Great Big Fun with Great Big Sea

Even though the show was on April 20th, the story begins a little before then - back in February. That was when tickets went on sale for the show. I saw Great Big Sea last April when they visited Lisner theater (and the year before at Wolf Trap Park and before that at the 9:30 Club - and before that back home in Buffalo). Anyways, like right now, I was at work and had the option of doing work or goofing off.

So I was checking one of my email accounts (I have several - too long a story, but the short version is I just have a lot of email accounts). The account I was checking gets the Ticketmaster emails. I happen to see that Great Big Sea was coming to town (I honestly thought they were done with DC until the next album). So, instantly I load up the Ticketmaster site and wait for the moment to buy a ticket (another long story made short in the interest of everyone - I made a severe mistake in buying my ticket for the Lisner show and almost didn't get the chance to go as that was a sold out show - fortunately I lucked out). This time at the right moment, I put in my information and wait. Then I see what I purchased (after noticing the exhorbent Ticketmaster charges).

AA 109

Having never been to Warner theater, I had no idea where row AA is. My first guess was that the theater went rows A-Z then AA, AB, AC, etc. Then I went to the website and saw the seating chart.

Happiness hit me like a truck.

In all the concerts I have ever been to - for all the various artists I've seen - I've never gotten front row.

Leading up to the show I was now curious to find out if I could get a camera into the place. Sure I could try smuggling one in, but that could backfire in nasty ways. Reading OKP, it would appear that yes, I would be able to, and there wouldn't need to be any smuggling.

The day of the show, I made sure I would have no problem leaving work. Work is only a few blocks away and it was nice out. I left at 4 - for a place that won't open for another 3 hours. On the way over, I bought a disposable camera (I don't have one of them fancy new digital cameras - they're just a fad). It had an automatic flash that can't be shut off. I thought it might pose a small problem, but I'd deal with it has need be. I circled the block the theater was on a couple of times. Only once did I get stopped by the people from Greenpeace asking for money. About 5:30ish, I stopped into a local place and got some dinner. Pasta. Very tasty. Some of it ended up on my shirt, and I didn't notice it until much later.

I finish dinner and realize that I still have 45 minutes. I continue orbiting the block. I've now seen where the bus is located, I've walked through the adjacent building hoping to hear if they're practicing (at Lisner, I got to the show early and was able to hear them practicing). After having walked through the buildings before, I tried walking through them again, but a security guard - who obviously didn't see me before said I couldn't. But not before I saw that there was another enterance to Warner (was hard to miss the last time since there was an imprompto meeting of the ushers/bar tenders in the doorway).

Marquee at Warner Theater

Finally, 7pm arrives and the doors to the lobby open. There's a good sized group that enters at first. After getting my bearings, I buy a t-shirt from Sean's brother (he was also selling merchandise at Lisner). The lobby was getting crowded. About 7:25 (my watchband broke a while ago, so I had my watch in my pocket, but couldn't always get to it), someone let everyone know that drinks will be allowed in the theater. After asking a random person next to me to confirm if I heard that right, I purchased an amber colored drink, with what appeared to be a foamy top. I have found out that this drink is known as "beer". I was rather happy with it.

7:30 and they open the seating area. I was close to the door at this point. There's ushers by the door to help people figure where they sit. A little louder than I typically talk, I show the ticket to the usher and say "I think this is near the front." (big grin too!)

I find my seat. Front row. Middle section. Right by the aisle.

Ok, not dead center, but close enough that I don't mind. As it is, I'm right by two of the microphones.

After putting down my jacket, t-shirt, and beer, I look around. I spoke with some very nice people (all GBS fans are very nice people).

Front Row!

It was about time to start. I put my ear plugs in and waited (Having been to enough concerts, I've learned that ear plugs are a necessity - they don't prevent you from hearing the music, they just knock off about 30 decibles so that afterwards, you still have the ability to hear).

I'm not going to post about the playlist or the songs. That's been posted already. It was interesting seeing the guys switch up their roles (Alan and Sean getting behind the drums, Kris playing guitar and the accordian).

Alan (no flash)


Alan and Sean (no flash)


Alan, Murray and Kris (minor photo correcting)


Sean (no flash)


Kris on guitar and Alan behind the drums (no flash)


Alan (no flash)


Murray, Alan, Kris and Sean (no flash)


Alan and Bob (possible flash)


Murray (no flash)


Bob (no flash - partly changed in photoshop)


Alan getting t-shirts to sign (flash)


Murray and Alan (profile) (flash)


Murray comforting Kris (flash)


Sean on drums, Murray on bass and Kris on accordian (flash)

During the show, I occassionally put my beer on the edge of the stage (as opposed to the floor). At one point during the first set - Alan, while playing - drops his guitar pick. It's about a foot from where I was keeping my beer. The beer was currently on the floor. The next time I get thirsty I put the beer on the stage. I wait a few moments. I don't think the people next to me saw the pick. Next time I reached for the beer, I purposely over reached my hand, grabbed the errant pick and got the drink.

