Orpheum Theatre - Boston, Ma

We got to Saturday´s venue, the Orpheum Theatre in the heart of beautiful Boston a few hours early to make sure the international ticket reservation had come through. There was a nice breeze blowing from Boston Common, and through the open doors of the theatre you could already hear Dan doing his soundcheck, strumming the intro to "Nexus" and later playing a few lines from "To the Morning" on the piano. This was the first time I actually started to believe I was finally get to see the man live later that day. It´s really hard to describe the euphoria I felt in these minutes...

Anyway - about three hours later, the 2000-seat ancient theatre was pretty packed, the spotlight directed at that fampus wooden chair, and at 7.50 Dan walked onto the stage - dressed in black jacket and pants, with a white shirt - greeted by standing ovations from an enthusiastic crowd. From the opening chords of "Nexus" to "Forefathers", the fourth song that night, I was pretty much overcome with all sorts of emotions at really being "there" after more than 23 years of listening to Dan´s music from far away.

The acoustics in the old hall were superb, as was Dan´s playing and singing. The first piano songs, "Beggar´s Game" and "To the Morning" - moved not only us to tears, as did the frenatically cheered "The Reach" later in the program.

Dan was funny, witty and very releaxed - introducing his guitar technician Doug about five times, telling the audience just how hard it was for him to end a six-week sailing vacation in Maine to get the fall tour on the road and replying to shouts from the audience with very cool one-liners.

It came as a shock that exactly two hours had already passed when Dan came for a second encore, "Along the Road" - wishing everybody a safe trip home, which he considered unlikely "as the streets of Boston seem to be getting weirder and weirder every year" (there´s an incredible amount of road construction going on all over the city).

We hung around with a handful of other fans for another hour after the show, standing by the waiting limo and hoping to get a chance to say hello - but were eventually asked to leave by some not so friendly security people.

I don´t want to make this too long here, but it was an awesome experience. Dan Fogelberg is a fantastic singer, musician and songwriter - and also a charming entertainer and performer. If there are plans for future US tours in the years to come, I will certainly hop on a plane again! I´m sad it´s all over already, but I´m already looking forward to the next time... "but when will the next time be?"

Christian

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So Fogelberg was back in Boston this year. Here are some thoughts on the experience. I would like to add I had second row seats, so things were magnified a bit. If I screamed for "The river" he would have heard me no doubt, but I decided not to be crass........

I enjoyed this show for a few reasons. First of all it was the closest I have ever been. In an intamante theatre like the Orpheum. It make you feel like you are basically onstage with him. Being that close makes so much of a difference.

The set list (with an exception which I will get to) was the standard job.

Nexus
Hard to say
Forefathers
Last nail
Make Love stay
Beggars game
To the morning
Road beneath my wheels
Mule Dance
Buckaroos Midnight ramble
Reach
Run for the roses
Over and over
Longer
Leader of the band
Morning Sky
Part of the plan

E1: Old lang syne
E2: Along the road

Now for my rants
As you can see he was not choosing Boston 2000 to shake up the old set list. “Nexus” is wearing thin as a set opener. It is a great song but is beginning grow tired as slot the 1 song night after night year after year, decade after…….“Over and over” was back in the setlist this year. Though the “Carpenter” and “I need you” covers were omitted. I would have preffered the latter, or maybe a new cover song or two. “ Mule Dance” is an instrumental he toyed with before. It is similar to the “Yule dance” and other instrumentals from “First Xmas” + he played on the summer 98 tour. Lazy Susan was omitted this time around. So number of songs from “Twin sons” came in at zero. He did throw in a nice slide blues instrumental before “Road beneath my wheels.” The “Innocent age” 5 spot ( leader, hard to say, make love stay, roses and old lang syne) tunes were the usual waste of a setlist spot one and all. And one day Dan is going to toss these warhorses from the setlist once and for all. When the impovisation part of “Old lang syne” is the same it has been for years it is time for a change, I mean really Dan. Ditto on “Part of the plan.”

The status quo:
“The reach” was played and got the most applause as it so often does. It was played fine, nothing too special. But it has become a highlight of the show for many and I respect this. Especially growing up on the ocean . Longer was the first Dan song I heard on the radio, it is warhorse no doubt, but I kind of have a place in my heart for it,as I do early Van Halen! “Morning Sky” is one that I would never pick to be in the setlist as it is not from “Inoocent age” and not one of his best known tunes. I am glad it is though. I know it is coming and still look forward to it after all these years. I think it features some of his best country style guitar work.

Dan introduced “To the morning” as the first song “he ever gave a hoot about” Some may consider it a warhorse too, but I find it stands up over the years, and also gives us are only view into “Home free.” His piano playing is also perfection on this tune as well. And being so close for this show, I felt like I was hanging on each note he played. As he hit the last note the lights went dark. It was pretty special, and reminded me of why I continued to come to see him year after year.

“To the morning” has always been my highlight but it was out done by a surprise this year, THAT IS RIGHT A SURPRISE. I was about to leave but found it odd that the lights had not come on yet. I looked on the side of the stage and Dan was still there fiddling with the 12 string. I went bonkers. I have been around long enough to know we were coming back. I started to scream “ Gambler” only because I figured that was the only one we had a shot of hearing. He did come back out to thunderous applause. He grabbed the mike andsaid “this is a travelling song.” Right then , I remembered the post from summer tour that had said he played this somewhere. Seattle? Here it was in all it’s glory “Along the road.” What can I say it is 70’s Dan, beautful lyrics, the acompanying guitar is from the heavens. He stood right in front of me and I was mesmerized. It may be my Dan highlight moment.

I said if he played that same damn setlist again I was going to be absent from his next Boston appearance, then he came back out for that second encore and tossed me a major BIG bone………let me know when tickets go on sale for next year!!!!

Matt