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The
Grove
~
Anaheim,
California Thanks to Sandi for the pictures!
'seeing you again, was the sweetest torture I may ever know" (to quote a song he won't play in concert). Ah yes, another concert year come and gone. Another year to wait for the next tour, hopefully with a new cd on the way.
Mr.
Versatile
was
at
his
best
again,
even
with
a
shiner
on
his
right
eye
he
said
he
got
when
he
popped
himself
with
his
guitar
the
other
night,
ouch.
This
concert
was
a
fun
divergence
from
the
solo
acoustic
tours
of
the
previous
years.
It
was
also
different
hearing
him
inside
a
hall
as
opposed
to
outdoor
venues
like
Red
Rocks,
Humphries
and
the
Greek. I
felt
the
acoustics
of
the
building
enhanced
the exquisiteness
of
his
voice on
his
beautiful
'Leader
of
the
Band'.
I
heard
it
like
I've
never
heard
it
before.
He
adds something
new
to such
old
favorites every
time he
tours.
That's
why
his
concerts
are
never
dull
or
repetitive
but the
words
and
melodies
open
new
windows
on
the
heart
and
soul.
I
believe
the
set
list
was
pretty
much
the
same as
other
venues
although
I
did miss
Beggar's
Game
this
year.
The piano
set
up
was
unfortunate
because
one
could
not
view
the
virtuosity of
his
piano
playing.
So
far
Humphries
has
had
the
best
set
up
for
that
if
you
are
on
the
left
side
of
the
audience.
During
'Make
Love
Stay',
right
after
the
second
line
with
the
word
'exhumed',
a
waitperson
dropped
some
glasses
and
Dan
cracked
up,
it
was
hilarious
timing.
Also
his
guitar
became
out
of
tune
during
the
song
and
we
got
to
enjoy
him
retuning
it,
usually
the
crew
does,
and
it
kind
of
made
me
think
of
him
as
a
young
teenager
again,
learning
to
play
and
just
picking
notes
and
tunes
out
on
his
guitar.
My
sister
saw
it
more
like
a
master
coaxing
the
perfect
sound
from
metal
and
wood.
He
finished
out
the
evening
with
a
set
on
the
electric
guitar.
His
blues
voice
was
in
great
shape,
seeing
as
it
was
near
the
end
of
the
tour,
and
his
Muddy
Waters
rendition
was
fantastic.
A
fun
highlight
was
a
raucous
rendition
of
'Rocky
Mountain
Way'
co-written
by
Joe
Vitale
on
drums.
Dan
can
rock
out
on
the
electric
and
the
crowd
loved
it.
Well,
wish
I
was
going
to
Humphries
tonight.
Seeing
Dan
once
a
tour
is
not
enough.
Thank
you
Dan,
may
we
sculpt
the
souls
of
our
children
as
gently
and
poetically
as
your
father
did
with
yours.
kat3
Dan was sensational! I had no intention of writing a review of this concert, and have no formal play list, but feel compelled to share some high points from this stunning 3-hour performance. This is my 19th Fogelberg concert, and it was indeed a special one. I also appreciated the fact that the woman sitting next to us said I didn't look old enough to have seen him 19 times! Well, I've seen it all, including a concert at the University of Illinois (Dan's and my alma mater), with his father in the audience, while he sang Leader of the Band to him. From my first row seat, I immediately spotted Dan's black eye. He said that he hit himself with his guitar but of course that brought on many snickers. Speaking of guitars, it was great to see all of Dan's guitars that we don't normally see through what has been several years of acoustic shows. I'll admit that my husband and I were skeptical of this band show. We tend to prefer the acoustic shows, and in some of the band shows in the early 90's, Dan seemed to try to rock on every tune, whether it was a rock song or not. Not so on this tour, and the band was fabulous. Dan did an especially nice job on the guitar and piano intros to his songs. There was a fabulous guitar session leading into Changing Horses, always a treat to hear. But the highlight of the night for me was the stunningly ethereal To The Morning, which Dan said that he and the band would play for the first time, as it was intended to be played live, as a gift from me to you, he said. What a gift it was; it had me in tears. He also jokingly mentioned that Home Free finally just received Platinum status, 30 years later. During an especially poignant Make Love Stay, someone dropped a plate on the floor, completely breaking the mood of the song. Dan rolled his eyes, smiled, and then immediately swept himself back into the song. After it was over he said, I probably deserved that. He had earlier been making some jokes about his memory of last year at the Grove Theatre (then called The Sun), when he was making fun of an alleged fried chicken smell. Another high point, always for