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Geroneja (01/10/04 16:48:58)

Отчет GraySunrise с MTS:

I can hardly believe that an entire week has nearly passed since the concert. Real life has such a way of sucking a person back in that the fun times are distant memories all too quickly. So I will try and remember what I can and share with you my impressions of last weekend's trip to catch Aaron's farewell performance. I did hold real concern as to whether or not I would arrive in Sacramento in time without encountering any difficulties, but as luck would have it, I got there almost too easily (which should have been a clear warning of things to come later trying to return home!) I do believe I told nearly everyone I came into contact with Saturday morning where I was going and what I was planning on doing.…so a good hundred or more people who perhaps did not know before are now at least aware that there is this band out there called Ghost of the Robot. Deciding to go was such a spur of the moment thing that I ended up setting out alone, not planning to meet up with any familiar faces. Normally this thought would have kept me at home (I am not one to go to movies or dinner in a restaurant by myself unless it promises to be a good show or I am really beyond hungry.) However, I knew that once I got there I was bound to make the acquaintance of a few new people, which is exactly what happened. It really did not take that long to do so either. Let me just say here and now, that the GotR fans are incredibly super…
When I got checked into my hotel, I decided to seek out the Crest. I certainly did not want to wait until after dark and try and find the place. It was still early afternoon, but I was already feeling the fact that I had left my house at 2 am, my time… I only had to walk around the corner and there it was…I must have looked strange, slowly approaching the place, trying not to be obvious. Why I acted this way… I do not know…. I noticed that folks were already lining up and it was tempting to join them, but common sense prevailed…I had to sleep or I would end up snoring through most of the show. I cannot claim to be anything close to a rocker chick. Instead, I am quite comfortable snuggled up in a rocker! So, regretting the fact that my mind could not convince my body to be and act young again, I turned back toward the hotel, had a brief exchange with a street person, haggled with him over what a fair and reasonable amount of a handout should be (I could not help but smile at his negotiating ability) and then grabbed a sandwich at a nearby Subway, walking away from the Crest, dreaming not of the show to come but that nice comfy bed back in my room. To learn that had I stayed and gotten in line I might have seen James beforehand…well…if James had a choice between getting a glimpse of me or taking a nap then I am sure he would have done exactly as I had…so realizing that, I guess I can't feel too terribly bad for having missed an opportunity…Besides it seems to me that the band member I am likely to see first is always Charlie for some reason, and this time it was no different. Rested and refreshed, I did get in line early, by 5:30 pm. I got the feeling almost immediately that I was going to be one of the few out of state or out of country people at this thing. The majority did seem to be locals, families and friends. The women I shared the line with were indeed from right there in California, not so far away. Thanks to them the wait was quite enjoyable, despite the fact that they were feeling the cold. To me, it was not too tough to bear; for instance, I never lost the sensation in my feet. Well, maybe I did and I just never noticed. By this time I was getting excited and not feeling so alone. Plus I found a penny on the ground just about then, so I was anticipating good luck. Pennies seldom lie. As might be expected now, I got picked out of the crowd as GraySunrise and introduced to board members I had not yet had the pleasure of meeting…When we were chatting is when Charlie came down the sidewalk, just as I figured he would. Saying nothing, I simply waved and stared. For some strange reason, I react this way towards him, several times now to be honest …I look at him; he looks at me…and I swear we are trying to determine which is the oddest creature. I do not mean to be rude, not at all…it is only a perception I have…I find Charlie extremely interesting…like some exotic or rare animal I have never seen before, that captures my attention with the sounds it makes, its movements, its unique behaviors. Well, shortly thereafter, the doors opened.
I worked my way to a seat near the front, removed all the outerwear and sat for a bit, gawking at the interior design of the theater, so imagine mouth open and staring up at the ceiling and walls. Once people got settled, I did not hesitate to strike up conversations with my neighbors, again delightful people, one and all. What I have not mentioned is that I had a special mission to accomplish…I promised to deliver a farewell to Aaron from a fan that could not be there. So, this is what preoccupied me the minute I noticed some of the band walking around….how and when would be the best way to pass on that message. Even though the note was for Aaron, I did not expect to see him as much, since this was his special night. Then, Steve appeared and I just went right over to him. Funny, I can do that without any hesitation. To me, he is the most approachable and easiest to talk to. He reminds me of the artists I knew and hung around with at college. It made sense then to ask him to do this small favor...he even anticipated what I was asking of him, saying that he would give it to Aaron which he did. I actually saw him hand it over. Contact made; mission successfully completed. Now, it was time to relax, sit back and enjoy the music…yeah, I lasted about five minutes in my seat before getting up and heading to the stage. I shared the right hand corner, on Steve's side, next to the speakers, which was a good view of everything and everyone on stage.
