With my sisters entering their forties, aunts and uncles hitting the big 5-0 mark and my slightly senior parents inching towards seventy, I’ve been wondering lately, “When did I wake up an ‘adult?’” I don’t really consider myself or my husband a grown-up per-se, and I thought getting married was the most adult thing we’ve done but as I hear stories and updates from family, friends, frenemies, foes, and acquaintances, I can’t help but ask myself, “Am I missing something?”
As a stubborn, Irish, redhead riddled with childhood circumstances that caused me to grow up with extreme caution, hyper-organization and an aptitude for a somewhat zealous life-planning scheme, I have always done things my own way. With constant evolving ideas of my future and changes in my teen years, none of my dreams or aspirations panned out quite as I thought, so far, but I definitely have lived a life with many tales to tell, and I’m only a quarter of a century old.
First I wanted to be an acrobat, which never worked out and somehow conformed into a desire to attend college at the University of Oregon. Then my teenage years brought on an obsession with becoming a lawyer and attending Pepperdine. My sisters championed a whim to attend Berkeley, and in the midst of this I was wrestling with these ideas and ideals of how men would fit into anything I wanted.
I always wanted to get married but I had major issues with picking the completely wrong guys. After my first boyfriend completely screwed me over in more ways than one, I decided I’d be cool and live the Sex and the City life and then when I wanted a baby just ask my best friend, who happened to be a cute, gay male I once had a crush on, to be a sperm donor and leave out that whole relationship sticky-ness altogether!
Somewhere between ages 16 and 19 I ended up working towards my original childhood dream of attending the University of Oregon, landed an amazing boyfriend, somehow decided I wanted to be a music writer, worked through college as a nanny for the best family on the planet, and came to the conclusion that marriage and children could wait until I was at least thirty.
Drama, drama, drama, yadda, yadda, yadda, the entrance into my twenties was filled with tears, fears coming true, and a seemingly endless line of personal and family obstacles for me to conquer. In the midst of it, I committed to a sane relationship with my, rock, my man, my current hubby, Eben. While dating we had about 9 months apart including a brief hiatus when some best friends left us all behind to grow up and be in love, and when I spent a term in London to study and do an internship.
After all that, and a whole heap of other drama, during a 2008 trip to Florida to visit family we decided that we’d commit to spending our lives together, get the hell out of Oregon and just be together after I graduated in 2009. We moved in with my “aunt” – you know one of those family members that isn’t blood related but might as well be. We started saving and in early 2009 when it seemed like everything had turned to shit, planning our escape was the light at the end of the tunnel. Eben snuck in a marriage proposal, we planned a wedding in three months, got married in front of (almost) all the people we love for one big goodbye, good luck and moving on party to ensure that everyone knew we weren’t completely insane and we drove away in a Penske truck filled with our life and treasures towing the car that had taken us through all of our memories and then into our future!
I’m one of those people who just has to believe that everything happens for a reason. Otherwise I may have suicidal tendencies. So, in the wake of losing best friends to other relationships, losing a parent to bad behaviors and bullshit, leaving our world behind to salvage the only love I had ever truly known, losing a bunch of stuff when the car was broken into at the beginning of the journey, we just had to continue to do things my own way and take life detours to get to that new horizon.
I had a great friend tell me she admired the courage it took to just pick up and go. Most people couldn’t do it. Sometimes I look back and don’t know how we did it either…
We have family members who are having first and second children, buying and remodeling houses, getting new cars, and worried about fancy medical insurance and somehow we just missed that boat. I’ll confess that I’ve had babies on the brain lately. My body has kicked into gear and I’m feeling that I’m at my prime for motherhood but we’re just not ready.
I pretend that’s what I want but I think and think about it for hours and I think I may have missed the memo. Is there something fundamentally screwed up about being okay with a simple existence in my mid-twenties?
Occasionally I get frustrated. Some people my age have new cars, higher paying jobs with full medical coverage, predictable schedules, and holiday pay or whatever. I wonder if that’s what I should be leaning towards or looking for.
Now when I think about what I want to be when I grow up I think about moving back to Oregon, getting an awesome little house in South Eugene, Eben opening up his dream restaurant, me helping with that, freelance writing for some Oregon publications and having little, stubborn, Irish, redheaded kids to call our own.
I’ve always “Taken the Long Way Around,” like that Dixie Chicks song, that I totally love. I could never do anything like anybody else. It's my way or the high way! My best friend calls Eben and I “gypsies” because we just go and do what we want. My uncles think we are crazy and irresponsible because we live in an apartment and not a “real house.” When I hear about friends our age that used to party harder than you can imagine, spend all their money on game systems, nights out at the bar, tattoos, piercings, and concerts, are now getting married and having babies it just makes me sigh.
I can’t even imagine it! Eben and I can’t even fathom taking on a dog, let along anything else! We may be on the “short bus” of getting into this adulthood thing but I just don’t see the rush. I’d rather wait and stave off a lifetime of debt then dive into it now. What's the hurry?
Eben got the best job he could get for himself in Tampa and is working with the kind of Chef he wants to become. I got a job at the same restaurant, which is giving me the kind of experience you can’t buy, the kind of experience I thought I may never get and that will come in handy no matter what happens to us. We share one car right now and save so much on the high Florida insurance prices, which has its pros and cons, but we live simply: two bedroom apartment central to everything, tucked back into a good part of Tampa but not too expensive. We don’t buy useless stuff, we can afford to go out when we want and enjoy the luxury of staying at home and unwinding just the same. We like the simplicities of life and cherish what we have worked for and earned. So when I want babies or puppies or start feeling like we missed a spot the "grown up boat" I remind myself that we don’t have it so bad.
Yeah, like the rest of America, we have a couple thousand dollars of consumer debt, but it's from moving down here. Neither of us have school loans or school debts. We make enough money to cover all the bases. We are healthy and happier than we ever thought we could be. We have an amazing group of friends, family and supporters who share wisdom and loads of love with us. We have each other, a roof over our heads, a working vehicle and an optimism that is kind of contagious.
So, am I jealous of old Joe Somebody back home trading in his old car for a family-friendly vehicle, or of high school buddy Jane Doe being pregnant and decorating the nursery with her boyfriend? With a glass of wine in my hand on a Saturday night out with friends talking about going to a theme park or concert the next day and knowing I don’t have to get up until 10am on Sunday, I can honestly confess that jealousy doesn’t really come into play. Besides, competing with old friends, foes, or anyone else is just a waste really; a fleeting thought.
We are all loved, lucky and blessed in our own ways. And, since I’ve always done it my way, enjoyed the roads ahead and the ones I’ve left behind, I’ll continue to “Take the Long Way Around!” I’ll let you know how it is when we get there…wherever we go, there we are!
