Concert Diaries: The Holiday Chapter

I'm big on measuring the passage of time by the seasons and I don't necessarily mean spring, summer, fall, winter.  In my head I still see things through that liturgical seasonal lens that became ingrained in me when I directed children's programming at a church.  Those seasons are what many people call holidays along with those segments of time that connect them.  That lens is layered with my personal seasons ... the season of youth, of marrying, divorcing, single parenting, this season of finding my life and enjoying  it.

The "holiday" season, or for me, Advent/Christmas has so many aspects that are important to me and help to both punctuate the year and open the next chapter that I consider it the most important time in my life.  Years ago Advent would have been filled with children's activities at church with the obligatory culminating Christmas pageant.  Christmas was completely family time with people gathering from several corners of the world.

A couple of years ago my life became more completely my own (grown children don't need me as much these days and I have one job instead of two).  I discovered the extraordinary musician, Gavin DeGraw and a whole new world opened up.  I've written about it many times in this space.  The music provided the impetus I needed to get on the path to healthier (in every sense) living.  His songs enabled me to dream again.  And the connections I made with other fans have enriched my life in innumerable ways.

Each of the last three years I've seen Gavin perform at least twice in December.  A headlining show, every year at The Paramount Theater in Huntington, Long Island and one or two radio shows whether in New York or elsewhere like Connecticut or Massachusetts.  Each of these shows have been shared with the friends I've made at concerts or through Twitter.  "The Paramount shows," as we call them, in particular attract fans from far and wide and feel like some sort of annual gathering of the clan as we meet up in New York, take pictures with "the tree" (Rockefeller Center's famous icon), eat, drink and make merry.  Then we all head out to Long Island and stand in line for hours and hours in order to get to the coveted front row.

This year a few of my friends are staying with me for a 4-day round of music and merry-making.  Our agenda for Wednesday through Saturday consists of seeing Gavin DeGraw at the Beacon Theater on Wednesday night (one of several guests at Fresh 102.7's Holiday Jam), the annual gathering at the the Paramount Theater on Long Island on Thursday, a little R&R on Friday and a day in the the City on Saturday with an Ernie Halter show at the Rockwood Music Hall on Saturday.

Brenda and I drive into New York around noonish on Wednesday.  Phyllis and Victoria will meet us closer to showtime.  It's a rainy slushy yucky sort of day and I'm immediately thrown off when there is no parking at Port Authority.  Finding parking in New York on matinee day in December wasn't something that I'd figured into the plan but after a couple (panicky) trips around several blocks we happened on a 24-hour lot (which turned out to be a wonderful thing--more later) not too far away, still in midtown.

We make our way to Bryant Park, our third Christmastime visit there and head for Celsius, the pop-up restaurant that has returned to our great delight.  Delicious lunch followed by shopping and then a walk up Fifth Avenue to Rockefeller Center help pass the afternoon until concert time.  We visit St. Patrick's Cathedral and Grand Central Station before walking back to Port Authority to pick up Victoria.  Hailing a cab proved a nightmare but eventually we managed to get our ride uptown to the beautiful Beacon Theater.  A quick dinner and then time to head over to the show.  We met up with Teri and Jen, two more of our friends from out of town.  Phyllis arrives just in time.

Brenda and I have seats in the balconey for this show.  Usually we're much closer but this allowed us a different perspective and was a good way to appreciate the lovely interior of the Beacon.  American Authors was the first band to play and I thought they were fantastic.  High energy and incorporating some drum circle aspects, they were entertaining while their musicality was impressive.  Echosmith sang next.  Four really young siblings with a hit single currently playing on radio, I was less excited about seeing them--until they brought Train's Pat Monahan out to join them for a song.

Not used to being this far away...

Gavin DeGraw performed third.  Thank goodness all around me finally got on their feet.  It's impossible for me sit when Gavin is on stage.  Even for a shorter set like these radio shows often turn out to be--the energy is high and I cannot remain still.  As expected, he was lovely as always and gave us the perfect mix of newer songs and his greatest hits.  Having not seen him since August, I could feel his unique voice replenishing whatever that tank is that I have acquired that depends on him for the special fuel that gets me through ... everything.  It was over too fast--much too fast.

Joey DeGraw, The Bitter End

We'd found out a day or two earlier that Gavin's brother Joey DeGraw was going to perform again at The Bitter End tonight.  So we bailed out of the rest of the show (Daughtry--oh well--and Train--that was a hard decision) to head down to the Village for Joey.  We were joined by our friend Kim and Jen and Teri opted out of the radio show too.  Joey's set was comprised of many of my favorites from his catalog and a surprise guest--Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors.  We stayed until closing, chatting with the performers afterwards for a while.

It was after 1 AM when we retrieved the car and nearly 3:30 when we got back home.  Snacking and a drink while we talked over the evening and then some sleep just as the sun was rising.  And then we set out to do it all again.