As already been described Power Animal came out first in their knight costumes. There was a huge applause to greet them. Seeing them dressed so just emphasized to me that these young guys enjoy playing and having fun with it, and they sure can seriously play. I admit I know little about music, all the intricacies of this and that, whether each note was on key or if every one was together or what have you. But to me they sounded great. Aaron's chain mail head covering at one point slid so far down over his forehead and eyes as to cover most of his face, yet he never missed a beat, just kept going with great enthusiasm. Kevin did indeed look uncomfortably warm and bothered in his armor before their set ended, but he kept going as well. Nick was such a cutie; I had never seen him before and did not find out until later that he was Aaron's brother. Charlie said the most humorous thing that still makes me grin…when he announced they would do one more song, the audience went 'awwww' in a disappointed way, to which Charlie explained they had to quit since they were only the opening band. Charlie's hair is very long. I rather enjoyed listening to the next band too. I thought they called themselves "Ordinary" Joe but have read where they might have been "Average" Joe…anyway it was "Something" Joe. Their lead singer was a not too big guy, with an adorable beaming broad smile. He liked to bounce onhis toes. The drummer was their spokesperson and wanted to hire the crowd since apparently this was the best response they ever had from an audience. I particularly liked the keyboard player. He was obviously an outstanding musician. What to say about Aesthetic…they were something to watch for sure. They filled the stage, which did not seem hardly large enough to contain their exuberance. Their lead singer, Dougie…or it could have been Doogie, I am not sure what the people behind me were actually calling him but they seemed to know him and the band well,… Dougie jumped and gyrated and jerked back and forth, at times getting right close to the very edge of the stage, almost ready to propel himself off into the crowd. He wore dark blue boxer shorts with white polka dots, had nice brown wavy hair and was able to make the most awesome sounds with his voice, the 'rapping noises' like scratching records and synthesizers, when they put the mic close to their mouths and blow and spit on it. This band was very loud and I hold them responsible for much of my hearing loss that night. Also they certainly opened my eyes and woke me up…they put on quite a spectacle. When Charlie introduced them before and after their performance, in my mind, he looked like Ed Sullivan or David Letterman or some other late night host…"Let's hear it for…"
By now, it was nearly 11 pm and GotR's turn to play. The group hugging the stage got immediately denser, more tightly squeezed together; there was some persistent pushing forward which fortunately did not last all that long. I got distracted a bit and actually missed James stepping onto the stage. I turned away for a minute and then there he was standing at the microphone. Suddenly seeing him there should not have been all that surprising really, but it was…James has that effect, well, at least on me, when he first walks out, it always gives me something of a jolt… He did not appear until the band was ready to start, not coming on stage to check any of the equipment or anything as he did, for example, at the El Rey. Also he did not have the "rock singer" look either as he did wearing the Ramone shirt and spiked hair. He was dressed more like what he generally looks like at conventions. I kept thinking he was more Actor James, than Musician James, which was not a bad thing, just an observation I personally had. The crowd cheered and greeted the band enthusiastically naturally; James started to 'flirt' with some of the girls on the opposite side of the stage from where I was. I think he was doing that tongue thing…placing the tip of his tongue to the bottom of his upper teeth when something flew out of his mouth and landed on the stage. He looked momentarily chagrined. Then he turned so I saw what surprised so many of us…the slight marring of his usual perfection, that noticeable gap where a tooth ought to have been. I immediately thought that is what he lost, a crown, but when he made no move to pick it up (if it had been an actual porcelain tooth, then, heck yeah, pick it up, those things are too dang expensive to just let lie there!) I realized it was not that…I believe he said it was his gum. In no time really, they launched into singing Liar. From there on the show was absolutely fabulous.
