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The Irish aren't known for their cooking
I thought I'd explore my Irish roots and delve into traditional Irish fare. What's it take to whip up a batch of skirts and kidneys?I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Click to watch.
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Awesome Ray Davies
I love the Kinks and I always have, so when I heard that Ray Davies was going to play the Riviera Theater in Chicago,  I was there!We were lucky enough to get seats in the first row of the balcony so I didn't have to stand for the whole show. Being only 5 feet tall, [...]
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Live Music for St. Patty's Day
A lot of bars in the area are offering Irish beers and corned beef and cabbage, but here's a list of St. Patrick's Day parties that offer some live music with an Irish twist....Mark Croft at Quaker Steak and Lube, 3-7pm. The local singer songwriter is not known for his Irish folk ditties...but I know he [...]
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Norah Jones at Overture Hall
I've always enjoyed playing Norah Jones on the radio, but I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy an entire evening of her songs.  She's been dubbed "Snorah" by some critics because they think she is boring.When she came out in her little polka dotted dress to the big Overture Hall stage, she looked tiny [...]
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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Most Glaring Omission
I bet you never thought you'd  hear me say an old dead newspaper guy needs to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But that's exactly what I'm advocating.Okay–he started out as a newspaper guy and then started hosting a long-running variety show on CBS. You know the guy who introduced the [...]
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Posted by concertgoers on March 3, 2010

Posted in: Concertgoers

Despite only knowing I had tickets to this show for a couple of weeks, waiting for the show to finally get here seemed like an eternity!  During the days leading up to the concert, I listened to as much John Mayer as I could.  My friend Lisa and I grew more and more anxious for February to end (not just because of Jimmy’s prediction of an early spring!), and we also grew more anxious about what we would wear and say to someone so famous!

Finally… March first was here!  We both got off of work early to head to Milwaukee.  The ride in the car consisted of a lot of great conversation, mostly circling around John Mayer and singing along to his songs as we drove.  When we got downtown, we started off the evening right with no traffic problems and an awesome parking spot!  We ate at a very secret restaurant, disguised as double agents on a mission, and we left to complete our mission through dark, underground tunnels.

Upon arrival at the Bradley Center, we stashed our coats at our fifth-row seats and went to take in the view from the 200- and 300-level seats.  Though nobody was onstage yet, we knew we’d have such an amazing view on the floor!!  We got a few pictures in front of the stage with each other before our 8pm meet-and-greet meeting time “under the stairs of Lobby A on the east side of the building.”  There, we met a group of other excited fans, waiting for their chance to meet the star.  A 16-year-old had tickets for her birthday, several radio personnel from Milwaukee area stations and their local winners were there, as well as a family who seemed to me like the biggest fans of all:  their daughter (I assume) had a scrapbook she made of John Mayer.  I guess thinking of myself as a “big fan” is really just relative…

It seemed like we waited for hours.  Finally, at about 9pm, they took us backstage. We walked into a white, cement hallway with fluorescent lighting, pipes and ducts visible in the ceiling.  A curtain about 100 feet into the hallway separated us from the reason we were there.  Another 30 minutes later, and the commotion started… none other than musical genius John Mayer had come out from the curtained-abyss, ready to sign merchandise and pose for pictures!

The line moved along pretty quickly.  It quickly came our turn:  we were going to MEET John Mayer!!!  :D  Not knowing what we would say or how to act, we walked up to him as he asked our names.  Lisa and I had John sign our ticket stubs and Battle Studies albums:  ”TO MEGAN!  <3 John Mayer,” with a completely-illegible signature, of course.  YESSS!!  John asked us how we would get back into the concert with sharpie all over our tickets.  Our very quick-wittedness ;) came in handy, as we told him we’d just have to have him come let us in if they didn’t let us!  We were beaming upon meeting the celebrity, and we posed for a picture with him, his arms around us, wearing huge smiles for the camera.  It was all over so quickly–probably just a couple of minutes from start to finish, and the only thing we could say on the way out was what every other person in that hallway probably said to their company as they left:  ”WE JUST MET JOHN MAYER!!!”