Taking The Long Way Around By THE DIXIE CHICKS
My friends from high school
Married their high school boyfriends
Moved into houses in the same ZIP codes where their parents live
But I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow
I hit the highway in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling
Lived like a gypsy
Six strong hands on the steering wheel
I've been a long time gone now
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
But I've always found my way somehow
By taking the long way
Taking the long way around
I met the queen of whatever
Drank with the Irish and smoked with the hippies
Moved with the shakers
Wouldn't kiss all the asses that they told me to
No I, I could never follow
It's been two long years now
Since the top of the world came crashing down
And I'm getting' it back on the road now
But I'm taking the long way
Taking the long way aroundI'm taking the long way
Well, I fought with a stranger and I met myself
I opened my mouth and I heard myself
It can get pretty lonely when you show yourself
Guess I could have made it easier on myself
But I, I could never follow
Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
If you ever want to find me I can still be found
Taking the long way
Taking the long way around
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
An Evening with Styx
October 23, 2010 Styx performed at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall to bring back the 80’s one note at a time. The stage setup was filled with impressive instruments and amps, something one crazed Styx fan just found to be so awesome that he told me they would sound even better than before.
Styx wasn’t just playing the hits; theirs was a set list that fans had been waiting for. This Styx tour was all about playing their early albums “A Grand Illusion” and “Pieces of Eight.” To introduce the fans to this whole thing, a Star-Wars like video intro played describing the formation and rise of the great band we all know as Styx.
Ruth Eckerd was full with Styx super-fans, some of whom even brought their children. Without an opening band, Styx took the stage promptly at 7:30pm and the crowd went crazy. They were all there: Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young, Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman, Ricky Phillips, and even their original bassist Chuck Panozzo came out to play on a few songs. They all looked like they walked right out of the late 70’s and it seemed their hair hasn’t changed much since the 80’s.
Tommy rocked the guitar and Lawrence had a keyboard stand that rotated so he could rock any which way he pleased. Todd played an intimidating-looking drum set like a pro and wowed his fans with each beat. JY and Ricky shredded some sweet solos and kept the hits rollin’ throughout the set and when you added in Chuck they had quite the guitar arsenal to blow the crowd away.
Although I’ll admit I didn’t know every song, it didn’t seem like most of the audience knew them verbatim either, but Styx made it possible for you to enjoy the show no matter what fan status you held. You could feel the bass in every song and the vocals and harmonies sounded as clear as they did on disc. When they played “Come Sail Away,” the entire audience was up singing, rocking and amped up for the rest of the albums.
The great thing about these two albums is that they were reminiscent of an 80’s rock opera or psychedelic trip, but was still completely unique. There were these strange, yet fun, hidden stories in each tune, and the members of Styx were just so committed to their music that it made for an epic performance.
They had video interludes of flipping each side of the album, graphics to go along with each song and even some pictures and footage from the late 70’s to keep the crowd’s attention. Between the two albums they had an intermission so fans could keep the beer flowing and so Styx could rest and do some wardrobe modifications.
The crowd was definitely ready for part two when Styx reappeared. There was one woman in a sequined, disco-ball-looking shirt that didn’t sit the entire evening. She danced and sang the entire night. Air-guitarists were everywhere!
Although the super-fan right next to me claimed that I could never understand the greatness of Styx and why this night was so cool, and also said I was too young to deserve to be there, it was a great experience to be had. Since Styx has pretty much hit 80’s icon status, it’s nice to see that they’ve earned the right to do what they want. On this tour, all they wanted was to give the fans what they’d been asking for all along. They ended up doing even more than that.
After they played both albums they rocked us with a Beatles cover of “I am the Walrus” and closed out with “Too Much Time on My Hands.” Sadly they did not rock “Mr. Roboto” but I guess a tour such as this has given them the right to choose not to play that. “The Grand Illusion” and “Pieces of Eight” are great albums and hearing them back to back, seeing them performed live with such enthusiasm for the work made Saturday night at Ruth Eckerd Hall an Awesome 80’s night!
Styx wasn’t just playing the hits; theirs was a set list that fans had been waiting for. This Styx tour was all about playing their early albums “A Grand Illusion” and “Pieces of Eight.” To introduce the fans to this whole thing, a Star-Wars like video intro played describing the formation and rise of the great band we all know as Styx.
Ruth Eckerd was full with Styx super-fans, some of whom even brought their children. Without an opening band, Styx took the stage promptly at 7:30pm and the crowd went crazy. They were all there: Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young, Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman, Ricky Phillips, and even their original bassist Chuck Panozzo came out to play on a few songs. They all looked like they walked right out of the late 70’s and it seemed their hair hasn’t changed much since the 80’s.
Tommy rocked the guitar and Lawrence had a keyboard stand that rotated so he could rock any which way he pleased. Todd played an intimidating-looking drum set like a pro and wowed his fans with each beat. JY and Ricky shredded some sweet solos and kept the hits rollin’ throughout the set and when you added in Chuck they had quite the guitar arsenal to blow the crowd away.
Although I’ll admit I didn’t know every song, it didn’t seem like most of the audience knew them verbatim either, but Styx made it possible for you to enjoy the show no matter what fan status you held. You could feel the bass in every song and the vocals and harmonies sounded as clear as they did on disc. When they played “Come Sail Away,” the entire audience was up singing, rocking and amped up for the rest of the albums.
The great thing about these two albums is that they were reminiscent of an 80’s rock opera or psychedelic trip, but was still completely unique. There were these strange, yet fun, hidden stories in each tune, and the members of Styx were just so committed to their music that it made for an epic performance.
They had video interludes of flipping each side of the album, graphics to go along with each song and even some pictures and footage from the late 70’s to keep the crowd’s attention. Between the two albums they had an intermission so fans could keep the beer flowing and so Styx could rest and do some wardrobe modifications.
The crowd was definitely ready for part two when Styx reappeared. There was one woman in a sequined, disco-ball-looking shirt that didn’t sit the entire evening. She danced and sang the entire night. Air-guitarists were everywhere!
Although the super-fan right next to me claimed that I could never understand the greatness of Styx and why this night was so cool, and also said I was too young to deserve to be there, it was a great experience to be had. Since Styx has pretty much hit 80’s icon status, it’s nice to see that they’ve earned the right to do what they want. On this tour, all they wanted was to give the fans what they’d been asking for all along. They ended up doing even more than that.
After they played both albums they rocked us with a Beatles cover of “I am the Walrus” and closed out with “Too Much Time on My Hands.” Sadly they did not rock “Mr. Roboto” but I guess a tour such as this has given them the right to choose not to play that. “The Grand Illusion” and “Pieces of Eight” are great albums and hearing them back to back, seeing them performed live with such enthusiasm for the work made Saturday night at Ruth Eckerd Hall an Awesome 80’s night!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
You say aioli , I say aioli, let’s call the whole thing off! My Life In a Restaurant
“Would you like to try that burrito, ‘wet style?’” is a completely different question than, “Would you like fries with that,” okay? Restaurants are my husband’s whole world. I feel like everyone always wants to work in a restaurant at some point because you can make good tips. I always thought I had the personality for it but never had the opportunity.
When my husband and I take leaps we take big ones. When we moved to Tampa, Florida almost immediately after my graduation from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, and literally right after our wedding we had no idea what would happen but we knew our destination was Tampa. We had family in both Tampa and St. Petersburg so we know we wouldn’t be completely alone but we certainly had an amazing adventure ahead of us.
