Tuesday, September 26, 2006

2,000 MILES TO TEA AND THEATER

My brother Marc wrote his account of our roadtrip from Florida to NYC then to Boston
and back to NYC with The Who!


Memorable moments in Boston and NYC!

Not in any such order or continuity...

-On the road again! Drove from South Florida again.Mike,Rob and
myself.
We leave at 9:30am on Sept. 13th and arrive into NYC (after a 7 hour
stop over in Maryland) at around 2:30pm on Sept. 14th. Back in the
New York groove.

We meet up with Joyce & Meg at the Union Square Inn Hotel in the East
Village, which is close to where Joe's Pub is.

More on the Joe's Pub show under the NYC section below.


BOSTON-


The day after Joe's Pub show - Joyce,Meg,Oz,& Eddie Ryan join the
three of us and ride to Boston.

Joyce checks us into the Hilton Hotel

Scott Pilam arrives from Logan Airport and joins us.

A night off hanging out in beautiful Boston - mainly at the Quincy
Market area - the day before the show.Met some great fans.

- We meet the amazing Ryan brothers on this off night. The "other" Ed
and John from SLC,Utah.Some of the most amazing stories ever heard!
Swimming with Roger! That one was the best. Forrest Who Gump moments.
We hung out at CHEERS and in front of the Black Rose bar just having
a great time in a happening college town on a weekend night and the
weather was perfect.Charles from Denver showed up! I didn't expect to
see you that night - so what a surprise. And Charles brought his
daughter for her first Who show.How great is that! Another brother
tandem that go to shows together.They were impressed with some of our
Who "meetings" stories.But theirs were the tops of all time!

Show day arrives on September 16th.

Preshow at the Harps bar across from the arena.We arrived there about
5pm.I couldn't believe how many recognizeable faces showed up in
Boston.Was happy to see Jeff House show up after there was some
initial doubt he would.Glad you could make it to the show.

-Mike and Rob talking live on a popular Boston rock radio station
(100.7 WZLX) before the Boston show at Harps was one of the best
moments of the trip!! A station DJ (the popular Chuck Nolan) was
there with his crew promoting the radion station & the show with a
great preshow party, which included a 2nd row giveaway contest.The
bar was packed from the front to the back.The DJ came up to
Mike,Rob,and I with a microphone. Mike explains how we drove from
Miami to Boston & NYC and how we've done this many times.Mike
explains how he was told by his boss that he cannot miss work for the
next 6 months when he gets back.The DJ laughed.Rob injected some
funny comments, the funniest being something like "We are so
committed, that we all should be committed". Meaning to a mental
health facility for our insanity of driving so far to see THE WHO.
Insanity is fun, if that's the way's it's done!

Hours later at a concession stand inside the arena,
I overhear these parents who were with their kids talking about how
they drove from D.C. I proceeded to tell them how we drove from
Miami. They said to me with excitement in their voices: "Was that you
on the radio telling that driving story from Miami"?! .And I pointed
at Mike and said "yes,there he is"! Along with Rob, it was their 2
minutes of Boston radio fame! The couple bursted out laughing and
high fiving Mike & I! lol.What a small Who world! It's a small who
world after all!

- At the Boston show (4th row on Pino's side), Pino was playing for
Scott Pilam,Ozzie,Mike and I after he spotted all four of us cheering
him on, bowing to him,etc. As Ozzie said earlier in a post - Pino
turned right at us - and played for just a us. He did so for more
than a few moments! It was a hilight for sure. Pino had a huge smile
on his face and appeared so very appreciative of our
attention.Likewise!

-The energy of both the band and the audience - together - was
unbelievable in Boston.I could not stop looking around at the whole
audience reaction from the top levels on down to the floor
area.LISTENING TO YOU....I GET EXCITEMENT AT YOUR FEET!!

-The new songs are the hilight for me and alot of us.The miniopera
and "Black Widow Eyes" are my favorites.
I didn't learn what "Tea & Theatre" was about until literally after
the final msg show was over.I look foward to listening and feeling
that song at the next show (Sunrise) knowing the lyrics a little
better.I still need to sit down and listen to this one and absorb the
words. Now starting to realize that this new WHO CD/ALBUM will end up
being a classic..for the music and the emotional content.They are
turning out being perfect for the stage, at least to my ears and
several others I have spoken to about them.

-Pete's massive spit shower spray in Boston, as he crouched down to
machine gun down some of you who were sitting over there.No one who
was over there could confirm to me that they had received some "Pete
stains". I believe he showered the back of a security dude.Gunned
down in a hail of fog nozzled venomous drool!!Hahahahahahaha!!
That punk attitude at age 61..it remains.That is what I love about
Pete.The passion,compassion,the anger,the love, the energy...it's all
still there! Lisa & Ron & Brian Lynch will get the Fog nozzle
reference.

