It's been a little while since I've been excited about upcoming music, probably since the release of Chantal's Ghost Stories back in August, which, incidentally, is finally being released here in the States in May. Moving on to music I don't already have, Andrea Corr's solo debut, Ten Feet High, is coming out in June.
There's a musician out of New Jersey I've been following on MySpace for a while now, her name is Jenny Owen Youngs. She just signed with Nettwerk Records and her debut release, Batten the Hatches, is set for April 10th. I have her EP's and love her sound, I'm really looking forward to picking that album up.
After Corey recommended it, I signed up and created an account for myself on Virb.com. It's basically a new networking site like MySpace, but not. I uploaded the animated shorts and Sex Love and Honey there yesterday and they've actually already featured the latter on their video page. How cool is that? It's a huge kick having people enjoy something you worked on like that. It's a cool site though, very music-centric, check it out.
The weather was nice again today, hovering around 60, though a bit overcast. I did some running around with Mom and did a bit of shopping to satisfy my nerdy tendencies. I got the Justice League Unlimited: Season 2 DVD set, a bunch of geekily magnificent DC Comics figures (including the excellent new Darkseid figure), and, on a less geeky note, Joshua Radin's CD, We Were Here.
As we left Best Buy, I spotted something that struck me as odd. Canada geese aren't foreign to me by any means, but they've always either been on the ground, flying through the air, or floating on the water when I've seen them. Not today. As Mom and I drove past Bakers Square, I saw a lone goose perched up on top of the building, just looking out over everything below him like the king of all geese. I wish I would have thought to snap a picture before we were too far away.
After shopping was done, Mom and I set out on a rescue mission. Dad's been having trouble with his truck these past few days, today he called from the lot when he noticed he was leaking transmission fluid. We picked some up and delivered it to him, before following him home to make sure he made it all the way.
We were all hungry, so the three of us went to Denny's for the first time in months. It was a bit iffy last time, everything just tasted...off, but it was much better this time. As we were getting ready to leave, we bumped into our old neighbor from across the street, Elise. I hadn't seen her in years, so it was cool to chit chat and catch up a little.
While there, I realized I may have watched too much Veronica Mars when I had my own little Mars moment. As we ate, a man came in and seemed quite perturbed when he was seated at the front of the restaurant. He asked for a table in the back room, but was told they couldn't do that, as they only had one server working. His frustration caught my attention.
Wow. Guess I'm an eavesdropper.
Anyway, he held off on ordering as he was waiting for someone. "Ooh, this guy's having an affair!" I joked to myself. Sure enough, a woman showed up a few minutes later. They seemed familiar with each other, but there was still a sort of awkwardness between them.
Is Denny's an acceptable dating destination for a pair of middle-aged folks? It seems like more of an under-the-radar meeting place, especially with the persistence to be in the back room. Now that I think about it, they did both seem a bit overdressed for Denny's.
Yeah, it's mostly speculation and none of my business whatsoever, but that little rendez-vous intrigued me.
Ahh. To be a Private Eye.
Showing posts with label Andrea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrea. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Jacob's 2004 Adventure: Part III- On the Road
August 30th arrived. I had gone to bed early the night before, but because of my excitement level I wasn’t able to sleep. Mom and I got up at 6:00 AM and got ourselves ready. I calculated that if we hit the road at 9:00 AM we would easily be able to make it to Toronto by 4:00 PM. A little after 8:30 we left to pick up Grandma. When we got to her house we got some frustrating news. My aunt, who lives about 45 minutes away, hadn’t even left her house yet!
I was fuming, this could throw a wrench into the gears of my whole plan. At 10:00 AM she showed up and we were on our way. We were an hour late and Mom knew what to do: drive fast (while of course obeying all speed limits and traffic laws...mostly.)
Though the weather was rainy and at times foggy, the ride was beautiful. I sat in the passenger’s seat wearing my lucky Superman shirt I had been wearing when I met Chantal Kreviazuk (that's another story in itself). I hoped it would bring me luck again that day.
Armed with my iPod and lots of good music, I helped Mom navigate and enjoyed the scenery. One of the things that sticks out the most in my memory was a sight somewhere in Pennsylvania. As we cruised along on the freeway, we crossed high above some valleys and rivers, when we did, we were almost level with the treetops of the forests running along the road. At that height, it struck me how beautiful it was to see the mist lingering above the roof of the trees. It reminded me of something out of prehistoric times in a way.
The fog got pretty dense as we passed into New York, but that was short-lived. The closer we got to the Canadian border the better the weather got. Shortly after we crossed the border, the sun finally came out and shone down upon our road.
Just after we passed Niagara Falls, our stomachs were empty and our bladders were ready to burst, so we stopped to remedy those issues. After a quick slice of pizza, we loaded back into the van and headed for the QEW. It was roughly 3:30 I think, still behind schedule, but I hadn’t lost hope yet.
Around 5:00 I finally saw Toronto emerging over the horizon. I was so excited, the city looked beautiful. Gleaming skyscrapers everywhere you turned, everything looked so clean, and the sight of the people quickly walking down the sidewalks after getting out of work was something straight out of a movie. To my Superman-loving eyes, it looked like Metropolis had been ripped right out of the comic books and I was smack dab in the middle of it.
