Philadelphia, PA 11-25-08
Let me start out by saying that I almost didn't attend the Philly concert! I already had my tickets for Washington and Hershey, and I knew I couldn't afford to go to a third concert. But Philly is closest to my home, and I had a strong feeling I would regret it if I missed this concert. Little did I know I how right I would be! Although I loved each and every concert I attended, the Philly concert was magic, and it turned out that that one meant the most to me!
I went to this concert alone, as my husband had already attended the Washington concert with me, and although he enjoyed it, he said "once is enough"! As I took my seat, I was very conscious that this would be my last concert, at least for the time being, and I was very excited, and also a bit sad.
I knew right away that the night would be special, as soon as "How Long" began. As Glenn began singing the first verse, I happened to glance over at Don, and saw him smile, wave, and mouth "Hi"to someone sitting upfront. He obviously recognized them, and looked pleased to see them there!
The audience showed their love, right from the start. As the opening notes of "How Long" started, the crowd erupted-clapping, cheering, and pumping their fists in the air. The welcome our guys received from the Philly fans was overwhelming, and I know they felt it too.
During the interviews on the Farewell Tour 1 DVD, Tim shared his observations about the crowds at their concerts. "The audience really makes a big difference to me as to how the performance goes...the more you get back, the more you want to feed, sort of."
Feed they did, for over 3 hours! Even though I have heard these songs many times over, there were times I honestly felt as though I was hearing them for the first time.
Before Tim sang "Love Will Keep Us Alive", he exclaimed, "Great audience!" Then he went on to say that his wife is from Philadelphia, and he had visited here before and is familiar with the area. Of course this elicited a great cheer from the crowd!
Glenn spoke about how it took he and Don 2 days to write "Lyin' Eyes", because they did everything faster back then. He then did a quick little dance before he started singing. I don't remember seeing him do that before, and it really tickled me!
For "In the City", Joe donned a Phillies baseball cap, and while he was singing, scenes of Philadelphia played across the screen. Towards the end of the song, there was a clip shown of the Phillies winning the World Series this year. At this point, the crowd went absolutely wild, and everyone was on their feet cheering. I got the impression our guys were happy to share this joyous moment with their Philly fans!
During "Boys of Summer", I noticed that Don was really rocking out on his guitar, and Glenn was having fun mouthing the words, as Don was singing. In the meantime, Joe was bowing in all directions to the crowd, as the song was playing!
Just before "No More Cloudy Days", Glenn mentioned that they had donated some tickets to the Philadelphia Police Club. He then went on to say how tragic it was that 5 of Philadelphia's finest had been killed in the line of duty this year. He named each officer who had perished, and then dedicated NMCD to the fallen officers and their families. It was a very touching and emotional moment, and I cried during the song. I thought it was a very caring and compassionate gesture on their part to do that for the families.
"Take it to the Limit" got a fantastic reaction from the crowd. From where I was sitting (section 105), I could hear everyone singing along, myself included! It seemed to me that Glenn paused a bit longer at the end of the song. He sang "Take it to the limit...(paused a while longer)...one more time!"
We all loved it!
The band intros were fantastic! When Glenn introduced Timothy, he came dancing up quickly to the front of the stage. He seemed so happy and relaxed. (TBF, I knew you would love hearing about this!) Tim introduced "our fearless leader", and the opening notes to "My Girl" began. I began hoping and praying that Glenn would sing a bit of the song, and he did!! I had not heard him do this at Washington or Hershey, and I was absolutely thrilled!! He sang, "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day". I was so happy to hear this, that I'm not sure he sang the second line! I was just so glad to hear him singing it. I sat there grinning like an idiot! When Glenn introduced Don, the band began playing "The Yellow Rose of Texas"! Don was sitting at his drum kit, and he looked quite amused! Then he smiled the sweetest smile ever! My heart melted! When Joe was introduced as being from "The Garden State of New Jersey", the crowd went crazy! I think everyone from this area thinks of Joe as one of their own, and rightly so!
During "Life's Been Good", Joe wore a different Phillies cap, with his helmet cam attached. I just love this part of the concert, as it gives Joe a chance to be goofy and have fun. Everyone else has fun with him! Before the song started, he kept putting his hands up to the side of his face (ala Kevin in "Home Alone") and screaming, "Oh my God! Oh my God"! Then he gave us several "How ya doin's".
"Life in the Fastlane" brought the house down, and Glenn seemed to be dancing even more than usual during this song. The standing ovation was incredible and heartfelt.
The encore was "Take it Easy" and "Desperado", just as it was at the other concerts I attended. This time, however, both songs held a poignancy for me, since it was my last concert, at least for now. I looked around me at all the lit up cell phones, held high. I listened to the crowd singing along, myself included. I concentrated on those incredible voices of our guys, and I was grateful. It was a very special evening, and I felt privileged to have been a part of it. Remember on the Farewell 1 DVD when Glenn says he feels like the luckiest guy in the world? Well, on Tuesday night, I certainly felt like the luckiest gal in the world!
Reply With Quote
Re: Philadelphia 11-25-08
Re: Philadelphia 11-25-08
