Have I Been Away....?

Wow!  It's been forever since I've touched this blog with actual commentary.  Someone suggested that I get on here and write something up.  "Push publish", they said.  So here I am and I've done just that.  A few weeks ago Jim and I were able to attend 3 Hall & Oates shows.  We enjoyed ourselves so much!  The shows we were able to get to were Boston's BlueHills Bank Pavillion on June 12th, Wallingford, CT's Oakdale Theater on June 13th, and Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel & Casino on June 20th.  We enjoyed each show very much and got to spend time with some fellow fans!  Always a good time!

Boston was first up.  We arrived in town at about 6PM and secured a parking spot directly across from the venue.  So close we could hear soundcheck.  We heard the fellas playing "Crazy Eyes" and "Every Time You Go Away".  Kind of a neat little perk.  A quick dinner was had at Jerry Remy's bar about a block from the Pavillion.  Nothing too outstanding or memorable. After that it was off to wait in line to enter the huge white tent.

First stop, as always, MERCH!  And surprise there were 2 new items!  So exciting.  The first

item was an 11x18 poster featuring the "Live at The Apollo" show from 1985.  An unsigned version was offered for $10 and the signed (by both Daryl & John) version was available for

$20.  A great price in my opinion.  This poster would look great matted and framed!  Definitely running out of room on the walls here!  There was also a poster advertising John Oates new EP
"Good Road to Follow" (which is quite enjoyable I might add!).  This poster was of the same size as the Apollo poster and was also signed by John.  From what I understand John's posters have been available at his solo shows but they were new for the Hall & Oates shows.


The show itself was great.  The Boston crowd ate it all up...singing along and dancing.  I also saw at least 2 undergarments throw on stage in Daryl's direction.  Hadn't seen that in a while!  I enjoyed the setlist.  Although one I've heard many times I was glad to hear the relatively new addition of Alone Too Long.  What a great song!  It's a perfect change up.  This was also my first time seeing (and hearing) the band's brand spankin' new Lead Guitarist and Music Director, Shane Theriot.  Well, call me very impressed!  A well done and solid outing in my estimation.  Check out Shane's music here...I think you'll like it!!!

After our 105 minutes of bliss the show ended and we were off.  As we walked to the car we noticed the tour bus coming from the rear of the Pavillion.  I had heard from a little birdie that the "bosses" were on the bus tonight!  Sure enough I could see Daryl through the windsheild.  John was in the middle

of the bus and could barely be seen through the tinted glass.  Oh, and did I mention the guys had a police escort for the bus?!  Too funny!  It was nice to see so many fans along the sidewalk cheering for the fellas as they drove off.  The night ended but, fear not!!  We need some sleep because we've got a show in less than 24 hours!

Oh wait....what's that you say?  You want to see pictures of the show?!  Please forgive me, it just completely slipped my mind.  Just kidding!  I know you want them!  Here you go!

Possession Obsession...Again.

Being a collector of all things Hall & Oates I continually add things to my collection.  Most of what I purchase is from Ebay.  But, I also frequent record resale shops, etc.  These acquisitions of both from Ebay.  The first item is a Bigger Than Both of Us Press Kit which I was stoked to find!  The second is a set of pictures with the negatives from the early 80's.  Love that yellow leather!!

Cover - Bigger Than Both of Us Press Kit

Press release and press photo.

Press photos.

And here are the pictures!  I think they speak for themselves!!

Thanks for reading this short entry.  I'll be back very soon and we'll start chatting about the upcoming Rock 'n Roll Soul Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.  My tickets have already arrived!

Do It For Love - K

Dirt, Desert, and Philly Soul Darlings!

Have I been away too long?  Probably!!  This post stems from a conversation happening on Facebook regarding the 2003 Hall & Oates spread and article in Dirt Magazine.  The spread featured Daryl Hall, John Oates, Tanner Oates, and Hall's longtime friend, Marcia Strassman (although named as Marcia Strassburg in the article). 

Marcia (of Welcome Back Kotter fame) and Daryl have been friends since the mid-seventies.  So friendly, in fact, that Daryl gave Marcia a "wings necklace" in which she wore on a regular basis.  She can be seen wearing it in episodes of Welcome Back Kotter as well as in press photos.  Hope you enjoy!

Life is Good!!

The Great Blue Hill.

What an incredible show!  I am still reveling in the happiness three days later!  My friend and I arrived at the Historic Prowse Farm in Canton, MA for the Life is Good Festival at about 4PM.  Our goal was to pick up our passes, tour the festival grounds, grab something to eat, and settle into our spots for the show.



Our passes needed to be picked up at Will Call upon arrival.  After traveling from the parking lot to the festival grounds via the super efficient shuttle, we proceeded to the Will Call tent.  My tickets for entry were waiting...however, my passes for side stage viewing were missing.  Of course anxiety set in...but the Life is Good staff is wonderful and they assured me my passes would be found and delivered within an hour.  They allowed us to go into the festival and told us to return in 45 minutes or so.  

Life Is Good Food Stalls.