me, was The Reach. When Dan takes out that 12-string guitar, my heart stops, and you can tell it's him playing even if you are blindfolded. Dan's voice was stronger and clearer this night than it's been in years. Although the nice vocals of the band always help, even during the solos, he was very, very strong. Something was missing though - "THE CHAIR". Yes, the old brown chair complete with brass nameplate was conspicuously missing. Dan also did the usual lovely embellished piano versions of Run for the Roses and Same Old Lang Syne. After the acoustic set, Dan introduced his band, which included Joe Vitale of Joe Walsh/Eagles fame, and Mark Andes, of Firefall, Spirit and Canned Heat (!) fame. Dan mentioned that Joe Vitale had co-written Rocky Mountain Way, and the next thing we knew, Dan and the band did a great rendition of that song with Joe Vitale on vocals! What a treat! Then he talked a bit about Mark, and then went into a rendition of Firefall's Strange Way, which was also great. OK, I'll admit that I did like Firefall. I also liked Canned Heat and was screaming for a Canned Heat song but that wasn't happening. Instead we did get a damn good Muddy Waters song, and, another highlight, Dan played the great Empty Cages from Innocent Age. He really rocked, okay, he kicked ass and I've just never seen him look better on the electric guitar. Dan came back for an encore and on a whim I yelled out "Gambler". To my shock, and a few more tears, he played the beautiful There's a Place in the World for a Gambler, which he obviously had intended on playing. He had us sing during the choruses as usual, but taunted us by making us sing a longer than usual chorus. As if one could top that, he came back for one more encore of George Harrison's If I Needed Someone, done very nicely, with his new (3rd or 4th?) wife on tambourine and background vocals. That's it! I, and many others, walked up to the stage with an outstretched hand hoping for a repeat of the handshake I was lucky enough to get at the Greek Theatre some years ago, but it wasn't happening tonight. No matter. Dan gave us a strong, beautiful show with a smile on his face, and some great classics and rarities to remember. I have been listening to Dan's music since 1975 when I bought Souvenirs and after all these years, I still love this great man and singer-songwriter, who has truly, lived his life so well. Tina Lustig
It was an evening just like any other evening, changing clothes in the bathroom of a gas station in Southern California. Actually, we had arrived near The Grove approximately an hour before the show... ...not enough time to find Sandi's friends house and make it back before the show started... ...so we changed at the gas station. Sandi was glad they had an electrical outlet in there so she could plug in her curling iron.
We arrived at The Grove about a half hour prior to the show. I had brought copies of my sketches of Dan, to give to him, plus my Home Free/Souvenirs Songbook for signing. I only had the copies because I had given the originals to Kim and Sylvia for helping me get back to Indiana to see Dan at the Belterra Casino last year. I explained this on the back of the sketches I had brought with me.
We found our seats and I looked around for Yvonne and family but did not see them. Thanks for the tickets Yvonne! Sorry we never hooked up... ...I was looking forward to meeting you and yours.
I then started hunting down management. Security person one called security person two who said to get in contact with Susan. They did and she came over to talk to me. I explained who I was, about wanting to give the sketches to Dan, and about wanting to get the song book signed. She said she would take them and put them in his dressing room with a note of instructions. I returned to my seat where my lovely lady had already made friends with those nearby. One couple had stated they had found out about the concert being at The Grove from finding Ever On.... ...by the way, that evening at The Grove marked the two year anniversary of Ever On being a web site.
The house lights went low and the band started coming on stage to the accompaniment of applause. "Ladies and Gentleman, Please Welcome Dan Fogelberg". The stage lights came on and Dan stepped to the microphone (No wooden chair, no little wooden table with a cup on it) wearing a tan sport coat, white button up collarless shirt and brown BOOTS. No sandals this go round... ...I liked the boots much better.
