Subject: 05/04/94 - The National Midnight Star #959 ---------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 May 94 16:36:39 -0500 From: junoks@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Julie Oneida) Subject: my pittsburgh review (finally!) It's taken me some time to recover from this one enough to write a coherent review. It was definitely the best oen so far. Some members of our party will tell you we met Alex at the hotel before sound check... I'd say, more accurately, Mike and John got his autograph. Geddy wasn't there :'(. This group I mention was all those who got together at John Santore's apartment, mostly #p/g!ers. I think there were eleven of us: John (Slythex), Mike (Jvi), Amy (Brangwen), Tom (AnalogKid), Dave (tvos), Susie (Catwoman1), me (Rivendell), Jimmy (Rush(-mgr)), Steve (Oaf or Rrang), Jamie (Snow Dog), and another Mike (Rocinante). The show itself... Minor sound problems in that one speaker was blasting in my left ear... not to mention the occasional bursts of feedback... but hey, for the location I can't really complain. I was supposed to be at about the 7 o'clock position (stage is 12) on the first level, but the security didn't really care as long as I didn't take someone else's seat, so I was more around 9:30 or so, right against the wall instead of back six rows. The energy was a bit low to start with, but I refused to let it bug me. When the energy did begin to build up, it was kinda frustrated at first, as if there were tiny problems to clear up. Not that you care. Two guys behind me watched me headbang to Stick it Out (one of these days maybe I'll learn to stretch first! I had a sore neck for three days!) and air-bass half the songs, and I think they thought I was pretty cool. One of them lent me his lighter for my candle (yup, I had it again) because mine wouldn't start. Jimmy had said beforehand that they might be replacing Mystic Rhythms with Bravado. Now, I like Bravado and thought it would be nice to hear it live, but I *LOVE* Mystic Rhythms! So when they DID do Bravado, I nearly flipped, but to my delight they had merely added it. So I lit my candle for Mystic Rhythms (hey, it's for magic, ok?) and kept it going through CTTH. I wonder if anyone's ever going to scrape off the wax that's now on the ledge? Probably not. Introductions: Mean Joe Green, Mr. Rogers, and "He takes the puck, he shoots, he scores!" Mario Lamieux. Someone in our group had predicted that one. (I think it was John... he's the one who wants a hockey team called the Willowdale Snow Dogs.) This drum solo is seriously competing in my mind with the MSG one... I'm not sure which was better. Maybe I'll have to put them down as a tie. A guy just over the wall from me went orgasmic over Xanadu. I told him he'd never guess what they followed it with. So when Hemispheres started... he didn't care. But these two guys behind me went orgasmic! Sometime around the Trees I had gotten an idea. (And you could probably have seen the smoke coming out my ears too :^) ). I developed it, smiled viciously, and bided my time. The lights went down after Tom Sawyer, so I hopped the wall, walked right past three security guards, and hopped up on a chair in the third row. Actually it was the second row of chairs, but the fourth row of people, but whatever. I was close enough to see that Ged had green lenses in his sunglasses and was wearing Lee jeans (I'm serious!). I blew Alex a kiss and he turned his head to catch it. I think Geddy smiled at me (of course I can't be sure, but he was looking in my general direction when I waved, and there were only me and one other girl on the chairs...). Anyway he has such a cute smile. He smiled a lot during this show, unlike in others when he looked so serious... well, they did say they like Pittsburgh! He also let his hair fall in his face during Yyz, and at the end of Animate, which looked cool. At the total end of the show, Geddy picked up a drumstick and tossed it into the audience. Someone behind me got it, but the whole section dove for it. I fell halfway between the chairs, ripped my dress, and stepped on a short girl while getting back up. No pain. Afterwards we had the party at John's, joined by a few who hadn't been with us earlier. This time there were thirteen in two cars, the other two being Nick and Matt, who we met at the arena before the show. I won't go into detail on how we all fit... it wasn't fun. At the party we had a jam going, mostly Dreamilne and Limelight, and in the morning we played "In the Mood" with John on an upholstered drum set :^), Dave on guitar, and Mike playing acoustic guitar as if it were a bass. I sang what I knew, and Steve filmed. Later we had lunch at Max and Erma's (a restaurant) (thanks Steve for clearing up the bacon/backbacon thing!), then took a tour of CMU, then headed off for our various places of origin. And so ended a great few days... so great we kept calling it the weekend! To sum it all up I have written a song, to the tune of Lakeside Park. It's called "Pittsburgh Show." I hope you like it. Pittsburgh Show =============== Music by Lee, Lifeson, and Peart Lyrics by Juno Hours of travel brought us to the meeting place At John Satntore's apartment we were in a state of grace Net freaks came from miles around and partied through the night We captured every moment in Steve Cogswell's camera eye! Pittsburgh show, what show to see! Pittsburgh show, NMS party Lots of friends and things to do; A guided tour of CMU. Hotel bars and autographs in the afternoon Deep anticipation, for the show was starting soon Friends down in the front row, but secrity was bored So I went and joined them during the encore. Pittsburgh show, what a show to see! Pittsburgh show, no security Zima, Sprite, and Molson Ice Helped top off that glorious night. Everyone did gather on that April Wednesday To go to Civic Center where our favorite band would play. And if I should have the chance, on every tour I'll go Because this trip was so much better than San Antonio! Blessed be, Julie Oneida -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- "I will hold the candle till it burns up my arm." -Pearl Jam, "Difference" -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- -*- ----------------------------------------------------------