TMBG at the Crystal Ballroom
I found out a while ago that They Might Be Giants would be in playing at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland this week. I tried to get a good group together but in the end it was just Chris, Bo and I that went.
We planned to leave early so we could walk around downtown for a bit before the actual concert. I had hoped it would also help us get a good parking spot. On top of that I had located an Everyday Music store across the street and Powell's was down the street. So I knew we would have something to do. :)
We picked up Chris around 5pm and headed out down the road. I wished that my MP3 player worked well enough to take with me so we could listen to TMBG on the way down. As it turned out we didn't need it, Chris and I had more than enough to talk about (Bo too, but not as much). :)
As we got closer to Portland Chris suggested that we part at the Lloyd center for free and take the Max to the concert location. I was very tempted but since it would have required more time to figured out which max to take and travel time I decided to just go with my original idea. There were two parking garage's near the ballroom so I figured we would go with one of those. I knew it would cost some money but I budgeted for that.
I started off by taking the wrong street (I took Couch instead of Burnside) when I got off the freeway. It worked out to our benefit because we didn't have to fight the Burnside traffic and I found a perfect parking spot right behind the Crystal Ballroom! :D I might have parked on the street too but I didn't want to try driving all over to look for a good parking spot. -_-
We parked and paid for the spot then walked off down to Burnside. Chris had a place he wanted to go but first I wanted to head into Everyday Music. I had made a list of things to look for since I never remember what I need when I'm in a music store. I managed to pick up just about everything on the list too. I couldn't find Blue Murder or Owl City but that's ok. :) I got No Doubt, Train, Bad Religion and Creed. Chris also found two CDs.
After spending money there we headed up the street. Chris wanted to go to Whole foods to try and get some Cigarettes. Just before we turend the corner to the store I noticed that there was a small convenience store on the corner one street in the other direction. I figured that would have a better chance of having what he really wanted. He agreed that it was a better choice and we headed that way. I went in the store initially but decided ultimately to wait outside since there wasn't anything inside I wanted and Bo and I were just getting in the way of customers. Once Chris has his cigarettes we headed back out towards Powell's this time.
We went back down to Burnside and continued walking up the street. As we walked we looked around for places to eat. We saw a number of good ideas and kept them in mind. About half way to the bookstore Chris asked if we were going to eat first or go into Powell's. I wanted to hit the bookstore first since I only had a couple of things to find. He was afraid he would end up buying something. :)
We headed into the store and I was quickly lost. The downtown Powell's is so big it's easy to get lost. Chris tried to help but didn't know anything about the books I was looking for (all for my kids). We guessed that they would be in young adult though and headed in that direction. We managed to find one for my daughter and then had to ask about the one for my son (which we also eventually found). It actually didn't take long, all in all, to find the books and we were back out on the street in a short time.
Once we were all outside I remembered finally that I needed to call my sister Karen and so I took that moment to try calling her. First I found that her cell phone number had changed and had to call Ingrid to find out what the new one was. Then I didn't get a hold of her and had to leave a message on her phone.
Then I turned back to Chris and Bo and asked where they wanted to go. We had walked about a block away from Powell's back towards the Crystal Ballroom and Chris pointed right behind me and said that he wanted to go there. I looked behind me and it was a restaurant that had caught my eye on the way past the first time. I couldn't stop looking in the windows as we passed. The food looked good and the general look of the place was beautiful. I was surprised when Chris suggested it and I was more than willing to check it out. :D
The place is called Henry's 12th Street Tavern. The name is a little misleading because this place was gorgeous inside. I was already looking forward to what the menu would hold, both for drinks and for food. :) The hostess sat us right away and before I had a chance to choose Chris put his coat on one of the chairs and headed to the restroom. It's a LONG story but he put his coat where I would have preferred to sit. I don't like the booths and didn't want to sit on the isle. So when Chris left the hostess suggested that I just move his jacket but don't tell him that she said it. Hehe. Of course Chris noticed right away and I gave the waitress full blame. Hehe :D It was all in good fun though and Chris didn't mind moving. ^_^ So Chris sat to my left and Bo in front of me.
