Another adventure, two more cities...
Well, I did it again. I decided to get back behind the wheel and follow my favorite pop musical act Daryl Hall and John Oates. This time, my travels took me through the suburbs of Washington, DC and Charlottesville, VA.
It all started on Thursday the 8th. I was feeling down for a couple of days and needed an escape. My friend Kenna from Georgia had mailed to me a ticket for the Hall & Oates show at Wolf Trap Filene Center in Vienna, VA and as late as Wednesday evening, I wasn't too sure I was going to go. However, I needed a real "pick-me-up" to make myself feel good again, so I went ahead and booked the hotel in McLean, VA. After I got done from work, I headed home, packed some clothes in my travel bag along with some CDs to get me going through the long trip down south.
My first stop on Thursday evening was my parents' house in Cherry Hill, NJ. It had been quite a few months since I last visited there, so I was long overdue. When I arrived at the house, no one was home except my brother Mike, who was working on his laptop Mac. At the table in the kitchen, a plate was left for me along with some warm pork dinner and some cream of mushroom casserole or something like that. Hungry, I dug right in and pigged out like it was Thanksgiving. After that, I relaxed for a bit before my parents came back and brought over old friends that had once lived in our neighborhood. I retreated to my Mom's computer and caught up on some e-mails that needed to be answered before I crashed out for the night.
On Friday the 9th, I woke up to some breakfast my mother made and again, I pigged out to build up some energy for the concert later that evening. Took off at around 11 a.m. just so I can drive without the hassle of rush hour traffic jams that I might confront through Baltimore and Washington, DC. Planning that in advance, it paid off as I arrived shortly after 1:30 p.m. Checked into the hotel and went through my bag to make sure I brought everything I needed. My camera was empty, so I went to the Circuit City across the street and purchased some rolls of film. Got back to the hotel and I see Kenna, along with Susan from South Carolina and Heather from Pennsylvania checking in at the desk. Except for Kenna, no one else knew I was going to this show. I sat down on a bench behind them and waited for them to get their room keys. Kenna looks behind and sees me sitting there. She says, "Hi Mel!", while Susan and Heather immediately turn around to their surprise and say hi as well. As soon as they got their room keys, I went with them to their car to help them bring their bags in. Later, I met up with them at the bar down in the lobby and we have a few drinks. A few more folks show up...Carol, along with Jody and her husband Jerry from Pennsylvania arrive at the hotel and to their surprise, they see me at the bar. The whole afternoon was like old friends getting together for the first time in such a long while. While the girls were getting ready for the show, Jerry and I went to the restaurant and had dinner. That helped kill some time before we went back to our rooms and with a quick splash of soap and water on my face and a change in shirts, I was ready for the show.
We headed to the Wolf Trap Filene Center in Vienna, VA...wasn't that far away from the hotel. Ran into a few old friends...Lisa from Florida, Terri from Maryland and Ed & Karen from my home state of NJ. Met a few more folks at that show...all very nice to talk to! I took my seat down up front, but I was off to the extreme right of the stage, while everyone else got the first couple of rows (those lucky rascals). Anyway, the show begins and we get the following:
Maneater
Family Man
Do It For Love
Say It Isn't So
Getaway Car
Rock Steady
Wait For Me
Do What You Want, Be What You Are
She's Gone
I'll Be Around
Sara Smile
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Ooh Child
1st Encore
Out of Touch
You Lost That Lovin Feeling
2nd Encore
Rich Girl
Kiss On My List
3rd Encore
So Close
Great show...Daryl Hall, John Oates and their band were truly on that night.
As Heather, Susa
n and Kenna went off somewhere to hang out, Jerry & Jody, Carol and I went back to the hotel, took a few photos and went to the bar, not far from the lobby. While we were sitting down having some drinks, some drunk guy none of us have met before comes up to us and starts a conversation with our group. Some of what he was saying made sense, but most of his blabbing was alcohol induced. Fortunately, a friend of his was watching him to make sure he didn't go off the deep end. Jerry & Jody had asked me about the next day and I told them I was headed back to NJ. They offered me Jerry's front row ticket for Charlottesville and I said "I don't know, I have to be back Sunday morning, which means a long 6 hour trip on the road from Charlottesville". Jody said, "Listen, Jerry isn't big on being in the front row and would rather prefer that you have the ticket so you can enjoy it up close with the rest of us". I asked, "What about Jerry? Don't want to leave him out now, do you"? Jerry replied, "It's no problem...I'll go check out the town, hit the swimming pool at the hotel...it's okay". Feeling conflicted, I said I'd have to sleep on it, but they were pretty much convinced that I would go with them to Charlottesville. The offer was tempting, but I had to think about it since it would involve a long trip back to NJ late Saturday into Sunday morning. We all turned in for the night and I crashed out on the bed in my hotel room.