During the intermission, I decided that one good amber colored, foamy headed drink could only be fully appreciated by another. The line looked bad, but the bartenders helped everyone rather quickly (plus the merchandise table was right on the other side of the lobby).

It's been said before, but I'll say it again now - being a "child of the 80s" I love the meddly part they have leading up to "Run Run Away". The fact that they added "Bohemian Rhapsody" only made it even better.

The only time I had a problem all night was right at the end. Two rather drunk individuals kept shouting that they needed to hear "Ordinary Day" before they left. Mentioned once or twice I would have just brushed it off. But they kept it up even during "Old Brown's Daughter" (though not as loud as to completely drown out the song).

Final song (noflash)

And finally, before going on to the last picture, a story about it:

After the show, I waited a few minutes before heading outside (wanted to give the crowd a chance to clear a bit). I originally got to the theater several hours earlier (I work a few blocks away and left work early so I had time to kill). When GBS visited Lisner theater last year (April 2006), I got there early and walked around and remembered seeing the band in between practices. Since I had a camera this time, I was hoping for the same thing to happen. It didn't. But I saw where the bus was.

So after the show I went to where the bus was. Already there were about 10 or 15 others waiting for autographs and pictures. After a while, a security guard came out and looked over the group. He ducked back inside. Then came out again and explained that as it was the last night of the tour, the band would not be signing anything or taking pictures since they wanted to spend time with friends and drinking. Or something. I was further back so I didn't get to hear it too well. So the crowd began to disperse.

Having nothing better to do, I didn't leave just yet.

After a short while, Murray came out with a woman (wife or girlfriend or friend of his who lives in DC, I don't know). He passed by the now even smaller crowd on the sidewalk, sending well wishes but letting us know that he was happy for the night.

Having nothing better to do, I stalked. Well, perhaps a bad choice of word. I followed. From a distance. Not being seen. He was heading to the White House. After a few blocks, realizing where he was going roughly, I passed him and his friend. I was far enough ahead to not seem like I was paying attention to the two of them but able to hear their voices (though couldn't hear what they were saying).

I got to the White House - stared at Chimpy's abode for a few minutes and then left - at roughly the same time Murray left. Not wanting to seem like I was following, I took a slightly different way back to the bus area.

When I got back, there were two women waiting on the sidewalk. I didn't recognize them as being there before. A short time later, Murray's friend drove up (they headed off in a different direction when we left the White House). Murray got out of the car. He headed back to the bus, but before doing so, did sign an autograph for me and the two young women who were waiting. He headed back to the bus. The two women, content with their autographs, headed off.

Once again, having nothing better to do, I waited some more.

At this point I was the only person who apparently had nothing better to do.

The roadies were still loading equipment into the trailer behind the bus (actually, for where I was standing, the trailer was closer to me than the bus, but the front of the bus was pointing away from me and therefore was behind the bus).

About an hour had passed since the end of the concert. I was starting to think that I could head over to any of the local eateries and finish the evening with some food. While watching the road crew finish loading the trailer, I see Alan head over to the bus. My thought of getting food is temporarily on hold. Two or three minutes later, he's heading back inside the theater. I waved and he waved back. I decide to wait a little longer.

Occassionally, patience pays off. A few minutes later, Alan, Bob and Sean, along with a few others (stage managers or wives or roadies - I have no idea) start walking out of the theater loading dock area towards the sidewalk. (Murray and Kris were not there.) As they approach, I tell them they had another great performance tonight. Then I ask if they wouldn't mind signing my cover of Hard & Easy (Murray signed it a little earlier). They pass it around. While Sean is signing it, he says "Oh, you were the one in the front row." (So remember, they do watch you while you're watching them!) Then I ask if they wouldn't mind if I could get a picture with them. They were more than happy to oblige.

I wound up my disposable and handed it to one of the others there. After explaining that all he needed to do was push the button, we had a last picture for the evening (and as it turned out, the last picture on the roll of film).

After thanking them (profusely) and again telling them that it was a great show, they headed off to one of DC's fine establishments (but not before first telling me that they were going to start work on the next album soon). I went in a different direction so as to not appear too stalkerish (once an evening is usually good - twice, well, then the police start to get involved.) Already happy with this encounter, I had one last thing to do before heading back for the night. I stopped over to one of the large theme restaurants in the area since I needed one little bit of sports related information. I went to an area - a "zone" I suppose, which has a huge promotional tie-in to a certain large sports cable channel. Walking up to the desk I asked the hostess if she knew the score of the Sabres - Islanders game. She did. Fortunately, the Sabres finished off the Islanders that night with a 4-3 win, advancing to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.

Newest member of the band?

It was a very good evening.

Thank you for reading this far. If for some reason you wish to comment on these pictures or the overly long story I forced you to read through, I do read the OKP (preferred) or I suppose I could be reached here.