The original plan was to get me a job that paid the bills, get him a job that paid rent and then get my man into Culinary School at the Art Institute. 2 weeks after we arrived and moved into our new place, one week after we started looking, my husband got a job at a Sushi place not too far from home. About two and a half weeks after I started looking, I got hired at a place in a hospital that sold “medical apparel,” aka scrubs. Retail was easy for me and seemed pretty cool. We were settled into reality ready to dive into the unfamiliar.
My husband’s job sucked. That place was a health code violation and he single-handedly cleaned it up and turned it around. He negotiated himself a raise and felt pretty good. The hours were kind of tough but he made it work. Then on payday he noticed not only did he not get the raise but they had paid him a dollar under what they’d originally agreed on in the first place. His worthless boss said “I pay you what you’re worth, and that’s what your worth.” Needless to say, my husband knew better and left gracefully and angrily hoping Tampa had something better to offer.
He spent three days at home making progress on little household projects and combing the listings on Craigslist setting up interviews and applying for new positions. I checked on Craigslist one afternoon and saw something that looked awesome and promising. It was a small, family-owned Mexican Grille about 10 miles away from our place that was only open 11am-9pm and was closed on Sundays. Since the bulk of my man’s experience was indeed Mexican and Latin-based, I knew he was a shoe-in, so long as any knowledge of the Spanish language was not necessary, because he barely knew anything.
He walked in, had the interview, and was hired within 48 hours. He rocked it, and it was the perfect fit for him. He really could not have found a better job. I was sitting pretty at the scrub store and freelance writing for a local alternative, trendy paper doing music reviews and getting us into free concerts.
About a month and a half into his employment at this amazing lil’ Mexican Grille, he was already on the fast track to management and an interesting opportunity came up. The front of the house was short a person and I was looking for a second job. My husband knew I could do it and that I’d always wanted a restaurant job so he threw out my name.
The owner only had one question: “Can you work with her?” We contemplated it. We discussed it..a lot! Before our wedding, before we went through all this relationship drama and getting past it all, we couldn’t have worked together for five minutes, but this time, it felt like it was doable. So we did it.
Where my husband was in his element, boy was I out of mine. The closest thing I had to restaurant experience was Burger King right near the University of Oregon campus, which has been long closed down because we failed all our health code tests. Plus, I wouldn’t exactly call that a real restaurant job. They call it fast food because of all the short cuts the employees take to get the customers out of their faces and on their way!
I dove right into the Mexican Grille and almost ended up drowning more than a few times. The first 3 months were terrible. It was so hard and my boss and I totally had a problem communicating on many levels, leaving me to consistently come out as the bad guy, or the one coming up short. I never had any problems working with my husband. For a long time, he was the only friend there I had.
Working the two jobs was treacherous. I was always tired, never had time to do anything and Sunday was the only day I ever had off. By the time Sunday rolled around I had to do laundry, get caught up on housework and I just wanted to be with my husband. We barely had the energy to leave the house.
For six months I killed myself at both the scrub store and the restaurant. I thought I would do better to put more effort into the scrub store, since my co-workers and managers actually liked me there, than to go the extra mile at the restaurant only to end up being fired from the scrub store and be left with only the restaurant to save me.
Right after the New Year, my life at the restaurant got better. I stopped letting things bother me so much and I got into a rhythm, comfortable with my position and started getting good at my job
and finding things I actually liked about it. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, really. Things got really bad at the scrub store after January and I just wanted to make it to my one year and then move onto greener pastures.
I got fired from the scrub store right before my birthday and the first visit we were making home to Oregon to see family. Getting fired ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me. As a great friend, Lonnie Stoner, once said to me, “It’s a blurse: a blessing and a curse.” I was down a steady paycheck but something had happened at the restaurant that very same week that was kismet, or some kind of sign.
The same week I got canned for being an ambitious scrub store salesgirl the front of the house manager from the Mexican Grille had put in her two week’s notice for leaving the company. Not only did this mean we were short an employee, but I actually had a chance to do well at the restaurant now because this particular manager hated me from the start and always had it out for me. The clouds had just lifted!
The day we left for vacation I threw myself at the mercy of the restaurant owner and told him, if he trained me to work a different position I would work hard and shine for him, I would do what he wanted from me 6 months ago, only even better.
He was skeptical, a little bit unsure but also a little bit stuck between a rock and a hard place. I was less of a gamble than someone completely new. I’d gotten this bad reputation with him as someone who was just there for a paycheck, liked to play more than work, and always had a list of excuses in my back pocket ready to get out of trouble.
Some of those had merit. The restaurant felt like my husband’s realm and I was just a small part of the whole thing, inconsequential really. I never felt like I actually fit in, and I always felt like I had far more weaknesses than strengths in this business. Also, after years of being a nanny I had become an expert at “turning on the happy” and was good at being silly. So, when things got crazy tense at the restaurant and I wanted to run away forever, I’d make guests and employees laugh just so I could laugh with them, which can look kind of bad if you aren’t in on the joke.
As far as the excuses thing, I’m a major explainer. If you start accusing me, I get defensive and I will always tell you exactly what happened, which if you aren’t in the mood to listen, sounds a lot like an excuse. There were a lot of miscommunications and misrepresentations of my comments, issues and personality traits too weighing against me. But, the boss man agreed and I was ready to move forward.
Six months after all of this, I’m actually happy asking over and over again if our guests would like to try that burrito “wet style.” It still bothers me when people pronounce the Grande burrito as “Grand” and when people emphasize the “a” in cilantro, but these are things I can deal with.
When I entered the world of the Mexican Grille and stepped into my husband’s hopes, dreams, and career happiness, I wanted to kick some major ass completely unaware of the notion that the restaurant might instead completely kick my ass. However, I prevailed!
The owner saw it in me. He knew I could hack it, and I do. I worked with an amazing team. It’s hard to mesh with that many people and often at times I feel like there is always someone on my “shit list” but I’d rather be annoyed with them than work without them.
It often is like that movie “Waiting” and I have almost freaked out on many people, and definitely have come unhinged letting out an attitude or shrill statement here or there. No joke, you don’t want to piss off a short red-head. I have days where I feel depressed and like I am going nowhere but then I think about how I built myself into the restaurant structure from nothing and if the owners want me there, what more is there.
I’ve never had a single argument with my husband about anything that happened at the restaurant. We never take that home with us, but we do complain about work…a lot! Sometimes it seems like that is all we can talk about, but then again, it’s a great thing we share.
I never expected to fit into the world of food service. I thought that would be my husband’s thing and I would just come into his restaurant one day to eat and feed the kids because I can’t cook, but now I feel like I want to work towards being a part of it. We have a great couple we look up to as perfect examples of how it all works. I’d like to think that when we grow up we will be like the owners of this amazing restaurant.
I’m not saying that this is an easy job. Anything but easy really, and there is always something to be done! But, I like my job. Ninety percent of the time I feel competent, happy and confident. I’ve met a lot of really great guests, made friends and really know the restaurant. I love working for the owners, and most days I think they like that I’m working for them. I like all the people I work with. The team is great. Sure, we clash, we annoy, we fight, we snap, we yell, we stomp but at the end of the day we are a team and having someone is a lot better than no one.