Let me just say, what a beautiful setting for a festival.  Prowse Farm is an amazing piece of land with a lovely meadow and a pond in the center.  This historic property boasts the Great Blue Hill as it's backdrop.  The festival grounds are clean with trash/recycle/compost repositories within every few yards.  Staffers are stationed at these repositories to help you make decisions as to where your trash needs to go.  It's quite incredible!  Children pranced, danced, and frolicked in the meadow as their parents looked on from their blankets.  It was such a wonderful, family friendly atmosphere.  Music played from one of the three stages at all times.  An overwhelming positive feeling and good vibes were present for the entire evening.

Summer Shack Ribs, Cole Slaw, Kettle Chips, and Magic Hat.

Delicious smells wafted through the air from the line of food stalls that met us upon entering.  After walking the grounds and checking out the different areas we decided to have a bite to eat.  We split the ribs and an order of kettle chips from the Summer Shack booth.  Needing a beverage to wash that down we each selected a Magic Hat #9....it's got a great apricot finish...must find this at my local package store!!  Both the ribs and kettle chips were great and hit the spot quite nicely!  

We finished our food and beer and then it was time to check for the passes.  Upon arrival at the Will Call tent we were greeted by the wonderfully friendly and helpful Chelsea who had our passes ready to go!  YAY!  We were golden!  I was so excited to learn that our passes were actually listed as artist's guest passes and would give us full backstage access.  Omigosh!  Hyperventilation!  

Life Is Good Artist Hospitality Area

Beverages!

Off we went to the backstage entrance, proudly donning our wristbands!  Sure enough, we were allowed right in and treated like queens!  And the first face we saw upon entering the artist hospitality area is celebrity chef Ming Tsai!  (As an aside...call me crazy...but the best perk might just have been the REAL bathrooms as opposed to the Port-A-Potties!)  

We needed another one of those Magic Hat #9's!  As we were in line, who popped up??  Brian Dunne, drummer extraordinaire!  As always, he was super nice and we were so happy to see him.  Chatting away with Brian I suddenly felt an arm around my shoulder....ELIOT LEWIS!  So great to see him and talk...it had been a few months...always glad to catch up!!  

Me, behind the soundboard.

We still needed that beer!  HA!  Back in line we went like giddy school girls!  2 Magic Hat #9's please!  The artist hospitality area was a great space.  Lots of areas to relax and enjoy the music and food.  Beautiful tents, chairs, pillows, and floral arrangements.  We found a nice little seating area and took in the surroundings.  

Sea of people!

We could hear The Roots playing in the background at the Positive Purpose Stage (they were supposed to be on the Main Stage however some of the band ran into some travel issues which forced the stage swap with Dawes).  It was getting close to show time so we took our places behind the soundboard at the Main Stage.  We could look out and see The Roots finishing up their set.

Teleprompter laptop

Andrea, my favorite Production Assistant, arrived and took her place behind the ever important laptop which controls the teleprompter on stage.  She promised me a set list after the show!  (And came through as always!  Thanks, Andrea!)

The butterflies hit!  Out of nowhere!  It's that pre-show excitement/nervousness/elation.  It happens every time!  Then we see the guys coming up on stage, waiting off to the side.  Wooo!  We are about to get started.  Daryl donned his guitar.  Porter and John waved to us!  All of the guys were casually chatting.  Each one with a smile on his face.  Here we go!!  The band ripped into Out Of Touch!  Being a festival they decided to go with a set list used previously at the Ryman Auditorium show in Nashville earlier this year.  

Happy Daryl!

I will say that they played one of THE best versions of Uncanny that I have ever heard.  It was the perfect combination of funky and soulful!  The crowd simply ate it up!  Daryl and John were both loving the crowd right back.  Daryl had very few issues with his monitors and even the sound tech was rocking out!  At one point John did have trouble hearing drums but that was quickly remedied.  Looking out on the sea of people, I was so proud of my favorite band.  

John Oates in the zone!

After the show we spoke with Paul Pesco for a few moments then headed back to the hospitality area.  One more celebratory beverage was in order!  Daryl Hall & John Oates had once again proved that they can deliver a stellar show that is fresh and fun even after 40 years.  

Next on deck....The Borgata - Atlantic City, NJ on October 4th and Tower Theater - Upper Darby, PA on October 5th.  Until then...Do It For Love!  x K

 

Daryl moves the hair from his face.

Set list and passes.

Daryl & Charlie

The fellas.

Joe and D chat between sets.

Charlie and Porter

The Professor

Paul Pesco snaps and audience pic.

Life Is Good and a Change of Season

Well, the summer is coming to a close and I am gearing up for the upcoming Hall & Oates performance at the Life is Good Festival in Canton, MA on Saturday September 21st!  The weather forecast is looking good and I am excited for the chance to see my most favorite band play in the late summer sun!  

I'm currently debating what camera to bring.  Do I go with my old standby...the Canon PowerShot S5IS or do I step out of the box and try the Olympus SP-600UZ that I have been procrastinating on picking up and using?  The Canon takes excellent shots in dark theaters where there are frenetic stage lights...that's usually why I go for it.  But given that this is an outdoor show where presumably there will be lots of natural lighting...I may be tempted by the Olympus!  I really won't have room for two cameras in my bag so I need to make a choice...and fast!

