The Circle - Are We Halfway There Yet?

Since it had been a few days since I posted I thought I'd just stop by and say "hola!" ... I'm in Spanish mode as I've been researching flights, hotels and exactly how I'm going to break it to my firm that I would really like to have just a few extra days off to catch the Bon Jovi shows in Costa Rica, Peru and Chile. Call me crazy ... but softly though, please. LOL


You see, I have this little problem with South America ... I absolutely LOVE it! I spent two seasons playing in the Lima Philharmonic and fell in love with (and in) Peru. The "in" is a story for another time though. Haha. Seriously, Peru is a great country ... I wrote a bit about it here. Oh, and let's not forget about South American wines! hehe


Anyhoo, the massive JoviSpreadsheet is back open and numbers are being crunched as I write this.


In the meantime, we still have THIS leg to finish right? Well, one more day to work and a Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes concert (one more night to rock LOL) and then I'm off to the Windy City. Should be a fun time as everybody and their sister seems to be staying at the same place. The biggest problem I see with this is the incredibly long line it will create at the new Sprinkles cupcake place a block from the hotel. (Thanks for telling us B ... it's all your fault!)



It's hard to believe that this first major portion of Jon Bon Jovi and The Boys' "The Centipede Tour" (for it DOES seem to have a zillion legs) is almost over. For me, it started way back with those two "public rehearsals" in Honolulu (oh and a whole bunch of mai tais!) then over to Kansas City (and great bbq) and through the Northeast (those 5 shows in 7 days last spring nearly KILLED me) and back home for four nights at GIANTS Stadium (oh alright ... NMS) and a quick stop in Ohio (JUKES JUKES JUKES!) and Boston (GO YANKEES!) and now ending in my original hometown of Chicago (where I'm meeting up with my childhood best friend that I haven't seen in 15 years!)

Admittedly, there were a few low points along the way, but many more high points for sure. Here are a few (in video form) ...

They REALLY should play this one more, don't you think?! and not just because its a great song, but because that guitar is FABULOUS ... (from Honolulu)



one of many highlights from Philadelphia ...



and from Mohegan Sun ...



look! my one and only video ... EVER! LOL (from Giants) ...



oh c'mon, you HAD to know I wasn't going to post a Jovi video from Blossom ... haha



So, there are just a few of the fun moments along the way.

Now, with August 1st fast approaching (just hang on a couple more days and you'll be on the beach, Jon!) and 16 shows so far this tour I am wondering ... whoa, whoa am I halfway there? How many more shows are in our collective future? What great countries will we see? What new friends will we meet?

I'm certainly ready for the next chapter ... how about you?

p.s. ya know! I DO have a counter ... and that little link that tells me where my readers are from ... I know you're out there!! :-) So why not leave me a comment about your thoughts so far?! ... I get lonely sometimes. LOL

ADDED LATER: I was hoping to hear YOUR favorite memories and stories if you've seen a show this tour yet, not comment on MY going to shows or on the blog (though I appreciate your support!) This is an opportunity for YOU to do the writing! :-)

Jukes Bliss--Jovi Hell

Greetings from the Steamed Apple. I don't like Summer. Period. Or at least not Summer in New York City where the heat can be so oppressive you can barely breathe and you need to shower again by the time you get to work in the morning. Ugh.

Well, today has been a bit of rollercoaster ... up and down, up and down. But, let's start with the good stuff first. :-)

Jukes Bliss
I was able to snag an entry into Sirius Radio's Fantasy Football Draft Day this morning at the Hard Rock Cafe here in NYC. I am a football fan, but that's not why I was there. I am a Sirius subscriber, but that's not why I was there. I was there for the sole purpose of getting my fix of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

Anyhoo, the band was there to perform a mostly-acoustic handful of songs live on the radio -- I'm assuming to promote their crackin' new album, Pills and Ammo. Hopefully they enjoyed looking out into the audience and at least seeing a few familiar faces (regardless of the little comments made by one sunglasses-wearing, hat-obsessed Buckeye keyboard player who shall remain nameless. *wink*)