Once we were all seated we started to look over the menu. I was having a hard time deciding what I wanted since there was so much good stuff on it. The options were varied and included a number of different types of food. Chris asked if I wanted to split the check or not. I had already planned to pay for all of dinner so I said no. After consulting the waiter I opted for the Alaskan Cod in Panko crums. :D I also got the Spinach Artichoke dip to share. Bo went with the Beer Cheese soup and Chris was still undecided. He wanted either the Blue Cheese burger or steak. I know that steak is his absolute favorite thing to eat and this was a night to enjoy so I encouraged him to get the steak. When the waiter came to the table he was still not sure and I just kept saying that he wanted the steak until Chris agreed. :D
The waiter then took our drink orders. Bo got the Strawberry Lemonade and Chris chose a beer off the menu. I knew that I wanted something hard but I didn't know what to get. I looked to Chris since he's been the one choosing drinks for me and he suggested a Mojito. The waiter suggested it with Pomegranate and I was up for that. :) The drinks came out right away and I tried mine. I have to say that it was REALLY good. It was very nicely mixed and there was very little alcohol taste (which is what has always turned me off to drinks). It came with fresh mint as well. I had Chris try it to get his opinion and he gave it a thumbs up too. I also had Bo try it so he could see what we were talking about. :)
I decided it was my turn to head to the restroom. I noticed on my way there that the bar had one of those wheel chair lifts like the Kennedy School Boiler room Bar. :) I found a ring in the restroom that someone had left behind and when I headed back toward the table I dropped it off at the hostess counter.
When I got back the appetizer had arrived and I found the guys already digging in. They both gave it a thumbs up so I was interested all that much more. :D They were right, not only was the dip good but the bread served with it was awesome! :D It was slightly fried and had parmesan on it. I could have probably just eaten the bread but that would be leaving out second best part (the dip). :)
Our food came out shortly after we had finished the appetizer. Mine looked awesome and I was even more impressed when I tried it. Words can't describe how good it was. :) Bo said he loved the Beer Cheese soup too. :) Chris was excited about his steak and kept talking about how good it was. He cleaned up the plate completely so I know it was good. :) I shared my coleslaw with Bo as well as my fries because there was really a lot on my plate. ^_^
I ended up getting a second Mojito because the first one was so good that I couldn't stop drinking it. However I hadn't eaten at all since noon when I got the first one. That didn't bode well and I was feeling light headed already by the time I finished it. The second drink wasn't as good as the first one either. It had a more pronounced alcohol taste to it. Chris was ready for a second drink and the waiter suggested a Russian pale ale on the menu which intrigued Chris so he went for it. Chris seemed as in love with the drink as I was with the first Mojito. :D He took his time drinking it and even offered a tasted to Bo and I. I found it bitter but that's apparently what a Pale ale is like (I would prefer amber ale if I was to drink any).
We finished up dinner and I was definitely feeling good by the end of the second mojito. I decided that was it for alcohol for the night because I didn't want to be drunk for the concert. I got the bill from the waiter and was trying to figured out the tip when Chris spied the total. He was a little upset that I was taking care of the whole thing but I insisted again and he helped me figure the tip (my head wasn't clear enough to calculate it. Hehe). With the tip the total came out to exactly $100 even. :) That's a bit of money but well worth it for the food, ambiance and service. ^_^
As we walked out I noticed business cards at the counter and took two (one for me and one for Chris). Chris was excited to bring his friend Ben back there sometime and thanked me for the card commenting that getting one was a good idea.
From there we headed back to the car to drop off the books and CDs. It was just about time for the doors to open so we wanted to get into line. AS we got back to the car we noticed that there was a line already back to the parking lot. I got the tickets out and we quickly got in line. Chris took this moment to smoke his last cigarette before the concert and I tried to keep my balance but holding on to Bo (and I only had two drinks 9_9).
The line started moving not long after that and we got inside fairly quickly. The concert was on the top floor so we headed all the way up to the top to find out what we would be doing. First stop for me at the top was to pick up The Else. I have had the music since it came out but I didn't own my own copy and that was my goal for the concert. I actually wanted the Concert T when I got there but didn't have the $5 extra dollars in cash to get it. :( Chris bought a concert t for himself (the 8 bit one) and we looked around to decide where to situate ourselves. Chris was disappointed that the seats along the wall were already taken. He has a bad back due to surgery and a back injury and standing for hours wasn't very appealing. I also have lower back problems but no where near as bad as his.
One interesting thing about the location was that they had the room divided into two sections (21 plus and those not drinking). Sadly the people on the not drinking section got right up to the stage. Since Chris wasn't excited about being too close to the speakers anyway we opted for the 21 plus side. I took this time to head to the restroom before the concert. I had to head downstairs for that but returned quickly.