After the show we ended up at CHEERS again (since Harps became a
dance club after 9pm) with much of the same crowd, including another
raucous and fun night with the Ryan brothers and their stories.

Back at the hotel ---

-Mike was having a mildly intoxicated related problem of not being
able to slide the hotel key into the door slot successfully (at
around 3am).Ozzie then held the door shut to frustrate Mike even more
(we hear Mike screaming "the light on the door knob is turning
green...wtf!?"- I think he figured it out by then - but why won't
the door open?).I video'd the whole funny incident! Oz let's go of
the door and Mike falls against & thru the door Three Stooges style
and tumbles over the bed once he made it into the room! lol!!! Of
course, Mike embellished the prop fall but it was all good and fun!

- Someone called Guest Services asking if they could speak to
Mr.Hilton."We need more towels,food,and the services of Miss Paris
Hilton please"? Rob, did you make that call???
What happens in Hilton, stays in Hilton.

-Oz's elderly woman impression when Rob was on the phone with his Mom
in the hotel room was funny as heck. Rob's Mom kept asking Rob who
the lady in the room was that she was hearing in the background. Rob
comes back with "Mom,that's my friend Ozzie". It seemed to tie in a
little with Mike's funny impression of Leon from the movie "Dog Day
Afternoon". Another classic moment of the boys being boys.Or was it
the Leon's being the Leon's?But how sweet was this.We sang happy
birthday to Rob's Mom , who is one sweet lady.

- I can't quit you!!!!!! Funniest quote of the whole trip - just in
the sense of the context of how it was being said and why! Ozzie and
then Rob, both going on and on with this.Basically a message for
master Pete! We all may have thought about trying but Pete can't quit
us either.Get the joke? Get the message?!




NYC -

-Started in NYC for the Joe's Pub show.A line formed for the 6pm door
opening.That is where we met many of our familiar Who friends for the
first time.

Pete Townshend walks thru the front dooor & brushes Mike on the
way in (Mike was just getting thru the door after presenting his
ticket).Pete says "excuse me" and looks Mike right in the eyes and
Mike says "hello Pete",and then Pete says "hello" back - with this
warm smile on his face.
I was ahead of Mike and Pete had pushed his way past me
but I didn't know it was him at the time since I saw him from the
back.It wasn't until Mike told me he was shouting at me to get my
attention, but it was too loud in there to hear him.In hindsight, I
did recall that the gentleman was Pete because I recognized his arse!
I mean his walk.

The show itself was great.Thanks to Joyce,we have a table on the
stage practically.("Give me a drink boy wash my feet")...and that's
what we did for Pete! Rob got Pete stains!! We all got Pete stains!
I loved hearing Pete perform "Blue,Red & Grey", "Greyhound Girl",
and "Let's See Action". But for me, one of the best moments was
hearing Rachel sing my favorite Rachel song, "Happy to be Sad".
It was totally unexpected and her beautiful voice is even better to
hear live.We all loved Floyd Vance and Martha and her horsey
outfit.Both so incredibly talented as well.

Our table was next to George and Duke (I believe they were at the
same table). George looked like a cool mod with his mod-like
sunglasses and the way he dresses.And of course, Sean Duke Cassidy is
THE MOD from SF! And of course Max is THE THE MOD.WE ARE THE MODS,WE
ARE THE MODS, WE ARE WE ARE THE MODS!!!!We also met some fellow bloggers
briefly such as the lovely Sue,Alecia,Sara Beth and Charlotte.What a night!


reat atmosphere's and
locations for both,especially the Affinia.My favorite hotel so far.I
am glad this one didn't have a minibar,fewwwww.Lesson learned.Always
those magical Who moments with you Joyce

- The Stout pre-show parties and meeting all the great Who friends!
Thanks to Jason Hare and whomever else were in charge of the Who
videos on all those big screens.Most of the names we met are
below.The last night, Magik shows up! I finally get drunk with you
Billy,hahaha! A really cool looking bar.Huge place, beautiful place.I
like it better than the Molly Wee's Pub from the past tours.


-First night at MSG...


...there was a ticket fiasco but ALOT of people ended up being in
similar situations.They all got resolved and lessons were learned.I
never sweated any of it...I was "getting on" and enjoying some
preshow pints for a change. You can't change the situation so you
just feel confidant it will all work out - and it all did! It's a sad
reminder of how many people are out there scamming and ripping us
fans off to make a buck.We all wanted to find these guys and do a
clockwork orange on them. George hung out at the box office for hours
trying to make up for all of our losses, thus never getting a chance
to join the preshow party.Thanks for doing that George..and Oz.


