Concert Diaries Chapter 26 ~ Oh Honey and James Blunt

I won these tickets.  I must have entered this contest a long time ago because I was totally surprised when I opened the email from WPLJ, my favorite radio station (and I'm not just saying that because of the tickets ... I say that because of the fun on-air personalities who work at this station ... really fun, interesting, smart people).  If I'd known what a crazy, busy this week would turn out to be, I probably would not have entered but the live-music addict in me could not turn down concert tickets even though I was out working at something every night this week in addition to "the day job".  It must have been meant to be--Tuesday was my only free night.

The curse (one of the curses?) of being divorced is having no single friends ... so, as I so often do, I flew solo to the Bergen Performing Arts Center.  The seats were pretty good and the theater was nice (although not as nice as my own M-PAC, the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown).  The sparse crowd had me worried at first but little by little the theater filled.  I'd never heard of the opening act, Oh Honey, so I settled in and waited to be surprised.

Concert Diaries Chapter Three ~ WPLJ Summer Blast Off

I'm a short person.  In this crowd, I can see the security guy's buff forearm and the hair of the girl directly in front of me.  Thank goodness for monitors.  But all of this matters not ... I am in the same room as Gavin DeGraw.  And there will soon be music.

It's a different sort of concert.  Scott and Todd, the morning DJ's are live on the radio--and essentially so are we.  Their banter and schtick are pretty well known in the New York area and they're at it this morning like any other morning.  And there is business to be done, commercials to air and weather reports.  The crowd is restless with this and there are piercing shrieks for an appearance from Ed Sheeran way too close to my ears.  The pushing has not stopped either.  You really have to plant yourself in order not to land on the floor.  

iPhone pictures are not the greatest and I was pretty far away
but happy to be there nonetheless.

And then ... that familiar musical intro into Sweeter.  One by one the band members appear on stage ... James Cruz on bass, Ian O'Neill on drums, Eric Kinney the new keyboard player and Billy Norris on guitar.  The musical buildup increases until finally Gavin DeGraw takes the stage and the performance is well and truly launched.  This is so familiar to me now  ... bang, angel, devil, take your body to the other side ... I can do it all ... I know it all and yet I'm not tired of any of it.  I love it -- every note, lyric and gesture, every bit of banter.  Not much "banter" at this show, though, because of the live radio aspect.

After Sweeter, comes, of course, In Love With a Girl and I think, this is just like a real show.  I was expecting only a few songs since there are others performing too.  I wasn't expecting Gavin to go first so I'm a little disappointed about that.  The third selection is one of my favorites, Soldier.  It's one of his too and so appropriate for Memorial Day Weekend.

And then he and the band are gone.  Courtney and I look at each other.  That's it?  The thought crosses my mind for the umpteenth time that I've lost my mind.  Sitting in the cold dark night for three songs that I've experienced many times before.  But wait, Scott and Todd are saying Gavin will be back.  Relief!  It's not over.  

Mark Ballas of Dancing With the Stars is next.  He comes from a musical family and plays guitar and sings.  He has a strong flamenco influence from his dad.  He plays an original song and a couple of covers and I don't remember them ... probably not a good sign for his breakthrough into the music business.  It was his birthday.

More radio business and more Scott and Todd.  We hear that Sara Bareilles is running late and taking a helicopter out of the City.   Sound check and then it's Ed Sheeran's turn.  It's just Ed and his guitar.  He starts with Lego House.  I like Ed Sheeran.  I think he's a good songwriter although so many of his songs seem melancholy and I wonder why a man so young is writing so much sad music.  I can't name the other two songs he did.  Ed's talking in his charming English accent but the crowd is loud ("I love you Ed" and "Marry Me Ed" throughout the room) so I can't hear him.  But I hear two words:  Gavin DeGraw.  It seems he's said he grew up listening to Gavin DeGraw.  I do like Ed Sheeran after all!  And then Scott and Todd are saying they should do a song together.  Gavin comes on stage and there's some consulting done and Gavin does his charming thing and they banter about what to sing.  Ed starts it off: "I don't want to be anything other than what I've been trying to do lately ..."  Wait--they're singing a Gavin DeGraw song?  Together.  And here comes Billy Norris to help them on guitar.  Well, this is exciting.  It's a little bit of a laid-back rendition compared to how I'm used to hearing it live but it's wonderful.  And they transition right into Ed's big hit The A-Team.  Billy keeps going over to Gavin, I think to feed him lines.  I'm not sure Gavin really knows this song.  But again, it's wonderful.  After mutually complimenting each other, Gavin leaves the stage and so does Ed.

The Sheerios begin leaving.  Really?  Didn't you hear that Gavin is coming back?  Don't you want to hear Sara Bareilles sing her new song?  Well, apparently not.  Courtney grabs my arm.  People leaving can mean only one thing:  we're moving on up.  She's good at this.  We're not the only ones with this idea so there's a strategy involved.  Pretty soon, though, we're in a much better position.  