I caught up with Bo and Chris and we found a good place along the dividing wall. Chris was worried about what kind of pain standing that long might cause him and I suggested more than once that he sit on the floor until the concert started but he was stubborn. 9_9 I even joked that we could always have Bo sit on the floor for him to sit on. We all laughed about that. :)
At 9pm the concert started with the opening band called The Guggenheim Groto. I was surprised by them and really enjoyed their music. They have a somewhat Simon and Garfunkle sound only Irish. Hehe There are better ways to describe the music but that's all I have right now. :) I knew I would be picking up a cd after the show. ^_^ They played for 45 minutes and I enjoyed all the songs they played.
The next 15 minutes were spent resetting the stage for TMBG. Chris was really starting to feel the pain and I again told him to sit on the floor but he kept trying to tough it out. There wasn't anything I could do. *sigh*
At 10pm the band we all came to see finally came out on stage. :) The concert was nothing short of awesome. They started by making jokes about the great dividing isle in the crowd. They commented that it was great to be back in Berlin! (which I thought was hilarious). Then they joked that hey were going to try and see if they could figured out who had fake ideas (which side). :D Ultimately they decided it was because the two sides were fighting and we couldn't resolve our differences. Hehe
They also plugged the opening band pointing out that the CDs were for sale at the merchandise booth and that they needed the gas money because it was a long way back to Ireland. Hehe :)
About 15 minutes into the concert I decided to get out my cell phone and attempt to take pictures. I kept giving it back to Bo only to ask for it back again and ultimately just kept the phone. I didn't know if the pictures would turn out but they would be better than none at all. ^_^
I found that I was starting to hurt from standing and leaned on Bo periodically for help. Chris wasn't faring so well but managed by changing how he leaned against the barricade wall every so often. It didn't help that the lady in front of him kept backing into him and leaving a giant gap in front of her. -_-
They only shot off the confetti cannon once, which was kind of disappointing but still fun to see all the same. :D There was one point there they talked about winning the Grammy award and how they didn't believe it until the check cleared. Then John F. joked that he had better not see that on You Tube. Hehe (so I made a mental note to look for it later ^_^)
One of the more interesting thing about the venue is the earthquake ready floor (at least that's usually the reason for such a bouncy floor). The band recognized this and used it as an excuse to get people to jump more which was surreal to feel the whole floor move. It didn't take much either because the drums would vibrate it and so would simple stomping. ^_^ It was definitely an interesting part of the concert.
TMBG came back out for both encores as anybody there would have expected. Fans love the band so much there would be no doubt. ^_^ Speaking of fans there were a number of interesting people in the crowd. One guy who basically jumped and flailed to every song and another who held a lighter to just about every song. I even saw a conga line at one point. ^_^ It was great to be around so many people who loved the group thought. ^_^
The concert finally ended at midnight and the band played a number of my favorite songs including "Birdhouse in Your Soul", "Whistling in the Dark". "Istanbul", "We Live in a Dump", and "The Mesopotamians" :D What surprised me was for the last song they played "Fingertips"…. All of it! That was definitely an interesting choice for a concert! Hehe.
At the end of the concert John F. mentioned that they had 8000 bumper stickers and that they were going to use the center isle to hand them out to people in the crowd. That made our choice to stand along the barrier all that much better. ^_^ I got a number of pictures of John handing out the bumper stickers and he even recognized us when we tried to get more than one from him. Hehe. ^_^
After that we headed back over to the other side of the room to get some of the confetti from the cannon (since it didn't reach to where we were). I took a moment to look out the giant windows that line one side of the room and see the view down on the street. ^_^ Chris took the moment to finally sit down.
I then headed to the merchandise table and picked up the two CDs for The Guggenheim Grotto and to my pleasant surprised the band was there signing them too. So I got both CDs signed. ^_^ They even had a little fun with it and drew arrows to each of them in one of the pictures they signed. Hehe. :) I signed up for their mailing list as well and hope to hear news of new albums and concerts. :D
After that we headed out. Chris went outside to get in another smoke and I headed to the restroom before we left. I caught up with the guys outside and we stood out there to rest a while. We were in part hoping to catch a glimps of the band since the tour bus was right there. Chris recognized the guy who had played the sax during the concert and I got a few pictures of him. It wasn't long after that though that two people stepped off the bus. My eyes went wide when I saw it because I wasn't sure if I was seeing correctly. John Linell stepped off the bus, stood there for a while wondering if anyone recognized him no doubt) and then walked down the street to a van, put his computer bag in the back and rode off. Since I had my camera phone out I snapped a picture of him putting his stuff in the back of the van. I wasn't sure I was right about who it was so I didn't say anything to the guys. I also didn't want to bother him by pointing him out when he was clearly trying to be stealthy and leave quietly.