It was really a fun time actually and just what I needed today. Here's what they played:

Talk To Me
Cross That Line
Walk Away Renee
Lead Me On
I Don't Want To Go Home
Harder Than It Looks
We're Having A Party

I particularly enjoyed Southside helping to distribute the tiny little maracas to the audience for 'Party' ... I have to say, though, as the resident crafter, I need to bring the man the proper ink so that the Jukes stamp doesn't rub off. ;-)



















Here are a few blurry pictures ...





















Ok ... have to post this one even though its REALLY bad because Tom gave me grief last time when I didn't post any of him from The Stone Pony LOL



















...ahh and Southside Johnny (who was probably looking at me thinking hey, there's that strange girl again and she seems really happy to hear "Lead Me On" ... which I was *sigh*)
























... and the aforementioned keyboard player ... not sure if he was singing at this point or just making fun of me :-(





















... and Glenn and Neal (who was the sole representative of the horn section ... and also played guitar ... hope he at least got doubling fees ... haha)




















All-in-all a great way to spend my lunch break -- though in truth I actually didn't go into the office this morning ... which leads me to part 2 of this post.

Jovi Hell
I still have another 48 hours of my self-imposed JoviExile. All things having to do with "that damn band" are off limits. Not looking at setlists. Not reading reviews. Not looking at pictures. Not listening to their albums.

Why you ask? Well, because I was supposed to be in Toronto right now -- yep, remember how night 1 was supposed to be my 175th show? (THANK GOODNESS that got bumped up one by the absolutely rockin' Jukes/Jovi show at Blossom!)

Anyhoo, I had been waiting for MONTHS to get an appointment with this neurologist ... and I mean MONTHS. So, of course what happens? I finally get "the call" and he can see me this morning at 8:30am. That means, no Toronto. So, that's TWO pit tickets, flight and my portion of the hotel down the drain ... you do the math.

Jon Bon Jovi doesn't like empty seats right? Well, then somehow there should be a way for (in extenuating circumstances...ya know...like having a brain tumor) a fan club member should be able to transfer their ticket to someone else, dontcha think? But no, they wouldn't let me. So, there it sat last night -- my pretty little 2nd row seat -- empty. I couldn't even GIVE the ticket away.

I know what you're all saying ... in the grand scheme of things my appointment was infinitely more important than a show. And, you're absolutely right ... I know that ... in my head. But, that doesn't help my broken heart (or make up for the weeks of ramen noodles.) :-(

So ... What's Next
Hey, I don't want to end on a sad note though ... so, as they would always say on The West Wing ... "what's next?" Well, that would be another Jukes show tomorrow night in Tarrytown ... ironically, a seat in the 2nd row ... hmmm, maybe God did have a plan...? :-)

P.S. Added later: I'm not really mad at the band. Or even the fan club. It was just a bad confluence of events that have left me sad (and broke) ... but ya know ... in the end I'm still a fan so "Bounce! Bounce!..." :-)

...just a little teaser...

Happy Friday y'all! I know I promised you the 2nd part of the Blossom review but I actually had to go into the office and do WORK. LOL ... don't they know that I only come in to use the high-speed internet and color laser printer?! Haha.

So ... here's just something to hold you over until I have a bit more time this weekend to write ...


*awesome video courtesy of my friend B, queen of the mini-cam!*

A ridiculous amount of talent on that stage...Jon Bon Jovi, Southside Johnny, Jeff Kazee, Richie Sambora, Joey Stann, Neal Pawley, Tico Torres, Eddie Manion, David Bryan, Hugh McDonald, Chris Anderson, Bobby Bandiera. (please note this is not in order of ability, just in the order they came to me ... did I forget anybody?!)

Okay, until soon ...

Blossom Blast - Part 1

Disclaimer: This is going to be long ... and in two parts ... so grab a cup of coffee before you start.

