It's true - the show was only $12.00!
We did a little more shopping and then went into the restaurant for supper. We told the hostess that we were going to be staying for the show and asked if she could seat us somewhere near where the stage would be. She led us to a table for two on a small raised area about 15 feet from the stage and said that we could just turn our chairs a bit when the music started. It was perfect! This was the view from our table -
Look how handsome my hubby is! I'm a lucky girl.
I was trying to be covert about taking pictures since it said right on our ticket that cameras were not allowed. They even had signs posted:
Pretty bad to take a picture of the sign that says "No Photography Allowed," right?
We ordered dinner and in the spirit of "heck, when's the next time we'll get back here, let's really splurge" I got the fillet Mignon (medium rare) while Shad tried the fish (I don't eat fish so I can't even remember what he had) that our waitress recommended. It took a while to get our food, but oh, when we got it! *Delighted shiver*
It was seriously the best steak I've ever had. A hint of red wine, onions and mushrooms graced my fillet which was accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes and steamed fresh green beans and carrots. To this day all I have to do is think about the steak and a blissful calm descends upon me. It took somewhere between 45-60 minutes for me to finish supper because after each bite I would put my fork down, close my eyes and luxuriate in the taste sensations flooding over my palate. The first bite was absolutely as good as the last and it was the perfect amount of food, leaving me full but not stuffed. As I looked across the table I saw similar signs of culinary pleasure on Shad's face as well. The $10.00 off coupons that came on each of our tickets even made it a reasonably-priced dining experience and I can say for sure that I've paid more for much, much, much less.
I love how Shad always holds my hand when we go out to eat. He's romantical that way.
In Tall Buildings
Since they are originally from Chicago they seemed to have quite a following present at the HOB. Two of their cutest and most zealous fans were undoubtedly the lead singer's parents who we spotted roaming around the "back porch" taking pictures with a camera (complete with flash) and their cell phones. I must say that I felt a certain kinship with them as a fellow excessive picture-taker. It was also pretty obvious that they were really proud of their son and in some way I felt lucky to witness their love and pride for him. I do, by the way, realize I'm a sentimental dork.
**Funny side story - Shad went to the bathroom which was sectioned off into two areas, one for the facilities and one for the mirrors, sinks, etc. when he heard someone come into the other section and start doing vocal exercises. That someone turned out to be the lead singer, Erik Hall, warming up. I guess if no shower is available the bathroom is the next-best thing, right?**
After about six songs In Tall Buildings cleared the stage and Zee's road crew (which seemed to consist of about two guys) finalized her set-up. One guy, who was about 5'8 and 300 pounds or so, bent over to adjust some cords and exposed about six inches of butt crack. Shad, of course, didn't see it but I looked over and noticed that Erik Hall's parents had apparently observed the crack-shot as well. I have to think that maybe they were kindred spirits......
One thing you notice about Zee right off - she's a tiny little thing. She's originally from Malaysia and currently lives in New York. Shad discovered her music one day while perusing the Brushfire Records website, where you can find information and recordings by artists like Jack Johnson (as you know, one of my faves!), Matt Costa and, of course, Zee Avi. Her music is hard to describe - it's like her voice belongs in the 1920s or 1930s but her lyrics are definitely about current topics. It's an odd juxtaposition to hear lyrics about death, cheating boyfriends and drug addiction sung by a voice that seems to have come straight out of the Jazz Age. Some of her songs are in Manglish, a blend of Malaysian and English, which gives her a very unique sound. Take a listen for yourself at her website. Here are a few of the pictures that I took during her performance:
Zee and the boys - since a lot of her stuff is acoustic one of the main criteria for playing with her is the ability to look cool while sitting/standing around doing nothing
See how big that guitar looks?
Pretty cool, no?
The ukulele appears to be of a much more Zee-friendly size
Zee is a big dork (in a teeny-tiny body) just like me (not in aforementioned teeny-tiny form) - she kept making "jokes" throughout her set that fell pretty flat and then insisted that, in her head, she was really funny. Believe it or not I myself have felt this way at times! She also that she liked it "inside her head" because the people there knew her. I used that line to someone's great amusement just last week....
The concert finished up at about 12:15 a.m. and we hung around waiting for them to set up the merchandise table, which we assumed would be just outside of the "back porch" doors. I wandered about taking pictures, even though it was prohibidabido, mostly because there really wasn't anyone to keep me in check and - skip this part mom and dad - everyone else was doing it. Apparently my finely-tuned rule following is much more flexible when it comes to photographic opportunities. Who knew? Anyway, these are some of my favorites:
The "back porch" entrance of HOB
I whole-heartedly agree!
After about twenty minutes or so Shad went back to ask one of the staff where the merchandise table was being set up, only to find that it had been inside instead of just outside the doors like we thought it would be. We got down just in time to purchase a tote bag for Malorie and do a little meet-and-greet with Zee. She was super friendly, very gracious and I swear to whichever deity you adhere to that she was flirting with Shad! As she was autographing Malorie's bag she asked some questions about her and, after Shad said she was sixteen, Zee kept repeating "There is no way you have a sixteen year old daughter" with strong emphasis on the "you" as she looked right up at my handsome hubby. I 'bout had to open my can of Whoop-Ass, if you know what I'm sayin', but instead I found myself sitting down across the table from her and telling her the story of our first trip to Chicago to see her. (See what I mean about personable?) She seemed pretty impressed that we had driven three hours each way for the purpose of catching her show not once, but twice. As we got ready to leave she hugged each of us (which definitely emphasized her stature). I don't think that she grabbed Shad's butt during their hug......
Fueled by coffee I was able to survive the three-hour drive home, although at times the roadway looked just a little like this:
Yep, I sure did take this while I was driving at 1:53 a.m. See the risks that I'm willing to take for my art?
All in all it was one of those days that I look back on and think "If I can have one of these every few months it will be worth all of the crap I have to get through to get to it." I hope you all have your personal version of a perfect day real soon - just remember to acknowledge, enjoy and experience it to the fullest!
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