Gotta Love "this" (the) Ride - Mr. Big's New Single

"So sublime, and beautiful for those who dare."
(Lyrics from "Gotta Love the Ride.")

Such is the new song by Mr. Big.  Uh yeah, not "sublime" and "beautiful" in a "Promise-Her-the-Moon" kinda-way.  But "sublime" in classic Mr. Big bluesy-sound-that-I-LOVE kinda way.

"Gotta Love the Ride" is the first single from Mr. Big's soon-to-be-released album, The Stories We Could Tell, which will be available September 23, 2014.

This song embodies everything that I enjoy about a good Mr. Big song.  The song is catchy without sounding like "pop" music.  Bassist, Billy Sheehan, and drummer, Pat Torpey, solidly drive the song, providing the perfect backdrop for Paul Gilbert's bluesy riffs on guitar.  And then there's Eric.  Eric Martin, lead singer.  He's definetly one of my top five favorite singers of all time.  I really...love...his...voice.

And may I say that I'm not a musician.  I am a MUSIC LOVER.  And while I know that musicians absolutely DROOL over Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey, as do I--I'm no exception to that--I don't hear things in the same way that a musician does, and can't appreciate their "awesomeness" in the same way a musician can.  Soooo, good vocals and lyrics are the biggest part of the equation for me.  Enter Eric Martin.  He never disappoints.  Powerful, bluesy vocals....MAN! He makes you feel it, right?

I also have to say that lyrically, I really like this song.  I hope I got all of these lyrics right--part of the chorus goes like this...
It's not the taste of things to come
But the journey that you're on
You may never get where you think the road's goin'
But the key to paradise
You gotta love the ride

So true, Mr. Big.  So true.

So if you have't already downloaded this single from iTunes, you should totally DO IT RIGHT NOW!

But if you're like me, and I know a bunch of you are, I'm not going to pre-order the download of the whole album.  I WANT to have the CD in my hands.  I want to read, NO DEVOUR, the inside cover.  I want to read all of the lyrics, see who wrote what song, and, just for fun, I like to read who "thanks" who.  So if you're like me, may I suggest clicking the image below and preordering the CD?    Aaaaannnd, Amazon offers a release day delivery option so that you don't have a torturous wait for the CD to arrive while all of your friends are downloading and listening to the CD ahead of you.  Cuz, yeah, that would totally suck!



So amidst the wait for the new CD, and (I'm hoping ) an announcement of a US tour, I hope you all have a wonderful autumn!

As Always, Best Wishes,
Erica Basile
PS.  Prayers sent Pat Torpey's way, who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and won't be touring with the band.  I wish him all the best as he journeys through this difficult time.

Photo from http://www.mrbigsite.com

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links."  This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Nelson 25th Anniversary Tour (First Show of the Tour)

Concert buddy, Kate and I headed out on another--oh yes, another trip to see Nelson--this time in Appleton WI, where Nelson was performing "An Evening With Matthew and Gunnar Nelson," the first show of their 25th Anniversary Tour. 

Before I go any further, may I take a moment to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of my readers.  My last blog, and only my 11th blog so far, received approximately 550 reads!  I'm so thankful for all of you who have taken the time to read my blog, and I LOVE when you respond, which most of you have done through Twitter or FB.  I'm really thankful for your support and encouragement.  And do feel free to share my blog, if you like it.

Since Appleton is about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Chicago, Kate and I decided to stay 2 nights in a hotel near the venue.  When we arrived in Appleton the night before the concert, we decided to hit the streets in search of a salad.  As we were strolling along, we heard Motley Crue playing through out-door speakers across the street from where we were walking.  (Pardon this inside joke for Kate, "when in doubt, follow the Crue.")  Just like the story of the Pied Piper, we followed the music into a bar, and I'm so glad we did.  Our little across-the-street-journey led us to a spot called Mill Creek Bar.  While Kate and I were sitting at the bar, having a beer and glass of wine respectively, the manager/DJ, "Toe Knee V's 80's," noticed that Kate had a Bon Jovi iPhone case.  Toe Knee who could possibly be better known as a "VJ," since he always plays the corresponding music video with whatever song he's playing, played Bon Jovi's Blood on Blood for Kate and me on Mill Creek Bar's BIG screen TVs--all 13 of them!  We mentioned to Toe Knee and Emily (the very sweet and upbeat bartender) that we were in town to see Nelson perform at the Fox Cities PAC the following evening.  Toe Knee and Emily told us that Toe Knee himself was a big Nelson fan, and he played us THREE Nelson videos right on the SPOT!  I can hear you, Nelson fans.  You want to know what videos Toe Knee played.  He played Love and Affection, of course.  And After the Rain, OF COURSE.   But he SURPRISED us when he played Keep One Heart, PROVING that he is indeed a true Nelson fan, since so-not-everyone knows that song!  Toe Knee invited us to the pre/post Nelson concert party at the bar the following evening.  After assuring him we'd be there, we headed back to the hotel.  We LOVED this place and couldn't wait to go back until the next day!

Kate and I moseyed around town Friday until it was time to get ready for and go to the concert.  We arrived at the venue early because Kate and I each bought a VIP package that included a meet and greet with Matthew and Gunnar before the show.  Upon arrival, the VIPs were greeted by Kari, Matthew's wife, who was our hostess for the evening.  (She was very friendly!  Both Kate and I really liked her!)  All of the VIPs were given a package containing a lanyard, a Greatest Hits and Rarities CD, and a black and white promo picture of Matthew and Gunnar.  (BTW, Nelson imaginary suggestion box - we would really like a guitar pick from one or both of you in our next VIP package!  You know, the kind that has your name on it.)  After a short wait, the VIPs were escorted to a room in the venue.  Matthew and Gunnar arrived moments later.  We sat on chairs around them in a circle, and at one point, Matthew made a joke about how it felt like we should have a campfire and make s'mores!  One of our VIP perks included Matthew and Gunnar performing a never-heard-before song from their upcoming album.  Before the song, which was called A Thousand Wild Horses, Matthew and Gunnar, in true Nelson story-telling spirit, related how the song came about.  Matthew sang lead vocals on A Thousand Wild Horses--a great song--I'll be glad to hear that one again when the new CD comes out.   After that, Gunnar wanted to sing a song too, and subsequently sang a beautiful love song that he's written.  The guys had a few minutes left and decided to take a request from the VIPs, with the stipulation that it had to be a song that they could play on two acoustic guitars AND that it could not be a song that they were performing later.  VIPs promptly starting voicing their requests, but all of the requests were either a song that Mathew and Gunnar were doing, or a song that was not viable with two acoustic guitars.