Greetings Jovinuts and Jukesfans! Where do I even begin in terms of covering the SSJ & the Asbury Jukes/Bon Jovi Blossom show in Cleveland?

Well, first I'll say ... its NOT IN CLEVELAND! Seriously, its not ... so for a vehicularly-challenged NYC girl, this was a bit of an ordeal.

After flying into Cincinnati to pick up my mom, we jumped on board the Greyhound bus on Sunday (yes, the BUS) up to Cleveland where we spent the afternoon exploring the city and hanging out at the House of Blues (where it seems we will be again in November.)

Monday morning (came so fast, what a fool to think that dreams would last ... sorry, I digress ... Jukes reference LOL) we woke up excited about the show. It was the first time my mom was seeing the Jukes and her first JoviShow since the last HAND concert at Giants. :-) We were VERY lucky (and grateful) that one of the amazing JoviGirls (will call her "D") offered to pick us up and drive us back and forth to the venue after meeting up at her house for pizza, wings and wine (ahh, now THERE'S a great trio!)

So, we're all in the Suburban - 9 of us ladies - blasting Jovi and singing and laughing when my phone buzzes and I see this tweet:

(from) Jeff Kazee: The Marv Albert of Rock & Roll? Play by Play tweeting by world famous Big Apple Jovi Girl..follow @bigapplejovi around 7:30ish for a kick.

I guess that's better than "call @bigapplejovi for a good time", right? But in any case, ain't that just swell?! Thanks Mr. Kazee. Nothing like additional pressure to be on the ball after you've had a "few" glasses of wine. LOL (By the way D, I REALLY need to get some bottles of the red from the little Italian lady. That was the best wine I've had in a long time.)

Anyhoo, we arrive safely at the venue, pick up our tickets and head inside to check out the merchandise (of course.) I was very pleased to see a nice selection of Jukes stuff there ... and even happier that I already owned just about all of it so I was able to save a few bucks. We were walking around when I suddenly heard "Cross That Line" and just about ran to the fence and ended up hearing a bit of sound check. (...I could have given a pbp of that if someone had gotten me in ... ahem ... ahem.)

Once we were in our seats though it was only a short time before Southside et al took the stage. I was disappointed that the majority of people sat thru the set ... I mean seriously, how can you SIT during a Jukes show? In any case, I was determined to stand regardless of how hot it was or that nobody else was really standing. Luckily, my mom and my friend Diana (the pics in this post are hers!) agreed to stand too. :-) And even though the audience sat, it seemed they really enjoyed hearing the band.

And, yes, I did my duty of tweeting throughout ... including a fervent request to Jon Bon Jovi to have the Jukes play on every show from this point on. Really ... they could just open with We're Having a Party and then have a 6-hour marathon alternating between the two bands and playing together. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me and would save me a whole lot of travel time following these two groups around. LOL

The set was a good mix of old favorites and songs from the new album (or "new favorites.") They sounded fantastic (of course) and it was great to see Richie, David and Tico standing in the doorway to watch them. A few songs into the set they welcomed back Bobby Bandiera and a bit later David Bryan joined them onstage.

Here's the set list:

Cross That Line
Passion Street
Baby's Gone for Good
Gin-Soaked Boy
I Played the Fool
Walk away Renee
Talk to Me (with David Bryan on keys)
Without Love
Forever
Harder Than It Looks
I Don't Want to Go Home
Working Too Hard
Fever
One More Night to Rock

And here's are a few more pictures ...




































... glad Jeff took those laminates off before he strangled himself (if he wanted THAT, I could have done it LOL)



















and one last picture from Diana ... *smile*



















Okay folks ... that's it for now. Waiting to see video from my friend B. Will post those as soon as they're available. And there is still the whole BJ portion of the show to go. So be sure to come back soon. :-)

While I Was at The Pony ...

While I was having a blast at The Stone Pony Jukes show on Friday night, here is what was playing on television ... :-)


*and once again, HOW ON EARTH did she not win the Tony? ROBBED!! ... arrrrrrgh*

Its been a couple of weeks since I've been to the theatre to see MEMPHIS, I think I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. But, with "that damn band" now back in the States, my July calendar is full with all those JoviShows. Hmmm...I'm sure I can find some night somewhere to catch a performance. :-)

P.S. ... and a couple of my favorite pictures from Friday night's chaos ...

Southside Johnny finally taking down the Windmill hotdog mascot! LOL
























*picture: John Cavanaugh*


..... oooh and one Jeff Kazee shot ....

*picture: John Cavanaugh*

And the front row judges gave him a "10" on his dismount! :-)

Jukes+Pony=Wacky Perfection

Welcome to a lazy Saturday night in the Big Apple. C'mon, even a crazy city-dweller needs a break once in a while! LOL

New York City is absolutely ridiculous on the Friday of a long holiday weekend. The mass of humanity trying to escape the concrete jungle by train, car, boat, plane, horse, donkey or whatever method they can find, is staggering. So...what did I decide to do? Join them!

Why on EARTH would I do this?

Because...

Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes + The Stone Pony + Holiday Weekend + Beach = Potential for a Fantastic Time

After a "far too eventful" train ride, I was thankful to arrive at the Pony in time to hear a little bit of soundcheck from outside the walled-in lot. I was also able to snag one of the famous SP concert posters and even get it signed by Southside (who properly chastised me because they don't make any money on the posters. Oh if he only knew how many copies of Pills I have purchased at this point he'd probably hug me! haha) and Jeff Kazee (no, I didn't steal it from the wall in the bathroom. LOL I actually paid a whole $5 for it.)

We really couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous night to stand out for hours and have a beer and a hot dog (and there was NO shortage of all things wiener-related...long story.)

Following a couple of opening acts -- the talented young singer/guitarist from Outside the Box and Jersey Shore songwriter Steve Forbert -- Southside and the band took the stage. My heart nearly stopped because Johnny was wearing a New Holland/Fiat jersey ... and my dad (who was my golf partner, my football buddy, my musical guide...my hero) worked for New Holland. So, I was a bit emotional from the get-go. It just got more emotional from there.

Blend of New and Old
I thought that the balance between the new material from Pills and Ammo and the old favorites was pretty good. As usual, the set list played was not at all what was on the written set list, but we're all used to that. And though we didn't get all of the new record as Southside had promised, we certainly were treated to quite a few of the great tracks. As an aside, I gotta say that opening with Coming Back couldn't have been more perfect in my opinion.

There were so many great moments during the show -- Kazee's keyboards on more songs than I can count, dueling trumpets on Fever, John Conte's incredible bass during This Time Its for Real and Trapped Again, a heartfelt performance of Lead Me On (that song is so perfect for Jeff's vocal harmonies *sigh*), a blasting version of One More Night to Rock (which should be on every show going forward!), and a rip-roaring rendition of Take It Inside (I still contend it should be the slogan/song for the AFL ... yes, I know I haven't written YET about the return of the Soul. I will. I promise.)

A Night of Low-Flying Projectiles
The show was broadcast live on Sirius which was great EXCEPT that you really needed to be there to comprehend the craziness that ensued. OMG! Standing in the front row you had to watch out for things flying at you from the stage -- signed beach balls, whiffle balls, HOT DOGS, t-shirts, hats, Andy York's guitar picks, the setlist (thanks J.)

One little issue ... my friend N and I are relatively tall ... and ... well ... I'm pretty sure Southside's preferred hobby of bird-watching requires absolutely no skills whatsoever in terms of either kicking or hitting a ball! I think I would have a bit more faith in Kazee since he at least is a golfer. There was a bit of 'duck and cover' going on for sure.

I give band members a lot of credit for keeping it together (some, just barely ... you know who you are!) as this was all going down and continuing to play an ever-evolving medley of circus/cartoon/drinking tunes.