Dan was also sporting a huge shiner to his right eye. He said he had banged his head with his guitar. I'm still trying to figure out how to give yourself a black eye with your guitar... ...so that I can avoid doing it.
They started off with Dan on guitar while they played "Magic Every Moment", and being with Sandi at this concert was special. Dang it was great to have her there to wrap my arms around. Dan's voice sounded great... ...it was gonna be a magical evening.
Next up he moved to the piano as they performed "Heart Hotels", always a favorite of mine. "...And rooms filled with reckless pride..." Always a reminder that there is no room in a relationship to be prideful. It doesn't matter who is right, it matters what is right... ...I'm still trying to learn this... ...it is not easy and I ask forgiveness from those with whom I've closed my soul to in the past and would not try to look from their viewpoint or even more so, Christ's viewpoint.
He then moved back to the guitar and center stage for "Hard To Say" and those haunting and truthful lines... "...It's hard to walk away from love, It may never come again...". I pray I never walk that lonely road again.
He stayed with guitar on the next song as well... ...can't remember if it was the same one... ...it seemed like every time I'd blink my eyes he'd be handed a different guitar. (Okay Brett, quit coveting.) The song started of with an instrumental piece and I had no idea what he was going to play... ...then it flowed into "Changing Horses".
Looking
farther
than
you'll
ever
hope
to
see
Those are the feelings I had as I wrote the song "Oh, That I Might See".
He handed off the guitar and moved back to the piano for a song he said that he had never been able to play it in concert the way it was recorded before, so thanks to the band, for the first time he was able to do it. "To The Morning". It was more than beautiful. I believe he wrote this at age eighteen, sitting at the piano in his parents home, watching the sun rise.
And
it's
going
to
be
a
day
I try to think of this when my anxiety gets to me and tries to keep me from facing the day.
He stayed at the piano and played "Run For The Roses" ~ always beautiful. He then moved back to the guitar (not sure which one) and jammed "Morning Sky".
Ooh,
and
it
makes
me
stop
and
wonder
why
Wouldn't it be nice to know from the beginning. It sure would save a lot of broken hearts. But as Garth Brooks (Dan was one of Garth's influences musically as he grew) put it in his song "The Dance":
And
now
I'm
glad
I
didn't
know
Yes
my
life
is
better
left
to
chance
Next up was my favorite waltz of all time... ..."The Reach"...
And
the
morning
will
blow
away
as
the
waves
crash
and
fall
Sometimes we spend so much time hurrying/scurrying along on this planet Earth that we don't stop long enough to smell the roses. After the concert I told Sandi that we should have got up and waltzed in the hallway, still in view of the stage but not blocking the view of others... ...dang I wish I would have thought of it as it was being played.
...I just remembered the Simon & Garfunkel song; "59th Street Bridge Song"
Slow
down,
you
move
too
fast,
My
hope
is
that
we
can
all
slow
down
long
enough
to
take
from
the
reach
all
that
she
has
to
teach
to
the
depths
of
our
souls.
I can't remember for sure but I think after "The Reach", the band left the stage and they brought out "The Wooden Chair" for Dan to go into the Solo Acoustic set starting with "Make Love Stay".
And as stated in the other reviews, those plates crashed to the floor and Dan stated with a smile on his face" I probably asked for that." and it brought laughter to the audience... ...he then finished the song.
I asked Sandi how do we do it... ...I found out that she has about as much an idea how to make love stay a I do... ...who knows?
Still on guitar, he then went into another beautiful intro which leant no idea to what was going to be played... ...it was "Leader Of The Band" which brought much applause from the audience.
At one point during his solo set I saw him tuning his guitar as well, but I didn't remember it being during a song. And my thoughts on this re-tuning was possibly changing to an alternate tuning such as standard to double drop D or any other of the many various tunings that are available. What I did covet was his ability to just quickly turn a couple of the knobs and have it where he wanted it... ...while I must dig out my tuner or use the one on my computer.
He then moved to the piano and again played another beautiful intro that led into "Same Old Lang Syne" ~ Yes, I still love to hear this song year after year, especially when he does a change up of how he starts it out.