It took a little while to find our way to the Air Canada Centre, but we persisted and made it there. We hurried inside and went straight to the box office to pick up the tickets that were waiting for us.
I had some time to kill before doors opened and I had traveled nearly three hundred miles, so I decided to check the place out and see what I could see. Mom and I went back outside and walked around the building. I was shocked to actually find a door marked “Stage Door.”
Outside of the door were a bunch of security guards taking their breaks, having cigarettes, etc. I decided to play it cool and hang around for a bit. In my mind, me playing it cool greatly resembles Richie Cunningham trying his best to act like The Fonz. After a little while, I made my way over to the guards and asked if this was where the band comes in, but he told me they had already been inside for a couple hours. I was obviously disappointed, but had nothing better to do than continue to wait around, so I did.
When I’m determined to do something, I like to think that I’m nearly unstoppable, you can’t kill my hope and motivation. At the same time, I’m not too naive to know when I’m defeated. It was 7:00, I was tired, discouraged, and I admitted defeat, so Mom and I headed inside. Having not slept the night before, I was feeling a bit grumpy and to be completely honest, if it wasn’t The Corrs, I really wouldn’t have been in the mood for a concert.
A short time later I got to my seat in the chilly arena, home of the Maple Leafs. I met up with a friend from the message board, Richard, who I had met at the Cleveland show. We swapped our travel stories and as he left, I told him to send my friend, Steph, up to see me if he bumped into her. It was then that something completely unexpected happened, as a result, Steph wouldn’t find me until after the concert.
Meanwhile a few rows back (When buying tickets, we were only allowed to buy two seats in the disabled section, so my aunt and grandma were sitting a few rows behind us) my aunt was amused by the fact that we traveled to Toronto and people here knew me. What can I say? I’m a schmoozer.
As I sat there wearing my Superman shirt in this Metropolis-lookalike city, I could barely believe my eyes when I saw a tall, muscular, completely bald Lex Luthor clone coming up the stairs. Instinct from years of comic books had me ready for a battle or at least some intense witty banter. Thankfully it didn’t come to that, being tired and all it certainly wouldn’t have been one of my better performances.
I watched him and was surprised to see he was indeed coming to me. Who was this? Someone from the message board I hadn’t met yet?
He came right in front of me and spoke.
My aunt couldn’t take the mystery anymore and came down by us to find out what was going on.
The following is what was said to the best of my recollection. For storytelling purposes, I’ll affectionately refer to him as “Lex.”
At this point you could see him stop and think about it.
After they resuscitated me, he told me to follow him.
I raced against the general flow of traffic in the main corridor of the Air Canada Centre as fast as I could, trying to keep up with him. It was like time slowed down as I bobbed and weaved through the crowd. This news had completely eliminated any feeling of tiredness I had just moments ago. I felt as though I was in a dream, after so many years of hoping for a chance like this, I was just minutes away from meeting The Corrs.
Eventually we got to a little waiting area, he told me to wait there and eventually “a big black guy in a red t-shirt” would come to take me downstairs.
As I sat there waiting, my mind and heart raced. I don’t remember the last time I had felt even close to this nervous. It was so bad that I had to keep wiping my hands because they were sweating so much. I could hear the opening act go on, but up to the point that I’m writing this I still have no idea who it was.
Fifteen minutes later a gentleman came up and started talking to us, it turns out he was one of the band’s tour managers. He was very cool and told us it was alright to take pictures, give gifts, or have them autograph anything I might have with me. He told us that as soon as they finished with another group of people, someone would come and get me. When he left I got my picture and book ready while Mom got the camera ready.
A few minutes later, the big black guy in a red t-shirt appeared. This was it, it was time.
We piled into the elevator and went downstairs. We were joined by four or five other people, they were contest winners I believe. I was led around a corner and down a hallway, I felt like such a bigshot. At the end of the hall was a door that was just slightly cracked open, I knew this was our destination. My excitement and nerve levels skyrocketed. All I could think was “Are they actually in there?” As we got there and entered, I found the room was empty. Disappointing, but a relief at the same time, now I had a few more minutes to try calming myself.
The room was quite nice and luxurious. Leather couches all around, a refrigerator, and a big plasma TV hanging on the wall. The contest winners sat off to the right of me as I got comfortably seated directly across the from where we had come in. They chit chatted about their jobs, sports, and the like. I wondered to myself how they could be calm enough for casual conversation while my main focus was trying my best not to hyperventilate and/or wet my pants.
Twenty minutes or so passed, it was nearly 9:00, they were to go on stage shortly, where were they?
At this point I was surprisingly calm. I remember I looked down at the ground for a second and when I looked back up I saw a tiny figure silhouetted in the doorway I had just come in. Time slowed down and as it hit me, I thought to myself “Holy shit...it’s Andrea Corr...”
She glided across the room, coming directly towards me. She was followed by Sharon and Jim. She waved to the other people, but kept coming in my direction. As she got closer, she spoke.
With that she leaned in, hugged me, and kissed me on my cheek. I’m amazed I had the ability to speak after that.
There I was, talking to three of the four Corr siblings. To say it was surreal would be an enormous understatement.
It was such a rush to me, but sadly, a lot of it is blurry in my memory. Even so, what I do remember, I remember clearly.