What did amuse me though was the couple standing on the corner between the bus and the van. The guy quipped that he had hoped to see the Johns. The security guy on front of him laughed and asked if realized that one of them had just passed by him and left in the van. I was excited because I was right! :D The guy on the corner hadn't even noticed! ^_^ My picture of the scene isn't that great but still it's a picture!
After that we decided it was time to head out. We all started walking back towards the van and I had to apologize to Chris. He doesn't walk at a very fast pace because of his back injury and I just started blazing towards the car without thinking. So I stopped myself and turned around to wait for him (apologize for not thinking about it sooner).
When we got to the car Chris was dying for some water and I just happened to pull out my bottle of water at that moment so I shared with him. We also decided to stop somewhere on the way home to pick up another bottle for him. One of the reason I decided to have a drink with dinner was that I knew I wouldn't be driving home. So when it came time to decide who would ride where I gave up the front seat to Chris so he could sit comfortably on the way home while Bo drove. I got out the pillow and blanket and set up in the back seat. I helped Bo get on to 405 (which was not even a block from the Crystal Ballroom) and then attempted to sleep.
Bo stopped at Jantzen Beach Chevron to allow Chris to get more water but otherwise it was straight home. I woke up just as we were coming up to Chris' apartment. I got out of the car and got his stuff out of the trunk for him. I gave him a hug and thanked him for coming along with us. I then got in the car to head home.
Bo was so anxious that he just took off the minute I was buckled up. I pointed out that perhaps he should wait to make sure Chris got inside ok and Bo apologized for not thinking about it. Bo continued to drive off slowly and I watched in the mirror to make sure Chris got inside before we continued on home.
I gathered what I could carry and headed inside and straight to bed. I was tired and knew that tomorrow I would be sore and paying for staying up late. Still I didn't care because it was an AWESOME night!! :) I can't wait to go again and next time I will be dragging everyone like it or not! :D
We planned to leave early so we could walk around downtown for a bit before the actual concert. I had hoped it would also help us get a good parking spot. On top of that I had located an Everyday Music store across the street and Powell's was down the street. So I knew we would have something to do. :)
We picked up Chris around 5pm and headed out down the road. I wished that my MP3 player worked well enough to take with me so we could listen to TMBG on the way down. As it turned out we didn't need it, Chris and I had more than enough to talk about (Bo too, but not as much). :)
As we got closer to Portland Chris suggested that we part at the Lloyd center for free and take the Max to the concert location. I was very tempted but since it would have required more time to figured out which max to take and travel time I decided to just go with my original idea. There were two parking garage's near the ballroom so I figured we would go with one of those. I knew it would cost some money but I budgeted for that.
I started off by taking the wrong street (I took Couch instead of Burnside) when I got off the freeway. It worked out to our benefit because we didn't have to fight the Burnside traffic and I found a perfect parking spot right behind the Crystal Ballroom! :D I might have parked on the street too but I didn't want to try driving all over to look for a good parking spot. -_-
We parked and paid for the spot then walked off down to Burnside. Chris had a place he wanted to go but first I wanted to head into Everyday Music. I had made a list of things to look for since I never remember what I need when I'm in a music store. I managed to pick up just about everything on the list too. I couldn't find Blue Murder or Owl City but that's ok. :) I got No Doubt, Train, Bad Religion and Creed. Chris also found two CDs.
After spending money there we headed up the street. Chris wanted to go to Whole foods to try and get some Cigarettes. Just before we turend the corner to the store I noticed that there was a small convenience store on the corner one street in the other direction. I figured that would have a better chance of having what he really wanted. He agreed that it was a better choice and we headed that way. I went in the store initially but decided ultimately to wait outside since there wasn't anything inside I wanted and Bo and I were just getting in the way of customers. Once Chris has his cigarettes we headed back out towards Powell's this time.
