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Now playing: Dream Theater - The Big Medley
via FoxyTunes So, I was just looking at my blog, pondering about what I should write about next, when I pass my list of favorite artists... and what to my wandering eyes doth appear?? SARAH MCLACHLAN. Or did I mention her? No, I don't think so. I had the pleasure of seeing Sarah perform on three different occasions. They were all fantastic shows, but the one I want to focus on was the second show. Back in 1994, we had the pleasure of seeing Sarah perform at Deer Valley, a ski resort which sits about five minutes south of Park City, Utah. During the summer, they usually host about 8-10 concerts, nestled on the side of the mountain, in some of Utah's most beautiful scenery. It was the first week of August (1994, in case you are forgetful like me), and the day had been VERY rainy. We were a little worried about the show, but went up the canyon. It continued raining until shortly before the concert started. Now, for those of you who have never experienced the Utah mountains after a rainfall, you are truly missing out. The smell of the cool, mountain air... the ambiance of the mountains, wild flowers, trees... the type of music experienced, all made this a fantastic concert. The opening act was OCTOBER PROJECT, who delivered a wonderful, yet melancholy set. Perfect for the overall atmosphere. Then came Sarah. She was touring in support of "FUMBLING TOWARDS ECSTASY", which is one of my favorite albums of all time. Now, up until this point, I hadn't been a huge fan of hers. I remember my sister, Kristy, letting me hear part of "SOLACE", and not being all too impressed with it. It must have been my mood at the time, or the fact that the music needed to be heard a few times for true appreciation. I recall just writing her music off, thinking that it isn't for everyone, wondering why Kristy and Rich (my younger brother) were becoming so obsessed. Then came December, 1993. My friend Craig (the man who owns nearly EVERY CD, or so it seems) then ordered in copies of "FUMBLING..." from Canada, where it was released several months before it saw the light of day in the United States. From the opening measures of "Possession", I was blown away. Wow, this was music that immediately connected with my heart and soul!
Fast forward to August, 1994. Now remember, we started out here, but had to go back and dwell on the time I first fell in love with the music of Sarah McLachlan. So, we have just experienced this performance at Deer Valley, and are on one of those great "natural highs" that one experiences after a fantastic concert. Anyhow, Rich and I talked about a need to see her again, and looked at some possibilities. We discovered that this leg of her tour was going to conclude in Bozeman, Montana, where our Uncle Rex and Aunt Anna lived. We made some phone calls, and found that their home would be opened to us, if we wanted to drive up. Rich pulled off a miracle by actually getting in touch with the concert promoter of the Bozeman show. This concert was scheduled for the Bozeman High School auditorium, which would prove to be a wonderful, intimate venue. The amazing thing, was that the gentleman told Rich that he had 4 tickets on the front row, albeit stage left. Or would that be stage right? Ah, who cares. We were on the FRONT ROW. The entire experience of this concert would make this one of the best concert experiences of my life. First, the fact that it was in conjunction with a road trip, made it an already memorable experience. We set off for Bozeman at 2:00 AM, on the Friday morning. We stopped off for breakfast in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, eating some of the famous sourdough pancakes. We made it to Bozeman by mid afternoon, and enjoyed the area around the college campus, including music stores, eateries, etc. There was even a sighting of Sarah doing the same. Anyhow, on to the show. It was pretty much the same show that we had seen three weeks before, in Deer Valley, with the exception that it was the last show on the leg of the tour, and shenanigans ensued between the two bands. I remember October Project playing, and a large rubber spider being lowered from the rafters, right into the middle of the band. They had a hard time keeping a straight face, trying to perform one of their songs, while a spider bobbed up and down in their midst. Not to be outdone, the members of October Project dumped an entire bucket of ping pong balls on Sarah and her band, in the middle of one of her closing numbers. I should clarify that the balls came from the rafters, as well. There was complete surprise from the band, as well as the audience. Regardless, the show was outstanding.
To top off the experience, we were able to meet her entire band, and eventually Sarah, herself. We had been told by all the band members that she had headed straight to the airport, but persistence paid off, when she eventually came out of the bus, with only the four of us remaining. I have a photo, although I will need to find it, if I am to put it on this blog. Sarah taught me a very important lesson about music, which I will save for the next post... so stay tuned. I need to go shower, now.
