I WENT ON JULY 23RD THIS YEAR! IT WAS LIKE THE BEST TING IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE
WORLD! I SWEAR! THE COUNTING CROWS WERE SUPPOSED TO PERFORM WITH THEM BUT THAT
WAS WHEN ADAM DURITZ HAD THAT THROAT ALIMENT. SO INSTEAD OF 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE
THAT HAD BOUGHT TICKETS, ONLY 7 THOUSAND CAME. BUT HEY I WASN'T COMPLAINING, IT
WAS BETTER FOR US! I HAD SEAT 20. I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE CLOSER, BUT THERE
WAS A FLOOR AFTER THE SEATS THAT MADE US SOOOOO FAR AWAY! MY FRIEND CAME WITH
ME BECAUSE MY FRIEND CANCELLED 4 HOURS BEFORE THE CONCERT! SHE HAD A FAMILY
EMERGENCY. SHE WAS SOOOO UPSET BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T GO! ALL MY OTHER FRIENDS
THAT WOULDN'T HAVE MINDED GOING WERE ALL AWAY FOR THE SUMMER! SO ANYWAYS, WHEN
WE GOT THERE, I WAS A LITTLE UPSET BECAUSE OF HTE SEATS. BUT 20 MIN BEFORE THE
CONCERT STARTED, WE SAW JAKOB GETTING OUT OF THE BUS AND WE YELLED TO HIM, HE
SAID HI, AND ASKED "ARE YOU GIRLS GOING TO THE CONCERT? I SAID "HELL YES!!!!!"
HE SAID "OK, SEE YOU AROUND" HE WAS SOOO FAR AWAY BECAUSE THERE WAS THIS HUGE
FENCE BLOCKING US! BUT HE STILL TALKED TO US! I ALMOST PASSED OUT! SO WHEN THE
CONCERT STARTED, WE ALL NOTICED THAT THE ROWS INFRONT OF US WERE COMPLETELY
EMPTY SO EVERYONE MOVED UP! I GOT TO ROW 3!!!!! THEY DIDN'T LET US GO TO THE
FLOOR THOUGH! EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY 1/4 FILLED UP! 20 MIN LATER, A GUY UP
AND OPEN THE GATES TO LET EVERYONE GO TO THE FLOOR! SO ME AND MY FRIEND RAN UP
AND WE WERE ONLY BEHIND 2 PEOPLE!!!!! HOW GOOD IS THAT?!?! WE MET THESE GIRLS
AND DURING THE CONCERT WE YELLED TO THE WF "WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!!" AND JAKOB SAID
"WHAT?" AND WE SAID IT AGAIN EVEN LOUDER AND THEN HE SAID "WELL I LOVE YOU TOO!"
THE GIRL NEXT TOME PASSED OUT AND I WAS LIKE, OMIGOD!!!!! JAKOB ASKED US IF SHE
WAS OK, (AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I'M PRETTY SURE HE SAID BECAUSE HE DIDN'T SAY IT
INTO HISMIKE) AND WE WERE LIKE "SHE PASSED OUT, SO THIS GUARD CAME AND TOOK HER
AWAY!
LATER ON, ANOTHER GIRL I MET THREW HIM A NECKLACE AND HE SAID "WOW! THANX A
LOT!" (OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT!) SO HE PUTIT ON! OTHER PEOPLE STARTING THROWING
MORE NECKLACES AND BRACELETS HE PUT AS MANY ON AS HE COULD. THEN HE PUT SOME ON
HIS HAT AND THE REST ON HIS MICROPHONE! HOW SWEET WAS THAT! HE DIDN'T JUST
THROW THEM AWAY! THE SAME GIRL THAT THREW THE 1ST NECKLACE, ALSO TRIED TO GIVE
HIM A HAT WHILEHE WAS SINGING I WISH I FELT NOTHING! SO HE WAS LIKE THROW IT UP
IN BETWEEN HIS SONG! SO HE WAS SINGING AND THE GIRL THREW IT AT HIM! HE
COULDN'T CATCH IT WHILE SINGING, SO HE FINISHED HIS LINE AND QUICKLY BENT DOWN
AND PICKED ITUP! HE CONTINUED SINGING AND PUT THE HAT ON! HE LOOKED REALLY
GOOD IN IT! AFTER THE SONG WAS OVER, HE SAID THANX AND THREW THE HAT BACK TO
HER! I CAUGHT IT!!!! BUT I GAVE IT TO HER BECAUSE IT WAS HERS AND SHE WAS A
REALLY SWEET PERSON! BUT I DID HOLD IT!!!! HOW COOL WAS THAT!?! THIS ONE GIRL
THREW A RED BRA TO JAKOB WITHA PHONE # ONIT! HE PICKED IT UP AND SAID....."HEY
THANX" HE HAD THIS FUNNY LOOK ON HIS FACE! ANOTHER GIRL ALSO THREW A CONDOM UP
AND JAKOB COMPLETELY IGNORED IT! GO JAKOB!!!!
