sodascouts
07-05-2012, 12:02 AM
Just got back from celebrating the fourth of July with Joe....
From far away! Turns out there was a massive VIP section which took up the entire center of the high school stadium where the celebration was held. The free areas were pushed to the far sides and back, and were not allowed near the stage until the last song.
This whole scenario was unusual. The performance took place in the football field of a high school in this little Ohio town of Dublin. Joe didn't really explain why he was there. He just joked, "they asked me, 'Joe, how would you like to play a high school on the fourth of July?' and I said, 'Great!'" Asking around, I found out that locals consider this celebration a big deal, and the stadium was crammed with people.... It's not as if he were really just playing a high school. Still, it's a bit surprising that they got him! Someone near me joked Joe's appearance fee was probably paid by the taxpayers since the celebration is mounted by the city, lol.
Joe was fabulous. His energy level didn't appear diminished at all by the heat. He dedicated "I Shall Be Released" to Levon Helm and said he was still having a hard time getting used to the fact he was gone, but other than repeated wishes for a happy Independence Day, most of the banter was standard. He did make a reference to Kent State Univerersity before "The Bomber," saying that writing it was pretty much all he accomplished while attending college - "The hardest 12 years of my life." There was actually a firework set off during this song - deliberate? I don't think so, but it was appropriate!
During "Funk 49" Joe appeared to bend down and get something from an audience member during the percussive interlude. Earlier he had joked when one audience member asked for an autograph during the show that he was "busy now" lol. However, I was too far away to see if he was actually signing something or if something else was going on. Immediately afterward, while the percussive interlude continued, he walked to the side of the stage and started talking with someone from backstage, although it was hard to see him so he may have done other stuff too. He was there long enough for the interlude to be extended twice. Perhaps that's when they told him about the storm (more on that later).
Musically, it sounded to me that the "Turn to Stone" guitar solo had been elaborated upon since the last time I'd heard him play it. I like that he changes things like that up.
They let all of us plebes to the stage for the end of the last song,"Life in the Fast Lane," so I got to get up close for a bit! That was cool.
Sadly, we had an abbreviated set list due to a storm coming in. There was no encore and a couple other songs were left out. They barely got the fireworks set off before it came in... But those fireworks were something else! It was a staggering display, perhaps in part because they were sending more up at a time than usual because of the incoming storm.
While there were a lot of elements of this show that didn't quite turn out as I had hoped, it was still special to have Joe Walsh playing at my Independence Day celebration. ;)
From far away! Turns out there was a massive VIP section which took up the entire center of the high school stadium where the celebration was held. The free areas were pushed to the far sides and back, and were not allowed near the stage until the last song.
This whole scenario was unusual. The performance took place in the football field of a high school in this little Ohio town of Dublin. Joe didn't really explain why he was there. He just joked, "they asked me, 'Joe, how would you like to play a high school on the fourth of July?' and I said, 'Great!'" Asking around, I found out that locals consider this celebration a big deal, and the stadium was crammed with people.... It's not as if he were really just playing a high school. Still, it's a bit surprising that they got him! Someone near me joked Joe's appearance fee was probably paid by the taxpayers since the celebration is mounted by the city, lol.
Joe was fabulous. His energy level didn't appear diminished at all by the heat. He dedicated "I Shall Be Released" to Levon Helm and said he was still having a hard time getting used to the fact he was gone, but other than repeated wishes for a happy Independence Day, most of the banter was standard. He did make a reference to Kent State Univerersity before "The Bomber," saying that writing it was pretty much all he accomplished while attending college - "The hardest 12 years of my life." There was actually a firework set off during this song - deliberate? I don't think so, but it was appropriate!
During "Funk 49" Joe appeared to bend down and get something from an audience member during the percussive interlude. Earlier he had joked when one audience member asked for an autograph during the show that he was "busy now" lol. However, I was too far away to see if he was actually signing something or if something else was going on. Immediately afterward, while the percussive interlude continued, he walked to the side of the stage and started talking with someone from backstage, although it was hard to see him so he may have done other stuff too. He was there long enough for the interlude to be extended twice. Perhaps that's when they told him about the storm (more on that later).
Musically, it sounded to me that the "Turn to Stone" guitar solo had been elaborated upon since the last time I'd heard him play it. I like that he changes things like that up.
They let all of us plebes to the stage for the end of the last song,"Life in the Fast Lane," so I got to get up close for a bit! That was cool.
Sadly, we had an abbreviated set list due to a storm coming in. There was no encore and a couple other songs were left out. They barely got the fireworks set off before it came in... But those fireworks were something else! It was a staggering display, perhaps in part because they were sending more up at a time than usual because of the incoming storm.
While there were a lot of elements of this show that didn't quite turn out as I had hoped, it was still special to have Joe Walsh playing at my Independence Day celebration. ;)