't remember her story about surprising Emma with tickets to the Salt Lake City show, you should reread it here.  Emma looked absolutely adorable in her fiddler's dress and was a big hit.  Once we found our seats the excitement started building a little more.  First row is reserved for accessible seating and we lucked out that there was nobody in front of us.  So our second row center seats were essentially front row and because of the height we would be eye-level with the girls.  The show hadn't even started yet and it was promising to be awesome.

When the stage had been setup earlier there were curtains in place to hide everything behind the set but now they had been removed which gave us a clear view of everything going on backstage.  I saw Helen taking pictures and Alex walking around in her blue gown.

Stage2At last I see Máiréad sneak across from backstage into the part of the set behind Ray and I prepare myself.  She takes her position, the music starts, and Chloë's haunting voice begins.  She plays that first note and the tears start early.  Her smile is as wide as the ocean and it is immediately obvious that tonight is going to be special.  I catch her eye briefly and then she spots Emma.  I don't want to steal Anne's thunder in case she writes her own review, but I have to include some comments here.  Whenever Máiréad was on stage Emma was on her feet dancing along and playing “air fiddle!”  It was too cute and at times I wasn't sure who was more fun to watch!

Back to the show... I won't detail every song, I'll just mention some highlights.  Chloë absolutely nailed When You Believe, and that infamous note echoed all around.  Having had the unfortunate accident of hearing Sting's version of Fields of Gold earlier in the afternoon during the equipment check, I was glad that Lisa so easily erased it from my memory.  And in my capacity as Máiréad's unofficial spin counter I'm happy to report that she easily did the full 10 spins during Coast of Galicia.  Both Emma and I got a few more looks and smiles from her, too.  She casually tossed in a few leaps during Granuiale's Dance and I'm beginning to think the knee braces are now more of a preventative measure than a healing aid.  Having seen her at full tilt early in the tour and hurting in Portsmouth, it's clear to me that she's having a ball and back to nearly 100%.

Setup35Lisa spotted my Fiddler Crossing shirt during Orinoco Flow and gave me a little smile.  She was probably thinking to herself: “There's that nut with the shirts again!”  Time goes by too quickly and before I realize it Mo Ghile Mear is playing.  But wait, something's different.  What that in Máiréad's hand?  It's a green bow!  It's her birthday bow!  I wasn't expecting it this soon.  The light catches it and it positively glows a beautiful emerald green.  She flashes a smile to Scott and he is in tears.  After a rousing standing ovation it's time to give the tear ducts and hands a little rest.

I had been checking the sky every once in a while and the moon was out earlier.  At intermission is was gone and it wasn't too far into the second act that it started to drizzle.  It didn't really bother me (I won't melt) but Emma began to fuss a little.  She would sit on Anne's lap until Máiréad appeared and then she was instantly back on her feet, fiddling away.

Overview2The second act started with a few jumpers at the beginning of The Call.  It's always funny.  And Máiréad was still using the green bow.  My favorite part of Carolina Rua is when Máiréad comes out and just dances for a while.  She looked so happy and relaxed and it made me feel good.

Then came Last Rose Fantasia.  I don't know if it was the realization that it was the next to the last time I would hear it or something else, but the tears started flowing early and fast, before she even played the first note.  Just seeing her raise her bow did me in.  Scott tells me that he's sure she looked at me but I couldn't tell because everything was a blur.  That song always tears me up but this was exceptional.  And, of course, Chloë only made it worse with Nella Fantasia immediately after, with no time to recover.  I think it's David's cruel joke to put those two back to back.

Overview3After regaining some composure during At the Ceili, I thought I was seeing some camera flashes from behind me but it turned out to be Mother Nature deciding to liven things up a little.  The timing was perfect for both The Voice and O, America with a little natural fireworks added in to good effect.

Too soon Máiréad heads to the right side of the stage and starts playing the opening to You Raise Me Up and I know the end is near.  It turned out to be nearer than normal.  At this point the rain was coming down a little steadier and was blowing on stage a little.  So they canceled the encore and brought everyone to the front to take their bows.  It was, of course, a little disappointing but certainly understandable.  Electricity and water don't mix very well.  And neither do 300-year old violins.

So one down and one to go.  And that one was to be very special!

The original review is here.

 

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