After being fired from my job at First Uniform retail outlet the day before we left for vacation to go home and see family and friends, I became a bit disgruntled.
Not only had I been fired for no real reasons: Starting a "Clique," undermining the manager by defending my fellow employees, and making her out to be the "bad manager" due to my comradery with two girls I worked with, but I had wasted 8 months of my life at I place you couldn't pay me to use as reference.
In the words of Lonnie Stoner, this whole thing ended up being quite a "blurse," a blessing and a curse, if you will. I found out I didn't hate my other job at the restaurant, got away from the terribly stressful store where I was apparently unappreciated, and now actually have time for a life, and am still making great money.
However, I left corporate Headquarters in Charlotte, NC these words. ENJOY!
Dear Bill White,
With much trepidation and regret I write to you in the wake of the termination of my employment at First Uniform in Tampa, FL just three weeks ago in an attempt to inform you of my disappointment with the management and their violation of my rights as an employee.
On March 20, 2009 Suzie Alday, or Santorsola, whichever she may choose to go buy, came in to the store and pulled me outside to talk to me about her disappointment in my personality traits and their effect on the workplace, inevitably firing me. She then, without fully concluding the conversation with me, and with my being in earshot, called my peer and co-worker, Heather Boyd, to inform her that I was no longer employed with First Uniform. This was none of Ms. Boyd’s business, should not have been done anywhere within my presence, violates my rights as an employee (to my understanding, of course) and is completely out of line and inconsiderate. Not to mention the fact that if any employee was to be informed of this decision first, it should be the one in the store with me, Ms. Jamie Johnson, not the one at home enjoying her day off. Also, she did not call my other co-worker, Jennifer Pantaleo to inform her, so I do not understand the point of this phone call anyway.
Suzie also told my, now, ex-coworkers, that if anyone asked where I was or what had happened, to inform them that I “went on vacation and never came back.” This is not only incredibly hurtful to me personally, but disregards my reputation, making me look terrible in the eyes of the Hospital Staff, customers I had come to learn by name, and any friends I had made at the University Community Hospital. I also feel that this puts my ex-co-workers in an uncomfortable and unfair position as well.
It hurts me to think that after almost 9 months with First Uniform in Tampa, it ended in such an abrupt and seemingly inconceivable way. However, these acts are a testament to the management of Suzie and I am hoping that you take the time to consider these issues among others I feel obligated to discuss.
I was told upon being hired that I would be evaluated within a few months of my hire date. This never happened. Instead, any and all issues that I ever had with Steve or Suzie were brought up in front of my peers, even if they were very personal issues and clearly only concerning myself and no other. I feel that if my position had been properly and personally evaluated, I would not have been fired. In nine months of employment I only ever had three altercations with Steve and/or Suzie Santorsola and I thought all of them had been resolved; apparently not.
Within about two months of my employment, during a time when I was dealing with a personal issue (a family emergency some 3,000 miles away) Steve addressed me about my “attitude.” This was not because I had offended a customer or a peer. It was because I had offended Suzie. I, of course, apologized to Suzie and explained that I was having a bad day and regretted that my personal life interfered with working in the store.
That situation is ironic because just a week before my termination, a fellow employee was having a fight with her significant other and was in a terrible mood. This employee was on her phone texting while in the store most of the day, ignored many duties, was rude to most everyone around her, and even broke a major rule at First Uniform – when she clocked in another employee who wasn’t even scheduled for that shift – and somehow escaped unscathed. To me, this all seems a bit unfair.
Let me make something clear: Steve and Suzie Santorsola are wonderful people. There was a time when I looked up to them and thought that they were amazing managers. I counted myself lucky to have such a wonderful job. I still don’t understand how I offended them, but whatever I did, resulted in my firing. The worst part is I still don’t quite know where I went wrong. The only reason I was given for the termination of my employment was that I started a “clique,” “undermined Suzie” and that my personality created an environment that Suzie didn’t like. I was seemingly fired for a personality clash, which is an unfit reason in my eyes.
When Suzie was appointed manager I was excited. I thought that things would improve in the store and she put a great deal of time and effort into becoming an active and present manager. Ironically, it was another employee who voiced a major problem with Suzie’s promotion; if Suzie is a person who lives by the mantra “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” she’s on the right track. However, her favoritism is definitely a hindrance in the store. Many times I felt like the only reason we had any problems was because she just didn’t like me, not because I wasn’t doing my job.
Within two weeks of her promotion, Suzie pulled me aside because a friend and fellow co-worker had expressed her concern about my being stressed out due to my second job. This created a major conflict as Suzie thought that there was some deep issue between the two of us and that it was her place to step in. Seeing as how my relationship outside the store with this employee was becoming a stress and a problem, I pulled away from it, to salvage my position in the workplace as an apt employee, and to act in the best interest of the store.
Two weeks after this, three of the four young ladies employed at First Uniform were gathered together for a meeting during a slow period of the day. Suzie talked to us about communication, upkeep, updates and then somehow the conversation turned to being about me and my personality flaws. I had offended Suzie at work as she thought that I was poking fun at her (which I was not, a co-worker explained this as well) and she discussed this issue with me in private, where I, of course, apologized many times over. She brought this up again, after I thought it had been resolved, and in front of my peers and publicly chastised me for my “attitude” and overall, for my personality. I had one co-worker come to my defense and say there had been a large amount of miscommunication. I took a deep breath, swallowed my tears of frustration and continued to work the day. I thought it was all behind us and I focused solely on customers and my duties at the store.
I thought things were getting better. Suzie and I had, what I thought to be, many constructive discussions about store morale and increasing sales, schedules, and the like. I was always honest with Suzie and very up-front. However, one particular conversation apparently helped lead to my employment termination. Suzie had expressed her frustration with an employee’s lack of understanding and her lack of willingness to listen. Myself, and another peer, tried to explain to Suzie that sometimes this employee whom she was so frustrated with just needed to have things rephrased or explained in different terms for her to fully understand…she did not offend with intent. Suzie didn’t seem to care about our thoughts and later accused me of “deciding to steer the conversation in the direction that I wanted to undermine her.”
There was also an instance where a co-worker approached me concerned she had offended Suzie and asked if anything had been said about the situation. I answered her honestly saying, Suzie had brought up the conflict as an example of “what not to do” and would probably speak to her in greater detail about it later. This situation led to Suzie accusing me of making her out to be “the bad manager” and my trying to get the girls to “rally” against her.
These situations are clearly misconstrued and misunderstood. What is important isn’t who is right or wrong, what is important is that Suzie used situations that could have been avoided, better discussed, or completely ridiculous as a reason to fire me. I was easily expendable to her because I had another job, so she could fire me with a clear conscience – another testament to her managerial character.
I think it is imperative that you understand that Suzie’s capabilities as a manager are not even in question, but when you rule with your heart and not your head things can become unnecessarily complicated. I watched Suzie let one employee get away with things once deemed “unacceptable.” I’d heard customers both in the store and at outside First Uniform events complain about Suzie. I watched Suzie claim other employee’s ideas as her own to Steve, and micromanage employees giving her “favorites” simplistic tasks like making a sign, while forcing another to straighten every piece of Cherokee in the store alone.