Scott and Todd remind everyone of the reason for Memorial Day.  They invite a corporal from South Jersey to read a letter that either he or someone else had written.  It was hard to hear but the gist was pretty moving.  Then they played Bruce's Born in the USA.  Stand on a pier at the shore, the restored shore, in a crowd that knew how much New Jersey has been through in the last couple of years and play Bruce to them--watch what happens!  I'm sure I wasn't the only teary one.  

We have moved up!

More radio business, thanking the sponsors and then time for Gavin again.  Candy.  I love that song.  I wonder why it wasn't released as a single.  Then the familiar introducing of the band members while singing Thank You which isn't really a song.  It's a giant thank you note to whomever needs to be thanked but always, always the fans and the crowd.  Clearly because it was already on the set list, we got I Don't Want to Be again--but Gavin's live version of it.  Rocking, loud, exciting, emotional, raw.  That was followed by Chariot and finally Not Over You, the current closer.  It was so much like a real show.  He thanked New Jersey and New York, the radio station and the other artists with his ever-ready charm.  Seventh heaven.

Sara Bareilles performed (I have to point out she was in her signature fedora as well) Love Song, another song I wasn't familiar with, a gorgeous, gorgeous cover of Sitting on the Dock of the Bay and then her new single, Brave.  I love this song.  It's really almost an anthem.  She wrote it to encourage a friend who was having trouble coming out but it really applies to anyone who needs to be encouraged to be who they're meant to be, to say what they need to say and live the way that makes sense for them.  I play it a lot.  It's been helping me lately to stay the course of this weight-loss journey.  Now that I'm within sight of my goal (107 off, 10 - 15 more to go), things have slowed down substantially and it's easy to become discouraged.  She tells me to get my brave on and I feel empowered to keep making the right choices:  Exercise, eat right, dance as much as possible.

And then it was over.  9:30 last night until 10 AM this morning; I wished it could go on forever.  But I know I'll relive much of the morning on YouTube.  The videos will be up before I get home.  I'm certain of it.  Courtney left to drive home and pack for her family's vacation.  I walked to the motel to check out of a room I never stayed in.  I brought my bags to the car parked at the boardwalk but I didn't want to go home.  Not yet.  I needed to stay in that cocoon of sheer bliss that I experience after a live encounter with Gavin DeGraw.  It's some sort of high.  And it lasts for days and days in my case.

Walking up Ocean Avenue to the parking lot, I'm surprised to see Justin Schiada walking toward me.  Not nervous this time, I say hello and am incredulous when he responds to me with my twitter name (@GSKath).  That's pretty amazing to me.  We talk about his music for a couple of minutes but he's got a plane to catch back to the west coast.  I appreciate his taking the time to chat so much.

I walked the beach.  Cold and wet, it's still beautiful.  The surf was pounding.  The boardwalk was filled but not crowded and I decided to take myself out to lunch at one of my favorite spots.  But no--Governor Christie was there being interviewed by every media outlet in this state and New York as well.  The shore is open for business and he was promoting it.  Good--it's what we pay him for.  I walked on, taking pictures and musing at how much the Governor gets in my way.  So back to Jenkinson's for fish tacos and then it was time to drive home.  

Because there was another adventure to be had today ... a quick dash to New York for the night.  A fun night, but a little disappointing as the band I was told might play did not.  But the best burger in New York was still the best burger in New York. And the company was great.  Barely making the 1 AM bus, I was home around 2:30.

And I had not slept in 45 hours.

Gavin DeGraw and Ed Sheeran performing I Don't Want to Be and The A-Team

Gavin DeGraw, Not Over You, WPLJ Summer Blast Off, May 24, 2013

Daily Record Coverage - Local paper with ties to the Shore has a nice article, pictures and video.

Concert Diaries Chapter Two ~ Crowd Encounters of a Close Kind

The Pier at Jenkinson's.

After an unbelievably rainy ride down, I find myself on the Boardwalk at Point Pleasant.  Evidence of Hurricane Sandy is everywhere.  Houses in various stages of repair.  Houses up on jacks that are being raised against future storms. Huge sections of boardwalk entirely replaced.  And new things.  I see homes with completed repairs and facelifts.  Spruced up businesses.  It's still the same, though.  Point Pleasant--wide beach, churning surf, family fun, the sea lions and Stingrays in the Aquarium, food everywhere.  I love it here.

I've checked into my motel:  Amethyst's Beach Hotel.  A fifties' throwback, it's U shaped with the rooms opening onto the pool courtyard and the second story balcony.  The kind you see in the movies.  I always need to check things out in advance so off to the boardwalk I go.  I can't believe it but people are lining up for tomorrow's concert already.  It's only 4:30.  There are only about 25 people there though so I'm not worried.  Inside Jenkinson's I order a slice and a diet and ask about the concert.  It turns out it's inside in the bar/club which surprises me--I don't think it's that big.  But no, I'm assured it holds 2000 people.  I'm glad; it's windy and chilly down here with the potential for more rain.