We briefly talked about the Cleveland concert, I said how great it was and then Andrea said something unexpected. She not only mentioned the signs I had (she remembered!), but she also said that my last one made her laugh and it was what made her forget the lyrics to “Breathless”! Even though I probably should feel bad about making her mess up, I can’t help but smile when I think about it.
I gave them the picture I had made and they were kind enough to sign my personal copy and my copy of the Corner to Corner book. Then they gathered around me and we took a couple pictures together.
Looking back at the pictures I’m still awestruck that I’m in the same picture as them, that their hands were touching my wheelchair, that Andrea is holding a picture that I made. Little things like that just blow me away.
One by one they wandered over to mingle with the other guests, but Sharon seemed to hang around and talk with us the longest. Mom congratulated her on her soon to be born niece or nephew and we talked a little bit about how far we had driven to get there that night. This next bit I remember so clearly simply because I found her choice of words so damn adorable. After Mom commented on how tiring the drive was, Sharon replied by saying “Oh, I know. It’s a puffer.” Not being a word used in everyday conversations where I’m from, I absolutely loved it. Puffer.
As Sharon was about to join Jim and Andrea in mingling with the others, I made a decision. I decided to fight my shyness and speak up, so I did. I blurted out “I’ve got to ask...can I get a hug?” I’m so glad I spoke up, it got me a hug from the lovely Sharon Corr.
Still in shock after meeting them and unable to believe that they were still just feet away from me, I sat there with the biggest smile across my face you would ever see. At some point my aunt noticed Jim had forgotten to sign my book. When it comes to shyness, Aunt Karen is the exact opposite of me, the word “shy” doesn’t exist for her. That said, let me give an example of her in action.
Without hesitation, she walked across the room, grabbed Jim by the arm, and told him he forgot to sign the book. When she came back I couldn’t say anything due to the fact that my jaw was dropped after seeing her do that.
Being the great guy that he is, Jim graciously came back to sign my book before heading for the stage.
As the three left the room, they waved and said it was lovely to meet me. All I could think was “Who the hell am I? It was lovely meeting you!”
Jim was last in line as they made their exit. I called out and said “Come back to Cleveland soon!” He turned as he walked, waved and said “We’ll be back!” With that, they were gone.
I sat stunned. Did that really just happen? So much happened so fast it was like those few moments when you first awake from an incredible dream. You feel the joy from experiencing such a great dream, yet you also feel sadness in knowing it was nothing more then a dream. For me there was none of that sadness. Dreams do not write their names on your artwork. Dreams do not take pictures with you. Those facts and the memories make me smile because they remind me: on August 30th, 2004...my dream came true.
Before we even left the room, I could hear that they were already on stage and starting to play “Humdrum”. By the time we got back to our seats they had already finished it and were beginning “Only When I Sleep”.
Again, the concert was phenomenal, though my mind remained backstage replaying the night’s events over and over again. As a result, the two hour long concert seemed to speed by in about fifteen minutes.
After the show, Steph finally found me. When I told her what had happened earlier, her jaw dropped and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The look on her face was priceless.
I gave her a copy of the picture I made and she and her father walked with us for a bit as we left.
Shortly after 11:00 PM we were on the road again and headed back to Niagara Falls. As I gazed out my window and watched the streetlights silently whiz past in the night, I reflected on my long, but amazing day.
After the long post-concert drive, we arrived at our hotel at 1:30 AM. We wearily unloaded our suitcases and went inside. Before leaving home, Mom had called and let them know we'd be a very late arrival and to hold our room...so of course we get inside and find out they gave our room away. We protested a little to the concierge, but we were exhausted. He gave us free valet parking for the night, put us in a cityview room, and said we could get into our original room the next day. We were too tired to argue, so we went up to the room. I knew I would have sweet dreams that night.
I was fuming, this could throw a wrench into the gears of my whole plan. At 10:00 AM she showed up and we were on our way. We were an hour late and Mom knew what to do: drive fast (while of course obeying all speed limits and traffic laws...mostly.)
Though the weather was rainy and at times foggy, the ride was beautiful. I sat in the passenger’s seat wearing my lucky Superman shirt I had been wearing when I met Chantal Kreviazuk (that's another story in itself). I hoped it would bring me luck again that day.
Armed with my iPod and lots of good music, I helped Mom navigate and enjoyed the scenery. One of the things that sticks out the most in my memory was a sight somewhere in Pennsylvania. As we cruised along on the freeway, we crossed high above some valleys and rivers, when we did, we were almost level with the treetops of the forests running along the road. At that height, it struck me how beautiful it was to see the mist lingering above the roof of the trees. It reminded me of something out of prehistoric times in a way.
The fog got pretty dense as we passed into New York, but that was short-lived. The closer we got to the Canadian border the better the weather got. Shortly after we crossed the border, the sun finally came out and shone down upon our road.
Just after we passed Niagara Falls, our stomachs were empty and our bladders were ready to burst, so we stopped to remedy those issues. After a quick slice of pizza, we loaded back into the van and headed for the QEW. It was roughly 3:30 I think, still behind schedule, but I hadn’t lost hope yet.
Around 5:00 I finally saw Toronto emerging over the horizon. I was so excited, the city looked beautiful. Gleaming skyscrapers everywhere you turned, everything looked so clean, and the sight of the people quickly walking down the sidewalks after getting out of work was something straight out of a movie. To my Superman-loving eyes, it looked like Metropolis had been ripped right out of the comic books and I was smack dab in the middle of it.