I have to take a side note here and say that MY FAVORITE NELSON song of ALL TIME is To Get Back To You.  FOR WEEKS, I had been saying to Kate, that if I could only hear JUST ONE SONG, I would want it to be To Get Back To You.  Kate kept reminding me that I had NO CHANCE WHATSOEVER of hearing that song.  But when opportunity presents itself, and the preverbal door opens, you just have to walk through it.  Back to the story--as people were shouting out requests that couldn't be fulfilled, I finally mustered up the courage to say, "To Get Back To You."  Gunnar pointed at me and said, "What did you say?"  I repeated, "To Get Back To You."  Gunnar immediately started trying to play it on his guitar, and Matthew joined in shortly after.  Gunnar said that they had never actually played that song live, and that it was, and I quote, "a good song."  Yes, Gunnar, I wholeheartedly agree!  Gunnar looked at me and said that he couldn't remember how the song started.  I hurriedly blurted out, "LOST AND ALONE!"  He began singing, "Lost and Alone...." and looked at me again.  I replied, "Yet nobody knows!"  He sang the next line...and the next...I had to help him here and there, BUT I GOT TO HEAR MY FAVORITE NELSON SONG!!!  Gunnar shared how he couldn't do the guitar solo, because, Steve Lukather, from Toto, played the solo on that particular song, so it wasn't one that Gunnar had learned.  When they were done singing, Kate looked at me and said, "Now you can die happy."  Yes, Kate, I can.

After singing, To Get Back To You, Matthew and Gunnar signed autographs and took pictures with us all.  Kate and I had the black and white glossy included in our packet and our lanyard signed.

Here is my pic with Matthew (left) and Gunnar (right).

Can I just say that sharing Matthew and Gunnar with a small crowd of VIP's feels like you have them all to yourself and is well worth the $150 investment.  Keep that in mind, Nelson fans, when they come to your town!

After our VIP meet and greet time was up, the VIPs were escorted to our seats in Nelson's "special section."  Word to the wise, Nelson's special section for this show was 12 rows back.  Kate and I feel like our seating is just BARELY close enough if we're hanging off the stage in the front row, so these weren't the "best seats ever" for us (not complaining, just informing future concert VIPs with similar front-row needs/desires).  In the future, Kate and I plan to find out where the special section actually is, and if it's not somewhere in the first couple of rows, we will buy our own seats in addition to the VIP package.  Fortunately, Kate and I bought seats when the tickets went on sale before the VIP packages were announced, so we sat in our previously purchased 5th row seats.

Moving on to the show...it was great!  It was similar to a Ricky Nelson Remembered show in the respect that it was Matthew and Gunnar on stage with their guitars, telling stories about each song--except that they did THEIR songs--which is FANTASTIC if you're a Nelson fan.  They didn't disappoint, as they performed songs expected by fans like Love and Affection, After the Rain, All Shook Up and More Than Ever.  They also did a few of their dad's songs like Dream Lover and Garden Party.  And for the uber Nelson fan, they even threw in a couple songs like Girl Like That (thank you, Matthew and Gunnar, we LOVE that song), and Keep One Heart (one of Kate's favs of all time).  Kate and I were fortunate enough to get a set list, although they didn't stick to the set list, choosing to be more impromptu.  (Here's a pic of the set-list below.)

The best part of the show for me came as Gunnar (pic above, or 2 pics above if you're reading this on your cell phone) was announcing Won't Walk Away.  He began to talk about a "young lady" (haha! he WAY overshot the "young" thing) in VIP who knew his words to his own songs better than he did (yeah, he was talking about ME--since I was the one feeding him the words for To Get Back To You).  He said that he wished he knew where she was so that she could be his teleprompter as she lip synced along to his songs.  Kate and I laughed and stood up and yelled, "I'm (she's) right here!"  That may go down as best Nelson concert moment EVER!

And I'm sorry to say that no video was allowed for the show.  Kate recorded most of Love and Affection, the first song that they did, until an usher relayed the "no videos allowed" news.  The venue may have announced that earlier, but we weren't there for the opening band, since we were en route to the hotel and back for our 5th row tickets, which we had left in our room.  Below is the "contraband" recording of Love and Affection.




As the show was ending, Matthew and Gunnar announced that they would stay after to meet fans.  Since this was a Nelson crowd (as opposed to a Ricky Nelson crowd) almost all of the people stayed to meet them, including Kate and me.  When we got to the front of the line, Matthew greeted me with a hug, and a "thanks for coming."  After we chatted it up for a couple minutes we took one more pic with them.

   
We gave our well wishes to Matthew and Gunnar and went across the street to Mill Creek Bar, where we were greeted by Toe Knee and Emily.  While having a nice glass of Merlot (me) and a beer (Kate), Toe Knee played more, YES more Bon Jovi for us!  This time he played Someday I'll be Saturday Night (one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE Bon Jovi songs).  AND OF COURSE, TOE KNEE PLAYED US NELSON!  He played both Love and Affection and After the Rain, and THEN, he played an OLD version of Nelson's Be Still.  Kate and I, fueled by our Nelson high and a wee bit of alcohol, SANG Be Still LOUDLY.  (Nay, PERFORMED BE STILL!  Too much?)  Well regardless, we demonstratively sang along with the song (that's a fair way to describe it, I think).  As we sang a group of our very own fans gathered around to watch us.  Well, it was more like stunned, mouth agape, "What are those two girls doing?" looks.  But, whatever.  We were on a "I-don't-care-what-you-think Nelson high--or should I say, "You see, you can't please everyone so you gotta please yourself."  (#GardenParty)

After hanging out for a while, we thanked Toe Knee for an awesome night and headed back to our room around 1:00 a.m.  (By the way, if you find yourself in the Appleton area, you MUST stop in at this bar.)  Here is a picture of Kate and our with our favorite DJ, Toe Knee.

