Looking Back/Looking Forward

That's how January got it's name, right?  The god, Janus, looks forward and back at the same time.  He's the god of transitions, gates and passages.  He must then, also be the god of New Year's Eve, since we're given to looking back back and ahead tonight.

Here's what I'm grateful for at the end of this year:

• Continued good health and being very close to goal.
• My fantastic family.
• Enjoying the work I do and those with whom I work.
• Having time for volunteering in my community.
• My local friends and my friends around the country and beyond.
• Fun short trips for family, fun and friends.
• Days at the beach.
• Live music.  (So spoiled in that department.)
• My Girl Scout family.

I had only one resolution this year and I've come so close to it that I think I have to say I was successful.  Discounting the holiday weight gain that I know I can readily rid myself of within a week or so, I'm about 15 pounds away from my weight loss goal.  It's been a interesting journey of finding out why and how I make decisions about what to eat, when, where and how often.  Not every day went according to plan but I learned this year that all decisions I make I can own and that a day off the plan doesn't mean the plan is a failure or wrong or diminished.  It's just that day's decisions and I can return to the plan with the very next decision.  Food decisions.  They don't have to be my curse.

There are things I'm happy to say good-bye to this year as well but they are so few and, at the end of the day (or year), so inconsequential they don't bear listing.

Success make you feel bold.  I had one goal last year and since achieving it (pretty well) gave me some energy and impetus, there are more goals for next year:

• Continue on the healthy path and do some strength training.
• Spend more time in the garden.
• Spend some time at the piano.  (Must get it tuned and refurbished first, however.)
• Spend more time at the beach.
• Organize my personal stuff.
• Stick to the savings plan.

So there you go, Janus.  A little bit of looking back and ahead.  The gate to 2014 is open.

More Dancing

I never danced much.  I don't know why that is.  I'm a pretty self-conscious person and that's probably the major reason I suppose.

The first time I can recall dancing was in my friend Maureen's bedroom.  We were listening to the Beatles' She Loves You.  We were probably 6 years old.  Her room was really small.  I remember we kept bumping into the bed.  And we were holding our Beatles bubble gum cards.  She was a Paul; I was a John.  

I took a modern dance class when I was in eighth grade.  It made me more self-conscious than ever.  It definitely wasn't for me.

High school gym classes had us square dancing, doing the lindy and, oddly, "the bump." Now that I've completely dated myself (raise your hand if you even remember "the bump"), I should probably just stop.  I remember we had these fantastic '50's themed dances too.  And I loved dancing at my proms; they were fun--we had real bands, not DJ's.

I cannot recall any dancing in college although there might have been a frat party that I bought a gorgeous blue sparkly dress for.  There had to have been dancing there.

There was dancing at my wedding.  I have pictures of that. That was ill-fated dancing as it turned out.

After that, no more dancing.  Until Dancing With the Stars.  Until Gavin DeGraw on Dancing With the Stars.  That's when the music changed and hope, fun and spontaneity flooded back into my life.  In the last year and a half there has been dancing at home, in the office (after hours, when I'm alone--you can't go totally nuts when you're the principal's secretary), in the car and when I'm walking in the park.  And at concerts.  Especially at concerts.  (I'm a terrible dancer, by the way, but that's not the point anymore.)

In 22 hours it will be 2014.  A new year.  Like most people I have goals for the new year.  Lots of them.  My favorite is More Dancing.  As often as possible.  More Dancing.  Because if I can live my life dancing ... well, I believe a lot of good can come of it.

Let's dance.

Concert Diaries Chapter 20: Paramount 2013 (a Let's December It post)

Everything will change ...

After yesterday's adventure in the snow, I think Brenda and I were ready for anything.  We set off for Long Island around 11:00 but first had to make an all-important stop for me:  Best Buy.  Fangirl had to replace her camera before the evening.  iPhone pictures just don't cut it.

The roads were pretty good by the time we hit the highway.  Some slush on the road causing a filthy spray on the windshield was the worst we had to contend with.  We made good time and arrived in Huntington (central Long Island) around 1:30.  Plenty of time--"doors" wouldn't open until 7:00.  For this General Admission show, it was essential to be in the front of the line to assure that front row position.  We collected our tickets at the Will Call window and set off in search of food.

