Hall & Oates March Madness - Part 3

Third Saturday in a row this month finds me at my parents' house in suburban southern NJ in preparation of the Saturday night sold out show at the Tower Theater in Upper Darby. This is the most anticpated show, since this is Daryl Hall & John Oates' home turf, just a hop and a skip outside Philadelphia. Any Hall & Oates fan will tell you that you haven't experienced the excitement of their concerts until you see them in Philadelphia.

Lots of stuff going on throughout the day...lots of friends from out of town coming in for this show, including a pre and post show/party by the terrific Hall & Oates cover band Out Of Touch playing down the road from the Tower at J.D. McGillicuddy's.

Saturday March 18, 2006...Philadelphia mayor John Street declared it Daryl Hall & John Oates day, so excitement was in every Hall & Oates fans' hearts. More details about this day on the Hall & Oates website. One advantage of my favorite music act playing in Philadelphia is that I get to go home and see my parents in southern NJ...last time I saw them was Christmas time and boy, did they feed me well. Right after a late lunch, I hit the showers, got dressed and left my parents' house around 3:15 p.m. and told them not to wait up for me, because I planned on getting in late.

I got into Philadelphia, though I should have gone with my first instincts on getting there instead of following the directions I got from Mapquest. Saturday afternoon traffic was a bit heavier than expected but eventually I passed by the Tower Theater and decided to stop by J.D. McGillicuddy's in Upper Darby that afternoon to see Jim (jimmysoul) and his cover band Out Of Touch perform a semi-acoustic laid back set, playing songs like "Everything Your Heart Desires", "Everywhere I Look" and other great Hall & Oates tracks and soul classics. This was just a taste of what his full band was to play later in the night. Met up with Arlene, Nancy, Eileen (someonelikeu), Liz, Rhonda (grover), Chris (OhiosCJ) and others, just catching up with each other and sharing various H&O stories. Sometime around 6:20 p.m., Jim and some of the members of Out Of Touch wrapped it up for the afternoon portion of their set and I headed up to Tower Theater for the Hall & Oates show down the road.

Got to the Tower Theater, but since I knew that parking close by was not an option, I parked in a cheap $5.00 lot about a few blocks away. It was nearly 20 years ago when I last visited the Tower to see Mike + The Mechanics in 1986 and the neighborhood hadn't really changed that much...it was one of those places where you wanted to go see a show and once it was over, you wanted to get the heck out of there. Technically, the Tower Theater is in Upper Darby, but a few blocks east on Market Street and you're in a run down section of West Philadelphia. Took some great shots of the marquee and the "Tower" before I got in line to get into the show. Ran into some familiar folks, including LuAnn (crazy4_h&o) and Beth (ParkAveGirl).

The doors opened and immediately went for the souvenir stand to pre-order my Instant Live CD, so that I could take home a CD copy of the show after it was over, especially since this was the "homecoming" show for Daryl Hall & John Oates. Went into the theater shortly afterwards and I was escorted to my seat...9th row a bit to the right, but deep into the middle of the row. Nice seats...this was a night I'm sure Hall & Oates fans were going to remember for a long time.

Shortly after 8 p.m., opening act Geoff Byrd takes the stage, playing his 5 song acoustic set. A self-professed Hall & Oates fan, he wrote a song with John Oates and peformed it with Tom "T-Bone" Wolk, who came out to play keyboards and Jeff Catania played the electric guitar. Like the last 2 times I saw him at the Beacon Theatre in New York 2 weeks ago and at last week's Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, Geoff did an impressive job, warming up the crowd for a great night of music.

After Geoff Byrd left the stage, I met up with Dana & Laurie, Kenna (Forever4H&O), Vicky (SoulAlone1), Bryan (bry_p), Jody (UWatchGirl) and many others who either flew or drove in from out of town to see Hall & Oates perform. Suddenly, the lights dim and a bunch of us latch onto the stage. Others follow suit and the area between the front row and the stage (which didn't have a lot of space) was filled up with people anticipating a great "homecoming" show. A familiar tune hits the speakers...MFSB's "The Sound Of Philadelphia" plays, which is apropo for the city they were playing in and the band comes out, plays along with the song for a bit before Daryl Hall & John Oates hit the stage for the Tower Theater crowd. However, Daryl & John and the band continued for another minute, playing along to "The Sound Of Philadelphia" before breaking into the following set list:


Maneater
Say It Isn't So
How Does It Feel To Be Back
Want To
Love TKO
Getaway Car
It's A Laugh
She's Gone
You Are Everything
One On One
Sara Smile
I Can't Go For That
Fall In Philadelphia

1st Encore

Out Of Touch
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

2nd Encore

Rich Girl
You Make My Dreams
Kiss On My List (opening act Geoff Byrd joins them for this one and shares lead vocal with Daryl)

2nd Encore

So Close


"Fall In Philadelphia" from the Whole Oats album was simply amazing! Hall & Oates, as has been customary for the better part of the last 10 months were very receptive to requests, especially for "Want To", "It's A Laugh" and "Love TKO" (I swear, Vicky and I must have had that same thought in our brains when we both shouted out for that one). Their version of the Stylistics classic "You Are Everything" is just filled with Philadelphia soul and Daryl Hall really puts his heart into it.