I have to buy a sweatshirt--actually two--because I've realized I did not pack the right clothes for waiting up all night in the cold and damp.  A beach towel too in case I need to sit on the boardwalk.  Also fudge.  Boardwalk fudge is the best.  I may not be prepared in my packing but my midnight snack is taken care of.

Back to the motel to charge electonics and pack a tote bag for the wait.  When I arrive back around 9 PM, there are more people in line and tents.  People have brought tents!  The Sheerios (Ed Sheeran fans) are serious!  (I think I called them sherious in a tweet.)  There's a bench in front of Martels that looks like a good spot and I won't have to sit on the boards.  Soon I'm joined by three young girls dressed not warmly enough in garbage bags.  They are here, of course, for Ed.  Are you? they ask.  No, I reply with an indulgent smile, thinking, isn't it obvious?  Soon they are curled up together, huddled for warmth, like puppies.  They were very sweet.  Not all the Sheerios are so polite.  Lots are running up and down and are loud, attention-seeking girls on a mission:  to be at the front of the venue.

I pass the time reading and scribbling notes on a napkin so I can better remember the things I want to say here.  The surf is really loud and even though the beach is wide and far from where I'm sitting the strong breeze carries sprays of the ocean in my direction once in a while.  I'm a sight ... two hoodies and my camping jacket with the beach towel wrapped around my legs.  The cute dress and sandals I'd packed are out of the question under these circumstances.  Around midnight I break out the fudge:  chocolate caramel with sea salt.  There is no way to calculate weight watchers points for this.

Interns from WPLJ come out from time to time with freebies for the crowd.  Sun glasses and posters and the like.  And they are filming the activity on the boardwalk for their web site.  Lots of the young fans are interviewed.

Lots of people are going in and out of the Tiki Bar at Martels, where I'm sitting.  They go in asking questions of the people camped all around.  They come out loud and boisterous.  I especially enjoyed the guy who gave us a decent rendition of Gavin DeGraw's I Don't Want to Be.  At one point I think I see Justin Schiada, a technician with Gavin's band, go in but I don't have the nerve to say hello.  No nerve to say hello but enough nerve to sit outside in the cold, wet night amongst people forty years younger than me.  I am my own study in contrasts.

I want to conserve my phone battery but I can't resist checking facebook and twitter from time to time.  I felt a little thrill reading DJ Ralphie Aversa's tweet about Gavin's new single.  If the label (RCA) is releasing it to radio stations to preview, that means the actual release is coming soon.  Relatively soon.  After the single drops, the album release will be imminent.  Relatively imminent.  According to "Gavin time." And Ralphie retweets my Sheerios are sherious tweet.  Geez, I'm easily amused.

Around 2 AM the bright lights start going out. The bars are closing and our colorful night lights are extinguished.  Except for the leering neon clown at the Fun House games place.  He and I have been staring at each other all night.  Creepy dude.  There are no stars tonight as it's been overcast all day and night.  It's not raining though, so I'm grateful.  People are sleeping.  Some brought chaise lounges; some are in their tents; on benches and under benches.  The girls behind me are under a tarp on a bench.

Gavin has tweeted a little.  He's at the Ranger game.  I'm on a bench in the cold and he's at the Ranger game.  I should be in therapy.  Wait--this is my therapy.  Around 3:15 or so he tweets Ralphie that he's still in New York.  Really?  You're going on in less than three hours, I think.  And I'm still on this bench!

Courtney arrives around 3:30 so I'm no longer alone nor the only non- tween-to twenty-something on the boardwalk.  Well, I wasn't the only one.  Lots of the Sheerios had parents hanging out.  They sit apart from their kids so as not to embarrass them.

Around 4:00 we hear a thundering noise on the boardwalk.  It's Ed Sheeran fans from the end of the long line (the line had extended past the carnival rides) charging up to the front.  Apparently they are completely unconcerned by the common concert courtesies like respecting the line.  Annoyed, we all join the line and it starts to rain.  I wonder if Ed knows a lot of his young fans are rude.  He seems like a nice guy so I'm sure he'd rather that they behave better.

Every so often the crowd surges forward.  The line gets wider and wider and there is pushing and I think, seriously, you are totally too old for this.  Where I had been about the 105th person in line (the garbage bag girls had counted), there were now hundreds of people in front of us.  The pushing gets a little serious and the thought of being trampled by the Sheerios enters my mind.  Clearly I'm too old for this.

Around 5:30, the doors open and we're in.  No where near the front.  The stay-up-all-night plan is a fail.