cavo's corner

Ticket Stub Tuesday… Round Twenty-Seven:

When I heard that No Doubt would be hitting the road and touring during the summer of ‘09, I did not hesitate to buy tickets. Ever since Gwen Stefani returned from her first solo tour (in support of Love.Angel.Music.Baby.) and had her first child, Kingston James McGregor, it was rumored that No Doubt would be recording a new album. Then, Gwen recorded a second album, The Sweet Escape, and had a second child, Zuma Nesta Rock, and the fate of the new ND album was thrown into question.  

Then, like that ::snaps fingers::, Adrian,Tony, Tom and Gwen decided that a national tour would put them in the right mindset for recording this long anticipated album. In addition to a media blitz in support of the tour, No Doubt re-recorded “Stand and Deliver,” the 1981 single by Adam and the Ants, which was featured in an episode of “Gossip Girl.” This was the first time No Doubt had released ‘new’ material since 2003, when they released 1992-2003:The Singles which featured hit-single “It’s My Life,” which was also a cover.

Having purchased my tickets WELL in advance, I was not anticipating on taking a European vacation directly before the concert, returning the night before. My return from Europe was an adventure in itself. After taking a 5 hour train ride from Alassio, Italy to Torino, Italy; an hour and a half flight from Torino to London Gatwick Airport; a 45 minute bus ride (in rush hour traffic) from London Gatwick to London Heathrow; a 7 hour transatlantic flight from London to Newark, New Jersey and (finally) an hour car ride from Newark to the Island of Long, I had less than 24 hours to sober-up, kick the jet-lag and prepare for what would be the first of my summer concert trifecta. (The second two being Blink 182 and Green Day).

 Kari and I went together, freshly rested from our day of traveling. We had a nice little pre-concert, tailgate party in the Parking lot of the Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre. Neither of us really like Paramore, who opened this leg of the tour, so we prolonged party time until right before No Doubt’s set. 

The setlist was very straight forward. No surprises; all singles. The onstage chemistry of the group was crazy. You could tell that they love touring together and love making music with one another.  I can’t wait until they release their new album, sometime in 2010 (hopefully).

[[That I am.]]

[[Me and @Kgroobs.]]

[[Tony and Tom killin’ it!]]

[[Adrian in action.]]

[[Gwen and Adrian.]]

[[The band taking a bow.]]

Ticket Stub Tuesday… Round Twenty-Three:

And so, with this entry, the month of Spice officially closes. This is the fourth and final entry to “Ticket Stub Tuesday” of a Spice Girls related show. And although my entries are chronological, clearly the best was saved for last. Come on! What could be better than seeing the Spice Girls (all 5 of them, no less!) at Madison Square Garden?! That’s right… absolutely nothing.

After it became clear that the lottery system that 19 Management had initially set up was a joke, I asked my cousin Denielle, who has an ill ticket connect, to see what she could do for the show at MSG. Boy did she deliver. Although the ticket says row “X,” the pictures below (many of which were taken with my iPhone) indicate just how close our seats were to the stage. I took my good friend and fellow Spice fanatic Mandy with me to this show. We had previously attended both dates at Nassau Coliseum earlier in the month (1, 2) and just couldn’t resist another round.

Upon hearing that I attended the same concert on three separate occasions, the question that I get most often is: “Wasn’t it enough the first time?” Followed by: “Wasn’t it boring the second and third times?” The answer to both: absolutely not. The first show, I was so preoccupied with taking photos that I missed a lot of what was going on. The second show helped me to enjoy the concert as a narrative, as I was not experiencing it through the lens of a camera.

This concert, my hat trick, if you will, was just down right fun! We were surrounded by celebrities, for example David Beckham was obviously there, as was Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Mel B.’s partner on “Dancing With the Stars.” Everyone was having such a fantastic time in the section that we were in; it was so electric. The audience was treated to something really special during “Mama.” The entire Spice Brood was brought up on stage. Beau, Bluebell, Angel Iris, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz were all present, only missing to the party was Mel B.’s eldest daughter, Phoenix. Showing off his stage presence, Cruz Beckham, on the eve of his third birthday, treated the audience to a break-dance routine. An adorable three year old spinning around on his head… could you die? It was phenom.

At one point towards the end of the show, it hit me: this was probably the last time that I would ever see the Spice Girls perform live. I had missed out on the SpiceWorld tour ten years earlier, the first time the band came to the states. In the back of my mind, I think that was the underlying reason that I will willing to spend, in total, nearly $700 for all of these shows. Do or die. When it came down to it, money was no object. I did not want to regret ever missing the Spice Girls in concert, so I covered all my bases.

There is nothing that I would love more than a full-scale Spice Girls reunion, complete with new album and another tour. Am I holding my breath? Not so much. I understand that each band member has grown and is now focused on their own career and life. They’re all mothers, after all. There were rumors floating around that Simon Fuller was trying to get the girls together for the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. That would be pretty epic. And I would definitely cash in my Virgin Atlantic points to go see them.