Security were real sticklers that night as they asked many folks, including myself, to stop taking pictures. At one point, my batteries went dead, so the advance planner that I am, I had back up batteries and put the dead ones on the floor. A security guard came up to me and politely asked me for my batteries. Darn it...what's a guy supposed to do? I put my street smarts into action, picked up the dead batteries and gave it to the security guard. What an imbecile! He had no clue that I gave him the spent lithiums and I laughed behind his back, knowing that the fresh batteries were still in my camera! Towards the end of "It's A Laugh", they forced the folks up against the stage back to their seats and I think it might have taken some of the steam off the show from there, but didn't stray from the quality of the music. During the encores, they pretty much gave up and let as much people as they could up against the stage. At one point while I was close to the stage during "Out Of Touch", I noticed Lori (Board Admin) taking pictures from the side of the stage, so I waved to her and she waved right back.

As soon as the show ended, Bryan and I left the pit area and we waited in line for the Instant Live CD. Just to get that live version of "Fall In Philadelphia" played in Philadelphia was worth the price alone for the double CD. After I got my CD, I saw Eliot Lewis and decided to pick up his CD as well. He was gracious enough to pose for a picture with me. Bryan and I left the venue and we headed down the road to J.D. McGillicuddy's where a good bunch of the H&O fans came to see Jim's band Out Of Touch perform a full band set. Having already seen them in the past few weeks, I let those who didn't get to see and hear them judge for themselves how good they really are and all had agreed that Out Of Touch does a wonderful job in covering the Hall & Oates classics, especially songs that Hall & Oates just don't really play anymore. One highlight of the night was the Out Of Touch band's rendition of "Camellia", which rocked the crowd there! Got to see Christin (she flew all the way from Sweden for this night), who I hadn't seen since New Year's Day 2005. Left the bar at around 1:45 a.m. and headed home, thinking what a great day it was to be a Hall & Oates fan.

Whew! My Hall & Oates March Madness has come to its conclusion and how fitting it was to round it up for me in Philadelphia. I have to say I've had so much fun in the past 3 weeks, going to these shows and meeting up with other fans. All I can say is "thanks" to all of you for the memories and to Daryl Hall & John Oates and their band for playing some of the best music...truly the soundtrack of my life.

Hall & Oates March Madness - Part 2

Unlike the last time on the day of the Beacon Theatre show, I was able to sleep a bit late in preparation for my long road trip to eastern CT for the Daryl Hall & John Oates show at Mohegan Sun Arena. Packed a couple of Coca Colas and a Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino to keep myself awake throughout the day and for the ride back to NJ later in the night, since I wasn't going to be staying for the night. Confident that my digital camera was working like a charm, I packed it along with a fresh pair of back up batteries just in case I needed them and my CD Walkman for some tunes on the ride up. Quick late breakfast of Thomas' English Muffins with butter and garlic salt and I was good to go.

I left NJ shortly after 12 noon and spent a good part of the ride on the cell phone, hands-free device in place with Vicky (SoulAlone1). We were just chatting for a bit, which was good for me, since I knew the whole ride up was gonna last for over 2 hours. Anyway, I decided to stop by Dexter's Cafe in Groton, CT that afternoon to see Jim (jimmysoul) and his cover band Out Of Touch perform a full band set. And a terrific set it was...playing songs like "Alone Too Long", "Possession Obsession", "Did It In A Minute", a medley of "Used To Be My Girl/My Girl", "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby", "Bigger Than Both Of Us" and other Hall & Oates and soul classics. I'm not saying this because I'm a Hall & Oates fan, but these musicians are truly talented and are really onto something here. To the best of my knowledge, I have not seen nor heard of a cover band dedicated to playing Hall & Oates music and Jim's band fit the bill nicely. And from what I've seen from the locals who were just there to drink and socialize at the bar, they were also impressed with Out Of Touch. Make sure you visit their website at www.outoftouchband.com. Met Susan (ladyrainwait4me) and her husband at Dexter's and they were very nice, just chatting up about past Hall & Oates shows and other stories. Shortly after 6 p.m., Out Of Touch wrapped it up and I headed up to Mohegan Sun for the Hall & Oates show at the arena.

