eekie's Church Excursion -- Part 1 -- Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh was the first stop on my Church excursion and as the days wound down to it, I couldn't help wish it was still a few weeks off. I'd just moved into a new place the Tuesday before and was still trying to figure out where everything was (I'm still working on that actually!). I was tired and cranky and hadn't had time to really get in the mood for this. But I knew I'd be unhappy if I didn't go, so I went anyway.
There was a vague plan to meet up with a few people (Ann -- CouldBeAnyone on HW, John, Freida (posts as Freddie on SK blog comments), Noel, and also Kim from SK's exhibition) before the show, but nothing definite had been set up. I was a couple hours late getting started and then hit a traffic jam going into the city (baseball game, I think), so by the time I get checked into my hotel and walked to the venue (about 1/2 mile away) the doors had been open a little while.
Both Steve and Marty had told me Do. Not. Buy. Tickets., and Tiare had emailed to ask which shows I was planning on attending so I could be put on the guest list, so I fought my complusion to buy tickets and went up to the box office and said "I should be on the guest list" and sure enough I was! Whew! In one of my email replies to Steve about not buying tickets I wrote something like "Ok, I won't buy any. But, just so you know, I'll have nightmares about not being on the list and being refused entry!" lol!
That over (whew!), I went in, checked out the merch table and said hi to Stephen (Second Motion Records) there. There had been an email sent out asking for volunteers to help him with the merch and I had said I would at the shows I attended. He said he didn't need help during the shows, but might immediately after when a lot of people buy things, and also with tearing down and loading out. I'm just weird enough to think that would be pretty fun. :-) After the show John and I helped Stephen count t-shirts (the venue took a cut of all t-shirt sales) and then carry boxes out to the van/trailer. Marty also helped load out the merch. I'm not sure I helped a whole lot this time, but I got better at it on subsequent days.
Tiare took me upstairs to say hi to everyone. Got a big hug from Marty -- I can't help it, Marty almost always makes me smile. He's such an exuberant guy. Got a hug from Steve and then we talked art business for a bit. I didn't stay up there too long because they need some time to prepare for the show and didn't need me hanging around. One of the best things to know is when to leave. As I was leaving though I saw Terri! Denise and Staci -- remember her from Chicago (and also Milwaukee for Staci)? I didn't really expect her to be in Pittsburgh, so that was a nice surprise.
I'm much more comfortable with them in person this time than I was during the last tour. I think more years of dealing with Steve and now also Marty has really helped with my confidence level. Plus I was really busy leading up to the tour and simply didn't have time to work myself into a panic. While I would like to have been more excited about the start of the tour, in a way it really helped me be more calm about many things which in turn actually increased my enjoyment.
The show itself.... I have to admit I wasn't really in the right mood for it. I was tired and still thinking of the people I was supposed to meet with and found it hard to focus on the show. I stood at the back of the room because I just didn't want to deal with the crowd. I did enjoy the show, and the band certainly performed well, but I wasn't into it as much as I could have been and I found the sound very echo-y which I think also helped keep me from being able to get into it that much. I've read some glowing reviews of the gig (the people that wrote at least two of them were right up front, so maybe the sound was better there. And I'm also guessing they were in a more receptive mood for the show than I was.), but it wasn't all that great for me.
For me the most enjoyable part of Pittsburgh was meeting and talking to so many people. I still had a wonderful time, but I was very happy I would be seeing more shows. I most certainly wanted a show to soar for me.
There was a vague plan to meet up with a few people (Ann -- CouldBeAnyone on HW, John, Freida (posts as Freddie on SK blog comments), Noel, and also Kim from SK's exhibition) before the show, but nothing definite had been set up. I was a couple hours late getting started and then hit a traffic jam going into the city (baseball game, I think), so by the time I get checked into my hotel and walked to the venue (about 1/2 mile away) the doors had been open a little while.
Both Steve and Marty had told me Do. Not. Buy. Tickets., and Tiare had emailed to ask which shows I was planning on attending so I could be put on the guest list, so I fought my complusion to buy tickets and went up to the box office and said "I should be on the guest list" and sure enough I was! Whew! In one of my email replies to Steve about not buying tickets I wrote something like "Ok, I won't buy any. But, just so you know, I'll have nightmares about not being on the list and being refused entry!" lol!