It took a little while to find our way to the Air Canada Centre, but we persisted and made it there. We hurried inside and went straight to the box office to pick up the tickets that were waiting for us.
I had some time to kill before doors opened and I had traveled nearly three hundred miles, so I decided to check the place out and see what I could see. Mom and I went back outside and walked around the building. I was shocked to actually find a door marked “Stage Door.”
Outside of the door were a bunch of security guards taking their breaks, having cigarettes, etc. I decided to play it cool and hang around for a bit. In my mind, me playing it cool greatly resembles Richie Cunningham trying his best to act like The Fonz. After a little while, I made my way over to the guards and asked if this was where the band comes in, but he told me they had already been inside for a couple hours. I was obviously disappointed, but had nothing better to do than continue to wait around, so I did.
When I’m determined to do something, I like to think that I’m nearly unstoppable, you can’t kill my hope and motivation. At the same time, I’m not too naive to know when I’m defeated. It was 7:00, I was tired, discouraged, and I admitted defeat, so Mom and I headed inside. Having not slept the night before, I was feeling a bit grumpy and to be completely honest, if it wasn’t The Corrs, I really wouldn’t have been in the mood for a concert.
A short time later I got to my seat in the chilly arena, home of the Maple Leafs. I met up with a friend from the message board, Richard, who I had met at the Cleveland show. We swapped our travel stories and as he left, I told him to send my friend, Steph, up to see me if he bumped into her. It was then that something completely unexpected happened, as a result, Steph wouldn’t find me until after the concert.
Meanwhile a few rows back (When buying tickets, we were only allowed to buy two seats in the disabled section, so my aunt and grandma were sitting a few rows behind us) my aunt was amused by the fact that we traveled to Toronto and people here knew me. What can I say? I’m a schmoozer.
As I sat there wearing my Superman shirt in this Metropolis-lookalike city, I could barely believe my eyes when I saw a tall, muscular, completely bald Lex Luthor clone coming up the stairs. Instinct from years of comic books had me ready for a battle or at least some intense witty banter. Thankfully it didn’t come to that, being tired and all it certainly wouldn’t have been one of my better performances.
I watched him and was surprised to see he was indeed coming to me. Who was this? Someone from the message board I hadn’t met yet?
He came right in front of me and spoke.
My aunt couldn’t take the mystery anymore and came down by us to find out what was going on.
The following is what was said to the best of my recollection. For storytelling purposes, I’ll affectionately refer to him as “Lex.”
LEX
What’s your name?
ME
...Jacob.
LEX
Jacob Drake?
ME
...Yeah?
LEX
Who are you with?
ME
My mom, aunt, and grandma.
What’s your name?
ME
...Jacob.
LEX
Jacob Drake?
ME
...Yeah?
LEX
Who are you with?
ME
My mom, aunt, and grandma.
At this point you could see him stop and think about it.
LEX
We thought you’d be here with your parents. We have passes for you and two guests to meet the band.
We thought you’d be here with your parents. We have passes for you and two guests to meet the band.
After they resuscitated me, he told me to follow him.
I raced against the general flow of traffic in the main corridor of the Air Canada Centre as fast as I could, trying to keep up with him. It was like time slowed down as I bobbed and weaved through the crowd. This news had completely eliminated any feeling of tiredness I had just moments ago. I felt as though I was in a dream, after so many years of hoping for a chance like this, I was just minutes away from meeting The Corrs.
Eventually we got to a little waiting area, he told me to wait there and eventually “a big black guy in a red t-shirt” would come to take me downstairs.
As I sat there waiting, my mind and heart raced. I don’t remember the last time I had felt even close to this nervous. It was so bad that I had to keep wiping my hands because they were sweating so much. I could hear the opening act go on, but up to the point that I’m writing this I still have no idea who it was.
Fifteen minutes later a gentleman came up and started talking to us, it turns out he was one of the band’s tour managers. He was very cool and told us it was alright to take pictures, give gifts, or have them autograph anything I might have with me. He told us that as soon as they finished with another group of people, someone would come and get me. When he left I got my picture and book ready while Mom got the camera ready.
A few minutes later, the big black guy in a red t-shirt appeared. This was it, it was time.
We piled into the elevator and went downstairs. We were joined by four or five other people, they were contest winners I believe. I was led around a corner and down a hallway, I felt like such a bigshot. At the end of the hall was a door that was just slightly cracked open, I knew this was our destination. My excitement and nerve levels skyrocketed. All I could think was “Are they actually in there?” As we got there and entered, I found the room was empty. Disappointing, but a relief at the same time, now I had a few more minutes to try calming myself.
The room was quite nice and luxurious. Leather couches all around, a refrigerator, and a big plasma TV hanging on the wall. The contest winners sat off to the right of me as I got comfortably seated directly across the from where we had come in. They chit chatted about their jobs, sports, and the like. I wondered to myself how they could be calm enough for casual conversation while my main focus was trying my best not to hyperventilate and/or wet my pants.
Twenty minutes or so passed, it was nearly 9:00, they were to go on stage shortly, where were they?