If you asked me 3 years ago, I could have never even remotely predicted my life, my plan, or my lack thereof would ever bring me here. My husband would definitely say the same. We have our good and bad days but we have a vested interest in this place, this life, this industry. Sure these jobs may not be a forever kind of thing, but we are learning things we will need to make it to forever, and we are forever grateful for the experiences and the people we have supporting us through it all.
My life in a restaurant is anything but ordinary, but then again neither are the items on the menu at my beloved Mexican grille. Sometimes I feel like life has left us behind when I hear about the things that other married couples and friends our age are doing, but then I remember that we left our old life behind to try something new, and something new is exactly what we found…and we even got more than we bargained for. At least when you live your life in a restaurant, you live life to the “fullest!”
When my husband and I take leaps we take big ones. When we moved to Tampa, Florida almost immediately after my graduation from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, and literally right after our wedding we had no idea what would happen but we knew our destination was Tampa. We had family in both Tampa and St. Petersburg so we know we wouldn’t be completely alone but we certainly had an amazing adventure ahead of us.
The original plan was to get me a job that paid the bills, get him a job that paid rent and then get my man into Culinary School at the Art Institute. 2 weeks after we arrived and moved into our new place, one week after we started looking, my husband got a job at a Sushi place not too far from home. About two and a half weeks after I started looking, I got hired at a place in a hospital that sold “medical apparel,” aka scrubs. Retail was easy for me and seemed pretty cool. We were settled into reality ready to dive into the unfamiliar.
My husband’s job sucked. That place was a health code violation and he single-handedly cleaned it up and turned it around. He negotiated himself a raise and felt pretty good. The hours were kind of tough but he made it work. Then on payday he noticed not only did he not get the raise but they had paid him a dollar under what they’d originally agreed on in the first place. His worthless boss said “I pay you what you’re worth, and that’s what your worth.” Needless to say, my husband knew better and left gracefully and angrily hoping Tampa had something better to offer.
He spent three days at home making progress on little household projects and combing the listings on Craigslist setting up interviews and applying for new positions. I checked on Craigslist one afternoon and saw something that looked awesome and promising. It was a small, family-owned Mexican Grille about 10 miles away from our place that was only open 11am-9pm and was closed on Sundays. Since the bulk of my man’s experience was indeed Mexican and Latin-based, I knew he was a shoe-in, so long as any knowledge of the Spanish language was not necessary, because he barely knew anything.
He walked in, had the interview, and was hired within 48 hours. He rocked it, and it was the perfect fit for him. He really could not have found a better job. I was sitting pretty at the scrub store and freelance writing for a local alternative, trendy paper doing music reviews and getting us into free concerts.
About a month and a half into his employment at this amazing lil’ Mexican Grille, he was already on the fast track to management and an interesting opportunity came up. The front of the house was short a person and I was looking for a second job. My husband knew I could do it and that I’d always wanted a restaurant job so he threw out my name.
The owner only had one question: “Can you work with her?” We contemplated it. We discussed it..a lot! Before our wedding, before we went through all this relationship drama and getting past it all, we couldn’t have worked together for five minutes, but this time, it felt like it was doable. So we did it.
Where my husband was in his element, boy was I out of mine. The closest thing I had to restaurant experience was Burger King right near the University of Oregon campus, which has been long closed down because we failed all our health code tests. Plus, I wouldn’t exactly call that a real restaurant job. They call it fast food because of all the short cuts the employees take to get the customers out of their faces and on their way!
I dove right into the Mexican Grille and almost ended up drowning more than a few times. The first 3 months were terrible. It was so hard and my boss and I totally had a problem communicating on many levels, leaving me to consistently come out as the bad guy, or the one coming up short. I never had any problems working with my husband. For a long time, he was the only friend there I had.
Working the two jobs was treacherous. I was always tired, never had time to do anything and Sunday was the only day I ever had off. By the time Sunday rolled around I had to do laundry, get caught up on housework and I just wanted to be with my husband. We barely had the energy to leave the house.
For six months I killed myself at both the scrub store and the restaurant. I thought I would do better to put more effort into the scrub store, since my co-workers and managers actually liked me there, than to go the extra mile at the restaurant only to end up being fired from the scrub store and be left with only the restaurant to save me.
Right after the New Year, my life at the restaurant got better. I stopped letting things bother me so much and I got into a rhythm, comfortable with my position and started getting good at my job
and finding things I actually liked about it. I could see the light at the end of the tunnel, really. Things got really bad at the scrub store after January and I just wanted to make it to my one year and then move onto greener pastures.
I got fired from the scrub store right before my birthday and the first visit we were making home to Oregon to see family. Getting fired ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me. As a great friend, Lonnie Stoner, once said to me, “It’s a blurse: a blessing and a curse.” I was down a steady paycheck but something had happened at the restaurant that very same week that was kismet, or some kind of sign.
The same week I got canned for being an ambitious scrub store salesgirl the front of the house manager from the Mexican Grille had put in her two week’s notice for leaving the company. Not only did this mean we were short an employee, but I actually had a chance to do well at the restaurant now because this particular manager hated me from the start and always had it out for me. The clouds had just lifted!
The day we left for vacation I threw myself at the mercy of the restaurant owner and told him, if he trained me to work a different position I would work hard and shine for him, I would do what he wanted from me 6 months ago, only even better.
He was skeptical, a little bit unsure but also a little bit stuck between a rock and a hard place. I was less of a gamble than someone completely new. I’d gotten this bad reputation with him as someone who was just there for a paycheck, liked to play more than work, and always had a list of excuses in my back pocket ready to get out of trouble.
Some of those had merit. The restaurant felt like my husband’s realm and I was just a small part of the whole thing, inconsequential really. I never felt like I actually fit in, and I always felt like I had far more weaknesses than strengths in this business. Also, after years of being a nanny I had become an expert at “turning on the happy” and was good at being silly. So, when things got crazy tense at the restaurant and I wanted to run away forever, I’d make guests and employees laugh just so I could laugh with them, which can look kind of bad if you aren’t in on the joke.
As far as the excuses thing, I’m a major explainer. If you start accusing me, I get defensive and I will always tell you exactly what happened, which if you aren’t in the mood to listen, sounds a lot like an excuse. There were a lot of miscommunications and misrepresentations of my comments, issues and personality traits too weighing against me. But, the boss man agreed and I was ready to move forward.
Six months after all of this, I’m actually happy asking over and over again if our guests would like to try that burrito “wet style.” It still bothers me when people pronounce the Grande burrito as “Grand” and when people emphasize the “a” in cilantro, but these are things I can deal with.
When I entered the world of the Mexican Grille and stepped into my husband’s hopes, dreams, and career happiness, I wanted to kick some major ass completely unaware of the notion that the restaurant might instead completely kick my ass. However, I prevailed!
The owner saw it in me. He knew I could hack it, and I do. I worked with an amazing team. It’s hard to mesh with that many people and often at times I feel like there is always someone on my “shit list” but I’d rather be annoyed with them than work without them.
