Anyway, I wanted to add my two cents about the show in Indy last night. I didn't want this buried in the other threads, so I made my own. Sorry.
I got to the fairgrounds only to find that my 7th row left section seat was obstructed. They seemed to have sold way too many seats working away from the stage (if that makes sense). If I looked straight ahead I was staring at a wall, and if I turned 90 degrees to the right I was looking straight down the front of the stage. I could only see the microphone stands. So I was a little disappointed to say the least.
But luckily, an usher saw me with a puzzled look on my face and said that she was going to move those of us in seats like this when the show started because of the fact that we couldn't see. Then she asked me if I was by myself, and when I said yes she said she would just move me right now (still 45 minutes before the show). She picked up a folding chair and set me down right at the end of the front row center section. Needless to say I was pretty happy with this turn of events. I was at the end of the front row center section just slightly to the left of Jonathan Cain's microphone stand.
Notes on the night:
- Heart was okay. Nancy Wilson is very nice to look at, in my opinion. They played about 75 minutes.
- Arnel is a superstar. Plain and simple. The guy brings it. I'd be the first to say if something seemed off to me, but I couldn't find anything wrong with his performance. He works the crowd to perfection and was outstanding vocally. This was the first show after an 8-day layoff, so I'm sure that helped.
- The rest of the band looked and sounded great, too.
- They are taking every precaution possible with Arnel's voice. First of all, the set wasn't that long. Secondly, he had multiple breaks throughout the set (i.e. Neal's solo, Wheel In The Sky instrumental intro and extended jam, Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin' intro and all of the other jams and solos.)
With that being said...
- Journey's setlist left something to be desired. They played about 95-100 minutes, so we got the Dirty Dozen plus Never Walk Away, Wildest Dream and Change For The Better. Deen didn't sing and the only "deep cut" we got was Dead Or Alive (not a fan, anyway). I'm sure the crowd loved hearing the hits back-to-back-to-back, but I was waiting for something else that never came. I understand that in the state fairs like this they have to cater to a different audience, and they played a shorter set with Heart on the bill, etc., but I've heard all of these songs a million times. I might re-think traveling 3.5 hours on a Sunday night to see a greatest hits show. I will still travel for new album tours, just to hear those songs.
Front row makes everything worth it, though. I'll be in Louisville on Friday night with an actual ticketed front-row center seat (thanks, Ticketmaster). Two straight Journey shows from the front row? That's something you don't get every day. Hoping to see a setlist change or two on Friday night. That will be my 11th career show at age 22.
Now, onto an explanation about the thread title. Coming back onto the stage following the encore break, a classy lady behind me decided to lift her top to the band. And Jonathan Cain responded by lifting his shirt back at her. Interesting. So yes, I was, in turn, flashed by Jonathan Cain.
Thanks for reading.