We went back down to Burnside and continued walking up the street. As we walked we looked around for places to eat. We saw a number of good ideas and kept them in mind. About half way to the bookstore Chris asked if we were going to eat first or go into Powell's. I wanted to hit the bookstore first since I only had a couple of things to find. He was afraid he would end up buying something. :)
We headed into the store and I was quickly lost. The downtown Powell's is so big it's easy to get lost. Chris tried to help but didn't know anything about the books I was looking for (all for my kids). We guessed that they would be in young adult though and headed in that direction. We managed to find one for my daughter and then had to ask about the one for my son (which we also eventually found). It actually didn't take long, all in all, to find the books and we were back out on the street in a short time.
Once we were all outside I remembered finally that I needed to call my sister Karen and so I took that moment to try calling her. First I found that her cell phone number had changed and had to call Ingrid to find out what the new one was. Then I didn't get a hold of her and had to leave a message on her phone.
Then I turned back to Chris and Bo and asked where they wanted to go. We had walked about a block away from Powell's back towards the Crystal Ballroom and Chris pointed right behind me and said that he wanted to go there. I looked behind me and it was a restaurant that had caught my eye on the way past the first time. I couldn't stop looking in the windows as we passed. The food looked good and the general look of the place was beautiful. I was surprised when Chris suggested it and I was more than willing to check it out. :D
The place is called Henry's 12th Street Tavern. The name is a little misleading because this place was gorgeous inside. I was already looking forward to what the menu would hold, both for drinks and for food. :) The hostess sat us right away and before I had a chance to choose Chris put his coat on one of the chairs and headed to the restroom. It's a LONG story but he put his coat where I would have preferred to sit. I don't like the booths and didn't want to sit on the isle. So when Chris left the hostess suggested that I just move his jacket but don't tell him that she said it. Hehe. Of course Chris noticed right away and I gave the waitress full blame. Hehe :D It was all in good fun though and Chris didn't mind moving. ^_^ So Chris sat to my left and Bo in front of me.
Once we were all seated we started to look over the menu. I was having a hard time deciding what I wanted since there was so much good stuff on it. The options were varied and included a number of different types of food. Chris asked if I wanted to split the check or not. I had already planned to pay for all of dinner so I said no. After consulting the waiter I opted for the Alaskan Cod in Panko crums. :D I also got the Spinach Artichoke dip to share. Bo went with the Beer Cheese soup and Chris was still undecided. He wanted either the Blue Cheese burger or steak. I know that steak is his absolute favorite thing to eat and this was a night to enjoy so I encouraged him to get the steak. When the waiter came to the table he was still not sure and I just kept saying that he wanted the steak until Chris agreed. :D
The waiter then took our drink orders. Bo got the Strawberry Lemonade and Chris chose a beer off the menu. I knew that I wanted something hard but I didn't know what to get. I looked to Chris since he's been the one choosing drinks for me and he suggested a Mojito. The waiter suggested it with Pomegranate and I was up for that. :) The drinks came out right away and I tried mine. I have to say that it was REALLY good. It was very nicely mixed and there was very little alcohol taste (which is what has always turned me off to drinks). It came with fresh mint as well. I had Chris try it to get his opinion and he gave it a thumbs up too. I also had Bo try it so he could see what we were talking about. :)
I decided it was my turn to head to the restroom. I noticed on my way there that the bar had one of those wheel chair lifts like the Kennedy School Boiler room Bar. :) I found a ring in the restroom that someone had left behind and when I headed back toward the table I dropped it off at the hostess counter.
When I got back the appetizer had arrived and I found the guys already digging in. They both gave it a thumbs up so I was interested all that much more. :D They were right, not only was the dip good but the bread served with it was awesome! :D It was slightly fried and had parmesan on it. I could have probably just eaten the bread but that would be leaving out second best part (the dip). :)
Our food came out shortly after we had finished the appetizer. Mine looked awesome and I was even more impressed when I tried it. Words can't describe how good it was. :) Bo said he loved the Beer Cheese soup too. :) Chris was excited about his steak and kept talking about how good it was. He cleaned up the plate completely so I know it was good. :) I shared my coleslaw with Bo as well as my fries because there was really a lot on my plate. ^_^
I ended up getting a second Mojito because the first one was so good that I couldn't stop drinking it. However I hadn't eaten at all since noon when I got the first one. That didn't bode well and I was feeling light headed already by the time I finished it. The second drink wasn't as good as the first one either. It had a more pronounced alcohol taste to it. Chris was ready for a second drink and the waiter suggested a Russian pale ale on the menu which intrigued Chris so he went for it. Chris seemed as in love with the drink as I was with the first Mojito. :D He took his time drinking it and even offered a tasted to Bo and I. I found it bitter but that's apparently what a Pale ale is like (I would prefer amber ale if I was to drink any).