We entered the arena and re-found our seats, only to find 3 other girls there.  They were in the wrong section, but at first my heart jumped a beat–how could they have double-booked our seats!?  We got everything straightened out and enjoyed what was left of Michael Franti and Spearhead.  We only caught the last few minutes of their set, but they put on a great show!!

After the stage crew changed the set, the second moment we had been waiting for finally happened:  the lights dimmed, the music started, and John’s shadow began to emerge on the screen in front of the stage.  The audience roared as he entered the stage with his electric guitar, opening the show with a fantastic rendition of “Heartbreak Warfare.”  Our cameras went up right away, trying to get the best shot, the best light, the best view of the guy who we couldn’t stop talking about:  “WE JUST MET HIM!!!!”

John put on a fantastic show!  He showed a little bit of his humorous side on stage, played songs from several of his albums, and he played a new song for us that he recently wrote in a hotel bathroom.  John’s talent at playing the guitar cannot truly be appreciated until you see him live–he is *truly* musical napalm!  Little jam sessions with his band members were my favorite parts of the night–just to see him wail away on his guitar, hearing every note he played, knowing he spent hours working to play those riffs just right, seeing the passion he has for playing in the contortions of his face–it was as if he was in a room by himself, pouring his emotions and soul into his music, and we just happened to be there, listening to and watching him spew his life into his music.

I cannot thank Triple MMM enough for giving me this experience!  Lisa and I had a night out that we’ll certainly never forget, and I left the Bradley Center that night with a newfound appreciation for John and blues guitar and more pictures than I can count.  I got home to find out that my eyes were closed in the picture we got with John (go figure!), but I’m still going to call it a frame-able night.  :)  I’ll definitely have to see him again next time he’s in town!

–Megan Buege

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Posted by concertgoers on November 16, 2009

Posted in: Concertgoers

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Thank you very much for allowing us to go to Sesame Street Live. We were SO excited! We went to the 10:30 am show on Saturday, the 14th, and were all up early because we couldn’t wait to get there! We all had our favorite characters, and were anxious to meet them in person at the Meet & Greet! We got to the Coliseum and were able to go right to the front of the line, which was really special! Once they fixed some lighting problems, we were able to go right in and find our seats! With our excitement building, we waited for the tour staff to come and get us, and we were thinking we were pretty darn special with our “Meet & Greet” stickers on! After lots of dancing around, we got to go to a special room and meet our 3 favorite characters: Big Bird, Elmo and Cookie Monster! Bella LOVES Cookie Monster and got to give him a big hug!  Elmo’s fur was really soft, and Big Bird was REALLY tall! We got to take pictures with them all, and then got ready for the show to start!

The show was, “1,2,3 Imagine with Me!” and the characters imagined going to all sorts of fun places with Sam the Mail Lady.  One of our favorite parts was when Bert went under the sea and swam with glow-in-the-dark fishies and danced with a big octopus! The S.S. Rubber Duckie came afloat with Bert & Ernie, and was pretty neat too! We love to dance, so dancing to the hula with the characters from our seats was a real blast! All of our favorite characters from Sesame Street were there: Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Count Van Count, Abby Cadabby, Rosita, Oscar, Bert & Ernie, Zoe, Grover, Tully the Monster and Little Bear! The show lasted 1 1/2 hours, and when it was over, we were sad it ended, but couldn’t wait to tell all of our friends about it!

Thank you for a truly magical day- You Rock!!
Sincerely,
Avery, Bella & Maddie

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Posted by concertgoers on September 28, 2009

Posted in: Concertgoers

Tonight was one of the most electrifying and powerful evenings of my musical life.  The power of the performances and the energy brought forth by all parties was absolutely awe-inspiring.