WHILE HE WAS SINGING ONE HEADLIGHT, HELOOKED AT ME AND SANG "She hit the end,
it's just her windowledge..." I QUICKLY TOOK A PICTURE OF HIM WHILE HE WAS
LOOKING AT ME! HE SMILED AFTER THAT! THEN HE ALSO LOOKED AT ME WHEN HE SANG
THE 1ST CHORUS OF "JOSEPHINE" THE WHOLE CHORUS!!!!!!!!!! I WAS LIKE WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I COULDN'T SEE MICHAEL THE WHOLE TIME FROM WHERE I WAS STANDING AND RAMI
WASN'T THERE BECUASE JAKOB SAID THAT HE WAS ON "PATERNITY LEAVE" I WAS REALLY
UPSET ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE HIM LIVE! GREG WAS ALSO A LITTLE HARD
TO SEE.
JUST AS THE NIGHT WAS COMING TO AN END, SOME GUY NEAR ME YELLED "YOU SUCK!!!"
JAKOB WAS LIKE "WHAT? I SUCK? HEY MAN, HAVEN'T I BEEN WORKING HARD UP HERE
TONIGHT?" THE GUY WAS LIKE "MAN! YOU GUYS REALLY SUCK TONITE!!!" SO JAKOB
GOES "I REALLY WOULDN'T SAY THAT TONIGHTE BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING THAT I HAVE
A LOT MORE FRIENDS THAN YOU TONIGHT!" AND WE WERE ALL LIKE YEAR!!!!!! SO THAT
BASTARD YELLED OUT "WALLFLOWERS SUCK SHIT!" JAKOB THEN WENT "YOU KNOW THE ONLY
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND ME, IS THAT I'M NOT AN ASSHOLE!" AND EVERYONE CHEERED!
THEN THEY DECIDED TO GO INTO "THE DIFFERENCE"
THE WHOLE NIGHT TOTALLY KICKED ASS! I LOVE IT TO DEATH! WELL IF YOU WANT
YOU COULD PUT THIS UP AS A CONCERT REVIEW! (ANCHIE)
Okay, I couldn't figure out anywher else to put this so it's going here. This
is the letter that was sent to Modern Drummer after Mario's article.
Mario Calire
The remarks and perspectives that Mario Calire shared in your October '97 issue
were very inspiring and influential. Although I have heard only a little of the
Wallflowers' music in the past, because of the interview, I will be open to
listening to a lot more.
Thanks for interviewing the newer drummers on the music scene. It's nice to see
that MD can change with the times. That doesn't imply that MD
should forget the masters of the present and past. But let's give the new
drummers the same opportunities to reach that level of influence.
Dave Maccarone
Rochester, New York
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Hi! It's me, kel. I'm getting rather tired of seeing these reviews of mine on everything, but I guess since I am working on this page with lauren I should be having my own reviews on it, instead of only everyone else's.