According to my untrained ear, every song was beautifully executed. And to those more aware of the nuances in a musical performance, I imagine they too could not detect any apparent or glaring flaws. Everything seemed to flow along well. What I saw was a very easy-going, laid back kind of show…a group of guys sharing their music, some old stuff and some new. When they did one of the older ones they were thrilled to have the audience right there enjoying it as if they have not heard it many times before. When they tried out something new, they asked eagerly what we thought, if we liked it. The atmosphere had a feel to it that reminded me of the times I have seen musicians gather on a back porch to play for a bunch of close friends and acquaintances. Sure there were some interactions between the band and the audience but nothing all that much. I believe I saw more actual flirting at the El Rey. To be truthful, I never saw the bra slung to them, only the pretty pink one that was tossed to Dougie. I do remember Charlie getting the note and looking at it. I missed a lot of what was said simply because my ears were practically gone by then and they were clear over on the other side. So maybe there was more going on?…I did notice such things as James reaching out and grasping a fan's hand and her near swoon and the same person later calling out that he had a nice butt (which he heard and turned towards the general direction it came from with a hard look which was gone almost as soon as it appeared), another fan handing him a Red Bull to which he was most grateful, James and Steve playing the same guitar which I don't think was Gabriel, James shooting the bird to someone behind me (have no clue what that was about or who he was sending it to)….but much of the time was spent singing and playing, which was over an hour. Oh, there was one bump…Charlie started playing Mad Brilliant instead of Brainwaves, so they automatically went with it. After that James looked at the list and explained that they would do another song also called Brainwaves. So we got an extra song thrown in there. Of the new material, I liked This Town very much, which James sang slow, soft and sweet. Also Creative Control was different…that was the instrumental piece. The special guest violinist played an instrument that was part violin, part horn; Steve was on keyboard and James was on guitar. I believe Kevin and Aaron were playing quietly in the background. It had such a haunting sound. The new CD sounds very promising if they are planning on including some of what we heard at this show. I am not sure if anyone else mentioned this but James did say that Katie would be on the new album. I hope Over Now and Bad is too, Runaway and Miss Knightly, and well, it is all good.
The night had some really special moments. The one time that James seemed most relaxed and more musician-like was when Charlie did his song at the keyboard. James went to sit on the steps near the back of the stage. I could easily see him as he watched and listened to Charlie do a remarkable job. He rested his head against his hand and just appreciated the music. He had such a contented smile on his face too and at one point even closed his eyes to just let it seep in. Then there was the little girl…she came out of nowhere it seemed…this little bit barely reaching my waist squashed in the crowd. I grabbed hold of her to try and position her in front of me so that she would have more room and could breath, but things were tight. It has been way too long for me to be able to imagine what it is like to see nothing but people's legs, but to give this child a chance to see what she was missing, I lifted her up. She was adorable with the softest hair and pretty braids. She started waving her hands and clapping…then after too brief a while she was whisked away. After the show I saw her in the lobby snuggled in Steve's arms with her arms about his neck, smiling delightfully…cannot say that I blame her. I can imagine that to be a quite comfy spot… One of the best moments by far was finishing the concert with Vehicles Shock Me, a very fitting and touching salute to send Aaron on his way…For a brief second or two it was clear how much these guys care about him…Aaron probably did not see it since he was in the back, but the depth of their emotion passed fleetingly across each of their faces for all to see.
I truly hated when it was over. Know what it feels like when the circus is over or the last float in a parade goes by or the amusement park is closing, everyone must leave now? I was certainly not wanting to and in no hurry to do so, because suddenly I was alone again. I admit I was dragging my feet and lingering…if I was with a group of friends, I would probably have been on my way to talk about everything that we heard and saw, but with only an empty hotel room to look forward to and a flight leaving in just a few hours, well…there seemed to be no rush. Besides I was rather warm in my new thick sweater, so the cool air outside was nice. Security was determined to shoosh people away, clearing the auditorium, the lobby and the sidewalk outside. One of the highlights of the entire evening though happened because I was taking my sweet time to depart…I got goodbye hugs, farewells, and see you laters of my own from new friends and I had a last chance to meet yet more nice people….Linda Judd came up and introduced herself, which was a great pleasure for me. I just want to say a special thank you to her for arranging this show. When it was first announced, I knew I needed to be there, that it was something that I did not want to miss if at all possible. Not completely sure why I felt that way, but I did and I generally do not question those feelings too much. Time will tell…It was the perfect event, just the right combination of happy-sad for Aaron's last performance for a while. Well done indeed. Then, to top off everything and make the evening unforgettable I got to meet Aaron's parents which was just plain neat. Linda introduced them as they came up and I do believe, much to my embarrassment, I immediately opened my mouth and started chattering away. It is not hard to figure out why Aaron has such a wonderful manner, abundant charm, a sincere and sensitive nature… Before I realized it, it was nearly 1 am and Aaron's dad and I were still talking, apparently the last left outside the Crest. His family gave up and had started toward the parking garage and being polite, I suppose he did not want to say, "Hey, lady, it's late…" He is a nice man truthfully and it was just so touching to see the evident pride in all his sons when he mentioned them. And proud he should be. I don’t think anyone needs to be too concerned about Aaron at all…he has the love and support of his family to guide him and according to his father, he speaks fluent Spanish.

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