The evening started with the power of Mother Nature. Thunder roared down State Street as we walked towards the Union Theater. Lightning sparkled and stretched across the sky, reflecting in the lake as we stood in line at the door to get in. Once safely inside, the sky opened up and let loose the hail, crashing on the roofs, the cars and the ground. We would soon find out that this was nothing in comparison to energy of the show that we were about to see.

The audience was full of anticipation and excitement waiting for the opening band, Trevor Hall. Finally, Trevor hit the stage with full force. He rocks a style I can best describe as folk rock reggae. The energy and force of this trio rang true across the stage and the fans. Rocking choruses and smooth reggae groove filled the air as the fans danced and rocked below him. Each member had their chance to show off their abilities through personal solos including a keyboard harmonica solo by Hall.  The three seemed to be having a blast. The strong lyrics of songs such as “The Lime Tree” and “Unity” and poetic delivery showed clearly why he was invited to play with Franti.

The excitement continued to grow in anticipation of Franti. The stage was set as everyone milled about and met their neighbors. As the lights went down, we saw an amazing set depicting what looked like a small Jamaican village complete with a set of size 50 Converse Chucks hanging from the power lines.

As Franti began to play I noticed that one of the most amazing things about a Michael Franti show is the diversity of the audience. In his songs he sings of unity, community, compassion and acceptance – things much easier said than done. But, looking across the crowd, you can see these ideas embodied. Every race, color, religion and age group seemed to fill the concert hall, all together to rock. Franti jumps from style to style, playing everything from rock to reggae, pop to hip hop, jazz, blues, and even disco. Every song he does has the power to bring all together with hands in the air, waving and clapping like I’ve never seen before. This one room of 1,300+ people all in unison feeling every beat of the drum and thumping strum of bass. Even the slow acoustic songs packed a powerful punch, with guitar strumming and Franti belting out powerful poetic lyrics through his amazing voice. The crowd sang at the top of their collective lungs, knowing every single word.

The fun and enthusiasm that Michael has for his music and his shows is clear. He playfully threw in nods to past greats with segues into the Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson, and even a little Tainted Love. He kept the crowd lively and energetic with clapping, singing and jumping around; there was never a dull moment. One of the highlights had to be when he brought three audience members on stage, gave them all guitars, and had them rock out to some Nirvana. At first the younger of three had no idea what was going on, but as the band rocked Nirvana from the wings, they realized it was their chance to be themselves and be free, regardless of their inability to play an instrument.

The show ended way too quickly with Michael inviting all the children in the audience up on to the stage for “Say Hey”. This was further proof of the crowd’s diversity, with children ranging from probably 8 years old and up jumping onto the stage. This song was Franti’s rocking thanks to all of his fans – for the first time in their 15 years as a band, they now had a top 40 song.

When the show ended, Franti jumped back into the crowd and started signing tickets and CDs, shaking hands and hugging all the fans that came out to see him. He took time to greet each and every guest that came down to the stage.

Heading backstage brought out all the musicians, happy to chat and enjoy the company, band members and guests. Pictures were taken, more signatures, birthday wishes were written, and even a few bottles of beer and wine were shared.

That ended the evening for me, walking down the now peaceful streets of downtown Madison, with the storms gone and the stars shining. Peaceful with the memory of the show I just enjoyed – a quiet contrast to the high energy in the Union Theatre.

If there is one thing that I learned tonight, it is that if you ever want to feel a part of something – the community, the state, the world, or even the universe, your first stop should be a Michael Franti concert. There is truth in the line that “Everyone deserves music”. There is no better place to see the joy, power, comfort, love and happiness that music brings us all.

–Dan Kroninger

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Posted by concertgoers on September 17, 2009

Posted in: Concertgoers

U2 has been around literally my entire life. When I was 10, The Joshua Tree was released to international acclaim. I think this was my first awareness of U2 and their ticket to international pop stardom. In high school I was envious of all the kids in my class who had tickets to Achtung Baby and Zooropa – never realizing that some of their best stuff since Joshua Tree was still yet to be released. Here was a band that released new music and new albums in an effortless manner. At the time I wasn’t able to rationalize how huge of a sensation they were… and continued to be.