Saturday morning, I wake up at around 5:30 for some unknown reason. I felt torn on Jerry & Jody's offer of going to Charlottesville for another show. Besides the fact that I had a long drive during the overnight to look forward to if I went, but I felt guilty about taking Jerry's spot up front, to which they assured me that it was okay with them. We met up along with Carol for a breakfast buffet later that morning and they asked me if I'm coming with them to Charlottesville. I took a deep breath and said "Okay, I'm doing it". So it was set...Charlottesville for me on my now extended weekend roadtrip through Virginia.
Later that morning, we checked out of our hotel rooms and hit the road for the 2 hour ride to Charlottesville. Found a gas station that sold gasoline for 30 cents cheaper, so I filled up because I knew I was gonna pay out of my ass when I got back to NJ. Arrived in town sometime in the early afternoon, then parked the car in a free garage for the duration of the afternoon and evening.
Jerry, Jody, Carol and me went into the quaint town of Charlottesville...the shopping district reminded me of Cape May, NJ with the main street transformed into an outdoor shopping area. We took some photos of the outside of the Paramount Theater. We also decided in the middle of the afternoon to have a light dinner on the sidewalk dining area of one of the resta
urants. It was then that Jerry noticed T-Bone and he was gracious enough to stop by and pose for pictures. I asked him if they were going to do the old Delfonics classic "(Didn't I) Blow Your Mind" and he told me that they were rehearsing it, but may play it in about a week or so because they weren't comfortable with it yet. Anyway, he left and we resumed our dinner.
Late in the afternoon, Jerry and I hung out in the air conditioned lobby of the hotel while the girls were getting ready. As we were waiting, John Oates along with his wife and son pass by on their way to the van taking them to the theater. John looks at me and asks "How you feelin'"? I responded, "Feelin' good...see you at the show"! Soon, the girls came down and we headed to the theater. Jerry left us and a bunch of us splintered off in different directions, where we saw various members of the band, including Charlie DeChant, T-Bone and Jeff Catania hanging out on the main street among all the shops around.
With about a couple of hours left before the show, Susan, Heather and I we
nt to some wine place called VaVinos. I forget what wine it was called, but I had something that had kind of a sweet candy taste to it, since I'm not much of a wine drinker, but thought to try something different. We then headed to the Paramount Theater and before I took my seat, I made sure to pre-order my Instant Live CD, since they were recording the show for the audience to purchase later that night after the show. Got to the front row seat and it couldn't get any better than that! Anyway, the show got started sometime after 8 p.m. and we got the following setlist:
Maneater
It's Uncanny
Method Of Modern Love
Say It Isn't So
Do It For Love
I'll Be Around
She's Gone
One On One
Wait For Me
Sara Smile
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Ooh Child
1st Encore
Out Of Touch
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
2nd Encore
Rich Girl
Kiss On My List
I'll take credit for shouting out "Method Of Modern Love" for a request, as Daryl Hall had mentioned that they hadn't done that one in a while and they were definitely spot on with that song.
This was a terrific show, set in an intimate theater that held over 1,000 people. Personal thanks to Jerry & Jody for the ticket...I really owe you guys on this and won't forget it next time I see you.
After the show, we all went to the outdoor dining area of one of the restaurants and all had a late night dinner, except me, to which I had a couple of Mountain Dews to kee
p me up all night for the long ride back home. Shortly before 11 p.m., I left and hit the road again, though unfortunately, due to the dark winding roads and the poor signage, I wound up in the wrong direction and headed south instead of north, almost ending up in Kentucky. Soon realizing this, I turned around and said "okay God, I can't get angry about adding an extra 2 hours on the road". So all told, I spent 8 hours on the highway, with a brief 20 minute power nap somewhere on I-95 north of Baltimore. Finally got home at around 7 a.m. and crashed out for a couple of hours before I had to head to work for my Sunday afternoon radio on-air gigs. Man, for me to be on the road this much, I must be doing it for love.
This was a trip that was sorely needed for my mental health as I had been going through a rough patch in my life and was happy to hop into my getaway car for a little fun for a few days. Even with the bumps along the road and the extra time I had trying to get home, it was all worth it.
