This has got to be one of the best BR shows I`ve been to yet! I got to meet all of the guys, and some people from the board.
We lined up just before 6pm, and waited til 7pm when they finally let us in. We were about the 3rd group in line, and it`s a good thing we got in line when we did, b/c the line quickly grew. The show was supposed to start at 8, but the roadies were stil setting up until 8:45. When they did let us in, we ran to the front of the stage. We met up with Waterbottle, SaraR, Plaid Pajamas, and Dreamer, all from the discussion board. So we passed the time talking about BR and sharing pictures. Collette (Silhouettes) passed out letters to ppl in the front row (all of whome were from the board). The letters spelled out "Hi guys from BR.com". It would`ve said "Hi guys from the BR.com members," but we ran out of ppl. So Sara got to hold the "M" at the end of the sign.
Then we had to suffer through the two opening acts. Well, that makes them sound really bad, which isn`t true. It`s just that we were all waiting for BR. The first group was a tribute band to the Tragically Hip. The lead singer noticed the letters, and asked what they were for. Everyone that had one just hid it and acted like they didn`t have one. The second group was ok, but I didn`t care for them as much.
BR didn`t hit the stage until around 11pm. As soon as they walked out, everyone held up their letters for the band to see. Jim saw them, and walked up to his mic while putting on his guitar, and he had a 'Well what do we have here?' look on his face. He came up to the mic and said "Aw that`s nice." Then he turned towards Greg and said "Hey Greg, aren`t you gonna say hi?" So Greg came up and said "Hello". That`s when we first noticed that he didn`t have much of a voice. Dreamer and SaraR said that he had been up in Havelock performing with the Sadies that afternoon. That`s why they didn`t show up until halfway through Brett`s show. Then Jim said "We`ll talk to you a little later" and burst into the first song.
I figured that they would start with What Am I Doing Here, considering the venue. And the stage was basically facing the ferris wheel! The first three songs were played nearly as one - none stop. For Hasn`t Hit Me Yet Greg tried to get Jim over to his mic to sing it as a duet, but he wouldn`t. Instead he said that Greg was going to do the song with out the band`s help, but Jim sang along as well. During Hasn`t Hit Me Yet, Jim kept looking directly into our camera b/c he ws trying to figure out when the bright light was coming from. After a whie he signalled to us that it ws in his eyes, so we shut it off.
They played a couple songs from the new up-coming album. Bulletproof is an awesome ballad, and Cause For Sympathy is a little more upbeat, but just as great. Both are Jim`s songs. I think Bulletproof is going to be the first single. And it`s quite possible that it could win some awards.
Despite how good the show was, there were some technical problems. First Jim`s guitar string broke during the Diamond Mine solo, and since he needed that guitar, he sat on a chair while it was changed. And he never sat still! He was taping and moving the whole time he was sitting there!! Then there was something wrong with his footboard. That was during the Better Off As We Are solo. He ended up changing guitars, and it looked like he had broken the same string again. He messed up some of the lyrics on BT, so he let us sing until he caught up.
For the last song, Greg tried to get Jim`s help again. And Jim replied with "You sing your stuff and I sing my stuff. That`s the way we do things." He did end up helping him out of course.
WOW! I didn`t realized how much I had written already, and that`s just durign the show. After the show was just as good! After the encore, we went over to the merch stand so I could get a t-shirt and hat, then we went over to the meet`n`greet. I had also got a CMT football from before the show. Dreamer caught it, and gave it to me. (Thanks again, Dreamer!)
The first one we talked to was James. He signed "Hi Jen" and drew a little pic of him playing. Then I got a pic with him. After that we tackled Bob. He noticed my necklaces, one of which said 'Blue Rodeo' and the other one was 'BKITH'. So I explained a bit about Blue Kids, and he seemed quite interested. He asked me if I played, and said to keep working at it and then I might take over his spot in the band. *LOL* He signed my book with a "Tanks Jenn", and posed for a pic. Then we went bakc to where mom was having a pretty good conversation with Bazil. He told us about growing up in the streets of Toronto. And he basically told us when he lives (which I won`t give out b/c I don`t think he`d really want everyone knowing). He signed an autograph with a "Hi Jenn", and I got a pic with him. The we tackled Glenn. We didn`t really talk a whole lot, just dad saying that he did a very nice job on the guitar playing on Falling Down Blue. He signed with a "Hi Jen" and posed for the camera. That was the last one on my film, so I had just enough time to change rolls before Greg and Jim came out. We grabbed Greg and talked to him a bit. I got an autograph and a pic with him, then we really tackled Jim (save the best for last). We told him we were the ones with the light on the camera, and we apologized, which he accepted. Then I got him to sign the pic from the Btfd show. I got a pic with him, and since he`s so much taller then I am, he bent his knees a bit. Then mom and I got a pic with him, and he did the same knee-bend. After the pic was taken I swung my other arm around his waste and gave him a hug. Before we left dad asked Greg when they`d be back in Btfd, which he said won`t be for a while. Then since I wanted to request Flying, but felt funny asking Greg since it`s Jim`s song, I got to talk to Jim some more.
This really was one of the best parts, so it deserves it`s own paragraph. I waited until Jim was finished talking to someone, then I grabbed his attention. This is how the conversation went:
JM: "I`ve got a question for you. When you guys come back to Btfd, could you play Flying?"
JC: "I`m sure we could work it in somewhere." (Think for a sec) "Yeah, and with the horns that would sound neat."
JM: Ok, thanks. You lived in Btfd for a while, right?
JC: "Yup. Up in an area called the Henderson Survey. Do you know where that is?"
JM: "I have a general idea." (I just didn`t want to look stupid about my own city)
JC: "Yeah, I lived on a street called Elm Street. Number 66."
JM: Cool. So did you go to elementary school here?"
JC: Yeah, I went to James Hiller for grade 1, 2, and 3."
JM: Oh cool. I have a friend who goes there."
JC: "Yup. I had the same teacher all three years."
JM: "Cool. Thanks Jim."
Needless to say, when we got back to Btfd, we drove passed his old house. It`s a cute little house, and if it ever goes up for sale, I think I might buy it.
setlist:
