Thursday night's was the concert I have been waiting to see for months. Mark Knopfler and BOB DYLAN! The tickets were Loni's gift to me and my oldest, although there was a question as to whether he would be able to get out of class to go and rest of the family were fighting over the chance not to go with me.
I picked the oldest up at 4:15 for our early dinner date at Noodle Wave. I wanted Thai food since he is the only one that will eat it with me. Well, Mina would but since we are usually with others that won't... We arrived at Noodle Wave to discover it did not open until 5. That would not fit our time schedule, so we quickly started searching on our smart phones and discovered Thai Soon and off we went. Thai Soon is very small, but it was extremely clean and the employees were friendly, so we stayed. We ordered steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings and two orders of Pad See Ew with chicken. The food was delicious, and the portions extremely generous. So generous we should have split the Pad See Ew, instead we ended up taking it back to the oldest's apartment to refrigerate for him to eat for another meal.
After dinner we headed to the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, TX, We arrived about an hour before the concert and proceeded to line up with all the other cars to park. I admit the oldest had to preform CPR on me when I saw the parking fee. Once parked and inside the building, I had to perform CPR on the oldest when he saw the price of a draft beer (not even a good brand he said). We walked around, used the restrooms and sat down for a few minutes while we waited for them to open the doors to the seating. By 7:05 we were in our seats.
Loni bought us end seats on the first row of a tier. She had no way of knowing that we would have a stairway railing in front of us. Because I am short I was able to look through whichever square I needed to see whatever part of the stage I wanted to see, the oldest had to either duck or stretch. Other than that the seats were perfect for me. I wish I had my old opera glasses, but any closer and I couldn't have taken it. It was so loud. Of course, everyone around us was like it will be perfect when they turn on the big screens. At 7:30 straight up, Mark Knopfler took the stage and the night I had been waiting for began.
Mark Knopler and his band were outstanding. They played 90 minutes. Mark was very interactive with the audience and I so enjoyed watching every musician up there as they continually changed out their instruments. I also cannot say enough about the lighting of this concert. My seat was perfect to enjoy every single change of lights and to see every musician at their best. Watching the keyboard from above was magical, even if it was through a wire square in the fencing.
Of course, with me, there was extra entertainment in the people watching. I was truly amazed at the number of people who made repeat trips to the bar, and made it up the stairs after five or six trips. It isn't that I am not used to people drinking a lot, it is that I am not used to people spending so much money to drink. A margarita was $16.00. Beer started at $7.00. A large cup of water was $4.00. I told the oldest to keep swallowing his saliva, and I would buy him a drink on the way home.
At one point right before the concert started four almost elderly women came in. They were standing next to me in my seat as they were in the row behind us. I was chuckling to myself because they were handing their tickets to each other and saying "Can any of us read the seat numbers?" I was getting ready to offer to help when one of them got it. The one I noticed the most was dressed in gold lame and very high heels for someone so up in years and drinking. Once the concert started they became the ones I wanted to boot out of the building. They were yelling very racist remarks during one of the songs and I just felt they needed to get away from me or risk me getting in their face. Fortunately, I think everyone turning around and staring at them did the trick. Thank goodness they left before Dylan took the stage.
There were a few other obnoxious people around us, although I agreed with some of their comments about the theatre. It was upsetting that the large screens never came on, but then Dylan may have something in his contract that says "If you don't pay for the big ticket seats, you don't get to see my face."
The oldest and I also did not appreciate the couple one seat over from us who would not get off their iphones. The light coming from the screen was disturbing in the very dark theatre.
Intermission came and I watched them clear the stage and set up for Dylan. This is the moment I had been waiting for and had been so excited about. The second of what I would consider the trifecta of my concert going. The first was Joe Cocker (completed), second Bob Dylan (was about to happen), third Van Morrison (yeah, I know may never happen). I was a bundle of jumping nerves in my seat.
It was time. The lights went out, the stage was lit. Dylan would be singing in just seconds. I took note of how different the stage now looked. It was a more intimate set up with lighting that reminded me of a nightclub. The oldest said he felt like he was in the 1920's. Then it happened. Dylan started singing. It was better than I imagined, except for one thing. One thing that panicked me and made me think "I can never ever tell anyone this." I couldn't find Dylan on the stage. I could hear him, but I couldn't find him. I am searching every person up there, and none of them look like they could possibly be Dylan. I am starting to get a little freaked out. Is he off stage and will come out after he sings the first song, what is the deal. I look at my oldest, he is smiling, and I am thinking "Oh crap, he can see him. I made such a big deal over seeing Dylan, and I can't actually tell which one he is. Crap, Crap, Crap. I keep looking through different squares in the railing, no Dylan." The song ended and then I see movement. I breathe a sigh of relief, there is Dylan center stage, he was there all the time over at the piano but in a shadow. I can really enjoy myself now.
Dylan's part of the concert was quite different. He stood much further back on the stage than Knopfler, and he did not interact with the audience at all. It was also louder, and I didn't think that was possible. I was wondering if my ears would bleed. Dylan seems to have lost his upper register of his voice and some of the arrangements were different on the songs so there were some that until he got to the chorus I wasn't quite sure what I was listening to, but it didn't matter, they were all fabulous. That man can play a piano and blow a harmonica. He moves around the stage very gracefully. He did not pick up a guitar all night which surprised me, and if he played a song off his new cd, I didn't recognize it as such, but I heard plenty of my favorites.
We were fortunate in that the family next to us left pretty much after the first Dylan song and once we were sure they were coming back we moved over two seats and had a perfect view of the stage. Did I see Dylan's face? No, but probably most of the people in the theatre did not see his face. Did I need to see his face, no. It was enough to hear him in person.
The concert was over about 11. The oldest and I drove home discussing the concert. I found out he was freaked out during the first song too because he couldn't find Dylan. We had a good laugh over that. We called the youngest and offered IHOP which he accepted. So post concert was a early after midnight family breakfast with so very many laughs. A perfect way to end a fantastic evening.
Thank you Loni for the Christmas gift. You made Mama C and the oldest very happy.
Loni bought us end seats on the first row of a tier. She had no way of knowing that we would have a stairway railing in front of us. Because I am short I was able to look through whichever square I needed to see whatever part of the stage I wanted to see, the oldest had to either duck or stretch. Other than that the seats were perfect for me. I wish I had my old opera glasses, but any closer and I couldn't have taken it. It was so loud. Of course, everyone around us was like it will be perfect when they turn on the big screens. At 7:30 straight up, Mark Knopfler took the stage and the night I had been waiting for began.
Mark Knopler and his band were outstanding. They played 90 minutes. Mark was very interactive with the audience and I so enjoyed watching every musician up there as they continually changed out their instruments. I also cannot say enough about the lighting of this concert. My seat was perfect to enjoy every single change of lights and to see every musician at their best. Watching the keyboard from above was magical, even if it was through a wire square in the fencing.
Of course, with me, there was extra entertainment in the people watching. I was truly amazed at the number of people who made repeat trips to the bar, and made it up the stairs after five or six trips. It isn't that I am not used to people drinking a lot, it is that I am not used to people spending so much money to drink. A margarita was $16.00. Beer started at $7.00. A large cup of water was $4.00. I told the oldest to keep swallowing his saliva, and I would buy him a drink on the way home.
At one point right before the concert started four almost elderly women came in. They were standing next to me in my seat as they were in the row behind us. I was chuckling to myself because they were handing their tickets to each other and saying "Can any of us read the seat numbers?" I was getting ready to offer to help when one of them got it. The one I noticed the most was dressed in gold lame and very high heels for someone so up in years and drinking. Once the concert started they became the ones I wanted to boot out of the building. They were yelling very racist remarks during one of the songs and I just felt they needed to get away from me or risk me getting in their face. Fortunately, I think everyone turning around and staring at them did the trick. Thank goodness they left before Dylan took the stage.
There were a few other obnoxious people around us, although I agreed with some of their comments about the theatre. It was upsetting that the large screens never came on, but then Dylan may have something in his contract that says "If you don't pay for the big ticket seats, you don't get to see my face."
The oldest and I also did not appreciate the couple one seat over from us who would not get off their iphones. The light coming from the screen was disturbing in the very dark theatre.
Intermission came and I watched them clear the stage and set up for Dylan. This is the moment I had been waiting for and had been so excited about. The second of what I would consider the trifecta of my concert going. The first was Joe Cocker (completed), second Bob Dylan (was about to happen), third Van Morrison (yeah, I know may never happen). I was a bundle of jumping nerves in my seat.
It was time. The lights went out, the stage was lit. Dylan would be singing in just seconds. I took note of how different the stage now looked. It was a more intimate set up with lighting that reminded me of a nightclub. The oldest said he felt like he was in the 1920's. Then it happened. Dylan started singing. It was better than I imagined, except for one thing. One thing that panicked me and made me think "I can never ever tell anyone this." I couldn't find Dylan on the stage. I could hear him, but I couldn't find him. I am searching every person up there, and none of them look like they could possibly be Dylan. I am starting to get a little freaked out. Is he off stage and will come out after he sings the first song, what is the deal. I look at my oldest, he is smiling, and I am thinking "Oh crap, he can see him. I made such a big deal over seeing Dylan, and I can't actually tell which one he is. Crap, Crap, Crap. I keep looking through different squares in the railing, no Dylan." The song ended and then I see movement. I breathe a sigh of relief, there is Dylan center stage, he was there all the time over at the piano but in a shadow. I can really enjoy myself now.
Dylan's part of the concert was quite different. He stood much further back on the stage than Knopfler, and he did not interact with the audience at all. It was also louder, and I didn't think that was possible. I was wondering if my ears would bleed. Dylan seems to have lost his upper register of his voice and some of the arrangements were different on the songs so there were some that until he got to the chorus I wasn't quite sure what I was listening to, but it didn't matter, they were all fabulous. That man can play a piano and blow a harmonica. He moves around the stage very gracefully. He did not pick up a guitar all night which surprised me, and if he played a song off his new cd, I didn't recognize it as such, but I heard plenty of my favorites.
We were fortunate in that the family next to us left pretty much after the first Dylan song and once we were sure they were coming back we moved over two seats and had a perfect view of the stage. Did I see Dylan's face? No, but probably most of the people in the theatre did not see his face. Did I need to see his face, no. It was enough to hear him in person.
The concert was over about 11. The oldest and I drove home discussing the concert. I found out he was freaked out during the first song too because he couldn't find Dylan. We had a good laugh over that. We called the youngest and offered IHOP which he accepted. So post concert was a early after midnight family breakfast with so very many laughs. A perfect way to end a fantastic evening.
Thank you Loni for the Christmas gift. You made Mama C and the oldest very happy.
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