|
Post by Grroosss on Aug 1, 2019 21:48:09 GMT
Many apologies for the long wait!
Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for...
|
|
|
Post by Grroosss on Aug 1, 2019 21:50:34 GMT
We flew out early in the morning the day before the concert; despite the fact that we’d woken up at 4:00, neither of us really slept on the plane, we were too excited! Omaze had lined up a chauffeur to take us from the airport to our very hip hotel. By the time we’d got settled in, we were all ravenous, so we had a not-so-cheeky Nando’s (and now I’m sad that there’s no Nando’s on the west coast) before heading out to explore Chicago. Some highlights: Visiting the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower; it used to be the tallest building in the world
There’s a clear ledge that you can stand on and look down
...And some of you probably recognize it from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off A large sculpture called the Cloud Gate, but known to literally everyone as The Bean Lake Michigan Our experience didn’t begin until 3:45 the next day, so we had the obligatory Chicago deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s for lunch... and guess what, we heard Showdown on the restaurant’s playlist! We still had some time to spare after walking to the United Center, so we poked around inside for a bit, where we overheard them testing the sound samples for Eldorado Overture. Finally, we made our way to the street corner where our contact from Jeff’s management, Emilie, had told us to meet her. It was the loading bay where they park all the busses and trucks, and man, security was tight. We wandered in, the guards eyeing us suspiciously, and nearly got kicked out before Emilie came running to meet us and tell the guards that we were with her and give us our shiny backstage passes. She led us in through the backstage entrance(!) and a quick security check, and then the real fun began. We were whisked past all the equipment that was still strewn about in the halls, and taken into the practically-empty arena to watch the band’s soundcheck. (Photo opportunity before heading into the arena!)
|
|
|
Post by BSJ on Aug 1, 2019 21:55:35 GMT
You two don't look excited at all!
|
|
|
Post by Timeblue on Aug 1, 2019 22:01:42 GMT
.....and? .....and?
|
|
|
Post by BSJ on Aug 1, 2019 22:06:58 GMT
I KNOW!
|
|
|
Post by elophile on Aug 1, 2019 22:11:14 GMT
Oh my god! Oh my god!!!! What happens next? I'm on pins and needles here! Well worth the wait but don't take too long for the next installment. The rest of us aren't getting any younger!!
|
|
|
Post by Grroosss on Aug 1, 2019 22:11:32 GMT
nobodyschild will be contributing the next installment, so you’ll just have to Hold On Tight! Besides, it’s not as much fun if we can’t keep you on the edge of your seats
|
|
|
Post by nobodyschild on Aug 2, 2019 6:25:50 GMT
As promised, the next part: The band was already onstage by the time we got in there, but they were either just finishing setting up or taking a little break, all we heard when we walked in was tuning guitars. Emilie congratulated us again on winning, got to know us a little better, and we got to sit up near the front. They got to playing Evil Woman, running it with the backdrop images and lights, and although it was basically a karaoke version of the song (Jeff hadn’t flown in yet, so no lead vocals on that) it absolutely blew me away, I mean I must have sat slack-jawed gaping and staring at the stage like a fool for just about the entire song! Even though Jeff wasn’t there, the silver lining was that soundcheck was then longer than usual. The band spent awhile working the no-no-no-no-no’s in DBMD, tuning and adjusting mic levels and whatnot, Emilie telling us a bit about them (for instance, they need 6 busses and 12 semi trucks even without the spaceship—though they do still have it—and apparently ELO is considered a “lightweight” show! And that many of the members were from the British group Take That, hence the accents) and let us ask her some questions, though some she said she didn’t really know enough to answer so we’d have to wait for the tour. At one point in the soundcheck, after we’d now moved a couple rows closer, someone from the band (Mike Stevens, as we’d later find out chatting in the cafe) shouts out, “any requests?” I wanted to yell out Tightrope but I didn’t since it wasn’t on the setlist. They test a few more spots in Wild West Hero, All Over the World, Do Ya, etc., then during Telephone Line they motion wildly for us to sing. We were a bit shy at first, or at least I was, but they really wanted us to sing and so I did, and I was singing just about as loud as I could, but they all had mics and we didn’t, so they probably didn’t hear us (a pity, because I think we do some excellently accurate vocals on that one). After they’d finished with their soundcheck we got to go up onto the stage and take some pictures, which was really epic, and they even brought spotlights upon us to make the pictures perfect. It was so, so cool to stand on those glowing tiles with the spaceship hovering behind us. And after all that, we would start our production tour. Some more pictures: Us being “Blown Away” at soundcheck Pointing at center X (“Holy cow, Jeff stands there!”) And being one of the lucky few to stand here:
|
|
|
Post by Horacewimp on Aug 2, 2019 7:26:04 GMT
Great write ups and pictures, you both look so excited and in awe of the occasion.
|
|
|
Post by Timeblue on Aug 2, 2019 8:48:09 GMT
Jealous? Me? Nah...... (Gnashes teeth constantly....)
|
|
|
Post by elophile on Aug 2, 2019 13:56:28 GMT
OMG!!!!! So much fun and excitement already! What will happen next ?!!?
|
|
|
Post by BIuebird on Aug 2, 2019 14:06:12 GMT
I am so anxious and excited to read the next part!
|
|
|
Post by BSJ on Aug 2, 2019 15:15:25 GMT
Insanity and the most insane has not been revealed yet! Is that your poppa, girls?
|
|
|
Post by nobodyschild on Aug 2, 2019 15:55:50 GMT
BSJ yes he got caught in a few but mostly didn't care for being in the pictures. He had a great time too though...our crazy obsession with fondness of ELO has rubbed off on him!
|
|
|
Post by BSJ on Aug 2, 2019 23:15:10 GMT
How cool they let poppa experience soundcheck!
|
|