Half a life time later, after two of my favorite albums All you can leave behind and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb were released in the early 2000’s – still neglecting to see them on tour because of life getting in the way: new jobs, having zero money, paying a mortgage, having kids – I never expected this group of high school friends from Dublin to still be kickin’ it thirty odd years after they first played together after answering Larry Mullen’s “musician’s wanted ad.”

Continually missing U2’s live performances was a thing of the past as I now had tickets to their North American tour kick off concert at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL! I won them (the goddesses were smiling down on me) through a drawing at 105.5 Triple M in Madison, WI. The fact that I had tickets to the biggest international music group (possibly in my lifetime) did not necessarily sink in until I was at Soldier Field on September 12th waiting for U2 to take the stage. We got our “inner-circle” bracelets at will-call and kept making our way closer and closer to the main stage.  As we crossed into the “Red Zone” a security guard gave my husband and me masks in the likeness of Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of Burma who is under house-arrest … for the past 14 years.

We made our way to the last part of open area in the “inner-circle.” It was near these ramps that bridged the inner circle to an outer-circle. I had heard much about the stage and how U2 wanted to connect with their audience in more ways. This included performing on an outer circle so that many in the crowd could see them better. It also included this stage design that resembled a rocket or lunar-landing device with a mega screen broadcasting the events onstage that encircled the lunar device.

After Snow Patrol did their set we waited about 30 minutes more before U2 came out to perform. David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” began in a very crisp and eerie way as the crowd at first hushed and then hysterically started screaming for U2. And the lunar craft lit up in red and white lights and U2 climbed on stage.

The set began with singles from their latest album: Breathe, No Line on the Horizon, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, and Beautiful Day ending with a snippet of the Beatles’ Blackbird.

The crowd was already jumping but everyone started singing along when U2 began playing “Elevation”. For some time I had been trying to move my way closer to the stage. I started smelling a “sweet” type of smoke and looked around attempting to take it the entire experience in. Next to me was a father with his 5 year old son. The boy, who had ear-plugs in, was looking around at all the people in the stadium. He was on his father’s shoulders most of the time (when security wasn’t telling him to get down) – and he asked his dad, “can we go home? I am tired.” And his dad kindly explained to the boy, “Son, I brought you here because this is the biggest rock band in the world. And you will never forget this moment.” That comment sank in for me. From that point on, I attempted to forget my camera and my video app and concentrated on immersing myself completely in the experience. I looked around at the ends of Soldier Field and looked out across the field; there had to be close to 80,000 people there sharing this exact moment.

At this point in the concert, U2 began playing thirty years worth of hits. By far, they were the most gracious band I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing live. I’ve seen lots of big names, but none worked the crowd or acknowledged the crowd quite like U2.  They became more energized as the crowd responded to their music. How can you make ten and twenty year old songs, songs that you’ve sang over a thousand times sound as energetic and as fantastic as the first time you ever preformed them live? No idea. But U2 did it and convinced me that this show could have been their one and only concert of the decade.

The last part of the concert was my favorite as the band got into some of their older stuff. Bono turned the microphone over to the crowd who sang the first two verses of I Still Haven’t Found What I’m looking For acapella for him. He then concluded it with a snippet of Stand By Me by Ben E. King. Bono and The Edge did a powerful acoustic version of Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of – with The Edge hitting the high notes. I never realized what a beautiful tenor voice The Edge had until I witnessed him on backing and lead vocals in this version. More songs followed – some that I’m not quite sure they’ve played live before: Unknown Caller, The Unforgettable Fire, City Of Blinding Lights, building into a hyper sing-a-long of Vertigo. The ramps began moving over us at this point and The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Bono would walk literally over us to the outer circle to be closer to the fans in the seats. There was one point in the concert that I was literally underneath Bono as he sang on the bridge above me!

