Concert Diaries ~ Chapter 28: On the Road Again, Finally

Hello.  My name is Katherine and it's been 258 days since my last Gavin DeGraw concert.  That's a really long stretch for me since discovering this music that virtually changed my life.  I'd been used to averaging nearly a concert a month, having seen him 34 times in 36 months until last July.  July 23, 2015, to be specific.

Other fans seem impressed by that number but live music junkies know that numbers are meaningless; you just go because you have to.  And where you live has a lot to do with it anyway:  I live outside New York.  I can be in Boston, Philadelphia, Manhattan and all points between in a matter of hours.  I can be in upstate New York, farther down South and well into the Midwest within a fun road trip's drive.  I'm lucky geographically.

So when the nearest concert during my "personal Gavin DeGraw drought" was announced for Raleigh, North Carolina, it wasn't much of a decision.  Yes, a closer concert was also announced.  But it wouldn't be until June during graduation week at the school where I work and one does not ask for days off during graduation week.  Then there was one in my birth-town, but a trip to visit family and friends had already been planned for a couple weeks after.  One doesn't drive 12 hours to another country twice in two weeks.  So Raleigh it was.

But this concert was happening relatively soon.  April 8.  And so we, Phyllis and I, set out as planned, at 4 AM.  After a quick coffee stop, we made our way to the New Jersey Turnpike, successfully navigating a pre-dawn detour.  It's pretty well a straight shot from Northern New Jersey to Raleigh, including the beltways around Washington and Richmond.  The only traffic we encountered was the morning rush getting around DC.  It was so easy that the driver (me) could relax a little and enjoy the trip.  The bare early spring of New Jersey gave way to budding maples, cherries and crabapples the further south we went.  Naturalized daffodils along the roadways were waking up to a beautiful sunrise which I could see glowing coral in my rearview mirror.  It was a beautiful ride.  And that includes the completely predictable playlist that we were never without.  Everything Gavin ever recorded plus Train, Andy Grammar, Pete Yorn ... During long rides like this, I sometimes wish my daily commute was longer than my 7 minutes.  It takes three songs to get to work.  Some days,  I need more.

Photo credit: Phyllis

With a couple stops to check my home phone for teachers calling out sick (it was a Friday and while, as a 12-month employee, I do get days off, as the substitute scheduler, I'm always on duty without exception), stops for gas (the first while we were still in Jersey so these Jersey girls would have one less time to stress over pumping) and more coffee (because ... road trip, more coffee), we arrived in Raleigh within about 10 hours or so.  The hotel in downtown Raleigh was lovely and close to our ultimate destination, the Red Hat Amphitheatre.  It was marathon weekend and the hotel was filled with runners and their families.  The concert we'd shortly be attending was a part of the Marathon festivities.

I needed lunch and a little something to celebrate our arrival so we found the restaurant, a really warm and welcoming spot called Jimmy V's Osteria + Bar, named for basketball coach Jimmy Valvano.  A portion of their profits is donated yearly to the cancer foundation that bears his name which I found uniquely impressive for a restaurant.  The flatbread with fontina, fig, pear, proscuito and arugala and a glass of prosecco was just what I needed.  We ran into friends and fan family from Boston to Charlotte all over the hotel.  We know each other from previous shows, social media and as friends of friends (and often, friends of those friends).  It's a big fan family tree with branches all over the globe so meeting up at concerts often takes on the feeling of a family reunion--even when meeting for the first time.

One of our family had come up with the idea of sending a welcome basket of fruit to the venue for our favorite band.  It was such a good idea; those of us on the East Coast had not seen them in quite a while (some much longer than others) and it was so nice to have this opportunity to let them know we were excited for their performance and for their having brought us all together.  We were each in our rooms getting ready when the "thank you" arrive via Twitter and Instagram.  We didn't expect this shout out but were so happy to know that they'd received it.  And, who doesn't like chocolate dipped fruit?  Thanks to @TidewaterTina for making the arrangements for this! And thanks to Michael Baker (Gavin's drummer) for letting us know they'd received the gift.

Our tickets were for General Admission which meant we needed to be at the venue early to land in our coveted front row position.  Consequently, we headed over to the venue around 5 PM even though the doors wouldn't open until 7 and the show wouldn't start until 8.  We had VIP tickets which meant (we were told) early entry (less competition for the front row) and some free drinks.  I don't drink at concerts for a lot of reasons so for me it was all about front row.  We passed the time reminiscing, meeting (for the first time) people we "knew" from various social media platforms and making new friends.  It was several minutes after 7 PM when they finally opened the gates and we made our way to the front.  The ushers motioned us to small tables set aside in a separate section for the VIP guests where we'd be waited on during the show.  It was behind the standing room area next to the stage.  I think they were astounded when we passed on the seating and the drinks.  Who wants to sit at this concert?  Who would pay extra to sit behind the crowd?  We raced by and went straight to the front row.  However, the delay in opening the gate at our VIP entrance meant that the early entry advantage didn't happen.  I wasn't in my favorite spot.  But front row is front row and we all settled in to wait for the opening acts.  Another hour or so to go.