At this point I was surprisingly calm. I remember I looked down at the ground for a second and when I looked back up I saw a tiny figure silhouetted in the doorway I had just come in. Time slowed down and as it hit me, I thought to myself “Holy shit...it’s Andrea Corr...”
She glided across the room, coming directly towards me. She was followed by Sharon and Jim. She waved to the other people, but kept coming in my direction. As she got closer, she spoke.
ANDREA
Hello, Jacob...
JACOB’S BRAIN
Holy shit! She knows my name!
ANDREA
We got your letter, it was beautiful. We loved it, thank you.
JACOB’S BRAIN
Holy shit! They read my letter!
Hello, Jacob...
JACOB’S BRAIN
Holy shit! She knows my name!
ANDREA
We got your letter, it was beautiful. We loved it, thank you.
JACOB’S BRAIN
Holy shit! They read my letter!
With that she leaned in, hugged me, and kissed me on my cheek. I’m amazed I had the ability to speak after that.
There I was, talking to three of the four Corr siblings. To say it was surreal would be an enormous understatement.
It was such a rush to me, but sadly, a lot of it is blurry in my memory. Even so, what I do remember, I remember clearly.
We briefly talked about the Cleveland concert, I said how great it was and then Andrea said something unexpected. She not only mentioned the signs I had (she remembered!), but she also said that my last one made her laugh and it was what made her forget the lyrics to “Breathless”! Even though I probably should feel bad about making her mess up, I can’t help but smile when I think about it.
I gave them the picture I had made and they were kind enough to sign my personal copy and my copy of the Corner to Corner book. Then they gathered around me and we took a couple pictures together.
Looking back at the pictures I’m still awestruck that I’m in the same picture as them, that their hands were touching my wheelchair, that Andrea is holding a picture that I made. Little things like that just blow me away.
One by one they wandered over to mingle with the other guests, but Sharon seemed to hang around and talk with us the longest. Mom congratulated her on her soon to be born niece or nephew and we talked a little bit about how far we had driven to get there that night. This next bit I remember so clearly simply because I found her choice of words so damn adorable. After Mom commented on how tiring the drive was, Sharon replied by saying “Oh, I know. It’s a puffer.” Not being a word used in everyday conversations where I’m from, I absolutely loved it. Puffer.
As Sharon was about to join Jim and Andrea in mingling with the others, I made a decision. I decided to fight my shyness and speak up, so I did. I blurted out “I’ve got to ask...can I get a hug?” I’m so glad I spoke up, it got me a hug from the lovely Sharon Corr.
Still in shock after meeting them and unable to believe that they were still just feet away from me, I sat there with the biggest smile across my face you would ever see. At some point my aunt noticed Jim had forgotten to sign my book. When it comes to shyness, Aunt Karen is the exact opposite of me, the word “shy” doesn’t exist for her. That said, let me give an example of her in action.
Without hesitation, she walked across the room, grabbed Jim by the arm, and told him he forgot to sign the book. When she came back I couldn’t say anything due to the fact that my jaw was dropped after seeing her do that.
Being the great guy that he is, Jim graciously came back to sign my book before heading for the stage.
As the three left the room, they waved and said it was lovely to meet me. All I could think was “Who the hell am I? It was lovely meeting you!”
Jim was last in line as they made their exit. I called out and said “Come back to Cleveland soon!” He turned as he walked, waved and said “We’ll be back!” With that, they were gone.
I sat stunned. Did that really just happen? So much happened so fast it was like those few moments when you first awake from an incredible dream. You feel the joy from experiencing such a great dream, yet you also feel sadness in knowing it was nothing more then a dream. For me there was none of that sadness. Dreams do not write their names on your artwork. Dreams do not take pictures with you. Those facts and the memories make me smile because they remind me: on August 30th, 2004...my dream came true.
Before we even left the room, I could hear that they were already on stage and starting to play “Humdrum”. By the time we got back to our seats they had already finished it and were beginning “Only When I Sleep”.
Again, the concert was phenomenal, though my mind remained backstage replaying the night’s events over and over again. As a result, the two hour long concert seemed to speed by in about fifteen minutes.
After the show, Steph finally found me. When I told her what had happened earlier, her jaw dropped and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The look on her face was priceless.
I gave her a copy of the picture I made and she and her father walked with us for a bit as we left.
Shortly after 11:00 PM we were on the road again and headed back to Niagara Falls. As I gazed out my window and watched the streetlights silently whiz past in the night, I reflected on my long, but amazing day.
After the long post-concert drive, we arrived at our hotel at 1:30 AM. We wearily unloaded our suitcases and went inside. Before leaving home, Mom had called and let them know we'd be a very late arrival and to hold our room...so of course we get inside and find out they gave our room away. We protested a little to the concierge, but we were exhausted. He gave us free valet parking for the night, put us in a cityview room, and said we could get into our original room the next day. We were too tired to argue, so we went up to the room. I knew I would have sweet dreams that night.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Jacob's 2004 Adventure: Part I- A Long Expected Concert
About a week before the concert I began to feel more excited than I’d been in a very long while. In a matter of days I would finally be seeing them. I would be feet away from these people who had helped me so immensely through such hard times over the years without even knowing it. It was then that I got the idea: write a letter to them, tell them your story and thank them.