I couldn't end this blog without a few pics from the show.  Below are some pics that Kate snapped that we both like.

All of my Matthew pictures were blurry, so here a couple from Kate.

I really LIKE THIS ONE!

Here is Gunnar (L) and Matthew (R).

VERY NICE GUNNAR PIC! Thanks, Kate!

One last Matthew pic for the Matt girls.

Kate and I had a FABULOUS time and can't wait for Nelson to come around again.  I hope you get to see them soon too.

Best Wishes,
Erica

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links."  This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

We're Travelin' Man to See Nelson in Iowa

"I have Friday off from school.  Wanna go cause some trouble with me?" texted concert buddy, (school teacher) Kate.

"What do you have in mind?" I replied.

"Nelson is playing in Iowa."

"IOWA? All the way in IOWA?"

"Yeah, it's only about a 2-2 1/2 hour drive."

"Really?  That's it?  Yeah, I'm in."

One week later, Kate and I trekked west to Iowa to see Matthew and Gunnar Nelson perform Ricky Nelson Remembered at the Isle of Capri Convention Center and Casino.

Kate and I arrived at the hotel attached to the venue and checked in.  After getting settled in our room,  we strutted over to the convention center to scope out Section B, where our general admission seats were located.  Kate and I are "seat snobs" and like to get as CLOSE TO THE STAGE as possible.  The closest seats to center stage were in Section A, which was set aside for high rollers--which Kate and I are NOT--so  Section B was as good as it was going to get for us that night.  FORTUNATELY, Section A was a small section in the middle, with Section B surrounding it, with front row seats on either side.

With our target seats in mind, we headed back toward the hotel.  Kate, who is obsessed with her iPhone 5, which DOESN'T HOLD A CHARGE, noticed that she was running low on batteries, as usual.  DUH!  Which meant it was a life and death matter for us to find an outlet in which to plug Kate's phone.  We found a cozy little corner with a bench, and outlet nearby, and sat down to check FB and Twitter while her phone charged.  While we were scrolling through FB, Matthew and Gunnar passed by with their gear.  We exchanged fast, "Hello's" as they were on their way.

Once Kate's phone was charged, we went back to our room to get ready for the show.  The hotel attendants had advised us to LINE UP EARLY to get good seats.  So at 4:00 pm (the show started at 7:30, with doors opening at 6:30), we got in line.  We happened to be the first ones to line up by the door, with several other fans showing up to stand in line with us less than 5 minutes after we arrived.  Within an hour the line had grown considerably.  Not long after that, the convention center staff admitted all of us entrance to the venue ahead of schedule.  By 5:45 Kate and I were in our seats, front row, Section B the two seats closest to the center isle.

 May I just take a minute to say that if you are a Nelson fan, a Ricky Nelson fan, or an Ozzie and Harriet fan, I highly recommend this really enjoyable show.  In between songs, Matthew and Gunnar captivate the audience as they share personal stories about their father's songs and memories of their family.  They also have video clips with artists such as Paul McCartney and Kris Kristofferson talking about Ricky Nelson's influence on the music industry, accompanied by clips from the Ozzie an Harriet show, and personal videos from Matthew and Gunnar's youth.  For you Ricky Nelson fans, the guys performed songs like Stood Up, Travelin' Man, Hello Mary Lou and Garden Party.  And listen up, Nelson fans, I was surprised by just how many Ricky Nelson songs that I knew.  In fact, I think that there was only one with which I wasn't familiar.

I don't want to ruin any surprises in the show, so I'm choosing to leave out a lot of details that I could put in this blog.  I would, however, like to share a personal story from the show.  At one point Gunnar was in the audience playing his guitar--right in front of us--that was NICE, Kate, wasn't it?  Anyway, there was a woman of mature age (Ricky Nelson fan, I'm guessing) off to the side of the front of the stage trying to snap a pic of Matthew.  Gunnar happened to spot what she was doing.  He snatched her phone from her, took it up to the stage and took a picture of Matthew up close for her and then handed her back her phone.  Needless to say the audience roared with laughter.  (Matthew and Gunnar are so engaging in concert...I hope you go see them if they swing by your way.)  I was trying to take a picture of Gunnar while he was up close, but unbeknownst to me, I had my camera on video, so I got this scene--all 10 seconds of it--on video and I thought I'd share it with you.




Of course, Nelson fans, the guys always do at least one Nelson song for the Nelson fans in the audience.  Here it is, Love and Affection.  (Yeah, yeah, if you're one of my regular readers, you know that I am NOT the best videoographer around, but it's the best I've got...so enjoy it anyway!)




When Kate and I saw the Ricky Nelson Remembered show in the Chicago suburb of St. Charles recently, Matthew and Gunnar stayed after the show to greet any fans that wanted to meet them.  But the Isle of Capri show was a bigger venue and a bigger crowd, and we both figured that there wasn't ANY CHANCE that they would stay after to greet fans again, BUT at the end of the show they announced that they would stick around to greet fans that wanted to meet them.

Before getting in line to meet the guys, Kate was lucky enough to snatch one of Matt's guitar picks and I got a set list, 'cause that's how we roll, right, Kate?  Here's the pic!