Whatever the future holds for the Spice Girls, they are very much on the radar. They just won their fifth BRIT Award and are planning a West End musical, tentatively titled “Viva Forever” after their 1998 hit number one song of the same name.

[[Outside MSG. Spice Girls: One Night Only!]]

[[Mandy and Me in all of our spice glory!]]

[[Stop.]]

[[Melanie C., Vikki, Emma and Mel B. during Holler.]]

[[Melanie C. during Holler.]]

[[Victoria during Holler. See? She does sing!]]

[[The girls walking down the cat-walk before Mama.]]

[[All the kids on stage during Mama. Cruz Beckham broke it down!]]

[[Look at how close we were to the stage!!!]

[[Celebration medley.]]

[[Emma killin’ it during the encore!]]

Ticket Stub Tuesday… Round Twenty-Two:

During the Return of the Spice Girls Tour of 2007/2008, Melanie C. performed two solo shows on off-days. One show was in L.A. and the other was here in New York at the Manhattan Ballroom.

@SimTilver had gotten us the tickets, but, unfortunately, on the day of the show, he came down with death-plague and was unable to make it to the concert. I was so bummed that Tim couldn’t come, but I was so exited to see Melanie C. in a setting other that a Spice Girls show.  I picked up the pair of tickets from Tim’s house and feverishly texted everyone in my phone to see if I could find a concert buddy for the evening. I would not have minded going to the show alone, but I had this extra ticket and it would have been such a shame for it to go to waste. Finally, my friend Nick got in touch with me, and the two of us went together.

Melanie was absolutely fantastic. There was such incredible energy in the venue — the floor was vibrating! She performed material from all four of her solo albums, including singles: “Next Best Superstar,” “Carolyna,” and the club favorite, “I Turn to You,” which she also performed during the Return of the Spice Girls tour. Speaking of Spice Girls, fellow band-mates Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, and Geri Halliwell were in the audience to support Melanie C. That was pretty cool!

February was a very spicy month for me! Along with this show, I saw the while Spice ensemble three times; twice at Nassau Coliseum and once at Madison Square Garden.

[[Melanie C. killin’ it!]]

[[ Support from band-mates Mel B., Geri and Emma.]]

Ticket Stub Tuesday… Round Twenty-One:

After the first night of seeing the Spice Girls at Nassau Coliseum, @Mchin9 and I were hell-bent on getting tickets for night two. While my concert buddy for round one was @SimTilver, Mandy was at the show too and she and I are the only people crazy enough to see the same show two days in a row. (Actually, I have a feeling that many people did the same thing we did because the show was just that amazing).

It’s hard to imagine that this concert was already two years ago — It feels as though I was just walking through the parking lot to the coliseum with Mandy in the freezing cold. Obviously, we rocked out to the Spice Girls in the car on the way to the venue because that’s what you do when you’re on the way to a concert. You listen to the band’s music in the car on the way there, regardless of when the last time you saw them. Be it two years or 24 hours.

The Return of the Spice Girls was much more than a reunion tour. The concert told a story; there was a narrative that spoke about the history of the group. Everything from their rise to fame, known as “SpiceMania,” to the departure of Geri ‘Ginger Spice’ Halliwell during the Spiceworld Tour of 1998 is covered during the nearly two and a half hour long concert, which is broken into six acts. The six acts include all thirteen of the group’s singles and solo performances by four of the five girls.

Act 1: The Power of Five- “Spice Up Your Life,” “Stop,” “Say You’ll Be There,” and “Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)…”

Act 2: Seduce Me -“The Lady is a Vamp,” “Too Much,” and “2 Become 1…”

Act 3: Bittersweet -“Who Do You Think You Are, “Maybe,” and “Are You Gonna Go My Way…”

Act 4: Supergirls -“Viva Forever,” “Holler,” “It’s Raining Men,” and “I Turn To You…”

Act 5: Celebration -“Let Love Lead the Way,” “Mama,” “Celebration Medley,” and “Goodbye…”

Act 6: Encore -“If U Can’t Dance,” “Wannabe,” and “Spice Up Your Life (Reprise).”

While there was never any doubt in my mind that I would enjoy the show the second time around, I was actually able to enjoy it more this time that the first. On the prior day, I was so consumed with taking photos that I was really watching the concert through my camera. This time around, I had my pictures, so I was able to take in the whole show.

[[Encore: If U Can’t Dance.]]

[[ Spice Up Your Life reprise.]]

[[Wannabe!!]]

[[It certainly was!]]

Ticket Stub Tuesday... Round Twenty:

I’m warning you right now. This entire month, this series is dedicated to the Spice Girls. Not because February is Spice Girls Awareness Month, or anything like that… It just so happens that I saw four Spice Girls shows in a row. To think that it was already two years ago that “Spice Feaver” swept across the globe for a second time is madness! (And you thought you had to worry about Swine Flu!)

From the time that I first heard “Say You’ll Be There,” in 1997, I’ve been a huge Spice Girls fan. I was devastated when I couldn’t get tickets to the Spice World Tour during the summer of 1998. Then in late 2001, the group unofficially broke-up and I thought all hopes of seeing them live were shot to shit. But then the most miraculous of miracles! The girls (ALL of them, even Geri) announced a full-scale reunion tour, The Return of the Spice Girls, which, come hell or high water, I knew I would be procuring tickets for.