I spent two days before the show pouring my heart out onto sheets of paper. I wanted to make sure they knew how truly thankful I was.
The 21st arrived. The day I’d waited roughly five years for. I literally woke up with a smile on my face that morning. Excitedly, I got ready and my parents helped me make a few signs for during the show.
We got to the venue around 5:30 PM and joined the small crowd out back by where the tour buses were parked. I met some great fans, a few of whom had even come from outside the US to see this concert. After a little while I heard a small commotion in the crowd, then I looked across the street and saw the reason: Keith Duffy was heading in our direction.
I was so struck by the fact that The Corrs’ bass player was standing right in front of me that it didn’t dawn on me until later that the two gentlemen he was with were Anto Drennan and Kieran Kiely, the band’s lead guitar and keyboard players respectively. Though they seemed in a bit of a hurry, Keith was gracious enough to sign my copy of Corner to Corner for me.
Having until 7:00 when the doors opened, I hung around for a while in hopes of catching a glimpse of the band. We saw Jim for a split second in the distance, but that was about it.
Things were going great, my energy level was high, and a little after 7:00, we decided to go in. As they looked at my ticket I got a bit nervous. Were they going to stick me in the disabled section? Thankfully, things continued to go well. While I bought the tour program and a poster at the souvenir stand, they sent someone ahead to move some chairs for me!
My parents and I wandered the venue for a little bit and finally got to our seats just minutes before the opener, Sophie B. Hawkins went on. She played for around a half an hour and put on quite a show. It was unique to say the least.
In between acts I got to meet some other Corrs fans that I had met on an internet message board dedicated to the band. It was great to put faces with the names and to be together sharing this experience.
Time passed and the sun set. Through the curtain at the back of the stage I watched the moon rise as night fell across Cleveland. It was nearly 9:00 and I was glowing with excitement.
Shortly after nine the lights went down. The audience began to applaud as the intro music began. One by one Keith, Anto, and Kieran took the stage along with Keith’s brother, Jason Duffy, who was filling in for Caroline who was too far along in her pregnancy to play. Then Jim crossed the stage and took his place as the cheering intensified. Next was Sharon, again the cheering intensified. Finally Andrea came on stage, the crowd exploded with cheers and applause and in that moment time slowed down for me. After waiting for so long, there they were, The Corrs (minus Caroline) were assembled on stage right in front of me. That was the moment it fully hit me. All the waiting and hoping had led me to this moment, it was finally happening. All the energy built up and I'm not ashamed to admit I nearly cried, but Andrea took the mic, the band burst into “Humdrum,” and I used that energy to dance along all night.
The seats were incredible! I had never been in a better spot for a concert. I held up one of the signs I brought, it read “Welcome to Cleveland!” Upon reading it I saw Jim smile, that sent my energy level even higher.
After each of their first few songs, the audience kept giving standing ovations. The band, especially Andrea, seemed taken aback by the response.
During “Joy of Life/Trout in the Bath” I switched to my next sign. It read “Andrea- Can I Have Your Tin Whistle?!” Once again, time slowed down. I saw Andrea’s eyes as she was reading the sign, then they raised and met mine. As Andrea was playing and looking right at me, she nodded. I was speechless. As if being feet away from them wasn’t enough, I was now interacting with The Corrs.
About halfway through the show, Sharon set down her violin and took center stage to sing “No Frontiers.” Though Caroline was missed, Sharon’s performance was absolutely flawless and left me with my jaw dropped.
Towards the end of their set, they played “I Never Loved You Anyway” and Andrea introduced each member of the band before being introduced herself by Jim. At the end of the song Andrea made good on her nod. She came over in front of me, bent down, handed her tin whistle to my mom for me, and then she blew me a kiss. Every time I tell this story to someone I say this and mean it: that moment alone was worth the five year wait.
The last song of the set was “Goodbye.” It was even more beautiful now that I was hearing it live. At the end of the song Andrea left the stage, shortly followed by Sharon. They put down their instruments and left the stage just as they arrived, one by one. In the end there was only Jim left. Eventually he stopped playing the keyboard, said “Good night,” and left the stage.
Minutes passed and the audience was on their feet, then the band returned for an encore. They started with “Breathless” and once again I switched signs. The final one read “Can I have a hug? Okay, I’ll settle for an autograph.” Jim started to read it, but the bottom of it was in the shadows, so Mom lifted it up for him and he started laughing. Then the cutest thing happened, Andrea forgot the words to “Breathless.” It was so great how the audience’s singing helped to get her back on track. Later, Mom told me she thought Andrea messed up the lyrics because she was reading my sign, but I wasn’t sure.
After “Toss the Feathers” they took their final bows and the show was over. I had been to some great concerts in my life, but that was the best. Finally seeing them and practically being a part of the show had surpassed even my expectations.
On our way back to the van, tin whistle in hand, it dawned on me: I still had the letter! The letter I had worked so hard on was still in my possession. We quickly made our way back to where the buses were, but found that the band had already left.
I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to give it to them, but the rest of the night had more than made up for it.
Continued soon...
I spent two days before the show pouring my heart out onto sheets of paper. I wanted to make sure they knew how truly thankful I was.
The 21st arrived. The day I’d waited roughly five years for. I literally woke up with a smile on my face that morning. Excitedly, I got ready and my parents helped me make a few signs for during the show.