With set list and guitar pick in hand, we got in line to for the after-show meet and greet.  Here is Kate's picture with Matthew (left) and Gunnar (right).  I know that you have glowing demon eyes in this pic (#eviltwin) Kate, but Matt looks way too good here not to share it.  I know, I know, you're taking one for the team, and we all love you for it.  Yes, Gunnar's right eye has a bit of the "demon glow."  You're rubbing off on him, I see.

Aaaannnddd, here's my pic with Matthew (left) and Gunnar (right).  Yes, you're right, Kate.  This is a better picture of Gunnar than in the pic with you...he looks good here!

(Actually, when Kate and I saw Matthew and Gunner in St. Charles, our pics turned out way better.  If you want to see those pics you can click here.)

Kate and I both had a great time watching Matthew and Gunnar perform, and I hope to see them again soon.  Since the Iowa show, they've been promoting on both FB and Twitter a #Nelson25Anniversary tour.  We're hoping to see them just once more...

On that note, here is the last song Matthew and Gunnar played at the Iowa show, Just Once More.




Kate says, who are we kidding, we'd see them more than, "just once more."  Kate, STOP RUINING MY AWESOME OUTRO!

The BATHROOM song, Kate?  That's how we're gonna end this thing?  What's that, Kate?  It's "cheeky?"  No pun intended.  Uh huh, right.  You totally intended that pun.  OK.  Here goes.




Yeah, I can't top that.  I've got nothing...nothing more to say.

Until next time...

All the Best,
Erica Basile

Nelson, Right Before "Our" Eyes

I'm so glad you stopped by my blog today.  I can tell you right now that this is going to be one of my FAVORITE BLOGS EVER.  Concert buddy, Kate, and I got to see Nelson perform the Ricky Nelson Remembered concert in St. Charles, Illinois at the Arcada Theater on Sunday, March 30th.

I want to give a fast "shout out" to the Arcada Theater.  It's a beautiful old "Chicago" theater, similar to something like the Rialto in Joliet.  They have a lot of great acts come through, and the staff is so very helpful and warm.  If you live in the Chicagoland area, you should check it out.  You won't be sorry you did.

I have to tell you, concert buddy, Kate is "helping" me write this blog so I don't forget anything; meaning peering over my shoulder and bossing me around.  It's MY BLOG, Kate!  Kate says I'm the bossy one.  She's probably right...

If you live in the Chicagoland area, or if you've been tracking the weather this winter, you know that we've been knee deep in snow since December.  We even had freezing temperatures (and snow) earlier this week.  But, by some act-of-God miracle, the snow melted and we had sunshine with temps in the low 60s, so Kate and I decided we'd get to town early and explore the St. Charles downtown area.   We arrived at the theater around noon and took dorky selfies with the venue's Ricky Nelson Remembered poster in the background.  The pics turned out AWFUL, but we tweeted them to Nelson anyway (yes, Kate, because we are GIANT DORKS).  As it turned out, there was a Starbucks next door to the venue.  And, oh MY!  We LIKE Starbucks don't we, Kate!  Consequently, we sat and chatted the afternoon away in a cozy spot we found in Starbucks.

If you follow me on Twitter, FB or Instagram, you know that I LOVE music, especially 80s hair band/metal, and if you know me/follow me you know that my two FAVORITE BANDS of ALL TIME are NELSON and Bon Jovi, so I was really excited about seeing the show later that evening.  By the way, I had NEVER seen Nelson in concert before.  When Nelson did their big show in Chicago in the early 90s, I was standing up in a wedding that day and couldn't be there.  As Kate could tell you, because I've listened to Nelson for so many years, and had not yet seen them perform, I was flustered and SHAMELESSLY fangirling all day!  (Yes, Kate.  Just like I am now writing this blog.)  After all, I'd been waiting 24 YEARS for this show.  Kate wants me to let you know that Nelson is one of her all time FAVORITE bands too.  (She says "hashtag" TeenIdols!)

A while later, Kate decided she didn't like where she was parked and wanted to move her car.  I was strolling along outside waiting for Kate when I saw an usher arrive for work at the venue.  I asked him if he knew what time Nelson would be going on that night because we weren't sure if we wanted to watch the opening band.  He said, "Come on in and we'll find out."  Come in early?  Is that OK?  He assured me that it was fine and I told him that I had to wait for my friend to finish parking her car.  BUT KATE TAKES FOREVER TO PARALLEL PARK!  Back and forth, and back and forth...  JUST PARK THE D*MN CAR KATE!  I was trying to wave her in so that we could go with the usher, but she just smiled and waved back and kept parking her car.  By the time Kate got to me, the usher had given up and gone away--not joking.

We ventured inside anyway to ask the big "scary" security guard what time Nelson was going on stage, and guess what?  The security guard ended up being a super nice guy!  He told us to wait "right there" while he went in the theater to find out for us.  While we were waiting "right there," we could see through a tiny opening between the doors to the stage.  Kate and I were FLOORED to see Matthew and Gunnar RIGHT ON THE STAGE!  The security guard came back to tell us to be in our seats no later than 5:30 pm, and then let us in on a little secret (that I PROMISE we didn't tell anyone--we were SWORN to secrecy) that Nelson would be joining the opening band for their last song.  We thanked him for that info and ASSURED him we'd be in our seats for the opening band.  He was asked us if we were big Nelson fans.  The answer?  YES!  WE ARE!

He immediately invited us to come in to the back of the theater with him for a few minutes.  (Kate and I STILL can't believe he did that!)  He was laughing at us as we were swooning over our fav guys and asked us if this brought us back to our teenage years.  "You have NO IDEA," we both responded.  THEN Kate took out this pic that she had of Gunnar signing her shirt in 1991.

The guard thought Kate's pic was so cool that he asked if she'd like it autographed.  WHAT???  IS HE FOR REAL???  YES, OF COURSE she wanted it autographed!  I got out my Lightning Strikes Twice CD and asked if that could be signed too.  He didn't seem to think that would be a problem.  He told us that they are the NICEST guys that have come to perform at the theater.  He said that he couldn't put into words just how "great they are."