We found Portofino's, an Italian restaurant across the street from The Paramount that had been highly recommended and settled in for a leisurely lunch.  Just as we were enjoying dessert though, we saw a couple of people begin to line up.  It was only 3:00.  There was nothing else to do but get in line as well.  We met up with Courtney out on the street and together we joined the handful of people who comprised the front of the line. The long wait began.  It was below freezing but I was more prepared this year than last year even while still choosing a little black dress over jeans.

The time passed quickly with friends meeting us in line and chatting with other fans sharing the frigid yet friendly experience.  There's always a lot to talk about ... concerts we've been to, concerts lined up in the future, how we all became fans, favorite songs and more personal chat too.  Every meeting like this results in at least one person pointing out how many friendships have been formed because of this man and his music.

Someone from the venue came out to check ID's and give us wristbands.  I'm always amused at having my ID checked.   After all I've been legal to drink in NJ/NY since, well, forever.  The drinking age was 18 back then.  The guy really read it too.  I guess he could do the math since I got a bracelet.

Doors opened not long after that and the sprint for the front row began.  I lingered to make sure my new young friends knew how this venue worked:  stairs to the right and left, up and through the doors, run to the front.  They wound up stage left in front of the bass and drums.  Brenda, Courtney and I were smack in the center in front of the piano.  There was no railing between us and the stage this year. There often is--it makes an aisle for security, professional photographers and the artists should they choose to mingle a little.  This year we were pressed right up against the stage.  Pressed is the operative word--the room filled quickly and we couldn't have moved anywhere even if we'd wanted to.

The first opener was a pleasant young man named Jeff LeBlanc, rather young to be called a "former teacher" but he'd left teaching to pursue a music career.  He had a nice voice and was very appealing.  I'd like to hear him in a bar setting.  It was a little hard to hear him there as so many weren't paying attention to the opening acts.  I always feel sorry for the openers.  I know they understand they're paying their dues and probably even expect people to not pay complete attention but it must be hard when you have a lot riding on your performance.

The second opening act was Austin Lucas, a country singer who'd flown in in the wee hours of the morning from Chicago.  I found him somewhat hard to understand despite his standing right in front of me, literally.  I think he, also, would have benefitted from a smaller venue.

The crew stepped on stage to position the microphones, tune the guitars, place the piano in the exact right spot, sound check the drums.  When the band appears and the music swells, there is that reaction, a roaring that builds and exquisite anticipation that seems to go on for minutes when in reality, it's a matter of seconds.  We were in the perfect place.

This was my 15th Gavin DeGraw concert in 18 months.  I've seen him in bigger venues and smaller ones like The Paramount tonight.  Something felt different to me.  For one thing, there seemed to be a lot more clusters of really young fans--the kind who scream (picture a Justin Bieber concert).  Several of us caught Gavin exchanging looks with his guitar player.  The looks seemed to say "Wow.  This is insane." or "Whoa.  This is a little different."  There was really phenomenal energy in the room and he and the band seemed to take it in and turn it back out to us tenfold.

Since he didn't headline a tour this summer, this was the longest concert of the year for many of us.  Lots of older material and several from the new album, Make a Move, satisfied new and old fans.  I was a little surprised that the screaming group of girls (okay--I need to say it: they were by far the rudest people I've ever encountered at a concert) knew his older material as well as the new songs.  It was their only redeeming quality.  I was happy to hear Crush again--it's one of my favorites off the first album.  I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing In Love With a Girl, also from the first album.  Radiation, Sweeter, Run Every Time from the last album are some of my all-time favorites.  He sang Soldier which seems to continue to mean a great deal to him--with good reason.  The lyrics are pretty powerful.  Make A Move and, particularly, Everything Will Change from the new album have my heart.  Especially Everything Will Change--it describes the last 20 months of my life to perfection.  The first time I heard it (at Mixfest in September) I felt as though he'd written it for me.  "Take those boots off the shelf, Wipe that dust off yourself, Even if you've been through hell, you're back." I didn't exactly go through hell after my divorce (thanks to my family) but there were some hellacious days and I definitely had been living on a shelf ... for a lot of years.