I don’t think there is any legitimate reason for the termination of my employment, and if there was, I hope you can send me some form of explanation because I still don’t know. Two of my peers thought I was a wonderful employee. I was 100% there for First Uniform. Part of my upset comes from the fact that just a month ago Suzie asked me if I planned to stay on the team throughout the next few months and I said “Yes, nothing I will take on will affect my position at this store, but I wouldn’t stay if you didn’t want me here.” Her response was “You are valued, that isn’t even a question in anyone’s mind.” Also, a week prior to my getting fired she asked me if my second job would lessen my availability at the store as they were getting ready to hire a new team member and I said “You were my first job and I will not let my second job interfere.” If I had known that these problems existed, I would have gracefully resigned for the good of the company. Instead I was fired the day before I left to fly home to see my family, never having been fired before from anything, and feeling as though I wasted 9 months of my life without walking away with a reference, or any appreciation.
I don’t doubt that the store sales will continue to increase, but I will tell you that you will continue to gain and lose employees under the management if Suzie is not evaluated and trained by someone other than Steve. When I returned to the store three weeks after my firing to pick up an order I had placed, I smiled and said hello to Suzie and she wouldn’t even look at me and quietly just said “hey.” I find this ridiculous and rude and the last testament to Suzie’s management.
I really liked working with everyone at First Uniform and I thought I was part of a great team and a valued member of a company I supported. However, if you support a manager who is able to fire someone based on personal conflicts and likeability, I cannot sit back idly and wait for her to do it to someone else. I have lodged a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and I hope that this note and this complaint will have some resonance and make First Uniform in Tampa, the “positive” place that I kept it from becoming.
I encourage you to call or write me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your time,
Alison Chriss
Bill White has since responded with the following:
"Alison,
Thank you for your letter. I appreciate your sincerity as well as the amount of through and time you put into it. Rest assured that I have read it carefully and we had detailed discussions with both Steve and Suzy on the matter. I can tell you that they both had many positive things to say about you, that you will be missed by all, and they certainly wish you the best as you move on. Clearly they agonized over the decision, but they felt it was unfortunately the best course of action in this case, and I agree. And yes, there is always some room for improvement.
Alison I can tell you care a great deal about your job, and I'm sure this trait will serve you well in the future. Thanks again for your letter and the work you did for our company.
Sincerely,
Bill White
Director of Business Development
First Uniform"
If this doesn't apply to my "Art of Letting Go" post...I don't know what does! Sometimes we have to let go of the fact that we have no power, were wronged and there is no right. It's freeing to think that this is all behind me, and I will walk away as the adult of the situation. Now I just fear for the girls I once worked with! Hang in there ladies!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Art of Letting Go - Hopefully this isn't too "Self-Help"
How many times have you heard the phrases “Let go,” “Let it go,” “Just let go” or “Let them go.”? How many times have you uttered those words? It’s common English diction really. When you “Google it” music, lyrics, and “how to let go” of lovers, grudges, bitterness, and regret all come up within just the top ten.
Letting go, however, is one of those many things in life that are easier said than done. From personal experience, I believe that there is an art to letting things, people, situations, and emotional attachments go.
What exactly are we let go of? Pain, emotional baggage, people, grief, love, anguish, stress, disappointment, regret, anger and anything else in life that plagues us, right? It’s a process.
Maybe it just becomes easier with age but when I think of all the people, memories and just “things” – both tangible and emotional – it’s quite the impressive journey.
When I was five, my Kindergarten boyfriend left the school and moved. That was an attachment I had to let go of. That same year my Grandma Mary died, which was someone I had to just let go. Those two occurrences seemed so simple, but is it as we grow older or as we grow emotionally and mentally that it all becomes more complicated?
Perhaps there was a moment in my life where, in the midst of everything that I thought I knew was spinning out of control, I decided that I had to take control of as much of my life as I possibly could. This probably led to my inability to “let things go.” Maybe inability is the wrong word. I can do it, but it’s never easy for me.
After a terrible bout with severe depression in 2008/2009 I’ve discovered some interesting patterns in my life. I’ve randomly thought about the events that have unfolded in my life in the past decade only to come to the realization that I have some very self-destructive habits. One of these habits has everything to do with the whole issue of letting go.
One of my best friends said it best when he asked my husband, “Did you ever notice how Alison makes a big deal about the little things, she obsesses over them, but the huge things in life just don’t bother her?” I wanted to argue but I couldn’t. He was dead on. My sarcastic self said “Oh, come on, I’d rather be mad that my hair looks like shit than the big catastrophes in my life because if I think about the big things all the time, I’d kill myself.”
I don’t want to let go of the little things because then I’d have to face the big stuff. Seems like common sense to me, but, it also allows me to push away the anger and pain. I sweep a lot under the rock. I shelve things that shouldn’t have a shelf life. I was wired early on in my childhood to “save face,” or to keep certain things private, and now that seems to have totally wrecked my persona.
But now, I want to study and explore this “art” of letting go. I’ve lost so many people in my life in the past 5, even 10 years. And I’m not talking about loved ones passing. I’m talking about people that have been “let go” or have let me go. And now that I’m away from the circumstances, both physically and mentally, I can really reflect.
When you move, when you graduate, when you grow as a person, you lose touch with people and drift apart. Some of these things feel natural and some do not. Some leave imprints and some just happen like the change of a season overnight. When you feel the shift, however, and I mean really feel it that is when you know that you’ll be forever changed. And now, my reflections:
My first love did not love me back, and he wasn’t always the nicest guy. One day we just stopped talking. He moved away and I moved forward. We mutually let each other go.
My first boyfriend, also not a very nice guy, ended up stealing from me, his roommates, and a couple other people close to me. He left apology letters for everyone, except me. I was hurt, ashamed, and filled with anger…every once in awhile I catch myself getting all worked up about how terrible he was, but the further away I get from it the easier it has become to take a breath and let it go.
I had an integral person in my life abandon me in so many ways…she chose everything over me. The worst part is; I don’t know if she was ever really there for me. Perhaps she was there physically but what about mentally? I want to let her go in every sense, walk away forever, but she is genetically tied to me, and irreplaceable. I’ve been detaching from her bit by bit since I was 13…this is the kind of letting go that isn’t just a “cut and run” situation.
My best friend, or ex-best-friend as I now refer to him, was my friend since birth. I put a lot of pressure on him to be this amazing force in my life. I thought I believed in fate and he was this amazing part of mine. I gave him everything he asked, and then some, and in the end it just wasn’t what either of us needed. I looked to him for a sense of family and he came through. I idolized his family because, with everything they’d been through they all had this amazing bond and were wonderfully happy. They all thought of me as something-better-than-nothing, and they accepted me for who and what I was: completely fucked up, but with a good heart.
I’d struggled with him for years. I wanted him to be a life-changing friend and he wanted me to be this simply rockin’ girl and in the end we both failed. When we grew out of our teen angst age and I dated his roommate and he dated girls from work, parties, or concerts, we just couldn’t find our groove. We fought, and I cried…all the time. I wanted him to care and he wanted me to not care…it was a set up for disaster. One weekend we went on a trip together and I realized that I was trying so hard to be this perfect girl for him; I didn’t even know what girl I was anymore. I’d completely lost me.
I went home to my then-boyfriend, now-husband and cried telling him I had to change and he told me that I needed to do any and everything to be happy, because he was suffering too. But, he didn’t want to lose me. He had lived too long in the shadow of this stressful friendship I’d been fighting for.
After weeks, months and then some of serious therapy where I laid all my shit on the table, I thought my very bestest friend was behind me. He was supportive and present, dating a really sweet girl who made him happy, and I’d salvaged my hanging-by-a-thread relationship with the only man who ever loved me, and who I felt like I kinda deserved. During my steps away from depression and anxiety I had begged my friend to let me go if I was too much of a handful. I’ve almost always seen myself as a burden on someone and in the past few years, I thought of myself more as a kind-of-unfortunate-looking personal driver, loan officer and/or rent-a-friend, than a substantial relationship for him, but he refused to just “Let me go.”