It often is like that movie “Waiting” and I have almost freaked out on many people, and definitely have come unhinged letting out an attitude or shrill statement here or there. No joke, you don’t want to piss off a short red-head. I have days where I feel depressed and like I am going nowhere but then I think about how I built myself into the restaurant structure from nothing and if the owners want me there, what more is there.
I’ve never had a single argument with my husband about anything that happened at the restaurant. We never take that home with us, but we do complain about work…a lot! Sometimes it seems like that is all we can talk about, but then again, it’s a great thing we share.
I never expected to fit into the world of food service. I thought that would be my husband’s thing and I would just come into his restaurant one day to eat and feed the kids because I can’t cook, but now I feel like I want to work towards being a part of it. We have a great couple we look up to as perfect examples of how it all works. I’d like to think that when we grow up we will be like the owners of this amazing restaurant.
I’m not saying that this is an easy job. Anything but easy really, and there is always something to be done! But, I like my job. Ninety percent of the time I feel competent, happy and confident. I’ve met a lot of really great guests, made friends and really know the restaurant. I love working for the owners, and most days I think they like that I’m working for them. I like all the people I work with. The team is great. Sure, we clash, we annoy, we fight, we snap, we yell, we stomp but at the end of the day we are a team and having someone is a lot better than no one.
If you asked me 3 years ago, I could have never even remotely predicted my life, my plan, or my lack thereof would ever bring me here. My husband would definitely say the same. We have our good and bad days but we have a vested interest in this place, this life, this industry. Sure these jobs may not be a forever kind of thing, but we are learning things we will need to make it to forever, and we are forever grateful for the experiences and the people we have supporting us through it all.
My life in a restaurant is anything but ordinary, but then again neither are the items on the menu at my beloved Mexican grille. Sometimes I feel like life has left us behind when I hear about the things that other married couples and friends our age are doing, but then I remember that we left our old life behind to try something new, and something new is exactly what we found…and we even got more than we bargained for. At least when you live your life in a restaurant, you live life to the “fullest!”
Monday, August 16, 2010
Catchin' TRAIN at the Tropicana Field for Rays Saturday Night Concert Series
August 14th after the Ray’s sweet victory over the Orioles, Train came rollin’ through the Trop for a Saturday Night Concert Series performance. Recently hitting it big-ger with “Hey, Soul Sister,” the 90’s pop-rock sensation drew in the biggest following I’d seen on Tropicana Field and even within the stands, so far.
Despite the Rays loss on Friday and the usual hurdles us reviewers have to jump over just to get into the show, Train was definitely worth it all. Taking the stage after a corny train sounds audio intro complete with the sounds of the steam engine and train whistle, front-man Pat Monahan commanded the attention of fans in a blue shiny tee and extremely white, tight pants. If that’s not pop music, I don’t know what is.
It almost didn’t sound like Train at first but then they belted out that signature sound that makes them popular over and over again. They opened with “Parachute” off of 2009’s “Save Me San Francisco” album. Monahan said, “Let’s fill this place with love,” as he launched into some hippie-ish, swaying dance moves then hit a crazy high note electrifying the audience through the field into the stands.
When they busted out “Meet Virginia,” complete with a rockin’ guitar solo, the show had really taken off. For “She’s On Fire” Monahan pulled out a guitar and stopped halfway into the song to announce that “Hey, Soul Sister” was now being played on the Country Music channel while he put on a cowboy hat. “Yes, it greatly confused us as well,” Monahan joked, “but it increases our chances of becoming the greatest country music band ever.” Train then played another verse of “She’s On Fire” in country fashion and style until deciding to have even more fun and bring up a group of kids about 12 and under sporting homemade shirts reading “Trainette” to sing the rest of the song with them. At the end of the whole fun, “She’s On Fire” production Monahan bowed with his Trainettes and let them rejoin the crowd.
“I Got You” was next on the set list followed by my current favorite, “If It’s Love,” which had the entirety of Tropicana Field singing along. I jumped on with Train when I “met” Virginia back in the early 90’s but their recent hits kept me even more enthralled than before. I mean who doesn’t know and love the “Hey, Soul Sister” song?
They played “Calling All Angels,” from their third album, did a cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” saying they wished they wrote that one, and then did the title track from their most recent release, “Save Me San Francisco.” I could feel the audience waiting for “Hey, Soul Sister,” and one other hit, which I’ll admit I was dying to see too, “Drops of Jupiter.”
After changing into his “whites” and showing some skin by changing shirts onstage, Monahan said he wanted to marry the whole crowd and entered the packed field to do just that while singing “Marry Me.” Fans were breaking off, running around and trying to spot him and grab him at every chance they could get while his security guards were keeping him at a safe distance from the masses.
The anticipation was high when they finally played it: “Hey, Soul Sister.” It was then that the crowd went completely nuts! Everyone was singing along and it was as poppy and amazing live as it is every other time you hear it. I was almost nervous that they would leave us without it but they closed with “Drops of Jupiter” and all was right in the world again! By far my all time favorite Train song, and seemingly that of many audience members, “Drops of Jupiter” was the perfect way to end the Saturday Night Concert Series at the Trop and to leave my experience with Train. I will definitely be seeing them live again because they put on a damn good show, but if they keep writing hits, followers like the Trainettes will come running to catch Train too!
Despite the Rays loss on Friday and the usual hurdles us reviewers have to jump over just to get into the show, Train was definitely worth it all. Taking the stage after a corny train sounds audio intro complete with the sounds of the steam engine and train whistle, front-man Pat Monahan commanded the attention of fans in a blue shiny tee and extremely white, tight pants. If that’s not pop music, I don’t know what is.
It almost didn’t sound like Train at first but then they belted out that signature sound that makes them popular over and over again. They opened with “Parachute” off of 2009’s “Save Me San Francisco” album. Monahan said, “Let’s fill this place with love,” as he launched into some hippie-ish, swaying dance moves then hit a crazy high note electrifying the audience through the field into the stands.
When they busted out “Meet Virginia,” complete with a rockin’ guitar solo, the show had really taken off. For “She’s On Fire” Monahan pulled out a guitar and stopped halfway into the song to announce that “Hey, Soul Sister” was now being played on the Country Music channel while he put on a cowboy hat. “Yes, it greatly confused us as well,” Monahan joked, “but it increases our chances of becoming the greatest country music band ever.” Train then played another verse of “She’s On Fire” in country fashion and style until deciding to have even more fun and bring up a group of kids about 12 and under sporting homemade shirts reading “Trainette” to sing the rest of the song with them. At the end of the whole fun, “She’s On Fire” production Monahan bowed with his Trainettes and let them rejoin the crowd.
“I Got You” was next on the set list followed by my current favorite, “If It’s Love,” which had the entirety of Tropicana Field singing along. I jumped on with Train when I “met” Virginia back in the early 90’s but their recent hits kept me even more enthralled than before. I mean who doesn’t know and love the “Hey, Soul Sister” song?
They played “Calling All Angels,” from their third album, did a cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” saying they wished they wrote that one, and then did the title track from their most recent release, “Save Me San Francisco.” I could feel the audience waiting for “Hey, Soul Sister,” and one other hit, which I’ll admit I was dying to see too, “Drops of Jupiter.”