This being a December concert, we were given a Christmas song.  I think he does one each year.  Last year it was Oh Holy Night.  This year he's been doing White Christmas.  He sat on a stool within arm's reach (check out the video that Brenda caught) and gave us his special rendition.

After White Christmas, the night became truly magical.  Gavin walked to the edge of stage right and got down low.  He was talking to a child in the crowd and we could hear bits of muffled conversation between them.  He asked him how long he'd been playing the piano and we could hear him say since he was a baby.  Gavin invited him on stage and disappeared behind the scrim to meet him.  When he was led onto the stage, it became apparent that this young man, Anthony, was visually impaired.  I've since read some posts that say he's also autistic.  I can't confirm what his disabilities are and truly, that's unimportant as I can confirm that he's a gifted and talented young person who stole all our hearts that night.  Gavin got him seated at the piano and he immediately captivated us with a classical piece.  No one was expecting a little prodigy!  Then he mashed it into That's Amore!  The looks on the faces of Gavin and the band were priceless.  Anthony then blew Gavin away with the opening chords of his huge hit, Not Over You.  Within seconds the entire room was singing with him.  To say it was a special moment would be an understatement.  I think on Twitter I said "Some kind of wonderfulness is happening right now at the @GavinDeGraw show at @TheParamountNY."  And it was some kind of wonderfulness.  Anthony took a bow with Gavin and then rejoined his folks.  It felt like a Christmas present--a lovely surprise that no one was expecting that made the already awesome night extra special. Since that night, I've had some interactions with Anthony's parents on Twitter and it's clear that this is an amazing family with a treasure in their midst.

And this is one of the reasons why this man is firmly lodged in the hearts of so very many of us.

Back to the set list, Gavin did his pre-Follow Through banter with the characteristic acting.  I've seen this so many times that I'm amazed I still find it amusing.  But I do.  It's part of his charm.  His heartfelt, Who's Going to Save Us blew me away again.  When it came to his closing trademark song, I Don't Want to Be, followed by the encore, Not Over You, I wished, as always, that he'd not stop there.  There are so many songs I'd love to hear him do live.  Songs from Free like Mountains to Move and Glass and I'd give anything to be in the room if he ever brings back Let It Go. In other words, I didn't want the night to end.  But you know what they say about all good things ...

We lingered for as long as we could.  I think everyone was hoping Gavin would come out and say hello.  He did last year.  But that was not to be.  I'm okay with that--I never expect those things to happen so I'm always surprised and grateful when they do.  There was no Cinderella party for us this year either.  Last year, we were lucky to attend the after party where Gavin and the band were on hand to talk to folks.  I call it the Cinderella party because that's how I felt that night, hanging out until the wee hours of the morning with my friends and chatting with his band all night.  Tonight Brenda and Courtney and I walked just a couple of doors down and had a drink at a pub (where Billy Joel used to hang out when he lived--for 20 years--in Huntington) with a bartender who told us some fun stories.

Courtney, from Pennsylvania, was staying over but Brenda and I had an hour and a half drive ahead of us so all too soon we said goodbye and got back on the road.  Two days, three states; two shows, unlimited happiness.

We talked on the way home about how different that show had felt to us.  I selfishly worried aloud if everything had changed--if the resurgence of success that appears to be coming would change things for our little fandom.  Terrible thoughts--I'm excited for his success and wish for bigger and better things to come his way.  But I'll miss the respectful crowds and the more intimate settings.  Tonight's pushing and screaming bothered me.  I wondered if I can stand in line longer than 4 hours if it comes to that.  We'll see.  One thing hasn't changed ... will never change:  the joy and energy that flows through me for days following a live Gavin DeGraw performance.  It's like a drug that went straight to the vein.*