28 November 1997 11:37 p.m. My ears are still ringing from the show. I was about four feet from the barrier right next to the speakers on Michael Ward's side. This was the shortest show of my life. Everything from BDTH was played except for "Angel On My Bike" and "I Wish I Felt Nothing." From the self-titled, they played "Ashes to Ashes" and "Sugarfoot." A couple of covers too. They started with a cover of "Tonight's the Night." I wish I knew who does the original version. I couldn't pay attention to any of the members except for Mario. He is the absolute best drummer I have heard live, and that is saying a lot. On going into "The Difference" Jakob said that they had a lot of fun doing that video. They better had since they did it in the place I call home. And he said he was sure that one year ago today they were making the video for "One Headlight" It's a lot warmer than it was then, I can vouch for that. It's about twenty degrees warmer here than in upstate. There was so much energy tonight. Since Mario doesn't have a microphone, you couldn't hear him, but he was singing along to all the songs. He's got a lot of character in his face. I can still envision him singing along to "Tonight's the Night."
I forgot what time they came on, but I guess they were up there for almost a hour and a half. Time flew by for me. I can't wait to go back tomorrow. I don't have to mess around with souveniers or anything so I know when to show up and can head straight for the stage area tomorrow. I started taking drum lessons exactly a week ago and all I hope is to be half as good as Mario is one day. Right before his drum solo, he (Jakob) introduced Rami again and said "he's busy making paper airplanes." After the solo, he introduced Mario as Mario "skinnier than you" Calire. One girl threw a card onstage with a drawn picture of Jakob on it. Even I was impressed with that one. I have a hard time drawing people and getting it to look the way I want it to.
The crowd was mostly high schoolers,lot of chaperones too. A lot of couples who refused to separate themselves (I'm sure you know what I mean.) I don't have anything against high schoolers, but they scream too much, and since it's before their voices change, it's a high pitched squel. Overall, the best concert yet (don't tell my dad.)
29 November 1997
11:41 p.m. I kinda wonder what would have happened if rightnow I was hanging around the back of the Roseland instead of sitting here in a terminal awaiting my departure time (in less than 2 hours). Another awesome show. They played "I Wish I Felt Nothing" instead of "Josephine." I am still dying to hear "Angel On My Bike" live. This time I showed up four hours before the show started. I only got like a second row seat. There were too many kids pushing their way towards the front. They opened again with "Tonight's the Night." I think I'm falling in love with that song. After "Three Marlenas," Jakob looked at a girl in the front row and said that he usually doesn't get curious, but why does she have a large box of cassettes and they'd better not be Wallflower bootlegs. She gave it to him and he said that he won't tell if she won't tell and put the box on the drum throne.
I got a pick! I wasn't even trying. During Jakob's intro to "6th Avenue," I felt something hit my collarbone and start falling down my shirt. After I felt the shape of it, I was shocked. I've seen so many fans scream and fling their arms for one and here it just fell on me. I've decided to carry it with my swiss army knife, which goes everywhere with me in my right pocket of my jeans. I really want to try and see their shows in Vegas on the 26th and 27th. Jakob said that they've been to NYC a lot in the past two years, but they won't be around for a while after tonight. BUT when they return, they'll have a bunch of new songs to play.
I need to see Mario play again before they disappear into a recording studio for several months! I also am really wishing to meet him, but I don't want to do it "the groupie way." I figured that one of my most desirable wishes is to have a drum lesson from him. I'm learning a different way than he learned though. I can't possibly explain how much I love his drumming. During the intro to his solo, Jakob said that it's his favorite part of the show and he still gets choked up when he thinks about it (meanwhile Mario is laughing). He called it an old-fashioned rock-and-roll drum solo. I, of course, loved it. It was slightly different from last night as I recall.
Just watching them I get the same feeling as I do when I see Aerosmith play. I just can't believe they're there in front of me doing what they do best and love. It doesn't seem real. I am just so absolutely in love with seeing them in concert. I could stand in that audience listening to them for the rest of eternity and never feel tired.
The encore also marked the end of my adventure for the weekend. As of tomorrow at about 6:30 a.m., I resume my roll as a suffering Cornell student. There's always hope that one day I will be able to hang out with Mario as friends and that maybe one day I'll be the one up on the stage on the drum throne and some other young musician will be writing a similar passage.