But then, because it’s my life and not a movie, the shit hit the fan and my “integral person” came back to completely fuck up all my progress. In the wake of all of the family drama and another episode of “Alison being forced into dealing with more than a twenty-something should have to” scenario, after too much alcohol, an Irish Punk Rock vibe gone wrong and some terribly fucked-up inappropriate conversation, my then-best-friend, now ex-best-friend, let me AND my then-boyfriend, now-husband GO, to be with the girl he loved.
For a month I cried myself to sleep and completely regressed. I’d gone through pangs of anger and serenity and then one day I just realized: we needed to let each other go. His family went through some serious anguish with all of this. We regret so much but almost felt a relief knowing it was over. Both parties involved have since moved in completely positive directions after the terrible incident and now I look back and it just makes me sad.
We had some amazing memories. We had some really good times. But at some point, we just had to let go. I couldn’t be the perfect girl he wanted, and he couldn’t be the man I needed. I should have let him go years ago but there was a certain dysfunctional co-dependence we shared.
Letting go of all of this sucked, to say the least. This is the big stuff I didn’t want to face! But, true to form, more recently, I just deal with the little things that bug me with the occasional major hurdle.
February was the month of answering all my questions from my childhood and facing my demons. I think March was the month of facing the high school drama all over again.
After a tumultuous love-hate relationship with Facebook I finally gave in and “friended” a few old high school friends. As if this wasn’t enough drama, I happened to have attended 3 different high schools. I found an old “flame,” now married with a family and everything and we started catching up.
At some point, the conversation went awry and I got the feeling that he thought my asking to meet up “for lunch sometime” was some kind of sexual code. One day he text me and I finally had to make it clear that "lunch" meant actually eating lunch and then he just stopped talking to me. One stressful night after one-glass-of-wine-too-many I found the strength to text him asking, “What you’re just never going to speak to me again? We can’t even be friends?”
He responded with “Please don’t ever text me again.” I quickly un-friended him on Facebook and had to let go of the fact that, even while I was doing right I still somehow did “wrong.” I have to let go of the fact that some people are just assholes.
I don’t think I will ever master this “Art of Letting Go” but with every dramatic incident I get better and better.
Life gives you these challenges every day and it’s up to us to decide if we hang onto them like a sentimental picture or a souvenir or if we just do the cool thing and “recycle” them. There are some people in this world that can actually just “let it go.” Most of them are men, but for women like me and most women in general, we have to study this concept much like we study the mystery of men. Maybe my next chapter on this will be the “Art of Closure.” Until then, I think I will just…stick to what I know.
Letting go, however, is one of those many things in life that are easier said than done. From personal experience, I believe that there is an art to letting things, people, situations, and emotional attachments go.
What exactly are we let go of? Pain, emotional baggage, people, grief, love, anguish, stress, disappointment, regret, anger and anything else in life that plagues us, right? It’s a process.
Maybe it just becomes easier with age but when I think of all the people, memories and just “things” – both tangible and emotional – it’s quite the impressive journey.
When I was five, my Kindergarten boyfriend left the school and moved. That was an attachment I had to let go of. That same year my Grandma Mary died, which was someone I had to just let go. Those two occurrences seemed so simple, but is it as we grow older or as we grow emotionally and mentally that it all becomes more complicated?
Perhaps there was a moment in my life where, in the midst of everything that I thought I knew was spinning out of control, I decided that I had to take control of as much of my life as I possibly could. This probably led to my inability to “let things go.” Maybe inability is the wrong word. I can do it, but it’s never easy for me.
After a terrible bout with severe depression in 2008/2009 I’ve discovered some interesting patterns in my life. I’ve randomly thought about the events that have unfolded in my life in the past decade only to come to the realization that I have some very self-destructive habits. One of these habits has everything to do with the whole issue of letting go.
One of my best friends said it best when he asked my husband, “Did you ever notice how Alison makes a big deal about the little things, she obsesses over them, but the huge things in life just don’t bother her?” I wanted to argue but I couldn’t. He was dead on. My sarcastic self said “Oh, come on, I’d rather be mad that my hair looks like shit than the big catastrophes in my life because if I think about the big things all the time, I’d kill myself.”
I don’t want to let go of the little things because then I’d have to face the big stuff. Seems like common sense to me, but, it also allows me to push away the anger and pain. I sweep a lot under the rock. I shelve things that shouldn’t have a shelf life. I was wired early on in my childhood to “save face,” or to keep certain things private, and now that seems to have totally wrecked my persona.
But now, I want to study and explore this “art” of letting go. I’ve lost so many people in my life in the past 5, even 10 years. And I’m not talking about loved ones passing. I’m talking about people that have been “let go” or have let me go. And now that I’m away from the circumstances, both physically and mentally, I can really reflect.
When you move, when you graduate, when you grow as a person, you lose touch with people and drift apart. Some of these things feel natural and some do not. Some leave imprints and some just happen like the change of a season overnight. When you feel the shift, however, and I mean really feel it that is when you know that you’ll be forever changed. And now, my reflections:
My first love did not love me back, and he wasn’t always the nicest guy. One day we just stopped talking. He moved away and I moved forward. We mutually let each other go.
My first boyfriend, also not a very nice guy, ended up stealing from me, his roommates, and a couple other people close to me. He left apology letters for everyone, except me. I was hurt, ashamed, and filled with anger…every once in awhile I catch myself getting all worked up about how terrible he was, but the further away I get from it the easier it has become to take a breath and let it go.
I had an integral person in my life abandon me in so many ways…she chose everything over me. The worst part is; I don’t know if she was ever really there for me. Perhaps she was there physically but what about mentally? I want to let her go in every sense, walk away forever, but she is genetically tied to me, and irreplaceable. I’ve been detaching from her bit by bit since I was 13…this is the kind of letting go that isn’t just a “cut and run” situation.
My best friend, or ex-best-friend as I now refer to him, was my friend since birth. I put a lot of pressure on him to be this amazing force in my life. I thought I believed in fate and he was this amazing part of mine. I gave him everything he asked, and then some, and in the end it just wasn’t what either of us needed. I looked to him for a sense of family and he came through. I idolized his family because, with everything they’d been through they all had this amazing bond and were wonderfully happy. They all thought of me as something-better-than-nothing, and they accepted me for who and what I was: completely fucked up, but with a good heart.
I’d struggled with him for years. I wanted him to be a life-changing friend and he wanted me to be this simply rockin’ girl and in the end we both failed. When we grew out of our teen angst age and I dated his roommate and he dated girls from work, parties, or concerts, we just couldn’t find our groove. We fought, and I cried…all the time. I wanted him to care and he wanted me to not care…it was a set up for disaster. One weekend we went on a trip together and I realized that I was trying so hard to be this perfect girl for him; I didn’t even know what girl I was anymore. I’d completely lost me.
I went home to my then-boyfriend, now-husband and cried telling him I had to change and he told me that I needed to do any and everything to be happy, because he was suffering too. But, he didn’t want to lose me. He had lived too long in the shadow of this stressful friendship I’d been fighting for.
After weeks, months and then some of serious therapy where I laid all my shit on the table, I thought my very bestest friend was behind me. He was supportive and present, dating a really sweet girl who made him happy, and I’d salvaged my hanging-by-a-thread relationship with the only man who ever loved me, and who I felt like I kinda deserved. During my steps away from depression and anxiety I had begged my friend to let me go if I was too much of a handful. I’ve almost always seen myself as a burden on someone and in the past few years, I thought of myself more as a kind-of-unfortunate-looking personal driver, loan officer and/or rent-a-friend, than a substantial relationship for him, but he refused to just “Let me go.”