*Make A Move

~~~~~

Brenda's video of Gavin and Anthony.  In the last couple of days since the concert, we've talked about this moment quite a lot on social media.  What a joy and privilege it was to be a part of it.

I love this picture of Billy.

Concert Diaries Chapter 19: Winter Wonderland (a Let's December It post)

My friend Brenda is here from Colorado and we have tickets to not one, but two Gavin DeGraw concerts.  Saturday night in Wallingford, Connecticut and Sunday night, out on Long Island.  Saturday's show also features Plain White T's, Sara Bareilles, Avril Lavigne, and The Backstreet Boys.  As it turned out, it also featured a huge snow storm.

The storm had been predicted.  All week.  The original plan was to drive to Connecticut and back and then to Long Island the next day.  As the storm predictions grew worse and worse I contemplated getting a room near Wallingford.  The morning of the show, I booked it.  The weather folks had me sufficiently scared.

We set off for the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford earlier than planned because we hoped to arrive before the worst of it.  And basically we did.  Except for the last 10 miles or so when it started to really come down totally obscuring the exit ramp, resulting in my missing it.  Thank goodness for GPS.  We checked in at the hotel but didn't stop there very long.  Even though we had seats for the performance, who knew how long it would take to get to the venue.  Under normal conditions we were about 15 minutes away.  In ice and snow?

Jarlsburg on my lap.

Big decisions needed to be made.  Stop for food or not?  We hadn't even had lunch.  We had, however, packed a nice Cabernet Sauvignon, Prosecco, a variety of cheese and crackers.  We decided that would do.  We arrived in the parking lot at 4:30.  Doors were not to open until 6:30.  And thus our first blizzard tailgate happy hour was born.  Gavin fans are good at waiting.  We arrive early; we stay late.  We have our fellow fans for company and no end to the great conversations.  Time passed quickly.  (And we highly recommend the Smoking Loon Cab.)

Tim Lopez of the Plain White T's

So our seats weren't the greatest.  We stayed put for Plain White T's who were really good.  I enjoyed the folky vibe to their music and the tight harmonies.  Hey There Delilah is such a pretty song but their new single, The Giving Tree (sort of based on the book) was really heartfelt.  I could never read that book to my kids without crying and the song gave me the same feeling.

Put up your hands and surrender to me (Make A Move)

Gavin was next.  As the lights went down, we moved to the front of our section.  The storm had kept a lot of people away so we improved our sight lines slightly in the vacant seats.  The sets are on the short side when there are so many acts taking the stage.  Only seven songs but he spent three of them in the audience, one of them very close to where we were.  He sang old standard favorites (In Love With a Girl, Chariot, I Don't Want to Be, Not Over You) and a couple of songs from the new album (Make a Move and Best I Ever Had).  I think I'd have been somewhat disappointed in the brevity of the set list had I not known the best was to come the following night during a solo concert.

During Gavin's set the unthinkable happened:  fangirl dropped her camera.  Yes, I broke the lens on my new camera.  I was leaning over the railing where I'd set it down and knocked it over the edge.  It was a stupid preventable accident and I was more than annoyed with myself.  This is the last picture I took that night.  We were too far away for good iPhone photos.  (That's one above.)

When Gavin goes into the audience at a seated show, he stands on seats or the arms of the seats.  He'll walk across them while singing and when he finds just the right spot, well, some people get really lucky.  We were those people in Yonkers.  Watching him sing while balancing on the arms of the chairs while people are clutching at him made me a nervous wreck Saturday night.

Avril Lavigne was up next.  I confess I am not familiar with her and wasn't sufficiently interested to look her up or give her a listen.  She was loud and I suppose she was good but I'm the furthest thing from an expert in rock music.  I thought all the songs sounded rather alike.

Next to last was Sara Bareilles.  I think after Gavin DeGraw, she might be my favorite singer.  She and Michael Franti.  She, also, played older favorites and numbers from her new album.  I was thrilled that she sang Manhattan.  It's probably my favorite song of any she's recorded.  She sings it so ethereally and it conveys a truthfulness about life after a relationship has ended that I think everyone could relate to.  I was hoping she'd sing her beautiful Christmas song too (Love Is Christmas) but sadly, for me, she did not.  She did sing December though; it's a beautiful song too.

Last up were the Backstreet Boys.  I know I'm going to take some heat for this but I just don't see the big deal.  The radio folks spent every introduction of every other artist emphasizing BSB and I thought that was kind of rude.  These other artists never took a break; they're not "getting back together." They've been working hard for a lot of years.

There was a lot of energy on the stage when they came out.  Their choreography was--okay, truthfully, I thought it was silly looking for guys their age. They're not a "boy band" anymore.  They're dads themselves.  Someone should tell them it's okay to just sing.  I also have this question:  if there's no band on the stage and no instruments in your hands, where are the sounds of guitars and drums coming from?  Is that recorded music they're singing to?  Is that how they've always performed?  So they give a partially live performance?  They did pause and do a few acoustic songs in the middle of their set.  They played and sang sitting on stools set in a semi circle on the stage.  That was nice.  But I will go on record as the only person who's fallen asleep during the Backstreet Boys live.  I'd been up until 3 AM the night before and had driven two hours in sub optimal conditions.  Those are my excuses.

Brenda, being from Colorado, drove us back to the hotel.  Thank goodness.  She is 'way more confidant in crappy road conditions than I am.  It was after midnight and we'd still not had a proper meal all day.  We drove around the "slip sliding" roads for a while in my "skate" which was her nickname for my little red Fiesta until we found a Burger King.  I ordered more food than we needed and let's be clear:  we still never had a proper meal that day.

Tyler Hilton (another favorite)
and fast food.  It will do in a pinch.

Post concert, there's lots of rehashing to do and we did it over burgers, onion rings and assorted other fried brown food.  At 1 AM.  Pretty unhealthy but it tasted good at the time.  The new Tyler Hilton Christmas movie was on television but the signal kept going out because of the storm so I settled for writing and outlining my impressions after Brenda fell asleep.  There is no going straight to bed after having heard Gavin DeGraw.  At least not for me ... I'm just completely wound.  So I saw 3 AM for the second night in a row.

But sleep would come and so would the morning.  The best was yet to come.

