A Tale of 3 Cities: Philadelphia, PA
 

OK--Tracy and I meet up at around 11 to go to the train station for our three hour trip to Philadelphia.
The train was seriously overbooked. For the most part, we had fun. Tracy pulled out her notebook and we were going over the set list trying to remember certain things about the show. Toward the end of the trip, though, it was so crowded that people were standing and conductors were getting pissy. We were very happy to get off the train.

So, we check into the lovely Hilton at Penn's Landing. Had a great view of the water. Just beautiful. At 4:30, we were picked up by blackcat. We got to see some photos of the concerts she had attended and chat a bit while we were looking for a restaurant. Well, Mapquest gave bad directions and the address we were looking for did not exist. So, after a little detour, we got ahold of SilverGirl and got good directions and we were in the restaurant. Now, I'm sure the food was great but I had very little of it. I was just too nervous before the show.

We got to the venue, witnessed a run-in with the law (apparently, selling your own ticket at face value is against the law--which is ridiculous. You want to know what's against the law? Charging idiotic service charges when ticketmaster does squat--that's what's against the law). Anyway, aside from being appalled at the near-injustice, everything did work out well but it was a bit ridiculous and I mention it in case any of you guys have a spare ticket. Don't sell it near the venue!

We went inside and there were a couple of pissy guys there who were annoyed with the front row politics (there are some, by the way). Anyway, they got over it. And this time, Tracy joined me right up in front. She was in front row in Bridgeport but she stood back a little. This time, she leaned on the stage as well. I was pretty much back in the same spot--by that teleprompter thing.

The crowd was much more rambunctious (AKA drunk) than Bridgeport. Even the guy next to me had piled up about 4 drinks on the stage and some of them fell over--and Lindsey must have spotted it at some point because that's a place where he usually steps down and lets the audience play his guitar and he skipped that one and went over to the side. So, they shot themselves in their own foot because that guy was a huge Lindsey fan who was yelling for him/at him all night and he didn't have the opportunity to interact with him because he treated the sacred stage as a coffee table.

Let me think--highlights, highlights. I seem to remember one thing from this show. Hmmmm...there must have been something else happening.

Ah, okay. I think it was right toward the beginning that we looked to our right and saw this metal stair thing that leads to the stage and LeeLee and Will were there. Both had these headphones on (huge, massive things) and they seemed to be playing something together. Will is on the quiet side. Lee Lee is more into what's happening around her. Both are cute as a baby button. Will left after a while and the next time I noticed LeeLee, the headphones were off and she was kind of lying on the stair with her hand cupping her cheek and watching the show. I watched her several times during the night and she seemed to be most excited over Gold Dust Woman. Thinking WAY back to being 3, I think the sparkly shawl might be what gets her--but you never know. She definitely seemed like a massive Stevie fan in the making. I think that was the last time I saw her before she went back to the hotel or wherever they go. It was a big kick seeing them. It really was.

There was a little girl that was standing to my left and both Lindsey and Stevie interacted with her--giving her little waves and smiles. Stevie autographed a tour book for her later.

When they announced the tour and the set list (or after the first concert when the set list was posted) there were songs I thought should have been removed. I officially rescind my stupid comments because they are all great. Landslide was one of the songs I thought was overplayed and should go but there is just something about seeing it live. I just remember standing there looking up at them and feeling so happy to be there-watching it live. And Silver Springs. Wow. That was another that I had kind of wanted to stay in a certain time and space and thought might be inappropriate now. Well, no. It's not. It's powerful and incredible to witness. And I gotta tell you, when Stevie turns her mic to face Lindsey toward the end, I get a little scared for him!

I did not hear the spontaneous speech in the first concert. So, I cracked up when I heard it at Philly. Mick's World Turning solo on this one also had me hysterical and this time, I had Tracy joining in. It was fun watching Lindsey sit on the stage watching us (as an audience) and watching Mick. But, seriously, I do love World Turning a lot more than Not That Funny which I not only did not love--I hated. It's just that that vest thing--it puts Mick close into Michael-Jackson crotch grabbing territory and that's just scary.

Say Goodbye was great--sound-wise probably one of the best versions--but this guy behind me insisted on singing along with Lindsey--LOUDLY. And he was so off-key it was ridiculous. I could have cried because what Stevie and Lindsey were doing was so perfect and this guy really messed it up (for me, probably no one else, but I take personal offense at anyone messing with this song:-)

Did you know that Stevie only puts on her two diamond rings at the very end of the show? Last song. Yes, indeedy. Store that in your supply of useless info.

The Tower--scuze me, Goodbye Baby--was lovely.

OK--I'm stalling.
The end of the concert is upon us and I just decide to be bold. I'm not a bold person. Anyway, Lindsey is coming around and I just plop my hand on top of the teleprompter. He shakes the hand of the person to the left of me, and shakes the hand of the person to the right of me and mine is just up there (I'm making it sound like a disembodied element). So, I'm thinking--I really should just withdraw my hand and pretend I'm not mortally insulted, when I just decide to keep it there (he was still in my section signing an autograph). He finishes and shakes my hand. Nice, warm hand. Not noticably callused or anything;-) I was thrilled. Made my concert. Oh, and he shook Tracy's hand WAY before mine. Without any hesitation at all. He has a thing for her, you know. I still say that in the five versions of Come I've witnessed, he wagged his finger at her the longest of any I've seen during the AC show. Tracy and only Tracy. Farrah is my witness. Yup. That's a fact.

And then the concert was over. We met up with blackcat (thank you for being our escort time and again, Ms. BC!), Mo (who is hysterically funny), and Torri (after saying byebye to SilverGirl, her sister and Travis--who we only got to see for a very short while this time) and we all went to a bar for a bit to talk the concerts over and spend a bit more time together. And then it was goodbye to everyone. Tracy and I said byebye in the elevator (we didn't get rooms on the same floor this time). I was leaving before the crack of dawn the next morning and she followed shortly thereafter.

I've done concerts alone but it is so much nicer to go with friends. It's great to turn around and point something out to someone who gets it and Tracy and I seem to have the same warped sense of humor--so, we had a blast. She was joking (!) that it was the last time I'd see her but she better get her butt up here again. I'm working on first row for LEG 3 as we speak;-) Friendship is the major fringe benefit to this FM obsession. No doubt about it.

MSG after a little while. I need to do some Lindsey finger-exercises.