It all started on Thursday the 8th. I was feeling down for a couple of days and needed an escape. My friend Kenna from Georgia had mailed to me a ticket for the Hall & Oates show at Wolf Trap Filene Center in Vienna, VA and as late as Wednesday evening, I wasn't too sure I was going to go. However, I needed a real "pick-me-up" to make myself feel good again, so I went ahead and booked the hotel in McLean, VA. After I got done from work, I headed home, packed some clothes in my travel bag along with some CDs to get me going through the long trip down south.
My first stop on Thursday evening was my parents' house in Cherry Hill, NJ. It had been quite a few months since I last visited there, so I was long overdue. When I arrived at the house, no one was home except my brother Mike, who was working on his laptop Mac. At the table in the kitchen, a plate was left for me along with some warm pork dinner and some cream of mushroom casserole or something like that. Hungry, I dug right in and pigged out like it was Thanksgiving. After that, I relaxed for a bit before my parents came back and brought over old friends that had once lived in our neighborhood. I retreated to my Mom's computer and caught up on some e-mails that needed to be answered before I crashed out for the night.
On Friday the 9th, I woke up to some breakfast my mother made and again, I pigged out to build up some energy for the concert later that evening. Took off at around 11 a.m. just so I can drive without the hassle of rush hour traffic jams that I might confront through Baltimore and Washington, DC. Planning that in advance, it paid off as I arrived shortly after 1:30 p.m. Checked into the hotel and went through my bag to make sure I brought everything I needed. My camera was empty, so I went to the Circuit City across the street and purchased some rolls of film. Got back to the hotel and I see Kenna, along with Susan from South Carolina and Heather from Pennsylvania checking in at the desk. Except for Kenna, no one else knew I was going to this show. I sat down on a bench behind them and waited for them to get their room keys. Kenna looks behind and sees me sitting there. She says, "Hi Mel!", while Susan and Heather immediately turn around to their surprise and say hi as well. As soon as they got their room keys, I went with them to their car to help them bring their bags in. Later, I met up with them at the bar down in the lobby and we have a few drinks. A few more folks show up...Carol, along with Jody and her husband Jerry from Pennsylvania arrive at the hotel and to their surprise, they see me at the bar. The whole afternoon was like old friends getting together for the first time in such a long while. While the girls were getting ready for the show, Jerry and I went to the restaurant and had dinner. That helped kill some time before we went back to our rooms and with a quick splash of soap and water on my face and a change in shirts, I was ready for the show.
We headed to the Wolf Trap Filene Center in Vienna, VA...wasn't that far away from the hotel. Ran into a few old friends...Lisa from Florida, Terri from Maryland and Ed & Karen from my home state of NJ. Met a few more folks at that show...all very nice to talk to! I took my seat down up front, but I was off to the extreme right of the stage, while everyone else got the first couple of rows (those lucky rascals). Anyway, the show begins and we get the following:
Maneater
Family Man
Do It For Love
Say It Isn't So
Getaway Car
Rock Steady
Wait For Me
Do What You Want, Be What You Are
She's Gone
I'll Be Around
Sara Smile
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Ooh Child
1st Encore
Out of Touch
You Lost That Lovin Feeling
2nd Encore
Rich Girl
Kiss On My List
3rd Encore
So Close
Great show...Daryl Hall, John Oates and their band were truly on that night.
As Heather, Susa
n and Kenna went off somewhere to hang out, Jerry & Jody, Carol and I went back to the hotel, took a few photos and went to the bar, not far from the lobby. While we were sitting down having some drinks, some drunk guy none of us have met before comes up to us and starts a conversation with our group. Some of what he was saying made sense, but most of his blabbing was alcohol induced. Fortunately, a friend of his was watching him to make sure he didn't go off the deep end. Jerry & Jody had asked me about the next day and I told them I was headed back to NJ. They offered me Jerry's front row ticket for Charlottesville and I said "I don't know, I have to be back Sunday morning, which means a long 6 hour trip on the road from Charlottesville". Jody said, "Listen, Jerry isn't big on being in the front row and would rather prefer that you have the ticket so you can enjoy it up close with the rest of us". I asked, "What about Jerry? Don't want to leave him out now, do you"? Jerry replied, "It's no problem...I'll go check out the town, hit the swimming pool at the hotel...it's okay". Feeling conflicted, I said I'd have to sleep on it, but they were pretty much convinced that I would go with them to Charlottesville. The offer was tempting, but I had to think about it since it would involve a long trip back to NJ late Saturday into Sunday morning. We all turned in for the night and I crashed out on the bed in my hotel room.Saturday morning, I wake up at around 5:30 for some unknown reason. I felt torn on Jerry & Jody's offer of going to Charlottesville for another show. Besides the fact that I had a long drive during the overnight to look forward to if I went, but I felt guilty about taking Jerry's spot up front, to which they assured me that it was okay with them. We met up along with Carol for a breakfast buffet later that morning and they asked me if I'm coming with them to Charlottesville. I took a deep breath and said "Okay, I'm doing it". So it was set...Charlottesville for me on my now extended weekend roadtrip through Virginia.
