Miles of Smiles~ Philadelphia, Connecticut, Gavin DeGraw (A SummerFun Chapter)

Friday morning.  Two days of roads trips.  More anticipation.  More exhilaration.  The #SummerFun14 tour is hanging around the East Coast for a couple of weeks.

Tonight's show is in Philadelphia.  I can't think when the last time I visited Philly was.  It may have been a Girl Scout trip with my first troop--so maybe twelve years ago.  And we're not really going to see much of the city--or really any at all.  A hotel room and a concert venue on the outskirts of town.  That's all.  But it is enough.

So I drove south to Phyllis's house and she got us the rest of the way to Philadelphia.  We were both still on that proverbial concert high from Wednesday's Central Park show and adventure in the Village that followed.  We checked in, relaxed for a minute and, because this was a seated show (therefore no need to wait in line), went in search of dinner.   Then on to the Mann Center to meet up with lots more friends, this time from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, New York (our Buffalo area girls again!) and Maryland.  Most of us had front row tickets because the concert karma for this show was unprecedented.  Some had meet and greets tonight so I grabbed a beer and found my oh-so-close-to-the-stage seat, silently blessing my friend for inviting me on this trip.

That Other Day I Was Spontaneous ~ Joey DeGraw at The Bitter End

Sometimes, you can get a cab right away in New York.  Sometimes, you have to work for it.  After the concert at Central Park's SummerStage, it wasn't that easy.  But with the number of people pouring out of the Park at the same time, it was no wonder.  Eventually, the four of us piled into the cab that stopped and for some of us, it was the first time we'd sat down in about 7 hours.  When a New York City cab feels that comfortable, you know you're a little tired.

We'd just seen Andrew McMahon, Matt Nathanson and Gavin DeGraw play to a sold out audience on a beautiful summer evening. We'd waited in line since noon for the 6 PM concert to be assured of the front row.  We were riding that well-known post concert high and now were on our way to The Bitter End for more because no one wanted this night to be over just yet.  Joey DeGraw was holding another "open rehearsal" tonight and although it would be tight making our connections to buses and trains, we decided we had to go.  Phyllis and I had had a good time last week listening to Joey and I wasn't sure when I'd have this chance again.  

Gavin DeGraw in Central Park (A SummerFun Chapter)

At first I was impatient.  When the dates were announced for the summer tour--#SummerTour14--I didn't think I'd last until August, when my local shows were scheduled.  But as it turns out, the anticipation has been half the fun.  Reading posts, checking out pictures, watching videos from friends who have been attending concerts all summer long has been almost nightly fun.  I think I've known a couple of people at least at every show.  I'll be seeing Gavin along with Matt Nathanson, who is co-headlining this tour, and Andrew McMahon, who opens for them, a few times over the next two and a half weeks.  I can't wait for the adventures to begin but I dread the moment the last song is sung.

photo credit @jbjlover86

The SummerStage in Central Park is the first concert on my schedule.  I'm meeting friends from as far away as California, Pittsburgh and Buffalo along with those of us in the greater New York/New Jersey area.  The NJ contingent met at the Port Authority having arrived by car, bus and train. The SummerStage was an easy cab ride away and it was just after noon when we arrived at the gate to the venue.  Five hours to go until the gates would open.  Six hours until showtime.  There were 11 people ahead of us.  Mission accomplished.  Front row secured.  

That Day I Was Spontaneous ... Joey DeGraw, Finally

I'm not very spontaneous.  It doesn't run in our family.  We're planners.  So last Thursday was sort of an anomaly for me. 

I'd known that Joey DeGraw was going to sing at The Bitter End last Thursday for while.  It's just that the show was so late and I report to work rather early in the morning, I'd put it out of my head--it didn't seem practical.  And yet, the thought sort of lingered there.

Thursday dawned a typical day.  I had lots to do so I set an early alarm and got in several miles before work.  Hair appointment after work and dinner date with some good friends and colleagues were all on the calendar.  Midway through the morning I couldn't resist the voice in the back of my mind any longer.  I really wanted to hear Joey perform live.  I'd been looking forward to it for a while and didn't know when I'd have this chance again.  And so I began trolling in Facebook for an intrepid late-night fellow music lover ...