Then he asked if we'd like to meet them.  Uh, yeah!  He said that he would have to ask Matthew and Gunnar, but he didn't think it would be a problem.   He relayed the time and place where we were to rendezvous with him so that he could take us backstage if they were agreeable to meet us.  After that, we let our new security guard best buddy get back to his "real work."

We went back to Kate's perfectly parallel parked car (Kate's calling me a smart a**!  HA!), and just sat there wondering, "Did that really just happen?"  A few minutes later the security guard came walking around the corner with our autographs!  OK.  It's the day after the show and I'm still TOTALLY freaked out!  #Fangirling!  Here's the pic of my autographed CD (below)!

We barely composed ourselves. Just. Barely.  And when it was the designated time, we headed back to the Arcada Theater to meet our new best buddy security guard (whose name I remember, but don't want to use here).  It ended up that the schedule to go backstage to meet Matthew and Gunnar had changed, so we made our way to our seats.  GOOD SEATS!  (You're welcome, Kate!)  I snagged the good seats for us!  ;)

The opening band was The Cadillac Casanovas.  The crowd--mostly Ricky Nelson fans--loved them.  The Cadillac Casanovas said that they do a lot of The Everly Brothers and Ricky Nelson songs.  And as promised by our security guard friend, Matthew and Gunnar took the stage with The Cadillac Casanovas for their final song, a Ricky Nelson song, called You Know What I Mean.  The whole crowd was so excited.  It was such a great moment.

After a short intermission, Matthew and Gunnar came on stage to perform Ricky Nelson

Remembered.  Honestly, if you are either a Ricky Nelson fan or a Nelson fan, this show is a MUST SEE!  I expected to know a good portion of the songs, because my parents listened to Ricky Nelson often, but I couldn't remember any specific songs of his (Ricky Nelson's).  However, when Matthew and Gunnar started playing Ricky's songs, I was AMAZED by how many I knew.  What surprised me even more is how many songs that I would have known even without my parents influence.  So even if you're just a Nelson fan, and not a Ricky Nelson fan, GO!  JUST GO!

Matthew and Gunnar shared sweet, I mean sweet--heartfelt, stories from their youth about their family, including their dad and thier grandparents, Ozzie and Harriet.  The show also included video clips from the Ozzie and Harriet Show, and a home video from when Matthew and Gunnar were little. They kept the audience laughing with their playful brotherly banter throughout the show, which was absolutely charming.

And YESSS!!  Nelson fans, they did Love and Affection!  It was SO NICE to hear a Nelson song!

During the intermission, we found our security guard buddy, just as he'd asked us to, so that he could take us to meet Matthew and Gunnar.

While we were waiting, we were standing next to the lead singer from The Cadillac Casanovas.  He was saying how Matthew and Gunnar are the NICEST guys (seems like I've heard that somewhere), and that he couldn't believe that Ricky Nelson's sons did a song with him.  He told us that Ricky Nelson is his hero, and that to play with "Ricky's sons" was a "dream come true."  I'm not exaggertaing his words.  He kept repeating that he just couldn't believe that it had happened, and what really great guys they are.

Now it was time for us to go backstage, and by this time the whole security crew somehow knew who we were and were asking us if we were OK and still breathing!  HAHA!  Wait!  We're not sure!  Are we still breathing?  They were getting ready to place bets on which one of us would pass out and which one of us would cry.  We promised to keep it together!  And, honestly, I AM STILL FLOORED that this happened, but here we are backstage with Matthew (left) and Gunnar (right)!

When we initially walked in the room I said, "Hey guys!"  Matthew shook my hand and Gunnar shook Kate's hand first, and then we switched.  (And, yes, Kate, I totally hogged Gunnar right after the handshakes!)  Matthew immediately asked which was one Kate and which one was Erica!  OMG!! They remembered our names from signing the autographs!!  I mean, seriously.  If I just met you, five minutes later, I probably would have to ask your name again, because I forgot.  And MOST people that I've come across are that way.  But here's our favorite rock stars and they knew our names!  I'm STUNNED!  After a quick pic with the guys, and managing NOT to pass out or cry (shout out to the security team), we made our way back to our seats.  (By the way, I have to say here that the security team was careful to tell us that what they did for us is not something that they can do all the time.  I totally didn't expect it THIS TIME as it was happening!)  

I don't want to say much more about the show, because I WANT YOU TO GO SEE IT!  It was SO GREAT!  I will say this, Matthew and Gunnar invited the Cadillac Casanovas to the stage to play with them for a good portion of the second half of the show.  The crowd--mostly my parents' age--LOVED it!  And I was so happy for that lead singer who had already said that ONE SONG with "Ricky's sons" was a dream come true.  I would have loved to know what was going through his head getting to do a "set" with the guys!

Toward the end of the show, Matthew and Gunnar played their song Just Once More. They dedicated this song to a family who just recently experienced the loss of someone near and dear to them.  It was a very touching moment.

As the show was coming to a close, they announced that they were hanging around afterward to greet any fans that wanted to meet them.  WHAT??  Are you KIDDING ME??  YES, we got in line for that!

Since Kate and I had already met them, we decided to go to the back of the line and let the other fans go first.  Gunnar and Matthew are gracious to their fans.  They signed autographs and/or took pictures with everyone in the line that wanted one.

When it was our turn, I asked if we could each have a picture with them.  YES!  WE COULD!
Here's Kate's pic (L to R, Gunnar, Kate and Matthew).

      
And here's mine! (L to R, Gunnar, me and Matthew).

Then Kate asked them if they would come back as Scrap Metal soon.  Kate, I LOVE YOU!  Thank you for asking them!  Gunnar said that they just got a new manager for Scrap Metal recently and that they probably could.  YAY!!!  Then Kate turned to Matt and told him that they were her teen idols (Ricky Nelson has a song that they performed that night called Teenage Idol).  Can I just take a minute to say that they CAN'T be my "teenage idols" because I was about 20 years old when they released their first Nelson CD!  Kate's poking fun at me for being "older" than she is.  You should hear her!  GASPS!  Between me and you, you ARE the "evil twin" Kate.  Moving along with the story I started, Kate said to Matt that they were her "teen idols" and MATT GAVE KATE A BIG HUG!