But then, because it’s my life and not a movie, the shit hit the fan and my “integral person” came back to completely fuck up all my progress. In the wake of all of the family drama and another episode of “Alison being forced into dealing with more than a twenty-something should have to” scenario, after too much alcohol, an Irish Punk Rock vibe gone wrong and some terribly fucked-up inappropriate conversation, my then-best-friend, now ex-best-friend, let me AND my then-boyfriend, now-husband GO, to be with the girl he loved.
For a month I cried myself to sleep and completely regressed. I’d gone through pangs of anger and serenity and then one day I just realized: we needed to let each other go. His family went through some serious anguish with all of this. We regret so much but almost felt a relief knowing it was over. Both parties involved have since moved in completely positive directions after the terrible incident and now I look back and it just makes me sad.
We had some amazing memories. We had some really good times. But at some point, we just had to let go. I couldn’t be the perfect girl he wanted, and he couldn’t be the man I needed. I should have let him go years ago but there was a certain dysfunctional co-dependence we shared.
Letting go of all of this sucked, to say the least. This is the big stuff I didn’t want to face! But, true to form, more recently, I just deal with the little things that bug me with the occasional major hurdle.
February was the month of answering all my questions from my childhood and facing my demons. I think March was the month of facing the high school drama all over again.
After a tumultuous love-hate relationship with Facebook I finally gave in and “friended” a few old high school friends. As if this wasn’t enough drama, I happened to have attended 3 different high schools. I found an old “flame,” now married with a family and everything and we started catching up.
At some point, the conversation went awry and I got the feeling that he thought my asking to meet up “for lunch sometime” was some kind of sexual code. One day he text me and I finally had to make it clear that "lunch" meant actually eating lunch and then he just stopped talking to me. One stressful night after one-glass-of-wine-too-many I found the strength to text him asking, “What you’re just never going to speak to me again? We can’t even be friends?”
He responded with “Please don’t ever text me again.” I quickly un-friended him on Facebook and had to let go of the fact that, even while I was doing right I still somehow did “wrong.” I have to let go of the fact that some people are just assholes.
I don’t think I will ever master this “Art of Letting Go” but with every dramatic incident I get better and better.
Life gives you these challenges every day and it’s up to us to decide if we hang onto them like a sentimental picture or a souvenir or if we just do the cool thing and “recycle” them. There are some people in this world that can actually just “let it go.” Most of them are men, but for women like me and most women in general, we have to study this concept much like we study the mystery of men. Maybe my next chapter on this will be the “Art of Closure.” Until then, I think I will just…stick to what I know.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Between the Black and White...There's David Gray
David Gray is probably most famous for his hit, “Babylon,” from his album “White Ladder.” Personally, I think this is his worst song, especially when you listen to the entire album, let alone his entire catalog. Despite my distaste for “Babylon,” I fell in love with “White Ladder” and with the handsome man from Wales, David Gray. He has come a long way since his success in 2000, and proved it throughout his performance at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Tuesday, April 13, 2010.
To open for Gray, Phosphorescent warmed up the crowd with their grungy, folksy, Iron and Wine-esque musical style. With deep indie-rock riffs and vibrant guitar solos, the country twinge drifting in and out made for a soothing entrance into an amazing evening. With five players – keyboard, drums, bass and two guitars, Phosphorescent left the audience with a Willie Nelson cover and some great new songs remember.
After the short and sweet opening set, the stage was readied for David Gray. Ruth Eckerd Hall had never looked so sparse, but then sporadically filled in bit by bit. There was a big, white sheet engulfing the stage for Gray’s ominous intro. The lights went dim, the sheet turned red, and you could see his silhouette. The sheet dropped and there he was, center stage, strumming that guitar and rocking the crowd.
Gray had four men behind him to complement his signature sound. Gray’s stage presence was strong, and some of his moves are very much like dancing tantrums. His forceful guitar strums are one with his stage-stomps and erratic foot-work; his head is a like a bobble-head on a windy road but never misses a single beat. Gray is a performer to be taken in, watched and paid close attention to.
Gray performed pieces from his entire collection, but definitely made it known that his new album, “Draw the Line” should not be missed. “Be Mine,” “Draw the Line,” “You’re the World To Me,” “Freedom,” “Sail Away with Me,” “Nemesis,” “Kathleen,” “Babylon”(of course!), and “Please Forgive Me” were all featured throughout the evening. People in every row were singing along, dancing from time to time and loving every minute of it.
Gray also frequently switched instruments. Between different guitars, the piano, and the harmonica, he proved he was not only good on disc, but was fantastic live. He commented on the Florida weather saying “It’s like Jurassic Park down here,” and calling Floridians, “Part reptile by now.” And these “part-reptilian” fans are extremely devout. I wanted to believe David Gray to be a relatively obscure artist, but I was very wrong. I’d never seen such a dedicated crowd. I even had a woman next to me “helping” by letting me know the name – and lyrics – to nearly every song he played.
After about an hour or so, he had quite the instrumental finale finishing with a bang. The crowd hooted and hollered until he returned for his ferocious encore. He closed with my personal favorite, “This Year’s Love,” followed by “The Other Side” and then “You’re the One I Love.” The crowd left smiling and content. Throughout the parking lot you could hear various David Gray albums blaring out of car stereos.
David Gray is an incredible performer and should not be missed the next time he comes back down around “Jurassic Park.” He exceeded my expectations, literally wowed fans (I heard them say “wow!”), and left too many of his songs stuck in the audience members’ heads. For a Tuesday night in Clearwater, it was definitely a musically eventful evening.
To open for Gray, Phosphorescent warmed up the crowd with their grungy, folksy, Iron and Wine-esque musical style. With deep indie-rock riffs and vibrant guitar solos, the country twinge drifting in and out made for a soothing entrance into an amazing evening. With five players – keyboard, drums, bass and two guitars, Phosphorescent left the audience with a Willie Nelson cover and some great new songs remember.
After the short and sweet opening set, the stage was readied for David Gray. Ruth Eckerd Hall had never looked so sparse, but then sporadically filled in bit by bit. There was a big, white sheet engulfing the stage for Gray’s ominous intro. The lights went dim, the sheet turned red, and you could see his silhouette. The sheet dropped and there he was, center stage, strumming that guitar and rocking the crowd.
Gray had four men behind him to complement his signature sound. Gray’s stage presence was strong, and some of his moves are very much like dancing tantrums. His forceful guitar strums are one with his stage-stomps and erratic foot-work; his head is a like a bobble-head on a windy road but never misses a single beat. Gray is a performer to be taken in, watched and paid close attention to.
Gray performed pieces from his entire collection, but definitely made it known that his new album, “Draw the Line” should not be missed. “Be Mine,” “Draw the Line,” “You’re the World To Me,” “Freedom,” “Sail Away with Me,” “Nemesis,” “Kathleen,” “Babylon”(of course!), and “Please Forgive Me” were all featured throughout the evening. People in every row were singing along, dancing from time to time and loving every minute of it.
Gray also frequently switched instruments. Between different guitars, the piano, and the harmonica, he proved he was not only good on disc, but was fantastic live. He commented on the Florida weather saying “It’s like Jurassic Park down here,” and calling Floridians, “Part reptile by now.” And these “part-reptilian” fans are extremely devout. I wanted to believe David Gray to be a relatively obscure artist, but I was very wrong. I’d never seen such a dedicated crowd. I even had a woman next to me “helping” by letting me know the name – and lyrics – to nearly every song he played.