By this point in the concert, U2 had been playing well into a 2nd hour. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday/Oliver’s Army (Elvis Costello snippet), Pride, and MLK followed. We were requested to put on our masks during “Walk On.” So while Desmond Tutu appeared on the screen above the stage and praised Americans for their international awareness and charity and the band got ready to play, people all around me put on their masks in preparation. The only people given these masks were those in the inner circle, which set us apart from others at the concert in an odd way. I didn’t realize that we were a select group. Initially I thought everyone had them. It wasn’t until we were walking to the El, winding through the sidewalks of the Museum campus in a sea of U2 fans that people were asking about our masks and if we were something special!

During the moment Walk On was played, Amnesty International came out to the outer circle wearing their masks to bring awareness to Aung San Suu Kyi’s plight in Burma. It was an incredibly moving experience. I have completely come to appreciate that Bono and U2 use their celebrity to bring awareness to social justice issues across the world. And it didn’t seem weird – they had seamlessly orchestrated and integrated the experience into their concert. Bono is very pro-American and respectful of the role that our country has played on the international theater. Even though I might not always agree with our politics, it was really kind of cool to hear someone as famous as Bono pat the US on their back for all the good that we do in the world. Then they finished their regular set with Where The Streets Have No Name.

U2 came back out onto stage after a brief interlude. The entire concert Bono had been wearing a black leather jacket with what appeared to be rhinestones outlining the seams of his sleeves. However when he came out for the encore, the rhinestones radiated red lasers – LED jackets are the new thing! An old-school microphone, which I imagine were used in concert halls of old, dropped down from the ceiling and illuminated in bright red lights. The band broke into a rousing and crowd-participating rendition of One. Bono used the microphone as a swing and began hanging from it and swinging across the stage. They finished the first encore with Bad.

But they weren’t quite finished. Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton, and the Edge came out and waved and then grabbed their instruments and began the second encore with Ultra Violet. Bono then came out to the roaring crowd finishing the song and immediately transitioning into one of my personal favorites: With or Without You. Because of our location, the spotlights from the right side of the stage shown directly at us part of the time. It was during this song that Bono came to our side of the stage. He was literally 10 feet away singing my favorite song. He was looking directly at the group of people I was standing with at this part of the stage. The spotlight came up behind him and illuminated him from behind. It was shining directly into my eyes… and he stood there, looking at us, passionately singing this classic. Twenty years of frustration of missing U2 concerts melted away at that moment. I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to stand up.

The concluding song was Moment of Surrender from No Line on the Horizon. It was such an appropriate last song with gospel and choral overtones. The mood was perfect, the crowd now in a relaxed and breezy chant, waving cigarette lighters and cell phones illuminating the stadium in what Bono called “the Milky Way galaxy” of our own. U2 gave an appropriate farewell to their audience by going to each corner of the stage, waving, and bowing to their fans. Then they marched off stage with their arms on the shoulders of their bandmates and then down one of the rear ramps into the tunnels of Soldier Field. I will not forget that moment – ever.

I know this blog cannot do the experience justice. However, I have to write it to commit the experience to memory. I am grateful to Triple M for giving me this opportunity. It was such a serendipitous experience and treat to journey to Chicago and experience U2 live (at the kick off concert nontheless!) of the North American leg of their concert.

–Jill Underly

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Posted by concertgoers on September 4, 2009

Bettye Lavette bared her heart and soul on the Capital Brewery stage during the third annual Madison Roots Festival August 22. It was memorable, touching and she certainly stole the show that day. She sang for us something very exclusive, and that is the same song she performed @ President Barack Obama’s inauguration…”A Change is Gonna Come.”

A Change is Gonna Come

I am not sure what the name of this song was, she came back onto the stage after she was done to give us this special acapella performance.