Here's how one of the ladies summed it up while writing about the set list on the SSJ board:

Hot Dog Melee (involving heavily dressed windmill hotdogs and a sling shot, accompanied by the farm music from bugs bunny cartoons, Jingle Bells [with Southside on keyboards] and Roll Out the Barrel, among others)
We're Having a Party (with an interpretive dance by the Windmill hot dog mascot guy and the annual distribution of autographed flying objects) ...

Needless to say, we all had a great time. And I'm forever grateful to N who gave me a ride up to Secaucus so I didn't have to take the midnight train from Asbury.

Here's a few more pictures:

Andy York playing ... blissfully unaware that Jeff is flinging all his picks out into the audience. :-)
























I love watching the horns during the show ... some of the greatest "dance" moves (I use the term loosely.) Ok, I admit ... I basically just watch The Dude. ;-)



















And John Conte in a relatively conservative outfit ... especially for him.



















It was some kind of party!!

So, to all my American friends ... have a Happy (and safe) 4th of July weekend.

And to my crazy German girls ... happy footballing ... obliterating Argentina ... wow! (and on the 8th day God created the vuvuzela and promptly said "ooops, my bad!!")

And to my mom ... NO! I will not be watching Nadal extract his underwear from his bum for two hours of the Wimbledon final (I'm a Federer girl.) But, I'll see you a week from today. :-)

14 Days and Counting ...

Happy Monday my fellow JoviNuts. Hope those of you in the NYC-area are staying cool ... its a scorcher out there. Ugh.

Well, now that the London BJ shows are done, its time to focus on the boys return to the States to finish up the next leg of what I am affectionately calling "the centipede tour" ... I mean, seriously, how many legs are there?

So, first up is the fourth show at Giants. I am hoping we might be in for a few treats given the incredible stuff they pulled out at the O2 ... but honestly, I doubt it will happen. Sorry. Would so love to be proven wrong (hint, hint, wink, wink Jonny.)

What I AM very excited about, however, is that a mere 14 days from now I will be in Ohio for the mother of all double-bills ... Bon Jovi closing for Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes. LOL

Of course I always love to see BJ ... but those who read this blog on a regular basis know that I'm also a devoted Jukesfan, too. I have had the pleasure of seeing Southside and JBJ together a few times over the years and every time it has been magical. I am expecting no less this time ... especially given the huge following the Jukes have in Cleveland. I'm also excited because this is my first opportunity to hear some of the songs from the new record since its release.

I've been meaning to write about the new album for a while now, but ... ya know ... life just gets in the way sometimes. Anyhoo, about "Pills and Ammo" ... IT ROCKS! Actually, I've been listening to it more than just about any other CD right now. I don't skip a single song (unlike The Circle...shhhh...you know I love you, Jon), but the two stand-out ones for me are easily "Lead Me On" ... absolutely LOVE that track!! ... and "A Place Where I Can't Be Found". There's the wonderfully harsh commentary on NYC (dedicated to JBJ) called "Heartbreak City" which is also a fave.

One of the things I really like about this album is that while its very clean and balanced, it still captures the "live" feel and joy that for me defines the Jukes. If you've ever seen Southside, you know its sort of what I would call a James Joycean stream-of-consciousness experience. Certainly, there is a plan (or at least I think there is LOL) but like all truly great performers, there's a spontaneity and a "let's just go with the flow" type of feel. If you're not familiar with their work at all (shame on you! haha), I think "One More Night to Rock" totally sums up the whole shebang.

Dirty Chuck Taylors and some beat up jeans,
I don't care what it all means.
I got four horns and a rhythm section,
Everybody going in a different direction.
So what if I forget the words
You all know them anyhow ...

Gotta love that!

Take a listen.



....ahhh, yep. That's the Jukes.