MEANWHILE, Gunnar was talking to me, telling me the bands that are now involved in Scrap Metal, and in my peripheral vision, I see Kate getting a hug from Matt and I just about pass out!  AND I TOTALLY MISSED what Gunnar was saying TO ME, which was TOTALLY STUPID because I am a GUNNAR GIRL!!!  And all I could manage to squeak out to Gunnar was, "Awesome."  DUH!  Not my best moment ever.

We were saying our goodbyes when the security crew insisted that we get one more pic with Gunnar and Matthew!  Well, OK.  If you insist!! HAHA!
Here it is (L to R, Me, Gunnar, Kate, and Matt).

Man, Kate!  I hope we get to meet them AGAIN when they come back as Scrap Metal.  Kate says that shouldn't be a problem since we're "best friends" now (with Matt and Gun)!  HAHAHAHA!!  I just had to pick myself up off the floor and wipe tears of laughter from my eyes.  Good one, Kate!

But truly, Nelson fans our age (Yes, Kate! I'm OLDER!), GO SEE THIS SHOW!  Kate and I had a great time, and are really looking forward to (we hope, fingers crossed) Scrap Metal coming to Chicago.

Until next time...

All the Best,

Erica Basile

We Got It Going On in the Front Row at Bon Jovi's Chicago Show

Hi friends and Jovi's!

I'm so glad you stopped by my blog today.  For those of you who are new around here, I'm a busy mom of three (what Mom isn't busy, right?) who recently decided to take back control of my life, including going out and having fun with the girls.  I also recently decided to start VLogging (video-blogging) my adventures about being a mom who has returned to school (college).  You can check out my YouTube Channel with my VLog by clicking here.  And my, oh, my, I can already tell this this will be one of my FAVORITE blogs as I reminisce about how I had front row for Bon Jovi's October 23rd show in Chicago.  But it didn't start out that way...

You see, when Bon Jovi comes through Chicago, they usually perform two or three nights at one venue (usually the United Center or Soldier Field.)  We Chicagoans were pretty bummed out when Bon Jovi did only one show in July at Soldier Field on their 2013 tour.  But much to our DELIGHT, in September, Bon Jovi announced a second date on the 2013 tour in Chicago.  This time at the United Center.  I had enough money saved up for one fan club ticket, without the backstage tour, and I had a friend lined up to go with me, should I be lucky enough to score two tickets for the Fan Club pre-sale.  Well, I WAS fortunate enough to snag two seats, row five, seats 3 and 4, section 2 (Richie/Phil X's side).  Concert buddy, Melody, and I were thrilled to have these awesome PIT seats.  Amongst our excited conversations about the upcoming Bon Jovi show, we were remarking how we'd, in most ways, prefer the 6th row PIT to 5th row PIT so that we could quickly get to the back of the PIT for the portion of the concert where Jon (and sometimes Dave, Tico and Richie) perform from the circle.

Continuing the story, I received a phone call from concert buddy, Melody, one week before the show. Melody said, "Hey, Erica, I've got my sister and brother-in-law coming to town and I'd like to give them our 5th row tickets.  Would that be OK as long as I buy tickets for us somewhere else in the PIT?"  I said, "Sure, Mel.  Anywhere in the PIT is fine with me," secretly hoping that if she bought us different tickets, that they would be in the 6th row PIT.  She said, "Just say, OK Melody."  Laughing, I complied with, "OK, Melody."  She said, "That's good, because I bought us front row tickets."  I started crying and laughing at the same time.  With tears streaming down my face, I thanked Melody.  (I hadn't had front row for Bon Jovi since 1993, and hadn't even dreamt of being there this tour.)

To make a really long story short, with the addition of the front row tickets, we had two extra tickets, so my son got to go with me to his first Bon Jovi concert (he sat by one of Melody's friends) in the SIXTH row!!  How awesome is that for his first Bon Jovi show!

To start off our big evening we--all twelve of us going--met at Melody's house and took a big stretch limo downtown, which was sooo much fun!  We got to the venue early because we had two people who had special package tickets.  In fact, Mel, and a couple of her friends, just the week before, had package tickets for the Atlanta show.  Mike Savas (for those of you who know who he is) recognized Mel and her friends right away and chatted it up with them while we were standing in line, waiting to get in.  (Very personable guy, that Mike!)

When we got in to the venue, we hung out and snacked on some food, until it was time for Mel and I to go bask in the glory of our front row seats, about 1/2 before the show.  I have to say, there is nothing like the walk going closer and closer and CLOSER to the stage.  The excitement builds with each security guard/usher that permits entrance to the next level.  I mean, truly, it is better than I remember Christmas feeling as a kid.  We got to our seats, Row 1, PIT 2, seats 5 & 6, and just stared in amazement and took pictures.

And for those of you who don't know, fans in row 1 get to take their commemorative seats home with them.  Here's a pic of us in our seats.  How exciting!

At almost 7:00 pm on the dot, the show started with That's What the Water Made Me.  I must say to sit in the FRONT ROW and have Jon and the rest of the band SO CLOSE is a MOST AMAZING EXPERIENCE! (THANK YOU, MEL!)  I won't list all of the songs included.  If you would like to see the setlist from Bon Jovi's site, you can click here.  But I will say this, if I could have put together my personal set "wish list," this would have been as close to it as you can GET!  The guys even played The Radio Saved My Life Tonight, which I had NEVER personally seen in concert.  It seems like that song is mostly played oversees and not here in the states.  I was OVERJOYED to hear it and was singing along with the the song, with a BIG SMILE on my face, when Jon happened to catch me singing during the 1st chorus.  He bent down twice to smile at me!  I was useless and didn't even hold the camera in place, because I was so stunned to have his attention.  Here's my video, which, BTW, is NOT the video of the year, but here it is anyway! :)  And EVEN THOUGH it's hard to tell in the video, Jon is actually looking at me out of the corner of his eye as he's singing, "driving home by the dashboard light!"   OH, MEL!  This makes me weak in the knees every time I see it!