Bettye, Acapella


Bettye Lavette


Madison Roots Festival Recap


Cory Chisel

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Posted by concertgoers on August 12, 2009

Posted in: Concertgoers

Day 1
So it’s 4 a.m. on July 22nd and we’re getting an early start to Detroit Lakes, MN…we figure about an 8 hour drive.  My traveling companions this week include my good friends John Thielman and Jason Wipperfurth.  The ride up was interesting.  It rained like hell till Tomah, was super foggy till Hudson, then not a cloud in the sky all the way to Detroit Lakes.  We stopped in beautiful St. Cloud, MN to load up on food and beer.
As we pulled in to the gates at 10K we were a little behind schedule, as most folks had already arrived.  After driving around the Northwoods campground for a bit we finally found a great campsite.  After setting up shop we enjoyed our first of many adult beverages before heading into the show to see Gomez.  They put on a great show….let me back up.  Thanks to 105.5 MMM, we were given “Press Passes” for all four days.  This allowed us access to the very front of the stage for each act, but we went one step further.  We befriended the guy that was in charge of letting people backstage.  So of course we took FULL advantage of this.  Right after Gomez was done we decided to cruise around backstage and got our picture taken with the guitarist from Widespread Panic, nice dude.  Following a little more debauchery backstage, we headed out front to catch Widespread’s first of two shows that weekend, and as always, they killed it.
We made it a relatively early night that night as we were tired from our travels.  Sleeping was no easy feat.  The large group camping next to us had a huge sound system on top of their camper and it was blasting for four straight days, morning, noon, and night.  Thankfully, they played great music.
Day 2
We were up pretty early and popped some coffee on the grill, it was perkalicious. Hung around for a few hours before heading into the shows.  This would prove to be an interesting day.  The first show we saw was Railroad Earth and man were they good.  The wind was blowing HARD all day and I kept telling the guys that a big storm must be rolling in….after a quick refresher at the campsite we heading back in to see our boys Steez from Madtown, they killed it.  We then ventured down front to catch Wilco who may have played the best show all weekend.  We thought they’d be a little more mellow, but they rocked it, great sound and lighting all weekend.  From there we heading back up the hill to see Atmosphere, that’s about when we started to see a ton of lightening in the distance.  After Slug’s 8th song or so he told the crowd, “They tell me I have 4 minutes until this storm hits.”  Sure enough, it came in with fury….it rained so hard that you couldn’t see two feet in front of your face, lightening everywhere.  We rode the first storm out in the men’s bathroom and when it subsided we headed up to the top of the hill to catch a few more shows.  As soon as we got to the top of the hill, it started again…you wouldn’t believe how hard it was raining and lightening.  I took cover under a packed overhang, John and Jason couldn’t get under there was no more room…we were laughing our asses of as those guys were getting soaked and there was nothing we could do.  At that point we ran to take cover under the canopy at the Barn Stage, but soon after arriving we realized the tent might collapse as it was holding a ton of water…we were laughing so hard and had no idea where to go.  We booked it up to the top of the hill and the three of us took  cover in a single port-a-potty.  Not sure I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life.  We survived the first hurricane and ended up seeing a band at the bar stage called The Parlor Mob.  This band was insanely awesome.  They were extremely Zeppelin-esque…if you get a chance to see them, do.  Their two guitarists are some of the best I’ve seen in a long time.
Day 3
We hung around the campsite most of the day playing campsite games and laughing about the night before.  We made it in just in time to catch Trampled By Turtles, they were awesome.  Might be some of the fastest bluegrass I’ve ever heard.  Then it was Widespread round 2.  Their second set was probably the best set of the entire festival.  From there we checked out Wookie Foot and called it an early night.
Day 4
We went in to catch Tea Leaf Green at the Barn Stage but somehow we were sidetracked.  Went back to the campsite to fix a little dinner then back in to catch Umphrey’s McGee.  Just as they were finishing we used our press passes and new friendship with the backstage guard to wiggle our way backstage.  As we were walking back the first person we see is Dave Matthews himself.  We spoke to him for a minute and got a picture, it was pretty cool.  We also talked with Tim Reynolds and Rashawn Ross.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.  Thanks MMM!
–Patrick Sweeney
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Posted by concertgoers on August 3, 2009

Posted in: Concertgoers

My first thought when I think of the Coldplay concert last weekend is immediately mad props to Manny, head of backstage security at Alpine Valley.  I’ll get into the details later.