We got to the venue around 5:30 PM and joined the small crowd out back by where the tour buses were parked. I met some great fans, a few of whom had even come from outside the US to see this concert. After a little while I heard a small commotion in the crowd, then I looked across the street and saw the reason: Keith Duffy was heading in our direction.
I was so struck by the fact that The Corrs’ bass player was standing right in front of me that it didn’t dawn on me until later that the two gentlemen he was with were Anto Drennan and Kieran Kiely, the band’s lead guitar and keyboard players respectively. Though they seemed in a bit of a hurry, Keith was gracious enough to sign my copy of Corner to Corner for me.
Having until 7:00 when the doors opened, I hung around for a while in hopes of catching a glimpse of the band. We saw Jim for a split second in the distance, but that was about it.
Things were going great, my energy level was high, and a little after 7:00, we decided to go in. As they looked at my ticket I got a bit nervous. Were they going to stick me in the disabled section? Thankfully, things continued to go well. While I bought the tour program and a poster at the souvenir stand, they sent someone ahead to move some chairs for me!
My parents and I wandered the venue for a little bit and finally got to our seats just minutes before the opener, Sophie B. Hawkins went on. She played for around a half an hour and put on quite a show. It was unique to say the least.
In between acts I got to meet some other Corrs fans that I had met on an internet message board dedicated to the band. It was great to put faces with the names and to be together sharing this experience.
Time passed and the sun set. Through the curtain at the back of the stage I watched the moon rise as night fell across Cleveland. It was nearly 9:00 and I was glowing with excitement.
Shortly after nine the lights went down. The audience began to applaud as the intro music began. One by one Keith, Anto, and Kieran took the stage along with Keith’s brother, Jason Duffy, who was filling in for Caroline who was too far along in her pregnancy to play. Then Jim crossed the stage and took his place as the cheering intensified. Next was Sharon, again the cheering intensified. Finally Andrea came on stage, the crowd exploded with cheers and applause and in that moment time slowed down for me. After waiting for so long, there they were, The Corrs (minus Caroline) were assembled on stage right in front of me. That was the moment it fully hit me. All the waiting and hoping had led me to this moment, it was finally happening. All the energy built up and I'm not ashamed to admit I nearly cried, but Andrea took the mic, the band burst into “Humdrum,” and I used that energy to dance along all night.
The seats were incredible! I had never been in a better spot for a concert. I held up one of the signs I brought, it read “Welcome to Cleveland!” Upon reading it I saw Jim smile, that sent my energy level even higher.
After each of their first few songs, the audience kept giving standing ovations. The band, especially Andrea, seemed taken aback by the response.
During “Joy of Life/Trout in the Bath” I switched to my next sign. It read “Andrea- Can I Have Your Tin Whistle?!” Once again, time slowed down. I saw Andrea’s eyes as she was reading the sign, then they raised and met mine. As Andrea was playing and looking right at me, she nodded. I was speechless. As if being feet away from them wasn’t enough, I was now interacting with The Corrs.
About halfway through the show, Sharon set down her violin and took center stage to sing “No Frontiers.” Though Caroline was missed, Sharon’s performance was absolutely flawless and left me with my jaw dropped.
Towards the end of their set, they played “I Never Loved You Anyway” and Andrea introduced each member of the band before being introduced herself by Jim. At the end of the song Andrea made good on her nod. She came over in front of me, bent down, handed her tin whistle to my mom for me, and then she blew me a kiss. Every time I tell this story to someone I say this and mean it: that moment alone was worth the five year wait.
The last song of the set was “Goodbye.” It was even more beautiful now that I was hearing it live. At the end of the song Andrea left the stage, shortly followed by Sharon. They put down their instruments and left the stage just as they arrived, one by one. In the end there was only Jim left. Eventually he stopped playing the keyboard, said “Good night,” and left the stage.
Minutes passed and the audience was on their feet, then the band returned for an encore. They started with “Breathless” and once again I switched signs. The final one read “Can I have a hug? Okay, I’ll settle for an autograph.” Jim started to read it, but the bottom of it was in the shadows, so Mom lifted it up for him and he started laughing. Then the cutest thing happened, Andrea forgot the words to “Breathless.” It was so great how the audience’s singing helped to get her back on track. Later, Mom told me she thought Andrea messed up the lyrics because she was reading my sign, but I wasn’t sure.
After “Toss the Feathers” they took their final bows and the show was over. I had been to some great concerts in my life, but that was the best. Finally seeing them and practically being a part of the show had surpassed even my expectations.
On our way back to the van, tin whistle in hand, it dawned on me: I still had the letter! The letter I had worked so hard on was still in my possession. We quickly made our way back to where the buses were, but found that the band had already left.
I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to give it to them, but the rest of the night had more than made up for it.
Continued soon...
Saturday, March 19, 2005
A Night At The Movies
Being the good Corrs fan that I am, when I heard the new movie featuring Andrea Corr would be playing at the Cleveland International Film Festival, there was no question about whether or not I'd be attending. I bought the tickets last week, so Mom, Dad, Grandma, and I were all set to see The Boys & Girl From County Clare. We were on our way to Tower City Cinemas, which, appropriately enough, is right across the street from where I first saw The Corrs in concert one magical night last August.