Next up he brought the band back out and introduced them. He spoke of the drummer, Joe Vitale, who co-wrote "Rocky Mountain Way" with Joe Walsh so they jammed that one real good. It seemed kinda funny... ...Dan doing "Rocky Mountain Way" ~ took me back to The James Gang featuring Joe Walsh days.
He then said they were going to do a Firefall song as he introduced Mark Andes. I yelled out "Cinderella" (My favorite Firefall song) and Dan smiled and said "No. Strange Way." and then they played "Strange Way". I first heard of Firefall when I was in the Navy and one of my Navy buddies was from Boulder, Colorado, Firefall's hometown. I had never seen Firefall so it was a treat to hear this song live.
They next played a really kickin' instrumental that either:
a)
I
didn't
hear
the
name
of
it.
They next went into a couple of blues tunes. The first was a Robert Johnson number called "Walkin' Blues" I think. I love to hear Dan sing the blues. Robert McEntee kicked in some killer harmonica on this.
The second one Dan said they were going to do one by Mackinley Morganfield and nobody in the audience responded... ...until Dan said Muddy Waters as he is mostly known by... ...then everyone cheered and the band played "Blow Wind Blow".
After that they played a song that became my favorite for the evening... ..."Empty Cages"... ...I love to see Dan play that electric and I love this rockin' song of his.
Long
before
we
come
of
age
we
yearn
to
leave
the
garden
"Part Of The Plan" came up next... ...and one day we'll all understand...
They all left the stage as the crowd roared for more and continued to do so until they came back. And then he sang it... ..."There's A Place In The World For A Gambler". And on the last verse he tried to get us to do the "Let It Shine" without him singing and he kept saying "LOUDER!" so I let loose. I even sang it that other way he does it where he goes up high and then down through the scales. When I did it, Dan looked over my direction with a bit of a surprised yet happy look on his face. And Sandi said other's in the audience looked over my direction when I did it as well. I asked her if he/they were looking my direction because it was bad or good... ...she said it was because I did it well. I hope so... ...oh well, I'll never see those people again anyway. One thing missing from this song was the lighters... ...no lighters being swayed to the song... ...it's okay... ...they could have had all the lights out and it still would not have taken away the joy of hearing this song.
His 2nd encore he brought out his wife and introduced her. I believe, if my memory, or lack thereof, serves me correctly, Dan spoke of the passing of George Harrison. Then they played a Beatles tune, "If I Needed Someone" with Jeanne providing background vocals and tambourine.
And then they were gone...
Sandi was able to talk one of the security dudes to give us the photocopied page of passes.
I tracked down Susan and she ushered us off to a side room where we were to wait for either the band members to come through or Mario to bring my signed songbook. We saw some of the band members leaving through the lobby and we walked up to them, chatted a bit and had them sign the pass page.
A little later a woman came in and talked to this other group of people and said for them to follow her backstage. I followed too. Sandi waited back in the other room. I talked with a couple more band members, got their autographs on the pass page and looked around for Dan. Jeanne was a few feet away talking with the group I had followed but Dan was not in sight. There was a room off to the side of where Jeanne was standing... ...I imagine that Dan was probably in there.
Another man came up and asked what I was doing and I told him I was waiting for Mario to bring me the signed book. He said he would track him down but asked me to wait right outside the door as I had no backstage pass. I waited on the stage and Sandi came and joined me. We shuffled from this spot to that spot as we waited so not to be in the way of the roadies.
Finally the man came out and handed me my book... ...signed by Dan. I had left a black marker for him to sign it with but it was signed in gold... ...which showed up better than the black would. Either he had a gold marker or everything he touches turns to Gold, Platinum or Multi-Platinum.
We could have waited around on stage to see if Dan would come out soon but we decided to call it a night... ...knowing how when Dan leaves he usually keeps on trucking straight to his ride without stopping.
We left through the back of the stage where we saw a crowd gathered outside of a fenced in area. I stopped long enough to show the autograph and then we left.
A beautiful evening with beautiful company...
"Carpe Diem" Brett c]:{
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..
...wherever
our
special
reach
may
be.