The show was great but the overall audience reaction was not.Seemed
to be more corporate types on the floor this first night for some
reason.I still loved the energy from the guys and the new songs
continued to blow me away.There was this one guy to my left who
looked to be around Pete's age wearing a suit, silver hair and
glasses.I decided to high five him and he went for it.Many many
times.The high fives were so stingingly hard from this guy...even in
my numbed-to-a-thumb overdubbed state....my hands were actually sore
for the rest of the night.I could hardly hold my beers.But the iced
down beers helped heal the pain,Hahahahahaha!! If he was one of those
corporate guys...he was one of the true Who fans from the way he was
enjoying the show.He should of gotten his busniess partners arses out
of their chairs though.

The review for this show is short,I know. The Boston show and the 2nd
MSG show was "the" shows for me! But they all were awesome.

- WHO'S NEXT plays at BB King's as part of the AFTER SHOW PARTY and a
big crowd is there for the show.They are "on" as usual.Just great.
After there show, everyone splits their time between Faces and the
Irish pub and than onto a late night diner.



2nd MSG Show -


As mentioned above, the preshow gathering is again at the cool
looking STOUT bar with the Who being played on the big screens again.

-Spending the Who's 2nd Msg show with Joyce,Meg,and Mike..from the
2nd row on Pete's side! Thanks Meg for all you did to get us those
tix.It was great meeting and hanging with you.Will see you again
soon.High fiving you Joyce during a Who show was awesome! I was just
so afraid of spilling my beer on you..I had to be careful not to give
anyone around us a beer shower.What a great view.It was massively
loud , the way I like it. Lauri and us making Who eye contact and Who
fists salutes often during the show.We loved every minute of it.The
MSG crowd this 2nd night was way more into it!

-Just before the lights went down Mike yelled high to Bobby Pridden,
and Bobby turned and smiled and then the lights suddenly went out
and you could see Bobby quickly turn his attention back to his
controller board.What a way to distract the sound engineer Mike,lol.
Just kidding.

-Mike points at some guy in the photo pit at this 2nd msg show and
says to me."That photographer looks just like Jason Hare". And I
agreed.About 10 minutes later I see this stranger's face when he
turns around for a moment and I realize it IS Jason,lol. I tell Mike
this and he says "No, it is not". Finally, Jason turns around again
and this time smiles and waves at us and Mike says "wow,it is Jason".
WOW, you lucky dude Jason!!!!

-We all file out of the Garden and down the corridor when all of a
sudden some sort of version of "LOVE REIGN O'ER ME" occurs.I mean, he
is one of us and does love us all, right? So, then you can say that
his message was one of love.Luckily that LOVE did not reign on us.But
the arc and the smile were all part of the special effects.It was a
beer chest but it was NO beer coming down- that for sure.That for
veddy veddy sure,LOL!!!!! Hate to say it, but it has to be added to
the Who story hall of fame,lol.The security guys could of easily
been "dicks" too.Matter of fact,I think when they brought him
backstage, he thought he was being led to a backstage party -
hahahaha! In a flash, you were already sitting in Faces and Names on
your third drink? How did you do it? lol.

-Roger's voice to me sounds just great despite some negative
thoughts from others (but just a few and we all have our own
opinions).I just think that in the mix of it all, you really can't
hear the off notes.You can on the DVD's at times which is
natural.It's all part of a natural progression, but it's still all
progressed well if you ask me .At his age with six million screams
under his belt, we and Roger himself are lucky he's singing at
all.Pete's windmills & spitfire strumming,chording,& overall playing
is more ferocious than ever. Not too many leaps but the "few" leaps
he does have been coming at unexpected times and he's doing more of
the scissor kicks facing the audience than I've seen before, which
has been surprisingly cool. Fewer jumps, but placed at precise
times..makes it just as special than ever before.The
singing,playing,energy,enjoyment,etc from the whole band has just
been incredible.

The last night, we spend most of the night at Faces and Names hanging
with everyone...including Simon and Bobby Pridden.A cool way to end
this trip.

We put in our share of time at the Irish Pub for old times sakes
these past several days too.

Loved hanging with THE Eddie Ryan,Lauri,Mason,Lauren,Steph, Sara &
Tommy,GG, Jason Hare, Diane & Bob, Seth,Brian Lynch,Kevin's from
Maine and Vermont,Rick from Maine,Barry,Alan, Charles and his
daughter,the McMullen's, Brian Cady,Keets, Duke, Barry,Jeff
W.,Cynthia,Bill Canell and his brother,the rest of the band.George L.
and Mark Fintz, Sheridan, Matt,Lisa & Ron, Happy Jack,Joe L., Jeff
House, Max the Mod (great having you hang out in a room a bit!),Scott
Schrade,Magik and so on! I know names have been left out,there were
so many friends there. I mean, we all know the Faces & Names! We all
missed you TRISH!!!

p.s.- Thank you to everyone who took pictures.Joyce,George,Ozzie,Mike
and so on.So far I have seen some great ones from George! Looking
foward to see many many more!