After about an hour or so, he had quite the instrumental finale finishing with a bang. The crowd hooted and hollered until he returned for his ferocious encore. He closed with my personal favorite, “This Year’s Love,” followed by “The Other Side” and then “You’re the One I Love.” The crowd left smiling and content. Throughout the parking lot you could hear various David Gray albums blaring out of car stereos.
David Gray is an incredible performer and should not be missed the next time he comes back down around “Jurassic Park.” He exceeded my expectations, literally wowed fans (I heard them say “wow!”), and left too many of his songs stuck in the audience members’ heads. For a Tuesday night in Clearwater, it was definitely a musically eventful evening.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Bowling for Soup, My New Fave - The Dollyrots - and Neglected Superhero
I’ve only had a few celebrity sightings in my life, and one was three years ago in the Las Vegas airport during a layover. I was admiring the many slot machines and stretching my legs between flights when I looked to my left and spotted them. I did a double take and investigative detour before approaching Jaret Reddick and Chris Burney of Bowling for Soup. I walked up, told them I’d seen them in 2003 in Portland, OR and said “You guys rock.” Jaret responded “Aww, Thanks! Have a safe flight, and we’ll see ya later!”
So, when I saw that Bowling for Soup was headlining at the Orpheum on February 28, 2010, I figured that “see ya later” was that Sunday. Rarely is a band, especially a pop-punk band, better live than on disc but BFS is that kind of band. They are truly laugh-out-loud, high energy, crazy musicians who love to make a scene and put on a great show. With Cheap Trick and Steve
Martin as their inspirations, you can expect the unexpected with these guys.
In attempt to ready fans for a great show, BFS amped up the Orpheum audience with two great opening acts. Neglected Superhero was up first with an amateur Lagwagon-ish sound. They had great energy, sang fun songs to dance around to and bounced all over that stage. Their three-chord rocking progressions started the head-banging and warmed up the audience quite well.
I realize I’ve overused the phrase “random array” for a crowd description, but seriously! There were forty something women throwing themselves at the men of BFS, mothers and their children ready to watch show, punks, Goths, and everything in between. Among them were some hardcore fans for both the Dollyrots and Bowling for Soup, but it was nothing in the “ordinary.”
The Dollyrots came out during a loud, “Family Guy” satirical intro complete with “Giggity, giggity” being proclaimed. The adorable, blonde bass player and lead singer took the stage captivating the crowd with her babydoll voice and deep bass grooves. The Dollyrots had a harsher kind of “Letters to Cleo” sound; very punky. Push together Jenny Lewis and Joan Jett and you get front-woman, Kelly Ogden. With male guitarist, Luis Cabezas, and drummer, Chris Black, behind her, the Dollyrots rocked it.
“In heaven there is no beer, that’s why we drink it here,” said Ogden. Girl bass players are always a win but this one raised the bar. With witty lyrics, bouncy beats and punk-rock undertones, what’s not to like? The Dollyrots appeased their faithful followers and gained some new ones throughout their set, especially when they brought up Jaret and Eric of BFS to sing the theme to “Cheers.” The Dollyrots ended on a high note with a cover of “Bad Reputation” and rushed to the merchandise area to meet the masses while the road crew for BFS readied the stage.
Originally skeptical, my husband was not sure about seeing Bowling for Soup live, but I assured him they would be entertaining and make this particular Sunday a great start to the week. During a pre-recorded intro for Bowling for Soup the band emerged and high-fived fans as they sifted through the audience to take their places onstage. Jaret prefaced the show saying he’d been drinking since 3pm that day so, “If I sing into my beer or try to drink my mic, you all know why.”
They opened with “The B**** Song” and then claimed, “We just happen to be the best rock band that ever lived.” They followed with “Almost” then explained that they forgot to play it the past two shows and “almost” did again. They launched into funny faces, silly guitar tricks, animated moves and motions when they played the innuendo-filled hit, “My Wena.”
With many “Wooooooo!’s” in the crowd, Jaret thanked the fans saying “We do not do shows, we go fishing for Wooooo’s” explaining what their “job” entails. The crowd participation was amazing, with people singing and dancing all over, and constantly screaming requests. No one looked slightly disappointed. Tunes like “Belgium” and “Ohio” were sung at high volume and with an intoxicating excitement from BFS.
With a Journey montage of “Don’t Stop Believing,” a few long-winded tales from the road and ridiculous stage antics like an “Enhanced beverage break with the accompaniment of the Dollyrots,” as they called it, the show was non-stop laughs. Playing “Punk-Rock 101” somehow warranted a “Photo-Op” break with the Dollyrots about 20 minutes after the beverage break and allowed for some crazy poses to take place with flashing cameras everywhere.
The two-hour-ish set continued to rock with a cover of Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold,” too-soon killer whale jokes, their newest single “No Hablo Ingles,” and a few jabs at themselves and their fans with comments like “It’s funny that they know our songs and we don’t.” Pushing the limits more and more, they played until practically kicked off the stage finishing with some older hits, “High School Never Ends,” “The Girl All the Bad Guys Want,” threw in a “Ring of Fire” Johnny Cash cover, and a finale of “1985.”
They rushed the stage for a quick Encore right before curfew at 11pm with “A Really Cool Dance Song” and ended the night with a bang. They even cracked my cynical husband into saying the show made for a really great time. Bowling for Soup fully satisfied the crowd. Their cleverly, sharp lyrics, ironic tales and ridiculous stories makes Bowling for Soup’s music worth listening to. Their live stage act makes them a noteworthy band, and keeps their songs stuck in your head. As silly as they may get, Bowling for Soup was totally a great band to spend a Sunday night with, and would be over and over again!
So, when I saw that Bowling for Soup was headlining at the Orpheum on February 28, 2010, I figured that “see ya later” was that Sunday. Rarely is a band, especially a pop-punk band, better live than on disc but BFS is that kind of band. They are truly laugh-out-loud, high energy, crazy musicians who love to make a scene and put on a great show. With Cheap Trick and Steve
Martin as their inspirations, you can expect the unexpected with these guys.
In attempt to ready fans for a great show, BFS amped up the Orpheum audience with two great opening acts. Neglected Superhero was up first with an amateur Lagwagon-ish sound. They had great energy, sang fun songs to dance around to and bounced all over that stage. Their three-chord rocking progressions started the head-banging and warmed up the audience quite well.
I realize I’ve overused the phrase “random array” for a crowd description, but seriously! There were forty something women throwing themselves at the men of BFS, mothers and their children ready to watch show, punks, Goths, and everything in between. Among them were some hardcore fans for both the Dollyrots and Bowling for Soup, but it was nothing in the “ordinary.”
The Dollyrots came out during a loud, “Family Guy” satirical intro complete with “Giggity, giggity” being proclaimed. The adorable, blonde bass player and lead singer took the stage captivating the crowd with her babydoll voice and deep bass grooves. The Dollyrots had a harsher kind of “Letters to Cleo” sound; very punky. Push together Jenny Lewis and Joan Jett and you get front-woman, Kelly Ogden. With male guitarist, Luis Cabezas, and drummer, Chris Black, behind her, the Dollyrots rocked it.
“In heaven there is no beer, that’s why we drink it here,” said Ogden. Girl bass players are always a win but this one raised the bar. With witty lyrics, bouncy beats and punk-rock undertones, what’s not to like? The Dollyrots appeased their faithful followers and gained some new ones throughout their set, especially when they brought up Jaret and Eric of BFS to sing the theme to “Cheers.” The Dollyrots ended on a high note with a cover of “Bad Reputation” and rushed to the merchandise area to meet the masses while the road crew for BFS readied the stage.