That over (whew!), I went in, checked out the merch table and said hi to Stephen (Second Motion Records) there. There had been an email sent out asking for volunteers to help him with the merch and I had said I would at the shows I attended. He said he didn't need help during the shows, but might immediately after when a lot of people buy things, and also with tearing down and loading out. I'm just weird enough to think that would be pretty fun. :-) After the show John and I helped Stephen count t-shirts (the venue took a cut of all t-shirt sales) and then carry boxes out to the van/trailer. Marty also helped load out the merch. I'm not sure I helped a whole lot this time, but I got better at it on subsequent days.
Tiare took me upstairs to say hi to everyone. Got a big hug from Marty -- I can't help it, Marty almost always makes me smile. He's such an exuberant guy. Got a hug from Steve and then we talked art business for a bit. I didn't stay up there too long because they need some time to prepare for the show and didn't need me hanging around. One of the best things to know is when to leave. As I was leaving though I saw Terri! Denise and Staci -- remember her from Chicago (and also Milwaukee for Staci)? I didn't really expect her to be in Pittsburgh, so that was a nice surprise.
I'm much more comfortable with them in person this time than I was during the last tour. I think more years of dealing with Steve and now also Marty has really helped with my confidence level. Plus I was really busy leading up to the tour and simply didn't have time to work myself into a panic. While I would like to have been more excited about the start of the tour, in a way it really helped me be more calm about many things which in turn actually increased my enjoyment.
The show itself.... I have to admit I wasn't really in the right mood for it. I was tired and still thinking of the people I was supposed to meet with and found it hard to focus on the show. I stood at the back of the room because I just didn't want to deal with the crowd. I did enjoy the show, and the band certainly performed well, but I wasn't into it as much as I could have been and I found the sound very echo-y which I think also helped keep me from being able to get into it that much. I've read some glowing reviews of the gig (the people that wrote at least two of them were right up front, so maybe the sound was better there. And I'm also guessing they were in a more receptive mood for the show than I was.), but it wasn't all that great for me.
For me the most enjoyable part of Pittsburgh was meeting and talking to so many people. I still had a wonderful time, but I was very happy I would be seeing more shows. I most certainly wanted a show to soar for me.
posted by eek at 10:53 PM
3 Comments:
i'm glad you had a great time.
Dear eek,
The other two shows that I watched were in New York and Londonderry. The show in Irving Plaza was boiling, I loved it! Tupelo music hall was a lovely venue (I guess you’d say so, too), I arrived there on 9:30, just on time.
Glad you took pictures with them gorgeous guys, eek. And you sure deserve it. I mean, the hugs. I didn’t get a change to take a picture with SK : I forgot to ask, completely. Steve indeed is a very special being. I remember seeing him sitting in front of the door of the venue (in Philly), smiling and talking to people, he looked so very young, just like a little boy. That was my feeling at the very moment when I suddenly saw him unexpectedly. I ever seen a few people have that light, the youthful light in their eyes, those people are never old, but Steve has gotten it all over on his body. He was shining.
Well, my show experiences… every minute was ecstacy I would say. I hated to take bus, but this time the trips were never too long. I loved them. When I was on the way to watch the shows, I always felt like I was going back to home.
Looking forward to the second part, eek. I enjoyed reading this, and, thanks.
Hi, eek.
I commented as above just before I read SK's blog the other day: he and his twillies. Aren't they stunning? Wow!!
And I was so glad that he was coming back to New York. Guess what? I went to the JFK airport last night and I wasn't able to see him. (Yeah I admit, I probably is one of the most crazy fans of The Church in this world, just didn't want him feeling alone and lonely in this city). So depressed when I was coming back to my flat, yet a lot better now.
I leave New York in one week. Really didn't think I can stay this long. (I planned to leave on July 14.) But New York is really a lovely city. One of the most precious memories was I went to watch the "phantom of the opera", it was wonderful. I don't know if you've watch it but if you haven't, I highly recommended it.
Oh and I suddenly recalled, there was an interesting anecdote when I was in Milwaukee, watching the church's Shank Hall show. During the show, SK sang a short song which I guess he made it offhandedly. The title was "Black Monday" or something (if my memory serves me correct). Then he asked the audience, "Do you like it? Is it good?" Nobody answered, and then he said, "I think it's terrible!". ;D. I can't say how much I enjoyed it.
And, I enjoy American cherry so~ much. Really, really, really sweet!! This is also one of the delicious memories I've got during the journey.
Can’t wait for your next blog.Be back quickly, eek!
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