After changing into his “whites” and showing some skin by changing shirts onstage, Monahan said he wanted to marry the whole crowd and entered the packed field to do just that while singing “Marry Me.” Fans were breaking off, running around and trying to spot him and grab him at every chance they could get while his security guards were keeping him at a safe distance from the masses.
The anticipation was high when they finally played it: “Hey, Soul Sister.” It was then that the crowd went completely nuts! Everyone was singing along and it was as poppy and amazing live as it is every other time you hear it. I was almost nervous that they would leave us without it but they closed with “Drops of Jupiter” and all was right in the world again! By far my all time favorite Train song, and seemingly that of many audience members, “Drops of Jupiter” was the perfect way to end the Saturday Night Concert Series at the Trop and to leave my experience with Train. I will definitely be seeing them live again because they put on a damn good show, but if they keep writing hits, followers like the Trainettes will come running to catch Train too!
Norah Jones Ditched Lilith Fair to Wow Fans at Tampa's Straz Center
Wednesday August 11, 2010 Norah Jones took the stage at the Straz Center in Downtown Tampa after dropping her Lilith Fair dates and deciding to go it solo. I first found Norah Jones when my aunt sent me a care package filled with new clothes, accessories and her first album, “Come Away with Me.” I instantly fell in love with that voice, her songs, and everything about her. I was confident that seeing her live would be an event to remember.
The stage was filled with instruments in a living room-esque kind of setting with decorative lamps, and a backdrop of white sheets cascading down to set the mood. The opener was Elvis Perkins, his guitar and a harmonica. He had a kind of dry Mason Jennings rumbling with Shooter Jennings sound. With his phrasing and staggered-singing his songs seemed to drone on. He had a good voice but his songs were as dry and flat as his personality revealed in between each tune. He certainly had some potential and he wasn’t terrible, but songs like “Doomsday” and “Stay Zombie, Stay,” aren’t exactly songs I could see myself singing over and over. Regardless, his performance certainly heightened the anticipation for Norah.
Norah and her “Magnificent band,” as Perkins called them, took the stage dressed in style, ready to blow us away. With her short hair, red dress, mini-vest, and sexy heels Norah’s presence on stage was hypnotic. When she sang with that Grammy-winning sultry voice it seemed effortless, like she didn’t even have to try to sound that perfect.
She opened with “What Am I to You,” played with a few beat variations and a slightly different sound from the album, but awesome still, proving her versatility and abilities to rock it live. She played some electric guitar alongside her five band-mates, with the lights flashing purple, pink, blue and green all over, making the stage a very sentimental place. After each song the lights would completely dim leaving only the lamps illuminated. The lighting effects were so interesting and really kept your attention fixed on Norah, the band and the ambiance of the evening.
For Norah, the Straz Center was perfect and personable. A fan a few seats down had mentioned she liked the smaller venues and came alive when she played in them. Norah even commented, “It’s not Lilith Fair but it’s something, we got two chicks on stage, so…”
The band was indeed magnificent, charismatic and seemed to have a great time together on stage, connecting with one another with each and every beat. They played songs from Norah’s entire catalog. “Light as a Feather,” “It’s Gonna Be” and “Chasing Pirates,” were from her latest, “The Fall,” which is definitely a progression from her previous album, “Not Too Late.”
She then took us back to some of her earlier songs like “Broken,” during which she got one line in and stopped dead saying, “I totally forgot the words! I think I have a ‘broken’ brain. I’m sorry, but it’s been awhile since we’ve done this one.” She then asked her band-mate, Sasha, to mouth the lyrics to her the whole song and proceeded to even argue a bit about what line came when.
Norah finally said, “Okay, I’ve got it and if I don’t I’ll fake it and you’ll never know!” The crowd was laughing right along with her, totally amused by the entire exchange. Seeing the real, uninhibited Norah come out to play just made the evening even better.
They covered Johnny Cash, “Cry, Cry, Cry,” and did Mr. Cash proud. She played a personal favorite of my own, “Lonestar,” she rocked the piano for “Back to Manhattan,” and then played “Sinkin’ Soon,” which was incredible live; the bass and drum beats were so vivid and pronounced.
The band left Norah onstage and she looked out to the audience and said, “We’re alone…” It was then she played a song about her dog, “Man of the Hour,” which is probably one of the most lyrically amusing songs she has written. The beauty of Norah Jones, besides her obvious physical adorableness, is that she grows with each album. “Come Away With Me,” was simple, succinct and left a lasting impression on us all. “Feels Like Home,” was a progression in beats, lyrics and the use of her voice, where as “Not Too Late,” had her venturing into a few more bluesy, folksy and classic-sounding numbers which broadened her audience even more. Her latest, “The Fall” is definitely the closest to “Pop” she’s ever gotten but she still has that signature Norah Jones sound complete with songs that stay stuck in the heads of her fans.
“Don’t Know Why,” and the title track of her first album, “Come Away With Me,” finished the evening. The crowd cheered her back onto the stage after an amazing classic microphone was set up. Her band came out with a stand up bass, steel guitar and a banjo, crowded around the mic, like a scene out of “O’ Brother Where Art Though,” to kick it old school and indulge the fans with their encore of “Sunrise” and “Creepin’ In.”
Seeing Norah live was definitely everything I’d expected and then some. From a CD sent in a care-package to a Grammy-winning Goddess onstage in front of me at the Straz Center, Norah had come a long way, earned her keep and continued to play remarkable music, growing and morphing into a greater musician album by album and concert by concert. An event to remember to say the least, Norah Jones was a knock-out hit Wednesday at the Straz Center.
The stage was filled with instruments in a living room-esque kind of setting with decorative lamps, and a backdrop of white sheets cascading down to set the mood. The opener was Elvis Perkins, his guitar and a harmonica. He had a kind of dry Mason Jennings rumbling with Shooter Jennings sound. With his phrasing and staggered-singing his songs seemed to drone on. He had a good voice but his songs were as dry and flat as his personality revealed in between each tune. He certainly had some potential and he wasn’t terrible, but songs like “Doomsday” and “Stay Zombie, Stay,” aren’t exactly songs I could see myself singing over and over. Regardless, his performance certainly heightened the anticipation for Norah.
Norah and her “Magnificent band,” as Perkins called them, took the stage dressed in style, ready to blow us away. With her short hair, red dress, mini-vest, and sexy heels Norah’s presence on stage was hypnotic. When she sang with that Grammy-winning sultry voice it seemed effortless, like she didn’t even have to try to sound that perfect.
She opened with “What Am I to You,” played with a few beat variations and a slightly different sound from the album, but awesome still, proving her versatility and abilities to rock it live. She played some electric guitar alongside her five band-mates, with the lights flashing purple, pink, blue and green all over, making the stage a very sentimental place. After each song the lights would completely dim leaving only the lamps illuminated. The lighting effects were so interesting and really kept your attention fixed on Norah, the band and the ambiance of the evening.