Approached the Mohegan Sun area and it really is in a distant part of eastern Connecticut. Being that it was my first visit to the casino, I didn't know what to expect, but I found myself parked on the top level of the casino, free parking to go with it. The facilities are beautiful, with a lot of American Indian motif surrounding the premises. Took a picture of the lighted Hall & Oates billboard display out in the hallway before I went looking for the will call window to pick up my tickets. While I waited in line to get into the arena, a very nice couple whom I never met before came up and introduced themselves to me. They said that they read my stories, seen my pictures and my appearance in the audience on the 2003 Daryl Hall & John Oates "Live In Concert" DVD. We talked for a bit and shared some stories as well.

Finally, the venue let us in, but for the first time in a long time, I came upon a venue where they searched everyone for weapons and other contraband. Panicked and fearing that it would be confiscated, I tucked my digital camera inside the front of my pants. I didn't mind the search from security, as I felt comfortable that this was a necessary precaution in this day and age of homeland security. Fortunately, they never found my camera and I went in on my merry way. Found the souvenir stand and pre-ordered my Instant Live CD, so that I could take home a CD copy of the show after it was over. Went downstairs shortly afterwards and I was escorted to my seat on the floor...8th row all the way to the right. Nice seats...had a good feeling that this was gonna be a good show.

Shortly after 8 p.m., opening act Geoff Byrd takes the stage, playing a 5 song acoustic set. He's always been a Hall & Oates fan, who recently wrote a song with John Oates. At the end of his set, Tom "T-Bone" Wolk came out to play keyboards and Jeff Catania also showed up to play guitar for the final song of his set. Like his set at last week's Beacon Theatre show in New York, Geoff did a wonderful job, which warmed up the crowd.

After Geoff Byrd left the stage, I met up with Lisa (Halfdressed), LuAnn (crazy4_h&o), Michele, Josie and a couple I met in Virginia last year and subsequently have run into a few shows with them since then. I forget their names, but they got to experience the VIP Gold Circle treatment and were fortunate to meet Daryl Hall & John Oates. I asked them about it and they were truly impressed and glad they got the opportunity for the "backstage experience". Suddenly, the lights dim and a bunch of us cling onto the stage, where we would ultimately stay for the whole show. Others follow suit and the area between the front row and the stage was filled up with hundreds of people anticipating a terrific show. A familiar tune hits the speakers...MFSB's "The Sound Of Philadelphia" plays and I suddenly get flashbacks of the great "2004 Rock & Soul Revue" tour. The band comes out, plays along with the song for a bit before Daryl Hall & John Oates hit the stage for the Mohegan Sun Arena crowd and we get the following set list:


Maneater
Say It Isn't So
Las Vegas Turnaround
Do What You Want, Be What You Are
August Day
Me And Mrs. Jones
Do It For Love
She's Gone
Cab Driver
One On One
Sara Smile
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Ooh Child
What's Going On

1st Encore

Out Of Touch
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

2nd Encore

Rich Girl
You Make My Dreams
Kiss On My List (opening act Geoff Byrd joins them for this one and shares lead vocal with Daryl)


What a unique show this was! You can't really compare it with other shows, because that would be unfair...like comparing apples to oranges. Hall & Oates were very receptive to requests, especially for "Las Vegas Turnaround", "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" and a stirring performance of the rarely heard live "August Day" from their 1978 album Along The Red Ledge. On a side note, we almost didn't get "August Day" because there were problems with the keyboards, but luckily for us, the problem was licked and we were treated to that rarity. We also got their version of Marvin Gaye's classic "What's Going On", but I'm beginning to think that it's been added to their standard set, since they performed that one so brilliantly.

Kudos to security for letting the fans stand up close to the stage area and allowing us to take pictures throughout the whole show! This is a rarity, especially at a casino venue as high profile as Mohegan Sun.

As soon as the show ended, I said goodbye to my friends and waited in line for the Instant Live CD. I'm tellin' ya...this is a great concept for concert goers who want to take a professionally recorded version of a show they were just at instead of the old fashioned bush league method of sticking a microphone in the air and hitting the record button. Left the venue and was on the road again for nearly 3 hours. Talked to Vicky in Florida again on the phone to give her a rundown of the events at Mohegan Sun. Got home shortly before 2 a.m. and drifted off into sleep, anticipating my next show...

Tower Theater - Upper Darby, PA...the adventure continues on Saturday March 18th.