When I first heard the news that I had won the contest to be Triple M’s Backstage Blogger at the Coldplay concert four days later my first thought was literally, What should I wear? And honestly, that question did not come from simple vanity.  Of course, I wanted to look good when I got to meet Coldplay backstage, but more importantly I was seriously wondering about my comfort.  You see, July 25th marked two months until my first baby is due—which raised serious questions about comfortable footwear, wearing just enough clothes so as not to overheat, and making sure I could disrobe quickly and efficiently when the need to go to the bathroom struck.  I’m not sure Triple M has ever had another 7-month-pregnant Backstage Blogger. If I am the first, I am honored.

My instructions were to meet an official person from the Coldplay management at the will call window by 7pm and then be escorted backstage for my official meet and greet with the band.  My husband, Christian, and I got to Alpine Valley plenty early, bought a poster for Coldplay to sign (part of my winnings was a beautiful Coldplay plaque with their discography—which Capitol Records wisely sent to MMM before the show so the pregnant lady wouldn’t have to lug it around at the concert), used the bathroom (of course) and waited as instructed at will call.  Well, 7pm came and went and no one at the will call window had any idea who we needed to meet.  At 7:20pm, still no sign of the person we needed to meet, feeling like our chance to go backstage was quickly slipping through our fingers, we decided to take matters into our own hands.  A woman who was one of the gate managers (and the one who told us that the Dave Matthews Band concert the weekend before had the worst, rowdiest crowd she had ever seen…hmmm) deftly hooked us up with Manny, an official looking guy with the word SECURITY emblazoned on his shirt.  He was head of backstage security, never up by the entrance gates, and looking for a group of people just like Christian and I who were waiting to go backstage.  Needless to say, the rest of the group we were supposed to be with was already backstage, and due to the confusion, Christian and I got our own personal escort down to the coveted backstage gates.  Thanks Manny!!!

The official meet and greet was neat and tidy. Christian and I, along with contest winners from Milwaukee, Chicago, Rockford, and elsewhere were put in a line to efficiently have our minute or two to say hello to the guys, get a quick photo snapped by the record label rep, and have our Coldplay paraphernalia signed.  It wasn’t quite the leisurely conversation I had dreamed up in my mind, “How’s Gwen?  Is Viva la Vida biographical? Chris, do you feel like in his recent performances Kanye has stolen some of your signature dance moves?”  But, in the two minutes we had, we did have a laugh—that I was either having a baby or had a great affinity for beer (that was Chris’ joke), I told the guys to play well because though she’s in utero, my daughter can still hear everything, and drummer Will quipped that I had their youngest fan with me, negative 2 months.   Really nice guys.

My favorite part of the meet and greet was simply observing Chris Martin’s pre-show attire.  Of course they look rockin on stage with their matching retro army gear.  But to see rock-star to the max Chris Martin wearing a red t-shirt, skinny gray sweat pants (circa 1985) and Asics running shoes.   Who woulda thought…?

The show was spectacular.  From beginning to end a well produced, thought-through visual and audio masterpiece.  I am a big fan of their music, which pleasantly they didn’t deviate from too much, staying pretty true to the originals.  But, coupled with the buzz of the crowd, some fantastic lighting, video effects and other crowd-enticing elements (butterfly shaped confetti, huge yellow balloons let loose into the crowd during, you guessed it, Yelllow), the concert showed me a new depth to the emotional, anthematic power of their music. A few highlights for me were the middle of their first set starting with In My Place, when Chris really amped up his stage presence and almost sprinted back and forth from the ends of the stage.  Then they played Yellow, a bit faster than the studio version, complete with yellow lighting and the aforementioned yellow balloons, which consequently held yellow confetti that exploded upon the balloon popping.  Great visual.  And a new favorite of mine, Glass of Water, (found on the recently released Prospekt’s March, an epilogue to Viva la Vida) a happy song in a 7/4 time signature for you music theory buffs out there.  The video visual effects on the hanging ball screens that matched the meter of the music were super-impressive.

