Paula's Pittsburgh Experiences & Pics

skcin · #1 06-12-2005, 08:01 PM

I am in the process of uploading the pics I took, at the same time going through all the threads here. I think I'm caught up, in the Stevie forum anyway, so I'll post my review, opinions, random thoughts & other useless information.

First of all, we left Buffalo WAY late. I wanted to leave by 1pm at the latest, we ended up racing out of here around 2:40pm. Thank God Ryan (a close friend of mine for the last 10 years or so) drives fast. We were making really great time until the torrential downpours came.

I was so nervous we wouldn't make it. It rained on & off for the last hour of our 3&1/2 hour drive. Oh, and it was at least 85 degrees with unbearable humidity. During the trip, Brian (liquidblue5000) calls me to report he was stuck in NYC traffic for hours & is now way behind & may not make the show on time.

We pull into the hotel around 6:20pm & I see a boy in a black tank shirt on sitting in a car in the lot - CURTY (ontheedgeof17 for those of you who don't know him, if that's possible!)

We find a parking spot, give hugs & unload our crap from the cars. We go to the lobby, soaking wet, I almost broke my ankle cuz my sandals are slippery when wet (heehee.) Another hotel guest is being made to feel stupid by the hotel desk bitch cuz she can't find her room. I hand them my charge, sign the receipt & the hotel bitch says "Just how many people are staying in your room?" I look at the other 2 people standing at the desk next to me & say "Umm, 3." DER! She says "Well your rate will be higher. It's going to go up to $74.95." I said "OK, I'm think we can handle it."

She hands me the key & says nothing. I say "how do we get to our room?" She says "Go out the door, walk around the building..." I go "It's pouring out - is there no way to out room from inside?" She tells us to go down a hall which ends up leading OUTSIDE ANYWAY. Jerkass.

This ****hole has outside corridors, like a balcony, so we're stepping over all these hillbillies who seem to be living at the Ramada. They had their chairs on the balcony (again, which is also the hall to our room), grills, you name it. Every room had AC, yet several very unattractive people had their doors propped open, which gave us a great view of them laying in bed eating & watching TV.

We are afraid, so we run to the room. It is hideously outdated, but clean. I immediately throw the semen-infested (remember that Dateline?) bedspreads on the floor. We have a few drinks & blast Stevie tunes (see Curtis' review for details of our little pre-party.) Ryan is getting ready & taking forever (typical homo

) At about 7:15, we jet out of there. Brian calls again - he is about 50 miles away (we all think.) We devise a plan to leave his ticket at Willcall if needed. We get stuck in some traffic, but not for long. We finally reach the venue at about 8:20 & I hear Juliana Ray. I am ecstatic that we have time to spare. Brian calls & says "I'm here, I'm parking my car!" He finds us & we all go in - Paula & her 3 fags of Rhiannon.

Con't...

bikerchic · #2 06-12-2005, 08:06 PM

More please

GardenStateGirlie · #3 06-12-2005, 08:07 PM

Too bad you guys didn't bring the blacklight with you. Instead of watching Stevie Nicks and Don Henley, you could see bacteria rapidly multiplying

Can't wait for the pictures. I hear you got yourself THE HOODIE (JEALOUS)!*@)

skcin · #4 06-12-2005, 08:24 PM

So Friday the website for Post Gazette Pavilion says "non-professional cameras allowed." Curtis checked Sat & it was changed to "no cameras." So I hide mine in the lining of my purse.

They glance into it as I walk through the gate - yeah, great security. We go to the merchandise & Curtis gets his pink hoodie after breathlessly asking "what's the largest size you have for the pink hoodie?": He puts it on. The hillbillies who have never seen a gay guy before seem confused.

I know this is the norm. I buy the pink hoodie & coffee mug. It comes to $65. Ryan can't get the gray hoodie sweatshirt, they say they are all out. He is depressed.

Don comes on & starts "Genie" & we go to find our seats. They make us turn back & get wrist bands. Brian & I are 5th row, 12 seats in, in front of the girls. Ry & Curtis are 5th row, 12 seats in in front of Waddy.

I really like Don solo, always have. Genie was good. I thought he was much more interactive than people have mentioned. He still sings with his eyes shut a lot, doesn't intro his band, but generally seemed pretty happy & into the show. He wiped his brow several times - it was REALLY hot & humid. I start to worry about Stevie's asthma....

Witchy Woman - Don's falsetto is spot on. It seems he has lost very little range over the years, if any.

Spell - good tune, good crowd reaction. I am too busy getting my camera ready to pay much attention though.

Hotel CA - It starts, I start rolling on my little Kodak 4.1 megapixel digital. Stevie comes out, the crowd roars. I try to get the pants, but some broad's head keeps getting in my way - I kind of got them. I keep pretending to hit the shutter so they don't know I'm geting it on vid. They get through the "pink champagne on ice" line. As she's singing the "of our own device" line, security points at me & tells me to put the camera away. I look at the others in front of me snapping away on cameras & camera phones & shrug. He shakes his head. I put it away.

Paula busted by security #1 I end up with about 3&1/2 minutes of this on film.

NY Minute - love this song, love Stevie on it, love their harmony.