----------------
Now playing: Dream Theater - The Big Medley
via FoxyTunes
Now playing: Dream Theater - The Big Medley
via FoxyTunes So, I was just looking at my blog, pondering about what I should write about next, when I pass my list of favorite artists... and what to my wandering eyes doth appear?? SARAH MCLACHLAN. Or did I mention her? No, I don't think so. I had the pleasure of seeing Sarah perform on three different occasions. They were all fantastic shows, but the one I want to focus on was the second show. Back in 1994, we had the pleasure of seeing Sarah perform at Deer Valley, a ski resort which sits about five minutes south of Park City, Utah. During the summer, they usually host about 8-10 concerts, nestled on the side of the mountain, in some of Utah's most beautiful scenery. It was the first week of August (1994, in case you are forgetful like me), and the day had been VERY rainy. We were a little worried about the show, but went up the canyon. It continued raining until shortly before the concert started. Now, for those of you who have never experienced the Utah mountains after a rainfall, you are truly missing out. The smell of the cool, mountain air... the ambiance of the mountains, wild flowers, trees... the type of music experienced, all made this a fantastic concert. The opening act was OCTOBER PROJECT, who delivered a wonderful, yet melancholy set. Perfect for the overall atmosphere. Then came Sarah. She was touring in support of "FUMBLING TOWARDS ECSTASY", which is one of my favorite albums of all time. Now, up until this point, I hadn't been a huge fan of hers. I remember my sister, Kristy, letting me hear part of "SOLACE", and not being all too impressed with it. It must have been my mood at the time, or the fact that the music needed to be heard a few times for true appreciation. I recall just writing her music off, thinking that it isn't for everyone, wondering why Kristy and Rich (my younger brother) were becoming so obsessed. Then came December, 1993. My friend Craig (the man who owns nearly EVERY CD, or so it seems) then ordered in copies of "FUMBLING..." from Canada, where it was released several months before it saw the light of day in the United States. From the opening measures of "Possession", I was blown away. Wow, this was music that immediately connected with my heart and soul!
Fast forward to August, 1994. Now remember, we started out here, but had to go back and dwell on the time I first fell in love with the music of Sarah McLachlan. So, we have just experienced this performance at Deer Valley, and are on one of those great "natural highs" that one experiences after a fantastic concert. Anyhow, Rich and I talked about a need to see her again, and looked at some possibilities. We discovered that this leg of her tour was going to conclude in Bozeman, Montana, where our Uncle Rex and Aunt Anna lived. We made some phone calls, and found that their home would be opened to us, if we wanted to drive up. Rich pulled off a miracle by actually getting in touch with the concert promoter of the Bozeman show. This concert was scheduled for the Bozeman High School auditorium, which would prove to be a wonderful, intimate venue. The amazing thing, was that the gentleman told Rich that he had 4 tickets on the front row, albeit stage left. Or would that be stage right? Ah, who cares. We were on the FRONT ROW. The entire experience of this concert would make this one of the best concert experiences of my life. First, the fact that it was in conjunction with a road trip, made it an already memorable experience. We set off for Bozeman at 2:00 AM, on the Friday morning. We stopped off for breakfast in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, eating some of the famous sourdough pancakes. We made it to Bozeman by mid afternoon, and enjoyed the area around the college campus, including music stores, eateries, etc. There was even a sighting of Sarah doing the same. Anyhow, on to the show. It was pretty much the same show that we had seen three weeks before, in Deer Valley, with the exception that it was the last show on the leg of the tour, and shenanigans ensued between the two bands. I remember October Project playing, and a large rubber spider being lowered from the rafters, right into the middle of the band. They had a hard time keeping a straight face, trying to perform one of their songs, while a spider bobbed up and down in their midst. Not to be outdone, the members of October Project dumped an entire bucket of ping pong balls on Sarah and her band, in the middle of one of her closing numbers. I should clarify that the balls came from the rafters, as well. There was complete surprise from the band, as well as the audience. Regardless, the show was outstanding.
To top off the experience, we were able to meet her entire band, and eventually Sarah, herself. We had been told by all the band members that she had headed straight to the airport, but persistence paid off, when she eventually came out of the bus, with only the four of us remaining. I have a photo, although I will need to find it, if I am to put it on this blog. Sarah taught me a very important lesson about music, which I will save for the next post... so stay tuned. I need to go shower, now.
----------------
Now playing: Dream Theater - The Big Medley
via FoxyTunes
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