So, that's what I'm looking forward to in two weeks. Unfortunately, I have a feeling I'm going to feel short-changed as I'm used to them playing for a good couple of hours. Haha. But, then again there is always the possibility of a "do-it" or two with SSJ and Jonny *crossing fingers but not holding my breath to hear Soul's on Fire*. Having all those guys on stage together is certainly going to be a hoot. Wondering ... do Bobby and Kazee have to play with both bands? LOL They could ya know. :-)

In any case, I'll be tweeting the set list (from both bands) while celebrating my 175th JoviShow (ain't that scary?!) Me and Mom, 5th row center ... we're havin' a party!

P.S. To see when the Jukes will be in your area and to buy the new record (!!!), visit www.southsidejohnny.com.

P.S.2. And JK, if you're reading this ... you already know what's on my wish list. ;-)

MEMPHIS redux ... for the Nth time ... LOL

Greetings friends! Hope this finds you well on "hump day" (hey! you fan fic girls ... get your minds out of the gutter! haha) ... I meant because its Wednesday.

So, still in post-Tony euphoria, Linda and I bought tickets to see MEMPHIS last night ... the first show as Tony Award winners. Tuesday night curtains are early which is a killer in terms of getting to the theatre from way down on Wall Street so I was running on a tight schedule. I arrived to find the will-call line out the theatre and down the block. Woohoo! While I was standing in line, I grabbed this quick picture of the signs posted by fans on the stage door.
























Isn't that cool?! I loved it!

Anyway, Linda and I got tickets in the orchestra center first row. I have never sat there for a show (well, other than Jovi LOL) and it was a totally different experience than the other umpteen times I've seen MEMPHIS. To say that I have a whole new respect for the cast would be an understatement. When you're that close you can hear every hushed word, see every bit of emotion and literally feel the heat coming off the stage. I could see the pain in Chad Kimball's eyes on "Memphis Lives in Me", the resolve on Montego Glover's face in "Colored Woman", the anger/fear in J. Bernard Calloway's delivery during "She's My Sister" ... the whole experience was eye-opening.

After the show, we stuck around to talk with the cast who were, I believe, a bit blown away by the cheers of the crowd when they came out the stage door. Lots of smiles all around. Everyone was nice enough to sign my Tony program ...



















And Chad's dad even got a great picture of us. :-)



Speaking of Chad ... I heard that someone at the Tonys on Sunday went up to him and asked him if he was a seat filler?!! Ooooops. He told us that he hadn't even seen the video yet of when they won and that he finally got to bed at about 6am Monday morning. (I'm hoping that David Bryan was able to sleep on the plane over to Paris.)

Needless to say, it was a great night all around.

Now things slow down a bit until Kazeedigs on June 23rd ... and then watch out for July -- the Jukes at The Stone Pony, Melissa Etheridge in NYC and New Brunswick, and a whole lotta Jovi (NMS, Ohio, Toronto, Boston and Chicago.)

Okay ... gotta go .. time to make the ramen noodles. Haha.

Speechless ... part 2

So ... here's a bit more on my Tony Awards show experience. I really wish they would have broadcast the Creative Awards that took place from 7-8pm prior to the nationally televised show. For me, those were some of the most priceless moments of the evening actually.

Anyhoo, a few thoughts ... in no particular order ... well, EXCEPT ...

Given the name of this blog post, I had to start with what was truly the most speechless moment of the show ... when the incomparable Marian Seldes was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Dramatic, magical and stunning are just a few words to describe Ms. Seldes, who I sometimes would see in the halls of Juilliard. She is without equal in the theatre world, that's for sure. She came to the stage last night, accepted her award and simply said so much by not speaking a word ... in the way only SHE can ... looking from the audience then to the side of the stage, to the floor, back to the audience, and then exiting the stage. It truly WAS speechless.