Other songs that would be in my dream setlist that Bon Jovi did that night were, Raise Your Hands, Someday I'll be Saturday Night, Diamond Ring, and (You Want To) Make a Memory.  (The latter 3 songs were played on the circle along with Amen.)  And even though their backs were to us, I was SO HAPPY to have the "unplugged" part of the show back.  For those of you who aren't aware, Jon hadn't been able to perform much on the circle for the stadium part of the tour due to bad weather, and also due to some allergy problems that Jon was having while touring (the outside stadiums).  The "unplugged" part of the show is one of my favorite parts.  I was concerned that they wouldn't do that part without Richie's vocals to join in with Jon.  But Jon invited Dave, Tico and Bobby to the circle, and Dave and Bobby did a FANTASTIC job with back-up vocals on the songs.

Melody and I made a sign for Phil that we held up while the other guys were out on the circle. (We held it up by the gate, not by our heads--we didn't block anyone's view!)  Phil gave us the BIGGEST SMILE when he saw the sign.  (Melody brought the sign out again later in the concert, and got a BIG SMILE from Jon for the sign.)  Way to go, Mel!

See! Look at Phil smile at Melody holding up the sign!  The pic below is Mel's pic!  ;)

And of course, they did favorites, like It's My Life (probably my favorite song in concert of all time), Captain Crash... (a nice addition to this show), and Have a Nice Day. 

And I must give a SUPER BIG THANKS to Melody for snapping this shot, of Jon looking right at me!  WOW!

The show wrapped up with Livin' on a Prayer.  MAN!  I LOVE that song!

After the show, Melody and I were each lucky enough to snag a setlist.  When I was taking Mel's picture with her setlist, Mike snuck up behind Mel, giving me the "Shhhh" sign with his finger to his lips.  We took the pic without Mel knowing he was there!  BEST PHOTO BOMB EVER!!

    

My son and I had a FANTASTIC time with Melody and her family/friends that went to the show. (They are such a NICE group of people--I really enjoyed their company!)  Chicago was one of the last shows in North America for the Because We Can Tour.  And, thanks to Mel, we made the last show COUNT!  After the blog, I included some pics from the show that I really liked.

I hope you enjoyed my blog.  If you did, go ahead and click the "join this site" button toward the right. You can also follow me on twitter by clicking here.

Best Wishes,

Erica Basile

Here are the pics...

This is one of my favorite pictures that I shot.

KTF Jovi's!!

Mel's pics are better, let me put in a few for you!

This is one of my FAVORITES from the night! Look at that SMILE on Jon! And look at Dave in the background! He looks really GOOOOD--and happy!

We love you too, Jon.  We're feeling it right here in our hearts with you!

Here's Jon looking right at Mel. ROWRRRRR!!!!

I absolutely LOVE this pic of Dave that Melody took! 

Melody captured a special moment between Tico and Bobby on the circle.  Great pic, Mel. 

Those were Melody's pics.  Now back to mine! ;) 

This is from Jumpin' Jack Flash.  (Yeah, I know...Melody is CLEARY the better photographer!)

"You make a grown man cryyyyy..."

One last self-indulgent pic of me--me with my setlist! HOORAY!

That about wraps it up for now.  Until next tour, Jovi's!

Be well, and Always...Keep the Faith!!

Have a Nice Day!

Erica Basile

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links."  This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Can't Get Enuff of Kip Winger at Tailgaters

Hi friends,

Just a few short weeks ago, I got to see Kip Winger perform solo at Tailgaters in Bolingbrook (a Chicago suburb), and joining me for the first time was concert buddy, Kate. 

It was a snowy and freezing night—I mean, really.  We got about 4 inches of snow and I think it was about 12 degrees outside.  But, of course, Kate and I braved the cold weather to see Kip Winger. 

Now Kate and I, not being 20 years old anymore, opted for VIP seating, so that we didn't have to stand all night.  (Good call, Kate!)  When we got to the venue (later than we expected, due to a windshield wiper mishap--don't ask!), it was quite crowded, but we found a pretty decent table off to the side with no one seated at the reserved tables in front of us. 

After we'd been there for about ½ hour, Kip took the stage.  He was so personable!  Gum chewing, Kip (yep, he chewed gum the whole time--the funny things we notice) chatted up the audience for a few minutes before beginning the show--and he remained quite chatty during the night.  Kip even used his cell phone during the show to call Winger guitarist, Reb Beach.  Kip put Reb on speaker phone and held his phone to the mic for us all to hear their conversation.

Kip didn't disappoint Winger fans!  He played a bunch of Winger favorites, like Down Incognito, Can't Get Enuff, and Easy Come, Easy Go (my favorite Winger song).  He also did a few songs that I was unfamiliar with, including a song with an Egyptian feel (that I liked a lot).  For the few songs that I didn't already know, Kip invited another musician on the stage to play bongos, while Kip played guitar and sang.

Kip also brought up a volunteer from the audience for Miles Away.  Most of us were SURE that this girl only wanted to get on stage to mildly grope Kip.  (Who could really blame her for that?)  BUT this girl THREW IT DOWN!  She surprised us all when she sang really well.  Kip let her do much more of the song than it seemed like he expected to let her do--and it was well deserved.  

Here's a video that I found on YouTube of the duet.

Kip took a couple of requests, which was really fun!  One of which, was Madalaine, which made Kate's day!  She'd been waiting to hear that one ALL NIGHT.  AND Kate had to wait until almost the last minute to hear Madalaine, because Kip played Madalaine second to last.

Kip saved Seventeen for the last song.  He made all laugh when he said,  “I can’t believe that I’m 52 and still singing this song, and I’ll still be singing it when I’m 62.  And she’s not 17 anymore, she’s more like 43.”  HA! 