At a couple points in the show, the guys took the music to small stages up in the crowd.  We sat five rows up and ten seats over from one of these stages.  It was so awesome.  While Chris did a solo version of The Hardest Part, the skies opened up and rain poured down on the whole spectacle.  It was so beautiful (and even more beautiful that our seats were just enough under the canopy of the amphitheater that we didn’t get soaked—sorry lawn crowd!).

Though we waited an hour and a half to get out of that crazy parking lot, tired and pregnant, it was entirely worth it!  Thanks Triple M for the opportunity, thanks Manny for the backstage escort, thanks Coldplay for the free live CD with highlights of your tour that you gave to everyone at the show, and thanks Chris for wearing those ugly Asics on stage just so I felt like I knew something as a Backstage Blogger that no one else knew.

–Betsy Ezell

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Posted by concertgoers on July 23, 2009

Posted in: Concertgoers
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Posted by concertgoers on July 21, 2009

Posted in: Concertgoers

rothbury110xPictures to be added soon!

I had never attended a music festival before Rothbury, but had heard stories from friends of mine.   I had been prepared for four days under the sun listening to classics from the greats like Dylan and The Dead but what really made this experience was the atmosphere and energy within the festival.

The first day was full of excitement as we wandered around and became familiar with the grounds.  We arrived around 10 in the morning and our first show didn’t start until about 9 that night so we had some time to kill.  Throughout our walk strangers could be seen offering aid to others struggling with their tents, or offering a fresh cooked burger to their neighbors.   Never did I witness an altercation or any sort of violence during this event, there was an extremely peaceful vibe.

In addition to the music there were always other performances that you could check out.  Rothbury came complete with its own circus. Often times members of the troupe would perform during shows either juggling fire or performing acrobatics on stage.  During downtime between shows people had the option to hang out in Sherwood Forest and catch a light show, or attend a session with the think tank to discuss climate change or ways to find a green employer.  They even provided yoga sessions each morning to start your day out right.

As for the music, the line up this year was epic.  There was a nice mixture as well, a little hip-hop, a little techno and quite a few jam bands.  The toughest decision we were forced to make each day was which shows we wanted to see.  Every performance was absolutely amazing and often times ran beyond the set times with encores.

But the two most unforgettable shows at Rothbury, for me at least, were The Dead, and Umphrey’s set on the last night. The Dead were the headliners and the reason that I went.  They performed almost a five hour set that ended a little after one in the morning.  They were also playing on the fourth of July.  And towards the end of their second set a firework display was set right over their stage only adding to the magic of that night.  Umphrey’s McGee played with some of the most energy I’ve ever seen at a show.  After their first night’s performance I did not think that they would be able to top themselves.  But they came out with just as much energy if not more.  In addition to that Matisyahu stepped out on stage for a jam session with the band.  The crowd was hyped when he stepped out on stage.  But when the group covered Pink Floyd’s comfortably numb the entire arena was ecstatic.

We all awoke on the last morning with the same thought, I not ready to leave this place.  But four days of sun, great music, and memories will have to due until my next festival experience.

–Andrew Okada, Triple M Street Team member

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Posted by concertgoers on July 7, 2009

Posted in: Concertgoers

I’ve been away on other adventures all the while dreaming about the incredible time I had at Bonnaroo. I’ve been meaning to post a compilation video, but it’s taking longer than expected to pull it all together. Sorry to keep you hanging on the edge of your seat! (ha! ha!) For now I will post the best pictures I captured from Bonnaroo. Enjoy!

Trish DeFever

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