During the press conference at London’s O2 Arena, which was held to officially announce the world tour, the Spice camp had initially planned to do just 11 shows across five continents. To assure an orderly and fair process by which to obtain tickets, one was required to register at www.theSpiceGirls.com to be entered into a ticket lottery. Quickly, it became evident that 11 dates were not enough, and after tickets for the London show sold out in just 38 seconds, 36 more dates were added to the final performance schedule.

I, of course, signed myself up for the ticket lottery as soon as I possibly could, but when it came down to it, I ended up finding a pair of tickets on StubHub. There was no question of who I was going to bring. I knew @SimTilver would have a great time, and it was just in time for his birthday. Since the two of us were pretty obsessed with Victoria Beckham’s special, Coming to America, like the losers we are, we had tee-shirts made with quoted from the show. I believe his said “But, what about David and the children?” and mine said “Can you see my knickers?” We’re ridiculous. Clearly.

So, like the douche bags we are, we marched into the first concert at Nassau Coliseum, donning our tees, and prepared to spice up our lives. Since we like to be in the know, by the time we went to the concert, we had already downloaded (and listened to on repeat) the Live in London recording. It has never been officially released, but the 15 December date in London was recorded for BBC radio and was broadcast on 22 and 31 December. The set-list was pretty straight forward — all thirteen of the Spice’s singles plus a few other feel-good songs.

In addition to performing material from the Spice catalog, most of the girls (I say most, because Vikki B. did not sing, rather she copped-out and mocked a runway walk…) performed songs from their solo careers, all of whom enjoyed varying degrees of success. Melanie C. and Emma sang their own original material - “I Turn To You,” and “Maybe,” respectively. Geri sang “It’s Raining Men,” which was originally performed by The Weather Girls, which she recorded for the Bridget Jones Diary: The Edge of Reason soundtrack.  The song was a smash-hit in the UK. Mel B. performed a raunchy rendition of Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” which involved whips and restraints.

After the show, Sim and I knew that we had a one in five shot that one of the girls would be staying at the Garden City Hotel. Sure enough, we used our stalking prowess and located a convoy of tour buses heading towards the hotel. Obviously, we followed, and discovered that it wa in fact the dancers’ tour bus. Oh well.. Ether way, I had the absolute best time. More to come next week…

[[@SimTilver and Me wearing our custom-made tees.]]

[[Stop.]]

[[ Vikki, the Mels and Emma during Holler.]]

[[The girls bow right before Mama.]]

[[Goodbye.]]

Ticket Stub Tuesday… Round Nineteen:

I went to this Mika concert with @SimTilver nearly two years ago. It was a bitter cold evening and the two of us nearly froze to death while waiting in line. The show was at Terminal 5 which is so far on the West side of Manhattan that you’re basically in New Jersey. The wind was blowing in off the frigid Hudson River, making each and every second spent in that line excruciatingly uncomfortable. I’m sure that I was dressed inappropriately, as I seldom wear proper attire when I know I’m going to be in cramped quarters. Usually, when I go to concerts that I hold a general admission ticket to, I’m in the thick of things.  I.E., sacrifice my comfort in the line for my comfort in the venue.

Per our usual concert schtick, the two of us made a b-line for the bar, where we obtained vodka-based beverages. From there, we secured our position on the floor, waiting (and drinking) patiently for Mika to take the stage. Unfortunately, the wonderful Ms. Sara Bareilles did not open this show, so I’m sure we had to suffer though the set of someone like Rachael Yamagata. As a matter of fact, I think it actually was Rachael Yamagata who opened the show because as I recall, a little Asian girl poured her drink on me. Don’t worry, I bought a drink for the sole purpose of retribution. However, she was so nimble that I lost her in the crowd, so I wound up drinking that ish.

I digress — This was my second Mika show, to date. (Read about the first show here)! The apropos thing about Mika is that, like his album, Life in Cartoon Motion, he himself exudes the persona of a cartoon character. He (and his hair) is larger than life. From the moment he takes stage, you know that you’re in for a good time. As this was the second time I went to see Mika in concert, I had a lot of time to listen to his album. By this point, I knew every song inside and out. While I do recall some new material included in the set-list, everything was pretty straight-forward; there were few surprises.

While this show was part of the “Dodgy Holiday” tour, the only thing “dodgy” about the concert was that stupid girl who spilled her drink on me. Oh, and maybe the creepy construction site next to Terminal 5. Other than that and the bitter cold, this was a great experience. I guess I could have done without the $10 drinks too. I mean, not the actual drinks — those I loved — just the price. I could have done without them being so expensive.  But, yeah, despite the chick whose drink ended up dripping down my arm, the shanty bowels of construction next to the venue, the subzero temperature and the ridiculously inflated drink prices, Tim and I had a great time!

[[Mika killin’ it!]]

[[“Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)”]]