I was pumped, this was going to be my first film festival experience! I tend to have an overactive imagination at times...okay, most of the time. I pictured a big, fancy, classy event. It wasn't a spectacle or anything, but it was cool.
It began with the hunt for the preferred parking for the festival, of course it wasn't where it was supposed to be, but we made due. We found a little valet garage and headed in.
It was funny actually waiting in a line to get into a movie, the only other times I've experienced that was for the Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars movies.
We got into the theater and made it to our seats right away. It was a really nice old theater, but because it was old, the design bugged me a bit. I'm a fan of sitting about halfway down or in the front of theaters, older theaters always seem to only have disabled seating in the back. Sucky, but oh well. We sat there and listened to the movie junkies running around to their friends and comparing the number of movies they had seen that day and giving their "expert" opinions on which ones were and weren't worth seeing. They rambled on and on for a while as I sat and thought to myself "I wonder if the film Zoe and I are working on will be showing here next year?"
Before the film started, there were a few speakers. One was a lady associated with the CIFF and the other two were sponsors. One of the sponsors grew up in Dublin and ran an Irish pub/restaurant in downtown Cleveland. It cracked me up listening to him talk as he kept pronouncing the word "film" as "fil-um." When they finished introducing the film, the exited to the back of the theater and out the door right next to where I was sitting. As the door closed behind them, I heard the one sponsor say to the Irish guy "Since when does 'film' have two syllables?" I busted up as Irish guy laughed. The lights went down and the projector whirred, illuminating the screen.
Ninety minutes, many laughs, and several "what'd they say?"s later (hey, the Irish talk fast), the credits rolled, the lights went up, and the audience applauded. As the crowd filtered out, we voted on our little ballots to say what we thought of the movie. It was funny, fun, highly enjoyable, and I got to see one of my favorite singers on a thirty foot high screen, do you even have to ask how I voted?
Halfway back to the van, we all suddenly realized we had to pee. Thus began the quest for the open bathroom! The four of us searched through three floors, bladders ready to burst, before a security guard told us they were all locked. It makes no sense that the Tower City mall closes all of their bathrooms at 9 PM, especially when there's a film festival going on. Plus the food court right next to the theaters was closed at 9, that seems insane. When you come out of a movie, you're hungry, they would've raked in the dough!
Anyway, we ended up running into a bathroom in a restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, which is connected to the mall. One word: swanky. I'm easily impressed when a bathroom has actual cloth towels and motion sensor toilets I guess. Too much information? Too bad, my blog. ;)
Great movie, great fun, great night. One way or another, I WILL be at next year's Cleveland International Film Festival. See ya there?
-Jacob
I was pumped, this was going to be my first film festival experience! I tend to have an overactive imagination at times...okay, most of the time. I pictured a big, fancy, classy event. It wasn't a spectacle or anything, but it was cool.
It began with the hunt for the preferred parking for the festival, of course it wasn't where it was supposed to be, but we made due. We found a little valet garage and headed in.
It was funny actually waiting in a line to get into a movie, the only other times I've experienced that was for the Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars movies.
We got into the theater and made it to our seats right away. It was a really nice old theater, but because it was old, the design bugged me a bit. I'm a fan of sitting about halfway down or in the front of theaters, older theaters always seem to only have disabled seating in the back. Sucky, but oh well. We sat there and listened to the movie junkies running around to their friends and comparing the number of movies they had seen that day and giving their "expert" opinions on which ones were and weren't worth seeing. They rambled on and on for a while as I sat and thought to myself "I wonder if the film Zoe and I are working on will be showing here next year?"
Before the film started, there were a few speakers. One was a lady associated with the CIFF and the other two were sponsors. One of the sponsors grew up in Dublin and ran an Irish pub/restaurant in downtown Cleveland. It cracked me up listening to him talk as he kept pronouncing the word "film" as "fil-um." When they finished introducing the film, the exited to the back of the theater and out the door right next to where I was sitting. As the door closed behind them, I heard the one sponsor say to the Irish guy "Since when does 'film' have two syllables?" I busted up as Irish guy laughed. The lights went down and the projector whirred, illuminating the screen.
Ninety minutes, many laughs, and several "what'd they say?"s later (hey, the Irish talk fast), the credits rolled, the lights went up, and the audience applauded. As the crowd filtered out, we voted on our little ballots to say what we thought of the movie. It was funny, fun, highly enjoyable, and I got to see one of my favorite singers on a thirty foot high screen, do you even have to ask how I voted?
Halfway back to the van, we all suddenly realized we had to pee. Thus began the quest for the open bathroom! The four of us searched through three floors, bladders ready to burst, before a security guard told us they were all locked. It makes no sense that the Tower City mall closes all of their bathrooms at 9 PM, especially when there's a film festival going on. Plus the food court right next to the theaters was closed at 9, that seems insane. When you come out of a movie, you're hungry, they would've raked in the dough!
Anyway, we ended up running into a bathroom in a restaurant at the Ritz Carlton, which is connected to the mall. One word: swanky. I'm easily impressed when a bathroom has actual cloth towels and motion sensor toilets I guess. Too much information? Too bad, my blog. ;)
Great movie, great fun, great night. One way or another, I WILL be at next year's Cleveland International Film Festival. See ya there?
-Jacob
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