Originally skeptical, my husband was not sure about seeing Bowling for Soup live, but I assured him they would be entertaining and make this particular Sunday a great start to the week. During a pre-recorded intro for Bowling for Soup the band emerged and high-fived fans as they sifted through the audience to take their places onstage. Jaret prefaced the show saying he’d been drinking since 3pm that day so, “If I sing into my beer or try to drink my mic, you all know why.”
They opened with “The B**** Song” and then claimed, “We just happen to be the best rock band that ever lived.” They followed with “Almost” then explained that they forgot to play it the past two shows and “almost” did again. They launched into funny faces, silly guitar tricks, animated moves and motions when they played the innuendo-filled hit, “My Wena.”
With many “Wooooooo!’s” in the crowd, Jaret thanked the fans saying “We do not do shows, we go fishing for Wooooo’s” explaining what their “job” entails. The crowd participation was amazing, with people singing and dancing all over, and constantly screaming requests. No one looked slightly disappointed. Tunes like “Belgium” and “Ohio” were sung at high volume and with an intoxicating excitement from BFS.
With a Journey montage of “Don’t Stop Believing,” a few long-winded tales from the road and ridiculous stage antics like an “Enhanced beverage break with the accompaniment of the Dollyrots,” as they called it, the show was non-stop laughs. Playing “Punk-Rock 101” somehow warranted a “Photo-Op” break with the Dollyrots about 20 minutes after the beverage break and allowed for some crazy poses to take place with flashing cameras everywhere.
The two-hour-ish set continued to rock with a cover of Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold,” too-soon killer whale jokes, their newest single “No Hablo Ingles,” and a few jabs at themselves and their fans with comments like “It’s funny that they know our songs and we don’t.” Pushing the limits more and more, they played until practically kicked off the stage finishing with some older hits, “High School Never Ends,” “The Girl All the Bad Guys Want,” threw in a “Ring of Fire” Johnny Cash cover, and a finale of “1985.”
They rushed the stage for a quick Encore right before curfew at 11pm with “A Really Cool Dance Song” and ended the night with a bang. They even cracked my cynical husband into saying the show made for a really great time. Bowling for Soup fully satisfied the crowd. Their cleverly, sharp lyrics, ironic tales and ridiculous stories makes Bowling for Soup’s music worth listening to. Their live stage act makes them a noteworthy band, and keeps their songs stuck in your head. As silly as they may get, Bowling for Soup was totally a great band to spend a Sunday night with, and would be over and over again!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
An Evening with Paul Anka - About As Close to Sinatra As I Can Get
If not for my years working as a nanny, an amazing artist like Paul Anka may have slipped under my radar, but thanks to my former employer, Jim, I was exposed to Paul Anka’s “Rock Swings” album one morning upon arriving to work. As I heard “Jump” by Van Halen being sung in a classic, Sinatra-esque kind of way, I couldn’t help but turn to the eldest child and say “Your parents have an awesome taste in music.” It was love at first sound and I borrowed the CD immediately, which essentially influenced my desire to go see Paul Anka perform Friday night at the Ruth Eckerd Hall.
January 29, 2010 Clearwater hosted Anka’s final show of his tour and filled Ruth Eckerd with his faithful fans. Outnumbered by audience members twice or even older, watching the crowd was half of the fun. With no opening act, Anka started promptly at 8pm and entered the auditorium from the very back of the room, walking down the stairs to greet the crowd. The ladies went wild, pushing husbands out of the way, with arms outstretched to get a piece of him.
With percussion, drums, guitar, bass, horns, piano and even a synthesizer behind him Anka started off the show with a bang and an incredible amount of energy. Outfitted in a swingin’ black suit, white shirt and white tie he sauntered in and out of the crowd sporadically while singing their favorite tunes, and asked them all to sing along. Everyone knew the words. After 53 years of touring, it’s safe to say, the man knows what he’s doing. His performance was very animated and he was incredibly keyed in to every single beat of each tune.
Anka sang with incredible conviction. Until seeing him sing live, somehow I’d missed just how powerfully soothing his voice truly was. He performed pieces from his entire catalog: “Puppy Love,” “Diana,” “My Way,” “Times of Your Life,” and the theme from “The Longest Day” were featured throughout the evening. He honored and bragged about his many celebrity acquaintances and artists he’d worked with over the years by singing songs written with or by them which included Bobby Darrin, Frank Sinatra, Buddy Holly, and even Michael Jackson.
After all of the controversy with Michael Jackson and the “This Is It” song it was refreshing to find that Paul Anka was light-hearted and quite comedic about the whole situation with his attribution to it and how Jackson’s lawyers and representation handled it. During his performance of “This Is It” he had the recorded voice of Jackson accompany him, a method he also used with a Sammy Davis Jr. song and slideshow shown later in the performance.
Anka is a great performer and the evening was wonderful. He played a two-hour set, with no encore but a few covers, a few tributes, a great enthusiasm and gratitude for his audience. He even kept the audience further entertained with some amusingly relevant jokes about politics, Tiger Woods, and even American Idol. The ideals of showmanship and “show-biz” that existed in the 50’s were prevalent and refreshing. It was both relaxing and entertaining; definitely an experience that will not be forgotten. Although he didn’t play a song off of my first love, “Rock Swings,” Anka did everything but disappoint. This legendary artist definitely left the audience at Ruth Eckerd with smiles on their faces and a great “Jump” into the weekend.
January 29, 2010 Clearwater hosted Anka’s final show of his tour and filled Ruth Eckerd with his faithful fans. Outnumbered by audience members twice or even older, watching the crowd was half of the fun. With no opening act, Anka started promptly at 8pm and entered the auditorium from the very back of the room, walking down the stairs to greet the crowd. The ladies went wild, pushing husbands out of the way, with arms outstretched to get a piece of him.
With percussion, drums, guitar, bass, horns, piano and even a synthesizer behind him Anka started off the show with a bang and an incredible amount of energy. Outfitted in a swingin’ black suit, white shirt and white tie he sauntered in and out of the crowd sporadically while singing their favorite tunes, and asked them all to sing along. Everyone knew the words. After 53 years of touring, it’s safe to say, the man knows what he’s doing. His performance was very animated and he was incredibly keyed in to every single beat of each tune.
Anka sang with incredible conviction. Until seeing him sing live, somehow I’d missed just how powerfully soothing his voice truly was. He performed pieces from his entire catalog: “Puppy Love,” “Diana,” “My Way,” “Times of Your Life,” and the theme from “The Longest Day” were featured throughout the evening. He honored and bragged about his many celebrity acquaintances and artists he’d worked with over the years by singing songs written with or by them which included Bobby Darrin, Frank Sinatra, Buddy Holly, and even Michael Jackson.
After all of the controversy with Michael Jackson and the “This Is It” song it was refreshing to find that Paul Anka was light-hearted and quite comedic about the whole situation with his attribution to it and how Jackson’s lawyers and representation handled it. During his performance of “This Is It” he had the recorded voice of Jackson accompany him, a method he also used with a Sammy Davis Jr. song and slideshow shown later in the performance.
Anka is a great performer and the evening was wonderful. He played a two-hour set, with no encore but a few covers, a few tributes, a great enthusiasm and gratitude for his audience. He even kept the audience further entertained with some amusingly relevant jokes about politics, Tiger Woods, and even American Idol. The ideals of showmanship and “show-biz” that existed in the 50’s were prevalent and refreshing. It was both relaxing and entertaining; definitely an experience that will not be forgotten. Although he didn’t play a song off of my first love, “Rock Swings,” Anka did everything but disappoint. This legendary artist definitely left the audience at Ruth Eckerd with smiles on their faces and a great “Jump” into the weekend.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
I Wanted to Know What Love Is....And Oh, Did They Show Me
When I checked the listings and saw that Eddie Money would be touring with Foreigner and the two would be appearing at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, I thought, “Well why not? Now there’s a show that will be hilariously amazing.”
