witzend
Well-Known Member
For years husband and I have been big fans of Dire Straits, and Mark Knopfler in particular. Most everyone in the world remembers them for their big hit "Money for Nothing" from the 1980's. Mark Knopfler's library is far more expansive than that, though. He's dueted with everyone from BB King to Chet Akins, George Harrison to Eric Clapton, and written some of my favorite Film Scores including that from "The Princess Bride". I love guitar players, and in my humble opinion he is one of the best in the world.
So, last year I knew he had a new album coming out, and with a new album comes a tour. I decided that it was time for husband and I to go see him, and that it would be our Christmas present. Obviously this was before we canceled Christmas, but that's beside the point. So, I joined his web site and kept my eye open for when he was coming to town. When it came up, I realized that he was playing our town in the big auditorium built in the 1960's with terrible acoustics. The next day, though, he's playing in a nearby college town in a classic opera house with naturally wonderful acoustics. His website had an opportunity to order tickets through them a day in advance of open sales, so that day, I sat and waited impatiently for 10 AM to roll along.
I click in at 10 AM precisely, and order my tickets. They're guaranteed to be on the orchestra level, but you have to wait for the sales to be final before you know what seat you're going to get. You expect an e-mail in 2 - 4 weeks with your seat assignment. I figured, "What the heck. I want to see him and I always end up in the nosebleeds, so orchestra floor can't be that bad." A few weeks later I get an e-mail with our seat assignments. AAA 208 - 209. I was a little disappointed, because I figured AAA was the third set of Row A seats. I got online and checked out the seating chart. Row AAA is the front row, and seats 208 - 209 are the center seats in the center section!
So, we're heading down the day of the concert, checking into a decent motel (we're only going to be there long enough to sleep) and having a nice dinner nearby, then on to the concert. Then we're heading back up the valley and will do a winery tour and lunch somewhere along the way. I feel like a teenager! I am sooooo excited! Here's one of the first songs I heard by them way back when I was a teenager! He still plays it in concert and I hope to hear it live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB3b1W6rEDw
So, last year I knew he had a new album coming out, and with a new album comes a tour. I decided that it was time for husband and I to go see him, and that it would be our Christmas present. Obviously this was before we canceled Christmas, but that's beside the point. So, I joined his web site and kept my eye open for when he was coming to town. When it came up, I realized that he was playing our town in the big auditorium built in the 1960's with terrible acoustics. The next day, though, he's playing in a nearby college town in a classic opera house with naturally wonderful acoustics. His website had an opportunity to order tickets through them a day in advance of open sales, so that day, I sat and waited impatiently for 10 AM to roll along.
I click in at 10 AM precisely, and order my tickets. They're guaranteed to be on the orchestra level, but you have to wait for the sales to be final before you know what seat you're going to get. You expect an e-mail in 2 - 4 weeks with your seat assignment. I figured, "What the heck. I want to see him and I always end up in the nosebleeds, so orchestra floor can't be that bad." A few weeks later I get an e-mail with our seat assignments. AAA 208 - 209. I was a little disappointed, because I figured AAA was the third set of Row A seats. I got online and checked out the seating chart. Row AAA is the front row, and seats 208 - 209 are the center seats in the center section!
So, we're heading down the day of the concert, checking into a decent motel (we're only going to be there long enough to sleep) and having a nice dinner nearby, then on to the concert. Then we're heading back up the valley and will do a winery tour and lunch somewhere along the way. I feel like a teenager! I am sooooo excited! Here's one of the first songs I heard by them way back when I was a teenager! He still plays it in concert and I hope to hear it live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB3b1W6rEDw