For Norah, the Straz Center was perfect and personable. A fan a few seats down had mentioned she liked the smaller venues and came alive when she played in them. Norah even commented, “It’s not Lilith Fair but it’s something, we got two chicks on stage, so…”
The band was indeed magnificent, charismatic and seemed to have a great time together on stage, connecting with one another with each and every beat. They played songs from Norah’s entire catalog. “Light as a Feather,” “It’s Gonna Be” and “Chasing Pirates,” were from her latest, “The Fall,” which is definitely a progression from her previous album, “Not Too Late.”
She then took us back to some of her earlier songs like “Broken,” during which she got one line in and stopped dead saying, “I totally forgot the words! I think I have a ‘broken’ brain. I’m sorry, but it’s been awhile since we’ve done this one.” She then asked her band-mate, Sasha, to mouth the lyrics to her the whole song and proceeded to even argue a bit about what line came when.
Norah finally said, “Okay, I’ve got it and if I don’t I’ll fake it and you’ll never know!” The crowd was laughing right along with her, totally amused by the entire exchange. Seeing the real, uninhibited Norah come out to play just made the evening even better.
They covered Johnny Cash, “Cry, Cry, Cry,” and did Mr. Cash proud. She played a personal favorite of my own, “Lonestar,” she rocked the piano for “Back to Manhattan,” and then played “Sinkin’ Soon,” which was incredible live; the bass and drum beats were so vivid and pronounced.
The band left Norah onstage and she looked out to the audience and said, “We’re alone…” It was then she played a song about her dog, “Man of the Hour,” which is probably one of the most lyrically amusing songs she has written. The beauty of Norah Jones, besides her obvious physical adorableness, is that she grows with each album. “Come Away With Me,” was simple, succinct and left a lasting impression on us all. “Feels Like Home,” was a progression in beats, lyrics and the use of her voice, where as “Not Too Late,” had her venturing into a few more bluesy, folksy and classic-sounding numbers which broadened her audience even more. Her latest, “The Fall” is definitely the closest to “Pop” she’s ever gotten but she still has that signature Norah Jones sound complete with songs that stay stuck in the heads of her fans.
“Don’t Know Why,” and the title track of her first album, “Come Away With Me,” finished the evening. The crowd cheered her back onto the stage after an amazing classic microphone was set up. Her band came out with a stand up bass, steel guitar and a banjo, crowded around the mic, like a scene out of “O’ Brother Where Art Though,” to kick it old school and indulge the fans with their encore of “Sunrise” and “Creepin’ In.”
Seeing Norah live was definitely everything I’d expected and then some. From a CD sent in a care-package to a Grammy-winning Goddess onstage in front of me at the Straz Center, Norah had come a long way, earned her keep and continued to play remarkable music, growing and morphing into a greater musician album by album and concert by concert. An event to remember to say the least, Norah Jones was a knock-out hit Wednesday at the Straz Center.
Cyndi Lauper Returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall to play the Blues
The 80’s-Pop Princess and icon, Cyndi Lauper came back to Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall after two years with a new sound, new hit album and new hair to boot! Wednesday August 4, 2010 the hall was packed with Lauper fans, some decked out in outfits to rival Lauper’s flamboyant fashion sense.
David Rhodes opened with just his guitar and laptop. He was rocking out some electric blues with his strong wailing voice. It was kind of a rougher version of David Gray. Although he wasn’t talentless, he was anything but a crowd pleaser. I could hear complaints and grumbles during his harsh guitar strums. I could see some of the older fans cringing and holding their ears. I could appreciate what he was trying to do, but with all of his efforts he still fell flat.
Lauper’s stage set-up was simple and clean. No huge backdrops, LCD screens, crazy props or an army of instruments for this performance. She had a guitarist, bass player, drummer, keyboard/synthesizer player and an organist. Cyndi Lauper took the stage with bright red hair, somewhat reminiscent of Sideshow Bob of the Simpsons, but still a rocking style choice. She wore a translucent, black jacket-dress with a 50’s cut blue, leopard bathing-suit looking undergarment.
Lauper immediately thanked her fans for the success of her “Memphis Blues” album and said she would be playing the blues for us. “Just Your Fool,” was her opener. She looked good, danced around that stage like she was 20 again, and was very passionate about singing her blues. She was amped up and had a great energy. The soft, blue and green lighting complemented the tunes and atmosphere quite well.
I was surprised at how well Lauper could rock the blues. If possible those pipes of hers are even better than they were 20 years ago. For such low key music, she was still able to keep it upbeat. She said herself, “The best thing about the Blues is its uplifting.” She claimed that she’d been dreaming about making a blues album for years but had to earn it but, “Now I can do whatever the hell I want!” At Ruth Eckerd that night she most certainly proved that.
Every once in awhile she would meander into these awkward ramblings, telling strange tales and stories, only a few of which were even slightly related to the song she had sung or was about to sing. They somehow made her more endearing though.
She played on the lap guitar for a few songs, a huge crowd pleaser. After an hour or so of an intense blues session where she played nearly the entirety of her album including, “Early in the Morning,” “Shattered Dreams,” “Down Don’t Bother Me,” and “Crossroads,” she closed the blues set, said goodnight and left the stage.
She was beckoned back because she hadn’t played her classics and 80’s hits yet. I was surprised that she didn’t throw them into the Blues set here and there but I knew she couldn’t truly end the evening without playing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!” She came back out on stage, kicked off her shoes and the Encore with “Change of Heart,” and then grooved into a swingy version of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” followed by “Time After Time,” during which she played the lap guitar again.
She brought David Rhodes accompanied Lauper and her band to bust out a slower and bluesy version of “She-Bop,” then concluded with Memphis Slim’s, “Mother Earth,” bowed with her band and said another goodnight to her fans. I knew a second Encore was on the horizon and after a few minutes and many screams, hoots and hollers, she came back to end the night with “True Colors,” throwing in a “Power to the People” chant within her grand finale.
It was a great evening. She shocked me with her love of the blues but she rocked it. Where at some points she was a little too preachy and stumbling with words, she made up for it with her music selections, positivity and amazing energy. Watching her in action was quite the experience, and she has a very passionate fan-base. Everyone left uplifted by a night of Blues, and 80’s classics with Cyndi Lauper.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Dave Matthews Band and Gov’t Mule Rock the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre
Wednesday July 28, 2010 the recently renamed 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre hosted Dave Matthews Band with Gov’t Mule opening. At 7:00pm the Amphitheatre was looking pretty sparse, even in the General Admission pit area where fans were pushing each other to get closest to the sage and to the first glimpse of Dave.
Dave accompanied Gov’t Mule as they took the stage to give them a proper introduction to kick off the music of the evening. Some of their songs sounded as though they were channeling Neil Young with that country-Americana twang. Their amazing melodies, strong guitar riffs and fluid transitions drew in the fans, keeping people steadily trickling in during their set.
Gov’t Mule was one of those bands that everyone kind of knows, or at least should know in some way, but may not be able to name a single song they’ve ever played or heard. They definitely warmed up the crowd for DMB, leaving them with quite the act to follow and ended with a rocking jam-session complete with a sweet saxophone solo, establishing the laid-back vibe of the concert.