And it was, but in a completely different sense than I’d imagined.
The Ruth Eckerd Hall was filled on January 15, 2010 with Eddie Money and Foreigner fans of all ages, but mostly it was populated 40-something women with their husbands, boyfriends or single girl friends, that were dressed to impress. The place was packed already and it was only a half-hour until show time.
My husband and I took our seats and I did a scan of the room. I had a double take as I realized just how big the venue was. The stage was set up for Eddie Money and we were watching people stumble to their seats with drinks in hand.
The lights went down and Eddie Money and his band appeared on the stage. This was the hilarious part of the evening. I’ll admit I had to do a quick Google check on Eddie Money. I’d heard of him, he was on an 80’s playlist on my iPod, but I couldn’t remember what song it was. “Two Tickets to Paradise” was his opener, and the song I knew best. He took the stage feverishly spinning in circles, throwing a tambourine behind him, and kicking as though having a tantrum every few beats, I couldn’t help but laugh. Then I looked down and saw the “Ladies of the 80’s,” as Eddie Money referred to them, dancing, singing along and screaming to him.
Eddie Money’s band was great. The guitar player constantly did this uncomfortable-looking split stance that reeked of 80’s “cool;” the drummer was talented and animated, and the bass player had the quintessential hair from the 80’s to keep the vibe alive. Eddie Money, however, has not aged well, but he put all of his energy into making the audience happy and giving a solid performance. The highlight of the evening was when Eddie Money brought out his daughter, Jesse Money, to accompany him.
Jessie Money definitely inherited some amazing pipes and she sang like a dream. She is also quite an attractive young lady. She wowed the audience when she sang the woman vocal part of “Take Me Home Tonight” and then gave her dad a break and belted out a blues tune. Eddie finished his hour opening performance with “Baby Hold On To Me” and then was summoned back onstage for a quick Encore. I think my husband characterized Eddie Money’s performance best when he said jokingly, “It’s funny watching older people rock out when it’s not, like, The Grateful Dead.”
There was a quick intermission to refill drinks and empty bladders before Foreigner took the stage. Their stage set-up was great and the intro proved to be even better. They opened with their classic hit “Double Vision” and the audience went wild. I was mesmerized and it was just as the room became so loud that the publicist from Ruth Eckerd Hall tried to ask me a question. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying but at the end of the exchange I’d picked up her hand gestures indicating that there were some 2,163 Foreigner Fans in the place, which was probably why I couldn’t hear her!
I hadn’t known until I looked it up that Foreigner’s band members had changed quite often throughout the years. However, the guys that rocked the stage Friday night were Mick Jones, Jeff Jacobs, Thom Gimbel, Jason Bonham, and Kelly Hansen. The lead singer, Hansen, must have been channeling Steven Tyler because some of his moves were so Tyler-esque and at times he even kind of looked like him.
This performance was the amazing part. It was such a tribute to the 80’s in the best way: the lights, the clothes, and those classic songs. “Head Games,” “Cold as Ice,” “Waiting For a Girl Like You,” were all featured and played with great energy. Hansen was bouncing all over the place, occasionally going into the audience to be groped by the many women in awe of him. His voice was so strong. At one point he hit one of those pained notes that still sounded sharp and in perfect pitch to make jaws drop and ears cringe momentarily.
Foreigner threw in some new stuff and proved they still had it. The heavy drums and familiar Foreigner beats whipped up a few new hits. Then they came back with “Dirty White Boy” at which point I just had to sit and watch the audience go crazy lip-syncing and dancing provocatively. Foreigner has quite the following, and there were far less people sitting than standing to rock out with them.
Towards the end of the evening they played an 80’s psychedelic rock song called “Starrider” which was sung by Mick Jones. The drummer made an “F” with his drumsticks and showed it to the audience before accompanying the band during the song. Then they played “Feels like the First Time,” and the drummer hit the drum so hard that the drumstick flipped up in the air a few times and then he caught it just in time to hit that last note.
The band left just the keyboard player and the drummer on the stage to let the audience have a sweet and trippy keyboard solo and a way too awesome drum solo; at one point the man played with just his hands! Then Foreigner hit us with the big finale. They finished with a bang and left the audience wanting more. After a few torturous moments they reappeared for the Encore to play “I Want to Know What Love Is,” my personal favorite, and ended the epic night leaving us “Hot Blooded.”
Foreigner was fierce. I had a feeling that they would be, and the evening was a blast. They completely surpassed all expectations, but I think my husband put it best when he said “I have to admit, this show was much better that I thought it would be.”
And it was, but in a completely different sense than I’d imagined.
The Ruth Eckerd Hall was filled on January 15, 2010 with Eddie Money and Foreigner fans of all ages, but mostly it was populated 40-something women with their husbands, boyfriends or single girl friends, that were dressed to impress. The place was packed already and it was only a half-hour until show time.
My husband and I took our seats and I did a scan of the room. I had a double take as I realized just how big the venue was. The stage was set up for Eddie Money and we were watching people stumble to their seats with drinks in hand.
The lights went down and Eddie Money and his band appeared on the stage. This was the hilarious part of the evening. I’ll admit I had to do a quick Google check on Eddie Money. I’d heard of him, he was on an 80’s playlist on my iPod, but I couldn’t remember what song it was. “Two Tickets to Paradise” was his opener, and the song I knew best. He took the stage feverishly spinning in circles, throwing a tambourine behind him, and kicking as though having a tantrum every few beats, I couldn’t help but laugh. Then I looked down and saw the “Ladies of the 80’s,” as Eddie Money referred to them, dancing, singing along and screaming to him.
Eddie Money’s band was great. The guitar player constantly did this uncomfortable-looking split stance that reeked of 80’s “cool;” the drummer was talented and animated, and the bass player had the quintessential hair from the 80’s to keep the vibe alive. Eddie Money, however, has not aged well, but he put all of his energy into making the audience happy and giving a solid performance. The highlight of the evening was when Eddie Money brought out his daughter, Jesse Money, to accompany him.
Jessie Money definitely inherited some amazing pipes and she sang like a dream. She is also quite an attractive young lady. She wowed the audience when she sang the woman vocal part of “Take Me Home Tonight” and then gave her dad a break and belted out a blues tune. Eddie finished his hour opening performance with “Baby Hold On To Me” and then was summoned back onstage for a quick Encore. I think my husband characterized Eddie Money’s performance best when he said jokingly, “It’s funny watching older people rock out when it’s not, like, The Grateful Dead.”
There was a quick intermission to refill drinks and empty bladders before Foreigner took the stage. Their stage set-up was great and the intro proved to be even better. They opened with their classic hit “Double Vision” and the audience went wild. I was mesmerized and it was just as the room became so loud that the publicist from Ruth Eckerd Hall tried to ask me a question. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying but at the end of the exchange I’d picked up her hand gestures indicating that there were some 2,163 Foreigner Fans in the place, which was probably why I couldn’t hear her!
I hadn’t known until I looked it up that Foreigner’s band members had changed quite often throughout the years. However, the guys that rocked the stage Friday night were Mick Jones, Jeff Jacobs, Thom Gimbel, Jason Bonham, and Kelly Hansen. The lead singer, Hansen, must have been channeling Steven Tyler because some of his moves were so Tyler-esque and at times he even kind of looked like him.