~~~~~

Sara Bareilles sang December at the Paramount earlier in the week.  We would be at The Paramount the next night for Gavin DeGraw.

Not Over You at the Oakdale Theater.





Gavin's set list.


                   Sara's set list.

Dear Young Ladies ... or, Katherine's First Ever (and hopefully last ever) Rant

Dear Young Ladies,

Hello concert-going girls, you young ones who were dropped off by parents who didn't care enough to come with you even if they hung out in the balcony, who trusted you to represent your families in the manner in which you had been raised, who didn't realize that you could be so rude and disrespectful.

Yes, I'm writing this to you.  You know who you are.

I'm thinking we might need to review the rules for General Admission shows:

1.  Pushing is never acceptable.  If you want to be in the front row, get there early.  Really early.  Slamming the people in front of you into the stage/barricades/speakers/whatever is kind of the same as assault.

2.  Breathing on someone's neck is just plain creepy.  And disgusting.

3.  Reading someone's cellphone over their shoulder is the same as stalking.  Stalking is illegal.

4.  Continually shoving your arms and phones/cameras into the faces of the people in front of you ruins their experience.  They stood in line just like you--but longer.  That's how they attained the front row.  Do you see how that works?

5.  Screeching is not the same as singing.  We all like to sing along.  We all do sing along.  But when you are simply yelling lyrics at the top of your lungs while barely attempting to find the tune or the rhythm, it ceases to become a musical experience and you are just making noise.  Make noise at a Bieber concert.

6.  How does screaming at the artist enhance your experience?  Did you not come to hear the artist sing?  Obviously you respect the artist enough to have bought a ticket so it appears as though you're interested in the music.  Oh wait, your parents bought your ticket so you have no actual investment in the experience.  My bad.  I'm sorry you missed much of what was truly great about the music while your deafening high pitched machinations to get the artist's attention went unnoticed by the artist as that person was engaged in doing what she or he does best.

7.  Dancing at a concert is fun.  Gyrating against the people in front of you is nasty.  And disgusting.

8. Having loud conversations during the opening acts, including unkind remarks, is mean-spirited.  Those folks are just starting out often; they're working hard to get your attention.  It wouldn't kill you to be a little more attentive.  You don't have to go and buy their records or download their songs if you don't want to.  But think about how discouraging it must be for them to watch you dissing them while they're trying their best.  Is that how you'd like to be treated?  If you'd rather talk than listen, take it to the lounge or the bar.

