Chicago 2nd Night

Sec. 212 United Center - Chicago.

Once again I missed Roger entering the arena, it seems the call time for the band is about 3 hours before the show. So hopefully in Pittsburgh I'll be able to say thank you in person.  I'd stay in Chicago for the shows on Thursday and Friday, however work calls for moving out today. Seeing how work is covering most of the travel expenses, I need to move on and try again later.

It seems like the show is stepping it up, the pig is out covering a lot more air space, floating around more than the previous night. So the mechanics of the show are being tuned as they go.  They have ditched some of the wardrobe, the dark hoodies in the 2nd set.

Merchadise

Last night was the best I've heard out of the 3 shows and is the first night that I sat towards the back of the arena. I was in sec 212, and it sounded amazing.  I wonder if reflected sound is the issue with floor seats?

And a final note on Chicago, there is a lot of free parking around the arena. If you arrive early enough, I was able to park about 2 blocks away from the arena. How sweet is that? With the money saved, $40 over two nights, I've paid for a t-shirt!

Chicago Sept 20

I forget how much I love this city. It really is worth visiting at least once.

So there I am at the artist entrance or loading dock to the arena, waiting for who knows who, someone I'd like to get an  autograph from and be able to say Thank You, as I watch the passenger vans come and go. I figure what the heck, I need to grab some lunch, I'll follow one of the production van back to the hotel. I did manage to catch one of the vans leaving - Cool!

I'm able to keep up with them, out on to the highway, off at Diversity and then on to Halstead. Halstead? What 5 star hotel is anywhere around here??  None. 

I followed a production van to Guitar Center on Halstead!  What in the world did they run out to get? I circle around the block and sure enough, I see the guy walking out with a guitar. Well, maybe I can catch Roger tommorw entering the venue.

Chicago is great.

Michigan

Traveling to Chicago through Michigan is a beautiful drive, the trees are just begining to break out in some color. Sending the night in Holland, MI I found this article in the Sunday newspaper about manufacturing windmills.  According to the article these wind turbines are being built in Michigan for Michigan and the rest of the country. Over the next 3 decades the manufacturing should continue to increase and lead Michigan to economic recovery.

In what could be a related story in the future, the paper also has a story about the Monarch Butterfly migrating to Mexico through Michigan.

Toronto - Air Canada Center - Sept. 15th

Wow! What more can be said?

Although, perhaps a little rough, in the first half, the 2nd set, was much tighter. Are the musicians better able to concentrate when performing behind The Wall? Certainly sounded that way to me...

The first half had a few miscues and the sound mixers seemed to be off also.

Or is it possible that my seats, pretty much in the middle of the floor next to the mixing board, is not the sweet spot audio? I'll never know without asking somebody.

"Excuse me sir, where is the sweet spot?"
Waiting for the worms...

I would have asked these guys but they seem to have their Do Not Distrub sign up. I can imagine even though they have done this, how many times before, there is a certain sense of stress, summed up in 3 words: Hurry Up and Wait.

Waters Interview

Here is a pre-tour interview form Roger, includes a lot of film footage of the original Wall concert, with glimpses of the new staging.

Alan Parsons at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Revisiting Darkside of the Moon.

Legendary Darkside of the Moon recording engineer Alan Parsons will be the featured guest at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Legends Series event on September 18 at 7 PM.

Wanna go to the show?

Well you need to RSVP by emailing edu@rockhall.org or calling 216-515-8426.

Maybe I can make it - I'll be traveling to Chicago during that period. If not I'll tune in to the live stream.

Oh, thought you'd like to know, I was at a Which Ones Pink? show at the Canyon Club - where he mixed the show for the band.