Another reason I am excited for this particular show is that The Roots will be on just before H&O take the stage!!  Oh yes...THE ROOTS!  This wouldn't be the first time these fellas would share a stage.  It should be noted that Daryl Hall sat in with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back in October of 2011 upon the release of his album Laughing Down Crying.  Also, Daryl performed at Philadelphia's 4th of July celebration along side The Roots and Queen Latifah back in 2012.  

As a fan, I am secretly hoping for a mini jam session between H&O and The Roots.  I have this sneaking suspicion that they will make it happen.  I hope I am not proven wrong!  

And seeing as we are in this transition of seasons I thought it would be the perfect time to post some pics of the Change of Season Tourbook.  It's one of my most favorite books with some amazing photos inside.  Enjoy!  And I will have a full report on Life Is Good this weekend!  Until then, do it for love!

Change of Season Tourbook Cover

Daryl in the mirror.

Centerfolds!

John...articulating.

Dressing room.

I Ain't Gonna Take it This Time.

Las Vegas Turnaround 2013...the final mission!!

The Nirvana Pool...peaceful palms and sand.

Saturday...the day of the second show.  I think we were all exhausted from the night before.  Most of the crew hit the pools at the Hard Rock Hotel.  I really enjoyed the Nirvana Pool on the HRH Tower side of the resort.  Lovely loungers were placed along the zero-entry sand bottomed pool.  Palm trees gave the illusion of being on an island paradise.

Daryl on keys.

Our paradise couldn't be allowed to last the entire day, however!  We needed to ready ourselves for the Hall & Oates concert as well as Eliot Lewis' performance at Vinyl Las Vegas.  Strangely enough the security folks allowed cameras in without issue!  And I did manage to take some cool shots once I got to the stage for the encore.  In case anyone has forgotten, I've added a pic of the set list from night two down below.  It was a normal greatest hits set, wish they would have mixed it up a little bit more.

John Oates

The show ended in a frenzy and the crowd loved it!!  And we weren't done yet!  We all bolted over to Vinyl to grab seats for Eliot's show.  Having seen last night's performance and turnout we knew the place would be packed!!  Thanks to Dawna, always looking out for the fans, we were able to get some great front row seats.  Perfect for taking some shots of Eliot and his special guests.  

Eliot Lewis & Klyde Jones

Mr. Lewis reached the stage and the place went wild.  It was a show filled with one great tune after another.  If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend picking up his latest album called Enjoy The Ride.  Once again tonight, Klyde Jones and Porter Carroll Jr joined Eliot for Walk on By and Sara Smile respectively.  The crowd was thrilled and brought to their feet on many occasion throughout the 90 minute set.  After the show Eliot kindly signed autographs and posed for pictures as did other members of the Hall & Oates band and crew.  It was a great time for everyone and no one really wanted to leave.

Kerri & Frank - dueling hair.

A few of us ended up at Mr. Lucky's 24/7 for a late nigh snack.  Specials for the evening included shots named after Hall & Oates songs.  Way cute!!  As we sat and noshed we began to plan for the AM and what our plan of action might be.  You see, our lovely friend Carol came all the way from Australia to see these shows and hang out with all of her H&O pals.  Two years ago Carol met John in an airport back home in Australia.  She narrowly missed meeting Daryl and was heartbroken.  So we were determined to make it happen for her.

Check out those drinks!

So here we were bright and early on Sunday morning.  We had in on good authority that THE BIG MAN would be traveling on the bus to the next gig.  So we grabbed our coffee and found the bus.  Of course we were excited but at the same time nervous we would miss him and all would be for naught.  As we stood under the porte-cochere near the bus all the fellas said goodbye as the boarded.  Eliot blew us kisses from the steps of the bus.  Then moments later the bus began to PULL AWAY.  Wait, what???  It's leaving?  How did we miss him?  How did this happen?  

Jimmy, being antsy in nature, started to walk down the

Carol and Daryl!

block a little bit...just in case they were going to pick him up at the HRH Tower entrance.  Sure enough, there was the bus!  Parked and waiting!  Jimmy to us frantically!  Off the rest of us went running down the sidewalk in 105 degree heat!  I haven't moved that fast in years!  It was a sight to see indeed!!  Phew...made it to the bus with time to spare.  

After a few moments he appeared with his iced coffee in hand.  He was wearing his ever present shades, flip flops, shorts, and a button down shirt sleeve shirt.  He met us with a friendly "Hi, guys!".  I truly felt that he was happy to see us.  He asked us all how we were doing and Carol was able to tell her story about being there in Vegas all the way from Australia.  He gladly chatted and took pictures with us.  Once we said our goodbyes off he went onto the bus.  I am pretty sure Carol shrieked with delight.  I was so very happy for her!  After being a fan for 30 years she was finally able to meet Daryl!  We were all on cloud nine for the rest of the day.  It was certainly an amazing morning!  And another wonderful Hall & Oates trip for the memory books. 

Set list - August 3, 2013 - The Joint Las Vegas, NV