The trip to Long Island should have taken about an hour and a half but we met a delay of about an hour due to an accident.  I'm a planner and I get stressed when the plan doesn't work according to plan ... The Paramount is not a seated show so to insure front row you need to line up early.  Each year we've been getting there earlier and earlier.  I needn't have worried--there were only five people in front of us when we got there--with about five hours of waiting ahead of us; five really cold hours.  The oddest thing about this annual frigid feet experience is that although we're completely frozen by the time the doors open, we pass the time so amiably in line (this year nearly 5 hours) ... catching up with each other and making new friends, taking pictures and going for food ... it goes by really quickly.  At least it does for me.  Jen and Teri are already there.  Soon we were joined by more fan friends from Long Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  There we were from Denver to Buffalo to Long Island--this year's gathering at the Paramount.

The Paramount is a pretty small venue actually.  But when the doors open, there is still territory to be covered and territory to be claimed.  Once inside, there is the bottleneck while we are bracelet-ed by venue staff.  Then a race up the stairs on either the right or the left.  This is where you need to know where you want to land in front of the stage.  Right stairs to land on the bass/drums side.  Left stairs to be near the guitarist and keys.  A lucky few will land right in the middle (like I did last year).  This year I'm on the right, the James side, as we say.

Having attained the coveted front row--all of us--we settled in for the last hour of waiting.  The opening act was Gavin's brother Joey who we'd just seen the previous night.  He and his band sounded even better in this bigger venue.  The set was tight and exciting and too short.  I'd have loved more.  I think everyone would have--the audience was very appreciative of his talent.

I love being this close (i.e., nothing between me and the stage) for Gavin's shows.  You cannot see the whole band altogether this way; that's the trade-off.  But the immediacy and the ability to close out the rest of the room and become totally immersed in the moment and the music is more than worth it.  Gavin covers the whole stage when he performs and doesn't stay in one place too long--except for at his his piano.  We are all this close tonight ... spread across the front of the stage.

From the opening Leading Man through all of his biggest hits and more recent tunes like Heartbreak and Finest Hour, it was an evening of music that we love like no other.  Unlike last year, the crowd was mostly respectful; there was no pushing around us, no (well, not much) screaming in our ears.  It was a joy to hear the reprise of U2's Where the Streets Have No Name that leads into Everything Will Change.  He gives such an emotionally charged performance of each of these and Everything Will Change has meant so much to me so it's always a thrill to hear it live.  I remember being in the audience the first time he sang it for "out" for the first time--another magical day.  He brought back Who's Gonna Save Us too.  Another beautiful song that gives me a chill every time I see him perform it.  The encores tonight were the newest single, Fire, and as always, Not Over You.  Not over yet--that's what I was thinking.  Please don't let this be over yet.

Michael Baker - high energy.

But it was.  We hung around for a while, chatting with the friends we knew we wouldn't be seeing for a while.  There were a couple of group photos and then down the street for a drink.  We didn't linger too long at the bar and soon were on the road for home.  It was yet another late night.  We dropped Victoria off at her house since she had to work later that day.  I think we got home around 2 or 3 AM after fruitlessly searching my neighborhood for an all-night diner.  There are 5 within minutes of my house and not one was open.  We settled for Dunkin Donuts egg sandwiches--not quite the same but we hadn't eaten since 2 PM so we settled.

Friday was time for some much needed R&R.  Sleeping in, a little mall madness, driving around to see the local crazy light shows and a Christmas movie filled the day.  Good times and laughter in abundance made for some lovely memories.  Again, I'm acutely aware of these blessings in the form of friendships that have come my way through Gavin DeGraw and his music.

Santas at the ATM

Carousel, Bryant Park

On Saturday we headed back into New York, this time by bus.  We met Victoria at Port Authority and headed over to Macy's to see the windows.  It was the day of the annual "Santa Con" in the City.  All types and manner of Santas and elves filled Manhattan.  We saw hundreds.  The windows at Macy's were lovely as was the lunch we had.  There was a 3-hour wait to see the real Santa Claus so we opted out of that experience and headed back to Bryant Park to walk around.  We enjoyed the best hot chocolate that I'd ever experienced before heading up to Rockefeller Center for a look at the tree.  It's glorious in the evening light and we lingered there in the massive crowd for a long time.  The rink was crowded with skaters including a couple who shared a special moment with the world when the young man got down on one knee in the center of the ice.  There was a loud cheer as she apparently said yes. We wandered through midtown a little longer before returning Victoria to the bus.

Ernie Halter at the Rockwood
(Photo courtesy of Brenda Emerson)

Phyllis and Brenda and I had tickets to see Ernie Halter on the lower east side at the Rockwood Music Hall.  We finally found our diner opportunity at the corner of Houston and Allen where the food was wonderful.  Ernie was at Stage 3 of the Rockwood (my least favorite room there) but he was his usual honest, earnest self, bouncing between songs he'd planned to sing and taking requests from the audience.  More friends from my twitter circle were there and it was so nice to see them in person.  It was another fun night of live music in the company of good friends.  Perfect combination.