Jason Adamo

As so often happens when I'm out at a Gavin DeGraw concert, the opening acts were really good and I found new music (new-to-me music) to be excited about.  The first band, the Jason Adamo Band, was a local Raleigh favorite.  Jason is a singer/songwriter who's worked in Nashville and he won me over completely.  Before I'd reached home I'd download his recent EP and ordered his album, Transitor.  His full, rich sound with great backing vocals by members of his band and two divine back-up singers was beautiful and his Nashville vibey sensibility, totally up my alley.  I wholeheartedly recommend checking him out wherever you buy music.

Marc Scibilia

The next singer was Marc Scibilia, whom I'd heard of but not yet had the opportunity to listen to.  He brought so much energy to the stage that photographs were all but impossible.  He's currently from Nashville with roots in upstate New York, much like Gavin.  He was also really good and I downloaded some of his music as well.  See links to both Marc and Jason below.

This is one of my favorite by-products of buying tickets to see/hear bands I like:  discovering new or new-to-me music and expanding my music library and experience.  It's how I heard Rachel Platten (at Andy Grammar before she was famous) and Michael Franti (who was huge but I'd not heard of him) and Oh Honey who were, in my opinion, more interesting than the band they opened for.  It's how I discovered the smooth voice of Javier Colon (because I didn't watch The Voice back when he'd won it), Jaida Dreyer, Andrew McMann and so many more. It's amazing to me how music just keeps on giving.

So the first hour plus was wonderful and I knew it could only get better.  The lighting for the show was a bit off.  Only those in the center of the stage were lit and Jason Adamo's band was big so several members played completely in the dark on the right and left.  We were standing on the right side of the stage and I had the feeling that bassist James Cruz and drummer, Mike Baker would be unseen between the sun having gone down and the poor lighting.  I could only hope that Gavin would cover the stage as he usually does and the follow spot would get his band members once in a while.

When he took the stage, I felt every nerve relax.  Nothing in my life has quite the same effect as this man and his music.  Every worry, anxiety, every ache is replaced by pure happiness.  We'd heard he might be under the weather, but you'd never have known.  And even though the temperature had dropped considerably, between the warmth of Gavin's performance and the warmth returned by the crowd, I was completely unaware of how cold it really was.  It was a familiar set list ... something of a combination of his opening set for Shania Twain last year with some selections from the Europe run of last fall and other favorites.  He did cover the stage as I'd known he would and so there were occasional clear sightings of band members.  The sound from the unusually large number of speakers was almost numbing in the front row but I like that.  When the bass and drums can be felt in my chest and the music overtakes every other sound in the crowd, it's like I'm completely one with the music.  I know this is so for other live music fans, no matter the band or genre.  The live music feeling, especially at or near the front, is like no other.

I was secretly hoping for a new song.  It's been well advertised that Gavin is working on a new album and I've been privileged to be at world premier music twice in the past.  But this was not to be the case this time and I'm content to patiently wait for finished product, hopefully some time in the Fall.

I know a lot of people are excited to hear their favorite songs.  But I don't have a favorite.  The magic (or genius) of Gavin's music for me is that every song has a meaning for me.  And I never get tired of any of them.  There's not one that I "skip" when listening at home or in the car.  So as song after song rolls on, I fall deeper and deeper into my cocoon of joy--barely aware of the thousands of people around me.  I take far fewer pictures these days than I used to do.  But I still take some, and by some, I mean quite a lot; but no where near the hundreds that used to be my norm.  I'm much more focused on enjoying the therapy that hearing Gavin perform live affords me.  Because that's what this has come to mean.  I am reset, rebooted, realigned--whatever metaphor works--after hearing Gavin in concert.

The encores and curtain call signal the end.  Gavin uses this opportunity to reintroduce the band and thank his fans and those who were in attendance for the first time.  He's very appreciative of his public support always.

Afterwards, we lingered to speak with friends and take a couple of pictures.  We meandered around a bit before noticing that Gavin had come out to greet the crowd.  As he walked up and down the barrier he gave his full attention to each person he spoke with.  He took pictures with whomever asked and had a mini surprise reunion with a former neighbor from his childhood.  I'm always in awe of his ability to make a person feel like the only one in the area when he's speaking to you even though there are hundreds of people around.  It's a gift I wish I had; I'm working on it.  That ability to give a person your full attention and concentration.  It's truly a gift.  I can hear him saying "Thank you for that," "I appreciate that," and the other phrases he murmurs to people in these crowds.  He hugs some; high fives others.  He is generally this generous with his time until venue management or his tour manager pull him away as was the case on this night.

I had concert afterglow as we walked the chilly two blocks back to the hotel.  The bar was barely open when we got back but we managed to have a round of drinks, a small group of new and old friends.  Then upstairs to reminisce and catch up with some of my first internet friends for a while.  I had a hard time falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning.  There was so much to reflect on and so much adrenaline, but I willed myself to get some rest, knowing the 10-hour drive was coming soon.  Breakfast was leisurely but soon we were back on the road.  With music to propel us north and much to talk about, future concerts to dream about, the drive passed quickly again.  Although we did get hung up on the east side of the DC beltway, I think we navigated our southern road trip rather well.  We're ready for more adventures.  On the road again.  In 139 days.  Not that I'm counting ...


The Jason Adamo Band ~ Raleigh Nights
Marc Scibilia ~ Jericho
Gavin DeGraw ~ Leading Man

Photo by Phyllis.