This performance was the amazing part. It was such a tribute to the 80’s in the best way: the lights, the clothes, and those classic songs. “Head Games,” “Cold as Ice,” “Waiting For a Girl Like You,” were all featured and played with great energy. Hansen was bouncing all over the place, occasionally going into the audience to be groped by the many women in awe of him. His voice was so strong. At one point he hit one of those pained notes that still sounded sharp and in perfect pitch to make jaws drop and ears cringe momentarily.
Foreigner threw in some new stuff and proved they still had it. The heavy drums and familiar Foreigner beats whipped up a few new hits. Then they came back with “Dirty White Boy” at which point I just had to sit and watch the audience go crazy lip-syncing and dancing provocatively. Foreigner has quite the following, and there were far less people sitting than standing to rock out with them.
Towards the end of the evening they played an 80’s psychedelic rock song called “Starrider” which was sung by Mick Jones. The drummer made an “F” with his drumsticks and showed it to the audience before accompanying the band during the song. Then they played “Feels like the First Time,” and the drummer hit the drum so hard that the drumstick flipped up in the air a few times and then he caught it just in time to hit that last note.
The band left just the keyboard player and the drummer on the stage to let the audience have a sweet and trippy keyboard solo and a way too awesome drum solo; at one point the man played with just his hands! Then Foreigner hit us with the big finale. They finished with a bang and left the audience wanting more. After a few torturous moments they reappeared for the Encore to play “I Want to Know What Love Is,” my personal favorite, and ended the epic night leaving us “Hot Blooded.”
Foreigner was fierce. I had a feeling that they would be, and the evening was a blast. They completely surpassed all expectations, but I think my husband put it best when he said “I have to admit, this show was much better that I thought it would be.”
Nothing Left Out with THE LEFTOVERS
The Leftovers are made up Kurt, Adam, Andrew and Matt; a four-piece band that rocks the stage with a great love of music and of their fans. Hailing from Portland, Maine these guys record on “Crappy Records” and belt out some “Power Pop, Punk Pop, and Rock Pop” at every show they play.
The guys are down to earth, personable, and fun. I met and tracked them down in Ybor City, Florida when they opened for The Queers at the Orpheum. Besides the fact that they are all some serious eye candy, their set blew me away…something that isn’t an everyday occurrence.
During their set, The Leftovers played some of their more popular tunes like “Telephone Operator” and “Camel.” They demanded crowd participation and challenged the audience to be more animated and interactive. Their energy was contagious.
Front man and bass player, Kurt Baker, explained that recently added guitarist and vocalist, Matt Anderson had left his “legacy” of paleontology, working with his great aunt at the Smithsonian, to go on tour with The Leftovers. Before becoming the guitarist, Matt explained that he was just a roadie for them for two years, although he’d known the other guys since the band got together.
They all went to high school together and formed in 2002. They’ve been touring since 2005/2006 across the country and hit England in 2006/2007. Kurt said “We love touring. Music is the only thing I think about; Music connects with my soul and my lifeline.” This is evident in their stage presence.
With influences like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Ramones and the Romantics, it makes sense that they like to “play the songs of our idols,” according to Matt “Smash” Anderson. He also claims that he enjoys headbanging, beer and pizza as a necessity. When asked what he loves about music his answer was simple and succinct: “Playing music,” he responded. “I love the feeling you get when you can’t get a song out of your head,” which he went on to say included any song, not just one of their own.
The guitarist and vocalist opposite Matt, Andrew Rice, claimed he was the work-horse of the group as he loaded the van. Andrew has played guitar since he was a freshman in high school and said he enjoyed meeting people and making friends as part of the band experience, with the exception of “The Punishers,” which is their name for the people they’ve encountered that they just can’t stand…I may now be on that list.
When asked what he loved about music, Andrew said “I like the process or working with other people.” Among these “other people,” we cannot forget the awesome drummer, Adam Woronoff. Adam played drums for the Queers at the Orpheum on September 25, 2009 and has on and off for quite some time. Adam started on guitar but said he “Only played the drums because no one else could.” He also said “I like when music is fun,” and liked music to be light, naming The Beatles as his major influence. Overall, when asked about his love for music he said, “I like travelling and being in a band with my friends.”
Above all, these 20-something band mates have made a life out of their music. They’ve overcome all those High School band fights and dramatic break-up and disband clichés and stayed consistent, growing with each and every new song. With a discography of about 10 CDs and EPs, they have moved away from their following in New England to take the world by storm.
The Leftovers are a band to watch, and I was fortunate to see them live and talk with them in person. After getting hugs from them all and being gifted with CDs, stickers and buttons, I left knowing that this band would do great things and make amazing music, which would eventually be the songs that many fans would love to have stuck in their heads, and that many bands would idolize in the future. The Leftovers certainly left an impression on me…and Ybor City.
The guys are down to earth, personable, and fun. I met and tracked them down in Ybor City, Florida when they opened for The Queers at the Orpheum. Besides the fact that they are all some serious eye candy, their set blew me away…something that isn’t an everyday occurrence.
During their set, The Leftovers played some of their more popular tunes like “Telephone Operator” and “Camel.” They demanded crowd participation and challenged the audience to be more animated and interactive. Their energy was contagious.
Front man and bass player, Kurt Baker, explained that recently added guitarist and vocalist, Matt Anderson had left his “legacy” of paleontology, working with his great aunt at the Smithsonian, to go on tour with The Leftovers. Before becoming the guitarist, Matt explained that he was just a roadie for them for two years, although he’d known the other guys since the band got together.
They all went to high school together and formed in 2002. They’ve been touring since 2005/2006 across the country and hit England in 2006/2007. Kurt said “We love touring. Music is the only thing I think about; Music connects with my soul and my lifeline.” This is evident in their stage presence.
With influences like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Ramones and the Romantics, it makes sense that they like to “play the songs of our idols,” according to Matt “Smash” Anderson. He also claims that he enjoys headbanging, beer and pizza as a necessity. When asked what he loves about music his answer was simple and succinct: “Playing music,” he responded. “I love the feeling you get when you can’t get a song out of your head,” which he went on to say included any song, not just one of their own.
The guitarist and vocalist opposite Matt, Andrew Rice, claimed he was the work-horse of the group as he loaded the van. Andrew has played guitar since he was a freshman in high school and said he enjoyed meeting people and making friends as part of the band experience, with the exception of “The Punishers,” which is their name for the people they’ve encountered that they just can’t stand…I may now be on that list.
When asked what he loved about music, Andrew said “I like the process or working with other people.” Among these “other people,” we cannot forget the awesome drummer, Adam Woronoff. Adam played drums for the Queers at the Orpheum on September 25, 2009 and has on and off for quite some time. Adam started on guitar but said he “Only played the drums because no one else could.” He also said “I like when music is fun,” and liked music to be light, naming The Beatles as his major influence. Overall, when asked about his love for music he said, “I like travelling and being in a band with my friends.”
Above all, these 20-something band mates have made a life out of their music. They’ve overcome all those High School band fights and dramatic break-up and disband clichés and stayed consistent, growing with each and every new song. With a discography of about 10 CDs and EPs, they have moved away from their following in New England to take the world by storm.
The Leftovers are a band to watch, and I was fortunate to see them live and talk with them in person. After getting hugs from them all and being gifted with CDs, stickers and buttons, I left knowing that this band would do great things and make amazing music, which would eventually be the songs that many fans would love to have stuck in their heads, and that many bands would idolize in the future. The Leftovers certainly left an impression on me…and Ybor City.
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