I sincerely hope you understand the rules better now.  Basically, we're talking about common courtesy here.  Both for your fellow concert-goers and the band that is performing.  It's really not too much to ask--that you enjoy what you came for while allowing others to do so too.  It's not a solo experience, you see.  You can have that with your iPod in your room at home.  Selfishly thinking that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, isn't how society works best.  Considering what works best for the group that you find yourself in, makes life run a lot smoother.  When you can share experiences in common with other people, mutually enjoying the moment at hand, helping to enhance one another's good time--that's how awesome memories are made.  I feel sorry that you don't understand this.  You'll always have an incomplete experience until you do.

Sincerely,

One Who Wishes You'd Grow Up

(and I'm sure you will ... I'm positive you'll turn out to be awesome young adults who will look back on  your current behavior with embarrassment.  But it will be a life lesson learned ... one you can pass on to your own kids.)

~~~~~~~

Okay.  This is totally uncharacteristic for me.  But I decided to put it out there so I can let it go.  Off my soapbox now but totally cognizant of the fact that I'm bound to run in to these girls again or rather, girls just like them.  I wonder when "good of the order" and politeness went out the window.  

Or has it always been this way?  Am I just intolerant? Should I have to tolerate that behavior? I can recall those old newsreels of girls screaming when the Beatles landed in New York, how they played but no one could hear a note.  Even when I was a kid, I wondered about that.  Wouldn't you have wanted to actually hear them if you were lucky enough to have had that chance? 

Sending questions to the cosmos ... with no expectations.

Let's December It

My friend Brenda flew in from Colorado for the concerts this weekend.  That's right--concerts.  Plural.  Because there are two.  Saturday in Connecticut and Sunday out on Long Island.  We'll be in the car quite a lot over the next few days and that's okay.  Fangirls do what we have to do.  We go where we have to go.

More on the concerts later.

First, we hit Manhattan.  Well, that's not quite true.  The very first thing we did was watch Gavin DeGraw's performance Friday morning on the Queen Latifah show.  Singing his current single, Make A Move, he got our day off to a perfect start.  Then we hit Manhattan.

And there's no where quite like New York at Christmas.  The lights.  The smell of roasting chestnuts on every street corner.  Music is in the air everywhere.  Think Silver Bells:  "In the air there's a spirit of Christmas."  People are in the spirit and you can sense it.  I'm sure this is true everywhere but in New York, the impressions are exponentially bigger.  Manhattan is just unique in that it's huge yet compact.  Everything is jammed into a very small space and you can't escape from it--the scents, the views, the people.  Before you know it, you're completely caught up in it.  She gets under your skin, Manhattan does.  Watching masses of children looking at the store windows at Macy's or Saks Fifth Avenue is a good example.  Their joy and wonder is completely infectious.  The last couple of weeks before the holiday contain a lot of what they call "gridlock alert days"--days you're encouraged to leave cars at home and utilize mass transit.  We followed the advice and took the bus into Midtown. 

Macy's windows are always
pretty special.

We stuck pretty close to midtown all day.  Macy's, Harold Square, was the first stop.  The windows were beautiful, just what you'd expect. We actually saw actually two sets: animated ones on the Broadway side of the store and the story of Virginia (as in Yes, Virginia) on one of the other sides.  Brenda shopped a little.  I window shopped.

Lunch rinkside with our heatlamp
a bright sun filtering between
buildings.  Perfect setting.

After Macy's we headed up to the Winter Village at Bryant Park.  The park is filled with kiosks at this time every year with crafters, artisans and all sorts of other unique merchants selling all sorts of things out of their booths.  It's my absolutely favorite place in the City at Christmastime.  We were starving so we grabbed a table at Celsius, a pop up restaurant situated right next to the skating rink.  We had a table outside--yes, outside in December.  Each table came with a little heatlamp that provided the perfect amount of warmth.  The chairs were fashioned to look like ice.  Christmas music filled the air and we enjoyed the "warm winter salad" with roasted artichokes.  Hot chocolate too, of course.  I love Bryant Park in every season.  I love it's location behind the Library.  I love to people watch from the little green bistro tables and chairs that remind me so much of Venice.  After lunch we shopped for Christmas ornaments.  I'm still replacing all that were lost in the hurricane a couple of years ago.  A little yellow cab, an elfin skyline, and a representation of the Rockefeller Center tree now reside on my tree.