Last Worthless - another fave of mine, good job Stevie!

Boys of Summer - by far, my fave Don tune & one of my all-time favortie songs ever. I love this song. Reminds me of when I was younger. I am excited & start dancing

*I will mention here that for Don, the crowd was good. They did sit for some of his set, but they were really into him. Our section was decent, no probs standing up for us. Poor Curtis*

Heart of the matter - again, I love this song.

Dirty Laundry - never been a fan, but it was good.

Did he so Sunset Grill? I though he did? Maybe I'm thinking of listening to his greatest hits earlier that day? Crap.

Life in the Fast Lane - Awesome.

All She wants to do is dance - I despise this song. I get up & dance a little & sing along while rolling my eyes. Brian sings me a verse of "Party All the Time" by Edie Murphy after I tell him that's what it reminds me of.

End of the Innocence - very touching

Desperado - who doesn't like this song. It was amazing. He held the last "let somebody love yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooou" for hours.

Con't....

skcin · #5 06-12-2005, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikerchic

More please

Patience, beyotch.

GardenStateGirlie · #6 06-12-2005, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

Patience, beyotch.

Patience is a virtue neither of us haaave. Type faster, ho!

ontheEdgeof17 · #7 06-12-2005, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

Heart of the matter - again, I love this song.

OMG. I got chills when he sang "Forgiveness"....and the whole crowd responded back with "Forgiveness." Whew! Goosebumps just thinking about it!

skcin · #8 06-12-2005, 08:51 PM

Intermission: So Brian & I scope out the Edge rush situation. We are 12 seats in, but the row in front of us has about 3 less seats, the row in front of them 3 less seats, etc. So we just need to squeeze around 8 people or so. We debate going to the bathroom during B&tB but quickly ditch that idea. We decide to escape right after giving her a standing ovation after B&tB. Brian has his recording equip in his shirt pocket, which he plans to leave on his chair. I comment on how the people around us are into the show & not talking through songs & that the recording should turn out good. He leaves to talk to his friend Anthony. I see Ryan go to pee. I hope he gets back in time for the Dreams remix - he doesn't but he did find the gray hoodie at another kiosk.

*forgot to mention Curtis' other shirt. I have titled it "Gayest. Shirt. Ever." Pics soon. So amateurish, I can't believe they're selling it along with the others.*

Bootylicious - I dance. It's the law.

Dreams remix - can't wait until this comes out. Just awesome.

OTR - She's very into this. Looks happy. Went nuts on the "tellmeisthereanyoneinthiswholewideworldthatcouldeverreplaceme"

It's about this point that a drunk lady runs up to the row behind us & says to us "you two look like you're having a great time!" I say "yeah, we are." She slurs "ya know, it's my birthday today!" I say "Happy birthday." and quickly turn around to avoid her. She proceeds to sing loudly to the next few songs. Someone makes her go back to her seat, and the guy behind me goes "Jesus, I hope they don't let her back down here. She's crazy." or something to that effect. I hope this is on the boot. It is pretty funny.

Dreams - nice. little vocal differences that only we would notice. did the hula at the beginning - so CUTE!

Rhiannon - the unicorns are gone - Praise Jesus. Good, rockin version. I sneak some pics.

Enchanted - I don't hate this song, I don't love it. I'm glad it's an upbeat song. I sing along. I dance.

GDW - Don come out in the black shirt with red embroidery. Sings the opening line & they trade lines the rest of the time. I crouch behind the people standing in front of me & sneak more pics. I am liking this more & more - esp. their harmonies on the song. Stevie slowly spinning around while Don sings. She did the "can you see me know..." They slow dance at the end.

Circle Dance - as requested, I start to record this on vid. I am sitting down (so was most everyone else.) I have the camera down at chest level & I keep peeking down at my screen to make sure I have them in frame. I see a gold blob & assume that's Stevie. I will find out eventually (about 1&1/2 minutes in) that it's actually half of Stevie & that the chick's head in front of me was blocking Don. I readjust & get the entire song with no problem. BTW - this song is gorgeous, heartbreaking. Their voices together on this are very special

Stand Back - this song will NEVER disappoint me live. Never. Pumps me up big time. She spins 10 times, she was really whipping the shawl around (different then the spinning ends from LIB - more like a punching motion.) I miss the high kick by a nanosecond.

B&tB - Gorgeous, but nothing compared to Tues in Vegas. She did not hold the "if you know tell her, tell her now, aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh." She went a bit lower at the end. The heat was still pretty oppressive at this point, so it may have been hard for her to breathe. We stand, give the ocation & Brain grabs my arm to rush for Edge.

Con't...

skcin · #9 06-12-2005, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GardenStateGirlie

Patience is a virtue neither of us haaave. Type faster, ho!

That's IT! No pink hoodie pic for you!

JK

ontheEdgeof17 · #10 06-12-2005, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skcin

*forgot to mention Curtis' other shirt. I have titled it "Gayest. Shirt. Ever." Pics soon. So amateurish, I can't believe they're selling it along with the others.*

I didn't know it was a Hane's shirt from Dollar General.

I will wear with PRIDE....and at Blossom.