We finished up dinner and I was definitely feeling good by the end of the second mojito. I decided that was it for alcohol for the night because I didn't want to be drunk for the concert. I got the bill from the waiter and was trying to figured out the tip when Chris spied the total. He was a little upset that I was taking care of the whole thing but I insisted again and he helped me figure the tip (my head wasn't clear enough to calculate it. Hehe). With the tip the total came out to exactly $100 even. :) That's a bit of money but well worth it for the food, ambiance and service. ^_^
As we walked out I noticed business cards at the counter and took two (one for me and one for Chris). Chris was excited to bring his friend Ben back there sometime and thanked me for the card commenting that getting one was a good idea.
From there we headed back to the car to drop off the books and CDs. It was just about time for the doors to open so we wanted to get into line. AS we got back to the car we noticed that there was a line already back to the parking lot. I got the tickets out and we quickly got in line. Chris took this moment to smoke his last cigarette before the concert and I tried to keep my balance but holding on to Bo (and I only had two drinks 9_9).
The line started moving not long after that and we got inside fairly quickly. The concert was on the top floor so we headed all the way up to the top to find out what we would be doing. First stop for me at the top was to pick up The Else. I have had the music since it came out but I didn't own my own copy and that was my goal for the concert. I actually wanted the Concert T when I got there but didn't have the $5 extra dollars in cash to get it. :( Chris bought a concert t for himself (the 8 bit one) and we looked around to decide where to situate ourselves. Chris was disappointed that the seats along the wall were already taken. He has a bad back due to surgery and a back injury and standing for hours wasn't very appealing. I also have lower back problems but no where near as bad as his.
One interesting thing about the location was that they had the room divided into two sections (21 plus and those not drinking). Sadly the people on the not drinking section got right up to the stage. Since Chris wasn't excited about being too close to the speakers anyway we opted for the 21 plus side. I took this time to head to the restroom before the concert. I had to head downstairs for that but returned quickly.
I caught up with Bo and Chris and we found a good place along the dividing wall. Chris was worried about what kind of pain standing that long might cause him and I suggested more than once that he sit on the floor until the concert started but he was stubborn. 9_9 I even joked that we could always have Bo sit on the floor for him to sit on. We all laughed about that. :)
At 9pm the concert started with the opening band called The Guggenheim Groto. I was surprised by them and really enjoyed their music. They have a somewhat Simon and Garfunkle sound only Irish. Hehe There are better ways to describe the music but that's all I have right now. :) I knew I would be picking up a cd after the show. ^_^ They played for 45 minutes and I enjoyed all the songs they played.
The next 15 minutes were spent resetting the stage for TMBG. Chris was really starting to feel the pain and I again told him to sit on the floor but he kept trying to tough it out. There wasn't anything I could do. *sigh*
At 10pm the band we all came to see finally came out on stage. :) The concert was nothing short of awesome. They started by making jokes about the great dividing isle in the crowd. They commented that it was great to be back in Berlin! (which I thought was hilarious). Then they joked that hey were going to try and see if they could figured out who had fake ideas (which side). :D Ultimately they decided it was because the two sides were fighting and we couldn't resolve our differences. Hehe
They also plugged the opening band pointing out that the CDs were for sale at the merchandise booth and that they needed the gas money because it was a long way back to Ireland. Hehe :)
About 15 minutes into the concert I decided to get out my cell phone and attempt to take pictures. I kept giving it back to Bo only to ask for it back again and ultimately just kept the phone. I didn't know if the pictures would turn out but they would be better than none at all. ^_^
I found that I was starting to hurt from standing and leaned on Bo periodically for help. Chris wasn't faring so well but managed by changing how he leaned against the barricade wall every so often. It didn't help that the lady in front of him kept backing into him and leaving a giant gap in front of her. -_-
They only shot off the confetti cannon once, which was kind of disappointing but still fun to see all the same. :D There was one point there they talked about winning the Grammy award and how they didn't believe it until the check cleared. Then John F. joked that he had better not see that on You Tube. Hehe (so I made a mental note to look for it later ^_^)
One of the more interesting thing about the venue is the earthquake ready floor (at least that's usually the reason for such a bouncy floor). The band recognized this and used it as an excuse to get people to jump more which was surreal to feel the whole floor move. It didn't take much either because the drums would vibrate it and so would simple stomping. ^_^ It was definitely an interesting part of the concert.