Kip hit all of the big notes vocally.  He really sounded GREAT.  He also mentioned that a new Winger album will be coming out later this year.  He even played a riff from the new album that he had on his phone into the mic for us all to hear.

I hope see Kip back this way really soon.  I know Kate will be my willing partner-in-crime!

I hope you all enjoyed this blog!

Until next time...which will be in about a week and a half when concert buddy, Kate, and I get to see Nelson in concert!  ;)

All the Best,
Erica Basile

The Unskinny Bop of Bret Michaels at MoJoes

Hi friends,

I'm so glad you stopped by my blog today.  For those of you who are new around here, I'm a busy mom of three (what Mom isn't busy, right?) who recently decided to take back control of my life, including going out and having fun with the girls (uh, would the phrase, Nothin' But a Good Time be appropriate here?).  I also recently decided to start VLogging (video-blogging) my adventures about being a mom who has returned to school (college).  You can check out my YouTube Channel with my VLog by clicking here.  A few short weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see Bret Michaels perform at a pretty decent sized bar called Mojoes in the Chicagoland area.  This GNO, with my concert buddies, Melody, Christy and Toni was indeed right on time.  As some of you know.   I had just wrapped up my first semester since I had returned to school, and was eager for a little fun with the girls.

The night started off with Melody (my Bon Jovi buddy) and I taking a trip to the Department, a local Joliet restaurant.  The Department used to be an old firehouse, hence the name The Department (i.e. fire department).  This restaurant has the niche on everything cool and hip in the Chicagoland area, and would be equally at home if you picked it up and planted it in downtown Chicago.  The service is great and the food is even better.  A really nice touch is that the manager, a very personable guy, comes around to each table to make sure everyone is comfortable and that all is going well.   Mel and I each had a shrimp dinner that was nothing short of succulent.  When we were finished with our dinner, we still had a while to wait before the doors opened across the street at Mojoes.  It was cold and rainy and the line wasn't long at all, I'm sure due to the bad weather, so we opted to hang out in the bar area of The Department until we were ready to get in line for the show.

At 7:50 p.m., we decided that the time had come for us to find our place in line with the rest of the fans, since the doors opened at 8:00 p.m.  And luck was on our side.  (It usually is, right Mel?)  We happened to get the one spot just around the corner where we were covered by an awning, so we remained cold but not soaked.  Mojoes opened promptly at 8:00 as promised, and we found our spot toward the front of the stage.  The main floor of Mojoes is standing room only, and we were about eight to ten rows back.  Not bad at all for lining up with only ten minutes to go before the doors opened.

We were joined shortly after by our other concert buddies, Toni (BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT-OUT TO TONI!) and Christy.  And, my oh my!   These girls got to go backstage, for Toni's birthday, to meet Bret.  Do you see those pink arm bands?  That was their ticket for the meet and greet after the show!  (They said Bret was just as personable and wonderful in person as he seems to be on stage, and as he seemed to be in The Apprentice.  They even each got a kiss on the cheek from Bret! WOW!)

How was the show?  As I said on Facebook, Bret's still got it!  In fact, Christy and I, who both saw him in the 80s and 90s feel that he was even better now than he was then.  I was completely prepared for him to not live up to what I remembered from my teens and young twenties, for the simple reason that I was so Bret Michaels starry eyed, I didn't think it was possible to live up to my remembrances.  OH, "ME" OF LITTLE FAITH!  Bret sounded GREAT.  He was still totally high energy, and sang EVERY popular Poison song a fan could want to hear.  And Bret, dear Bret, is SO grateful to the fans.  His performance is peppered with many "thanks" to the fans throughout the show, and each "thank you" seems to come right from his heart.

The show started with the crowd pleasing, Talk Dirty to Me, which was followed by Look What the Cat Dragged In.  The crowd was so loud for both songs, at times, I could hardly hear Bret.  But that's the fun of a concert, right?   Other songs that Bret did included, Nothin' But a Good Time, Unskinny Bop (which is quite the crowd pleaser), Something to Believe In, and, of course, Every Rose Has Its Thorn.  Christy and I, were laughing at ourselves; we, being the excitable fans of the bunch,  screamed--not joking, really screamed--with the introduction of each and every song, absolutely delighted that he was "doing this one too!"  So apparently, it's not only Bon Jovi that makes me feel like a teenage girl, Bret Michaels has the same affect!  :)

Here's a pic of Bret.  In the words of, Melody, "My, oh my, he's good eye candy, isn't he?"

Before the show Christy mentioned that the one song that she wanted to hear was Ride the Wind.  I told her that I had been thinking the SAME THING all day.  During the show, Bret announced that he was going to do a song that he had only done with Poison, and that this was the first time this particular song was being performed with the Bret Michaels Band.  MUCH to our delight, Bret announced that they would be doing Ride the Wind!  And, yes, it was every bit as wonderful as I remembered.

The guys in the band also got to show off their chops a bit, each playing a part of one of their favorite songs, which ultimately led to a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama.  When I saw Poison in 1993, they double head-lined with Lynyrd Skynyrd, so it was really fun for me personally to hear Bret do that song.  The show ended with Fallen Angel, the PERFECT song, IMO to leave us with for the night.

Here's the pic of my two super lucky friends that got to meet Bret! Christy--on the right--doesn't look too happy does she?  And one day...ONE DAY...I'm gonna meet Bret too!!

Here is Every Rose Has Its Thorn from the show (I found this on YouTube.  It's not my video.)



And for you Bret fans that missed the Mojoes show, don't fret!  Bret promised that he's be back with Poison sometime this summer.  You can place a very safe bet on where I'll be that night!

I hope you enjoyed reading the "Unskinny Bop" about the Bret Michaels show. I also hope you share with me your experiences.  I'd love to hear about them.

Until next time...which, by the way, will be Winger next week...  :)

Best Wishes,
Erica Basile