Speaking of Juilliard, one of my classmates from school also won a Tony last night -- the fantastic Viola Davis, who is starring in "Fences" with Denzel Washington. Many people don't realize that the school has one of the most prestigious drama programs in the country. The list of people who have come out of the Drama Division is staggering -- from Kelsey Grammer, Kevin Kline and the late Christopher Reeve to Christine Baranski, Marcia Cross, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Laura Linney (also nominated last night.) And, if you're a WingNut like me, the dashing Bradley Whitford (who played Josh on The West Wing) is also a Juilliard grad. (As an aside, someday maybe I'll write about the funny conversations I used to have with Robin Williams when he would call the school and I was doing work-study on the switchboard. Damn, he is a funny man.) But in any case, back to Viola. I saw her in a production of The Cherry Orchard when we were in school together. It was always one of my favorite plays and she was absolutely unforgettable. That production -- and her performance in it -- blew me away. It haunted me for weeks. Needless to say, I let out a big shout when she won. :-)

I will say that one of the times I was also left speechless was when Montego Glover didn't win for Best Actress in a Musical. (Since this is my blog and I can say what I want ...) I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one who was completely shocked. You could feel it in the audience. Montego and Catherine Zeta-Jones had tied for both the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle awards, but I ... like most ... was convinced that Montego would win the Tony. I mean, seriously -- she has created the next great American musical female character. The mark she has made on the field with this role is unquestionable. THAT is what the award is supposed to be about.



No doubt, even better than David Bryan and Joe DiPietro winning their "individual" Tonys (this sounds like the gymnastics competition at the Olympics. LOL) was the win for Best Musical. I love love LOVE Bernadette Peters ... so when she came out to introduce/announce the category I had a good feeling. But given what happened with Best Actress I wasn't going to assume ANYTHING. If, by chance, you didn't watch the broadcast ... here is how it all went down ...



I do believe I can hear myself scream in that clip. Haha. As I tweeted last night, our section of the theatre was very MEMPHIS-centric. Most of the people around us were rooting just as hard as T and I were. Seated in the first mezzanine, the ceiling above us sort of created a cave-like feeling and totally amplified the sound of our cheers. And boy did we cheer! I don't think I've even yelled that loud at a Bon Jovi show (sorry Jonny.) Needless to say, I've been sucking on lozenges most of today. ;-)

Okay ... that's all for right now. I need to get this posted before I fall asleep. There will be more later ... "Promises, Promises" LOL.

Speechless...

Good Monday morning y'all! There is, of course, much more to come from my night at The Tony Awards ... but honestly, I have a killer headache from drinking a WHOLE LOTTA champagne at the after-party. I also fear I have no voice after cheering (rather loudly LOL) for all my favorites the whole night.

Of course, the first order of business is to congratulate Joe DiPietro, David Bryan and the entire cast and crew of MEMPHIS. Its been an incredible journey and last night was the crowning moment. Most shows go thru several stages (both literally and figuratively) during their lifespan. MEMPHIS has had a long, long road to get to where it is now. And as I have told Joe, so many of us fans have followed it since its early days and so for us, just as with the cast, seeing the success it now has achieved feels personal. When you think about the songs that have been cut, the scenes that have been re-worked, the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into the product you see on stage, its staggering. Being there in person to share the experience will forever be in my heart.

Hearing David Bryan's name be called from the podium at Radio City Music Hall was a thrill. Watching the camaraderie between him and Joe was so wonderful -- their partnership isn't some "made in the factory" collaboration. The connection between them not only as artists but as PEOPLE is so refreshing to see. I still think those two need to start their own stand-up comedy routine. The way they feed off one another is so natural and so genuine. I truly can't wait to see what is coming for them down the road (which, by the way, is several more shows ... including one that is well underway!!) So, David and Joe -- thank you for letting us into your hearts and souls. Its a great place to be ... can we all stay a bit longer?

Okay ... mushy stuff over. LOL

I've gotta go for now -- probably should have taken the day off of work, but alack and alas, a good portion of my vacation days are being used for David's other job. In any case, I will be back later with more of my time at The Tonys ... including my dress near-disaster, the after-party chaos and what's up next. :-)