The tree was our next stop.  The tree had been our meeting place last year for our big gathering of Gavin DeGraw fans who'd all convened for a concert at the Paramount Theatre in Huntington, the same venue we'll be hitting on Sunday.  It was crowded but not so much that we couldn't get some pictures.  It's the quintessential New-York-at-Christmas thing to do.  Our tickets for the Christmas show at Radio City were for 4 PM so there was not much time to linger.  We headed off in the direction of the theater, passing the most energetic pair of bell ringers I've ever seen.  They were blasting Mariah Carey's I Don't Want A Lot for Christmas and dancing for donations with an abandon you just don't see in the suburbs.

We had great seats for the show.  Stage right about six rows from the front, just under the organ on that side.  I hadn't been to the Christmas show since my kids were 3 and 6 so that's 20 years ago now.  It hadn't changed much.  Santa still figures largely in the loose story line.  The Rockettes still wear the reindeer costumes (although they looked updated), they're still doing the toy soldier routine and others.  There's still the world's smallest sheet of ice and a pair of figure skaters.  The nativity scene had fewer shepherds and bigger entourages for the magi than I recalled but, of course, it's as moving as ever.  What I loved was seeing it with Brenda, who'd never seen it and some tourists seated behind me who exclaimed over every detail.  It was fun to see it "through their eyes."  I guess I kind of take that spectacle for granted.  There was one woman behind me who couldn't get over the live camels on stage.  When you live in and near New York, you know the moment the camels hit town.  The arrival of the animals to Rockefeller Center is covered on the news, just as is the arrival of the tree.  So it's not quite the surprise for us that it is for people from out of town.  Seeing it all with "fresh eyes" was special.  I had to buy an ornament here too.

After the show we swung through Rockefeller Center again.  The tree after dark is a glorious site and it overwhelms you with its magnificent beauty.

We'd arranged to meet our friend Sheeza (not her real name) who lives in Manhattan for dinner.  She'd recommended PJ Clarke's, a wonderful place on the corner of 55th Street and 3rd Avenue.  It's good to have a real New Yorker in your life.  Sheeza has good ideas for food and music often.  It was a nice walk from Radio City to the restaurant, not terribly cold yet.  The cold is coming on Saturday.  More on that later as well.

You want this too.  I can tell.

Dinner was lovely and dessert was divine.  Bread pudding with a whiskey butter sauce.  Obviously, I'm not Weight Watchering this weekend and I'm surely going to be angry with myself next week.  I can already tell my Christmas Eve dress isn't fitting well.  After dinner we moved to the bar to continue talking about Gavin DeGraw, the amazing friends we've made through him, concerts past, present and future, men, men, men and more music.  We laughed, sang with the music they were playing, chatted with others at the bar, enjoyed the best bartender I've ever met and missed the 11:00 bus.  Missing the bus is becoming a common event for me.  Buses depart every half hour or so until 11:00.  After that, you have to wait until 1:00.  

More shenanigans.

So a 1 AM bus it was.  That left time for more shenanigans (if this was twitter that would be hashtag shenanigans).  More laughter, another drink, more friendship.  Let's december it ....

It was 2:30 when we arrived home, tired but happy.  I'd spent the day as a tourist in my own backyard and it was enormously fun.  I'm beyond grateful to have made so many friends through the music and am blessed beyond measure with the warmth and richness they bring to my life.

No time to stay up even later to relive the day.  In a few short hours, we would be off to Connecticut.  Music is just around the corner.  We will december it some more.

~~~~

Train has a really fun Christmas song on their album Save Me San Francisco called Shake Up Christmas.  One of the lines is "so let's December it."

Sara Bareilles sings a gorgeous song about Manhattan.  It just about takes my breath away every time I hear it.  I'm hoping to hear it live at Saturday's show.

Flash back to last year's Paramount concert on November 30 (2012).  Gavin DeGraw fans decembered it for an entire weekend.  Here's a portion of the group.