Hall & Oates March Madness - Part 1

Saturday started with me waking up at 5:40 a.m. to make a drive all the way out to eastern Pennsylvania for a radio station appearance at one of the ski resorts. Soon after that, I drove back into New Jersey, but I had to work on the radio at www.wsus1023.com from 3-7 p.m. I've been wired up in anticipation of last night's Hall & Oates show at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, my first of three shows to attend this month. While I watched the time pass working on the radio, I checked on my new digital camera to see if it's up and running with fresh batteries and took with me a back up camera, just in case. Dunked my head under the sink and shampooed my hair so I wouldn't smell like I've been at war. Oh cool...I got to play Hall & Oates "I'll Be Around" at around 3:43 p.m. and "She's Gone" at around 5:28 p.m.! Wore my long black leather coat for this occasion. I also pre-recorded my 6-7 p.m. hour on the radio; that way, I was able to book on out of the radio station and hit the road to New York.

Ran into some minor traffic jams heading towards the Lincoln Tunnel, but knowing that I had another hour to go, I didn't sweat it. Once I got into New York, finding a parking spot was the challenge. I spent about a half hour driving around 80th-82nd Street looking to park the car, but no dice...I ended up going into a parking garage. Got my digital camera and ticket and walked a few blocks to the Beacon Theatre. Took some test shots of the scenery on Broadway to make sure the camera was working properly and as I came upon the Beacon, I took a photo of the marquee.

Upon entering the Beacon, I was greeted with a mob of people in the lobby as this event was obviously sold out. I felt this wonderful feeling of anticipation of a great Hall & Oates show walking through the lobby and into the theatre. Lots of excitement in the air as I run into lots of familiar faces...Jen, Scott, Azuree, LuAnn, Ed & Karen, Jim, Michael, etc. I spend a little time catching up with old friends before the lights dim and I head to my 2nd row seat.

Geoff Byrd was the opening act, playing a 5 song acoustic set, which got the crowd excited. He mentioned that he had always been a Hall & Oates fan and in fact, wrote a song with John Oates. He brought out Tom "T-Bone" Wolk to play keyboards and Jeff Catania to play guitar for his last song. Great job by Geoff Byrd...he's got a great future ahead of him.

One thing that bothered me about my seat was the monitor speaker that was blocking a good part of my view of the stage, so I talked to the security guard standing there and he allowed me to stand against the stage throughout the show. Excellent...I was gonna make sure I made full use of my digital camera from my spot! The lights dim again and the band takes the stage. Daryl Hall & John Oates appear to the enthusiastic New York crowd and we get the following set list:

Maneater
Family Man
Say It Isn't So
Method Of Modern Love
How Does It Feel To Be Back
Do It For Love
I'll Be Around
Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)
She's Gone
One On One
Me & Mrs. Jones
Wait For Me
Sara Smile
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)
Ooh Child
What's Going On

1st Encore

Out Of Touch
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

2nd Encore

Rich Girl
Kiss On My List (opening act Geoff Byrd joins them for this one)

3rd Encore

So Close


If there was one Hall & Oates show to be at, this was the one! The Beacon Theatre rocked with appreciation for Daryl & John and they and the band gave it back to the crowd with a truly memorable performance. They were definitely spot on with the songs performed and took many requests from the audience. I'll take credit for "Method Of Modern Love", though two other people a few rows behind me had the same idea. During "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)", I stopped taking photos just to see this one with my eyes and hear this one with my ears. Daryl Hall completely blew everyone away this song. Another highlight for me is when "Ooh Child" was about to end, they seamlessly segued into the Marvin Gaye classic "What's Going On". All I can say is "WOW"!

As soon as the show ended, I left the venue and headed to The Gin Mill, a few blocks away from the Beacon Theatre, where Jim and his Hall & Oates tribute band Out Of Touch were playing. Jim's band were truly terrific, as they played songs that Hall & Oates almost never play anymore...songs like "I'm Sorry", "Abandoned Luncheonette", "Art Of Heartbreak", "Looking For A Good Sign", "Your Imagination", etc. They have a deep respect for Hall & Oates music without resorting to gimmicky flashy 80s outfits. If you're a Hall & Oates fan, you definitely need to check out Jim's band at www.outoftouchband.com. I decided to stay for the aftershow party until around 1:30 a.m when I took Azuree home to Long Island...she said that she was going to take the train home, but I offered her a ride, since it was very late at night and I didn't want anything to happen to her heading back. Finally got home at around 4 a.m. and immediately went to sleep, thinking about the next show to attend...

Mohegan Sun in CT...the adventure continues on Saturday March 11th.