Showing posts with label concert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label concert. Show all posts

Monday, July 22, 2013

Secret Streetcar Concert

At his "Weekend That Completely Blew My Mind" show, Ben Sures mentioned an upcoming show that required an invite to access the ticket purchase. A show on a streetcar! I had seen a photo on his website or Facebook of him performing in a streetcar and it excited me! So I knew I had to jump on this opportunity. He told me to message him to remind him to send the invite, but I woke up (late) the next morning and it was already in my inbox. Oh you...

So I confirmed BFF's anticipated attendance, and snatched up two tickets. And then waited...when you are excitedly anticipating something, it can take a long time to come!

We arrived early, parked - after taking a little detour around the block because I'm an idiot - then sat around looking cool, waiting for the fun to begin. I felt my head swell a little when Ben showed up and walked right over to us to say "hi, how are ya". And then took our picture with is phone! HA!
This is the picture that I took of us...I'm getting pretty good with the self portraits!

And then Ben asked us to watch his stuff (while he hits the head...wink). My head is pretty much floating above my body at this point. So we wait, and wait, and everyone by now has boarded the trolley. But we assume that they won't leave without the entertainment, and we are correct!

So we get on board and take the last seats remaining, and Ben sits across from us. And asks me how old my son is again (we got on the topic at his last show) and I tell him 7, and he pulls out a little neon green Ben Sures t-shirt and asks "will this fit him?" HE MADE MY KID A T-SHIRT!!! I probably made a squealy noise and said erhgalskdo-yes! Or something along those lines. And then I asked BFF if he thought it would fit me! Ha...no was the answer there.

And then we started on our journey. We had to stop at the end of the bridge and turn off the engine so our conductor could watch and listen for thunder and lightning. They won't make the trip if there is lightning in the area. When he was confident we were good-to-go, we headed off again.

And then we stopped in the middle of the bridge and Ben played his first set! It was amazing! I maybe sang along a little bit...and tapped my toes a lot! And glared at the drunkards sitting in front of us. They actually started talking louder, because they couldn't hear themselves over the music. Um...okay?!


Oh man...the rainbow! You could see both ends!! That never happens...it was completely magical.

Once he was done his first set, we started up again and moved on to the end of the bridge. We had a little break, during which Ben sold - and signed - his CDs. BFF picked up a couple, but I decided to stay on the empty car.
I hate it when my hair does that thing on the side...that's your ear...inside joke...

We started up again - sans drunkards - and headed for the bridge once more to hear a second set. And it was just as amazing as the first. Except this time Ben was pretty much standing right in front of us! Whee!! He is such a flirt...wink!

When he was done that set - in which he played a new song about having a crush on a librarian, and we did some Folk Aerobics - we headed to the tunnel. And then he played his "encore"...in the dark. It was so beautiful. So perfect. Something that will live in my memory forever.


And then the lights came up, and we were done and headed back. Once we were back on solid ground, I interrupted a CD-signing and got a lovely hug from the man himself - I am such a groupie - and we were off.

We ended the night at the Next Act pub. I ordered my favourite gin + grapefruit beer, and we shared a plate of hummus. The waitress - in her fabulous floral pants - commented on our typical Canadian behaviour when we each offered the other the last of the food on the plate.

This was an amazing night. Amazing...for so many more reasons than I could ever share here.

If you ever get a chance to see a concert on a streetcar, I highly recommend it! It was magical I tell you, MAGICAL!

later loves

p.s. On our return trip I totally spotted this lovely lady out the window. But BFF commented that it would be kind of creepy to shout her name out the window since we have never actually met in real life, and she couldn't actually see me in the train, not that she would recognize me if she did. And then she posted a pic on Instagram of the very streetcar that I was in, while I was in it! So I left her a creepy comment on Instagram instead! HA! Hello Erin!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Almost Perfect Weekend That Completely Blew My Mind

Presenting Friday: The bestest BEST symphony of the season. I mean wow. Really, just wow. No photo available...nerts. Then we headed to Whyte for drinks at the Next Act pub, where I was feeling like something "fruity" and "refreshing" (and BFF gave me the go-ahead) so I ordered a Grapefruit Radler. And the waitress asked me if I would like a shot of gin with it. Ack! Duh! And I think I did a little dance in my chair, and Dan agreed that she could replace him as my BFF.

Presenting Saturday: Early AM registration for TEDx Edmonton at the Citadel Theatre downtown! HELLO KARA! HELLO GINGER! HELLO NADINE!! What followed was many hours of inspiration and information and fun times with my fun girls. Oh, and Fred Penner. Did I mention Fred Penner was there?!

Highlight of TEDx was by far the balancing act from Cirque de Soleil's Amaluna...she got a standing ovation, yes she did.

Other highlights include the "Future of Money" Economist with that fabulous blue velvet blazer, and gentleman with the 3D printer. I should really be including their names in here, but my program is all the way upstairs...


After TEDx was done I rushed home, got changed and Dan picked me up  and we headed back downtown for dinner and a show! We sort of just wandered downtown (in the wind and the yuck) for a bit before stopping in at Chop for steaks. Fancy steaks. Uber fancy steaks. In a giant booth. Then we went and sat at The Rose & Crown for an hour & a bit (drinking) and waiting for the band to show up. And it was worth the wait because Ben Sures remembered my name. Hello Fan Girl!


We chatted a bit before the show, then the band came and sat with us during their break. Can I just explain the unbelievable awesomeness of this moment? I am not that cool. I do not make small talk with regular people in a normal situation, let alone with guys in bands, big or small. Ben even bought me a drink, and hugged me at the end of the night! My whole night was full of exclamation points and giggles and cheers and sheer awesomeness. Gobsmacked. Giddy. Gluten-free. Groupies!

It has become more and more important for me to document these simple, special moments in my life. Whether it be in Project Life - although less and less - in my scrapbooks, here on the blog, or in my journal. These are my DEFINING MOMENTS! These are the moments and the memories that I want to be with me when my life flashes before my eyes. So even if you think this post is el lame-o, I don't care. This is one of those posts that is for me. And if you enjoy it, and it inspires you to get out there and DO SOMETHING MAGICAL, then hoorah! And if not. That's cool too.

For me, this weekend was magic.

I texted Dan "first thing" (aka 11:30) on Sunday morning. It read: "I know that having more weekends like this would take the magic out of them, but wouldn't it be wonderful if more weekends were as (almost) perfect as this one?"

Answer: "Yes, it would be."

Indeed, my friend. Indeed.

later loves