TMBG came back out for both encores as anybody there would have expected. Fans love the band so much there would be no doubt. ^_^ Speaking of fans there were a number of interesting people in the crowd. One guy who basically jumped and flailed to every song and another who held a lighter to just about every song. I even saw a conga line at one point. ^_^ It was great to be around so many people who loved the group thought. ^_^
The concert finally ended at midnight and the band played a number of my favorite songs including "Birdhouse in Your Soul", "Whistling in the Dark". "Istanbul", "We Live in a Dump", and "The Mesopotamians" :D What surprised me was for the last song they played "Fingertips"…. All of it! That was definitely an interesting choice for a concert! Hehe.
At the end of the concert John F. mentioned that they had 8000 bumper stickers and that they were going to use the center isle to hand them out to people in the crowd. That made our choice to stand along the barrier all that much better. ^_^ I got a number of pictures of John handing out the bumper stickers and he even recognized us when we tried to get more than one from him. Hehe. ^_^
After that we headed back over to the other side of the room to get some of the confetti from the cannon (since it didn't reach to where we were). I took a moment to look out the giant windows that line one side of the room and see the view down on the street. ^_^ Chris took the moment to finally sit down.
I then headed to the merchandise table and picked up the two CDs for The Guggenheim Grotto and to my pleasant surprised the band was there signing them too. So I got both CDs signed. ^_^ They even had a little fun with it and drew arrows to each of them in one of the pictures they signed. Hehe. :) I signed up for their mailing list as well and hope to hear news of new albums and concerts. :D
After that we headed out. Chris went outside to get in another smoke and I headed to the restroom before we left. I caught up with the guys outside and we stood out there to rest a while. We were in part hoping to catch a glimps of the band since the tour bus was right there. Chris recognized the guy who had played the sax during the concert and I got a few pictures of him. It wasn't long after that though that two people stepped off the bus. My eyes went wide when I saw it because I wasn't sure if I was seeing correctly. John Linell stepped off the bus, stood there for a while wondering if anyone recognized him no doubt) and then walked down the street to a van, put his computer bag in the back and rode off. Since I had my camera phone out I snapped a picture of him putting his stuff in the back of the van. I wasn't sure I was right about who it was so I didn't say anything to the guys. I also didn't want to bother him by pointing him out when he was clearly trying to be stealthy and leave quietly.
What did amuse me though was the couple standing on the corner between the bus and the van. The guy quipped that he had hoped to see the Johns. The security guy on front of him laughed and asked if realized that one of them had just passed by him and left in the van. I was excited because I was right! :D The guy on the corner hadn't even noticed! ^_^ My picture of the scene isn't that great but still it's a picture!
After that we decided it was time to head out. We all started walking back towards the van and I had to apologize to Chris. He doesn't walk at a very fast pace because of his back injury and I just started blazing towards the car without thinking. So I stopped myself and turned around to wait for him (apologize for not thinking about it sooner).
When we got to the car Chris was dying for some water and I just happened to pull out my bottle of water at that moment so I shared with him. We also decided to stop somewhere on the way home to pick up another bottle for him. One of the reason I decided to have a drink with dinner was that I knew I wouldn't be driving home. So when it came time to decide who would ride where I gave up the front seat to Chris so he could sit comfortably on the way home while Bo drove. I got out the pillow and blanket and set up in the back seat. I helped Bo get on to 405 (which was not even a block from the Crystal Ballroom) and then attempted to sleep.
Bo stopped at Jantzen Beach Chevron to allow Chris to get more water but otherwise it was straight home. I woke up just as we were coming up to Chris' apartment. I got out of the car and got his stuff out of the trunk for him. I gave him a hug and thanked him for coming along with us. I then got in the car to head home.
Bo was so anxious that he just took off the minute I was buckled up. I pointed out that perhaps he should wait to make sure Chris got inside ok and Bo apologized for not thinking about it. Bo continued to drive off slowly and I watched in the mirror to make sure Chris got inside before we continued on home.
I gathered what I could carry and headed inside and straight to bed. I was tired and knew that tomorrow I would be sore and paying for staying up late. Still I didn't care because it was an AWESOME night!! :) I can't wait to go again and next time I will be dragging everyone like it or not! :D