It was hard to say good bye on Sunday as real life and reality began to creep back in.  Our brief New York music vacation was over.  It had been four days of reminiscing over past concerts, renewing friendships and strengthening others, great food and the best music we know.  The backdrop of New York at Christmas made it seem like a dream.  And I will dream of it again ... until next year.

Set List, Paramount 2014

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 ...

Walk Journals: The Winter Walks

Making Tracks ...

Not so many walks this winter--weather and road conditions have been less than cooperative.  I've lost track of the number of snowstorms we've had but we've used six snowdays at school this year so there's six right there.  We stayed open during a couple snowy days and there was at least one snowy weekend.  I've had to content myself with shoveling for my workouts.  As it turns out, shoveling is counted as an activity in my Weight Watchers app (10 minutes of shoveling equals 1 point) so the hours spent clearing away light fluffy flakes, water-laden slush and shards of ice have counted for something (besides aching muscles).

But ... a few days were above 22 degrees (my bottom threshold for spending a couple hours outside) or were dry enough or had a brilliant sun that lured me out to see what my world had to offer.  

And there was plenty to see and admire and wonder about.  The Rockaway River was spectacular locked in ice in January.  With many consecutive days failing to reach over ten degrees, she had frozen in several places from shore to shore, pushing ice over the banks and encasing everything in her path in a glassy coating.  The January sunsets cast an orange and pink glow in the winter sky that failed to warm despite the flushed hues.  But they do bear the promise of warmer times to come.  These days before the huge snows were such a gift.  The paths in the parks were still passable and sidewalks were clear.



 There were a couple of nice days that allowed for walking across the highway to Indian Lake. 

It's always been amazing to me how the days really do grow longer after December 21.  I mean, I know they do but in the depths of winter, it sometimes feels like it's never going to get light again.  But every minute of light counts and the slightly longer daylit days of January also speak of the promise of spring--and allow for longer walks making visiting the lake a real possibility.  Once upon a time, there was a New Year's Day skating party on this lake (we lived a block from the little beach at the time).  The lake was frozen clear across and the day was brilliant.  I remember we skated limbo-fashion under this bridge, the entrance to Lenape Island, a tiny miniature island with maybe a dozen homes where I'd dearly love to live.  We skated for hours and hours that day.  It's one of my fondest memories of our little cottage by the lake.

Where the water from Indian Lake spills over a little dam into a lagoon, the water wasn't frozen.  These swans were captivating.  This is the first time I've seen swans in the dead of winter.  We have several different pairs that stop by in October for a few weeks on their route to their winter homes in the south and then return for a few weeks, usually in March, on their way north again.  Perhaps I've never been in the right place or maybe this is the first time a few stuck around for a New Jersey winter.

This sign has been on Franklin Road near the little beach bridge for quite a while now.  Whatever road work the town has been doing here seems to be stalled and I can't help but thinking that is a metaphor for this winter.  With all the snow and ice, there've been no end to the bumps and slow going.  Or maybe it's a metaphor for those rough, icy patches in life.  Some of the winter walks have been like that ... 

Slip sliding ...

and it's all night.*

We all have our bumps in the road and icy patches that cause us to slip and slide.  This is why I love these walks so much:  they often cause me to reflect on the evident connections that are to be made between the walking and the living, between the sights I see and the memories they trigger, between the ups and downs, the rough and the smooth going--it's obvious, I know, but that whole "journey" idea has been bubbling close to the surface the last year or two.

Before the snow got too deep, walks to the pond were possible too.  Lately, even the sidewalks that far up the road have been impassable but a few weeks ago, if I set out early enough I could make it up that far before sunset.  The pond seems so plain in this state ... no sturdy lily pads, no waving grasses, no ducks, geese, dragonflies or frogs jumping out of the danger of my footfalls.  But there is a sort of forlorn beauty in the starkness of the bare trees, the dark reflections and the encroaching ice.  

I keep thinking I need some new places to walk.  I've walked these roads and paths so often, photographed the river, the lake, the pond from almost every angle and in all types of light.  But the truth is, I love these places and visiting them in every season, in all types of weather, on sunny days and dreary ones--it all recharges me.  They're my places and are important parts of that more recent journey of the past couple of years.  I will find some new places to walk but these local spots--they'll always be my favorites.

~~~

*if you've read these pages before, you'd have guessed this is a Gavin DeGraw lyric and you'd be right:  Leading Man

Winter playlist, eclectic sampling:

Hot Chelle Rae - Don't Say Goodnight
Pharrell Williams - Happy (or if you have 24 hours to spare ... 24 hours of Happy,) 
Joey DeGraw - Miracle of the Mind