By about 8pm people were pouring in and what first looked sparse was now packed. The beer was flowing and we watched as the General Admission Pit, an area that I’d heard an avid DMB fan claim was a necessity for their shows, was too full for most of the fans to move, let alone dance.
The Dave Matthews Band took the stage around 8:30 and the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre
audience gave a roaring welcome to them all. Dave immediately sang with such intensity in his voice and I knew we were all in for an evening to remember. The sunset amidst the sky after the thunderstorms just made the ambiance all the more romantic, complementing the wonderful Dave Matthews Band style and music. Watching them in action, Dave especially, was more exhilarating and entertaining than I’d even imagined.
The lights and added video screens made the stage a very groovy place. It was evident that Dave was feeling every note he played from head to toe: his closed eyes to hit the right notes, his foot keeping time to each strum. His talent radiated off the stage, just adding more positivity to the vibe and the crowd was feeding off of it.
Dave Matthews Band quickly commanded the attention of the audience showing they were quite the musical force to be reckoned with. This was one of those shows where taking notes was unnecessary; you had to dance with the crowd, sing along, and take it all in!
There were very few fans found sitting. It was hard to be still when DMB busted out songs like “Big Eyed Fish” and “Warehouse.” They kept it pretty up-beat considering a great deal of their hits were a bit softer. It was the kind of show that made you nostalgic, taking you back to the first time you heard, “Crash into Me.”
Those soulful, sensual notes that Dave hit soothed the soul and could make his harshest critics fall head over heels for him. I’ll admit that I had a big love-hate relationship with Dave Matthews Band for a long time. When I was younger I thought they were overrated and I couldn’t stand that “I Did It” song. But, then I gave them a chance and I fell for them. They have a unique sound that’s so easy to listen to, you can’t even complain about them really. My husband admitted he couldn’t name one single DMB song but he knew he’d heard most of them. I caught him rocking out and singing to a few.
The chemistry among the band was impressive. I’ve seen groups who have played together for much longer, play less in sync with one another. No one missed a beat and every single player was able to shine. They finished each others’ “phrases.” When the horns came in it was distinct and just added to the musical quality. Watching the violin player and Dave have little string-battles was hilarious, and made some musical marvels. The guitar players were strong and really gave depth to the songs and Dave’s finger-picking and rocking out on that guitar was hypnotic.
I have to give DMB credit where credit is due, they rocked it! It was a mind-blowing performance and watching it all happen on stage was like being taken to an entirely different level. Even the slower tempo songs revved up the crowd. The passion of the musicians was evident all around, from the smooth, rhythmic changes to the lyrical storytelling and dynamic sounds coming from the wide array of instruments rocking on that stage.
I’d heard a few Dave fans say that they’d heard them play better sets. I’ll admit I was a little disappointed he didn’t play anything from “Everyday,” and only played one song from “Busted Stuff,” but in turn he played a lot from “Under the Table and Dreaming.” They even played a brand new song, one in which Dave claimed “We’d never played that before so we’re just glad we got through it.”Dave Matthews Band left their fans electrified, excited and all danced out. For a
Wednesday night, what more could you really ask for. They are great performers, to say the least, and for my first DMB show, it just left me wanting more. Although they didn’t play all my favorite songs, the night was nothing short of awesome, and it seemed like Dave Matthews Band had just as much fun as his audience did.
Dave accompanied Gov’t Mule as they took the stage to give them a proper introduction to kick off the music of the evening. Some of their songs sounded as though they were channeling Neil Young with that country-Americana twang. Their amazing melodies, strong guitar riffs and fluid transitions drew in the fans, keeping people steadily trickling in during their set.
Gov’t Mule was one of those bands that everyone kind of knows, or at least should know in some way, but may not be able to name a single song they’ve ever played or heard. They definitely warmed up the crowd for DMB, leaving them with quite the act to follow and ended with a rocking jam-session complete with a sweet saxophone solo, establishing the laid-back vibe of the concert.
By about 8pm people were pouring in and what first looked sparse was now packed. The beer was flowing and we watched as the General Admission Pit, an area that I’d heard an avid DMB fan claim was a necessity for their shows, was too full for most of the fans to move, let alone dance.
The Dave Matthews Band took the stage around 8:30 and the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre
audience gave a roaring welcome to them all. Dave immediately sang with such intensity in his voice and I knew we were all in for an evening to remember. The sunset amidst the sky after the thunderstorms just made the ambiance all the more romantic, complementing the wonderful Dave Matthews Band style and music. Watching them in action, Dave especially, was more exhilarating and entertaining than I’d even imagined.
The lights and added video screens made the stage a very groovy place. It was evident that Dave was feeling every note he played from head to toe: his closed eyes to hit the right notes, his foot keeping time to each strum. His talent radiated off the stage, just adding more positivity to the vibe and the crowd was feeding off of it.
Dave Matthews Band quickly commanded the attention of the audience showing they were quite the musical force to be reckoned with. This was one of those shows where taking notes was unnecessary; you had to dance with the crowd, sing along, and take it all in!
There were very few fans found sitting. It was hard to be still when DMB busted out songs like “Big Eyed Fish” and “Warehouse.” They kept it pretty up-beat considering a great deal of their hits were a bit softer. It was the kind of show that made you nostalgic, taking you back to the first time you heard, “Crash into Me.”
Those soulful, sensual notes that Dave hit soothed the soul and could make his harshest critics fall head over heels for him. I’ll admit that I had a big love-hate relationship with Dave Matthews Band for a long time. When I was younger I thought they were overrated and I couldn’t stand that “I Did It” song. But, then I gave them a chance and I fell for them. They have a unique sound that’s so easy to listen to, you can’t even complain about them really. My husband admitted he couldn’t name one single DMB song but he knew he’d heard most of them. I caught him rocking out and singing to a few.
The chemistry among the band was impressive. I’ve seen groups who have played together for much longer, play less in sync with one another. No one missed a beat and every single player was able to shine. They finished each others’ “phrases.” When the horns came in it was distinct and just added to the musical quality. Watching the violin player and Dave have little string-battles was hilarious, and made some musical marvels. The guitar players were strong and really gave depth to the songs and Dave’s finger-picking and rocking out on that guitar was hypnotic.
I have to give DMB credit where credit is due, they rocked it! It was a mind-blowing performance and watching it all happen on stage was like being taken to an entirely different level. Even the slower tempo songs revved up the crowd. The passion of the musicians was evident all around, from the smooth, rhythmic changes to the lyrical storytelling and dynamic sounds coming from the wide array of instruments rocking on that stage.
I’d heard a few Dave fans say that they’d heard them play better sets. I’ll admit I was a little disappointed he didn’t play anything from “Everyday,” and only played one song from “Busted Stuff,” but in turn he played a lot from “Under the Table and Dreaming.” They even played a brand new song, one in which Dave claimed “We’d never played that before so we’re just glad we got through it.”Dave Matthews Band left their fans electrified, excited and all danced out. For a
Wednesday night, what more could you really ask for. They are great performers, to say the least, and for my first DMB show, it just left me wanting more. Although they didn’t play all my favorite songs, the night was nothing short of awesome, and it seemed like Dave Matthews Band had just as much fun as his audience did.
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