Later that morning, we checked out of our hotel rooms and hit the road for the 2 hour ride to Charlottesville. Found a gas station that sold gasoline for 30 cents cheaper, so I filled up because I knew I was gonna pay out of my ass when I got back to NJ. Arrived in town sometime in the early afternoon, then parked the car in a free garage for the duration of the afternoon and evening.
Jerry, Jody, Carol and me went into the quaint town of Charlottesville...the shopping district reminded me of Cape May, NJ with the main street transformed into an outdoor shopping area. We took some photos of the outside of the Paramount Theater. We also decided in the middle of the afternoon to have a light dinner on the sidewalk dining area of one of the resta
urants. It was then that Jerry noticed T-Bone and he was gracious enough to stop by and pose for pictures. I asked him if they were going to do the old Delfonics classic "(Didn't I) Blow Your Mind" and he told me that they were rehearsing it, but may play it in about a week or so because they weren't comfortable with it yet. Anyway, he left and we resumed our dinner.Late in the afternoon, Jerry and I hung out in the air conditioned lobby of the hotel while the girls were getting ready. As we were waiting, John Oates along with his wife and son pass by on their way to the van taking them to the theater. John looks at me and asks "How you feelin'"? I responded, "Feelin' good...see you at the show"! Soon, the girls came down and we headed to the theater. Jerry left us and a bunch of us splintered off in different directions, where we saw various members of the band, including Charlie DeChant, T-Bone and Jeff Catania hanging out on the main street among all the shops around.
With about a couple of hours left before the show, Susan, Heather and I we
nt to some wine place called VaVinos. I forget what wine it was called, but I had something that had kind of a sweet candy taste to it, since I'm not much of a wine drinker, but thought to try something different. We then headed to the Paramount Theater and before I took my seat, I made sure to pre-order my Instant Live CD, since they were recording the show for the audience to purchase later that night after the show. Got to the front row seat and it couldn't get any better than that! Anyway, the show got started sometime after 8 p.m. and we got the following setlist:Maneater
It's Uncanny
Method Of Modern Love
Say It Isn't So
Do It For Love
I'll Be Around
She's Gone
One On One
Wait For Me
Sara Smile
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Ooh Child
1st Encore
Out Of Touch
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
2nd Encore
Rich Girl
Kiss On My List
I'll take credit for shouting out "Method Of Modern Love" for a request, as Daryl Hall had mentioned that they hadn't done that one in a while and they were definitely spot on with that song.
This was a terrific show, set in an intimate theater that held over 1,000 people. Personal thanks to Jerry & Jody for the ticket...I really owe you guys on this and won't forget it next time I see you.
After the show, we all went to the outdoor dining area of one of the restaurants and all had a late night dinner, except me, to which I had a couple of Mountain Dews to kee
p me up all night for the long ride back home. Shortly before 11 p.m., I left and hit the road again, though unfortunately, due to the dark winding roads and the poor signage, I wound up in the wrong direction and headed south instead of north, almost ending up in Kentucky. Soon realizing this, I turned around and said "okay God, I can't get angry about adding an extra 2 hours on the road". So all told, I spent 8 hours on the highway, with a brief 20 minute power nap somewhere on I-95 north of Baltimore. Finally got home at around 7 a.m. and crashed out for a couple of hours before I had to head to work for my Sunday afternoon radio on-air gigs. Man, for me to be on the road this much, I must be doing it for love.This was a trip that was sorely needed for my mental health as I had been going through a rough patch in my life and was happy to hop into my getaway car for a little fun for a few days. Even with the bumps along the road and the extra time I had trying to get home, it was all worth it.
posted by Mel at 7:00 PM
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