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- FANS' NEWS - 13 -

click on the date to read the article

FEBRUARY 2010

Tour in US

SAN DIEGO AND ANAHEIM: A California Dreamin’ Road Trip for Fellow Forum Girls, Feb 28

Anaheim : Paganini, Bernstein, Jackson, Zeppelin, ACDC, Humoresque, simply amazing, Feb 26

Portland, I am emotionally drained! Feb 24 UK11

Seattle, Feb 22 & 23 UK12

Oprah Show, Feb 22 UK1

Hartford, CT - Performance @ The Bushnell, Two Standing Ovations! Feb 19 UK3

 

JANUARY 2010

Tour in Germany - Classical Romance

 

Berlin,The audience was totally thrilled, Jan 27 UK D3

Ich schwebeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....., Hannover, Jan 22 D2

 

Ich schwebeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....

D

Mein erstes David Konzert ist vorbei und ich könnte schon wieder :)

Tausend Dank an Biene....es war schön dich kennenzulernen.

Mein Horoskop hatte mir nur gutes heute (gestern) gesagt und dass ist auch eingetreten.....

Ich hatte mich Nachmittag mit Biene getroffen und dann sind wir zum Kuppelsaal und holten mein Ticket hab. Zum Glück hat das super geklappt. Dann bin ich was essen gegangen und gegen 18 Uhr wieder zur Halle....es war die richtige Entscheiden, wie kurz danach erfahren hab. Es war sau kalt und ich lief in der Gegen rum...auf einmal seh ich seinen Van in ging hin...da war er DAVID ....wow was für ein Lächeln und was für einen Ausstrahlung er hat. Ich habe nach einen Foto gefragt, leider hatte er super wenig Zeit (er war zu spät dran) ...das Foto musste als noch warten. Ich hatte aber schon ein Autogramm mit Widmung bekommen. :-) Ich habe dann beim warten noch 2 andere liebe Mädels kennengelernt und wir quatschten die ganze Zeit.

Das Konzert fing an...jeder auf seinen Platz. Viel kann man eigentlich nicht sagen außer: ES WAR DER HAMMER!!!! Er hat sooooo wunderbar gespielt....ich bin fasziniert und könnte gleich nochmal hin. Das Orchester hat super mit ihm harmoniert. David hatte sehr viel mit seiner Mimik rübergebracht. Mit dem Dirigenten auch seine Kleinen Späße gemacht....einfach süß mit anzusehen. Die Akkustik war einfach toll!

Nach der Show gab es dann noch einen Autogrammstunde.....als Biene und ich dann dran waren fragte ich David ob er mal in die Kamera schaut und er tat es. Ich hatte soooo gezittert und er meinte nur " du musst doch nicht so zittern" und grinste mich an....wow.

Also wir unsere Autogramme hatten, sind wir zum Seiteneingang und da Stand er auch schon am Auto und wir fragten nach einen Foto.... JAAAAAAAAAAAAA wir haben es bekommen. Er nahm uns in den Arm und grinste. Was für ein Erlebnis....einfach WAHNSINN......wir haben alle ein Dauergrinsen im Gesicht.

 

David war sooo gut drauf und hat nur gelacht.....er ist soo toll und lieb.

DANKE DAVID FÜR DIESES TOLLE ERLEBNIS *BigKISS*

sonnenschein, source: official forum

***

Berlin, January 27

The audience was totally thrilled

UK2

The Philharmonie is a concert-hall, where the audience is sitting around the stage, also behind the orchestra. This time there were no candles on stage and no microphones for the orchestra and David, so that you could hear the sound of his Guarneria very "natural". The sound is beautiful, but I don't like it (and I think the violin too) when it is played with a microphone. The G-Strings always sounds strange (Wetzlar).

This was the last concert of David's Classic Romance tour and I felt the orchestra and him were a perfect team. I thought David wanted to give everything at this evening and he did. The last critics from the Berlin Abendblatt which says people in the audience were sleeping is wrong. I did not see anybody sleeping, perhaps some closed their eyes because they were lost in the music. The opposite was right, the audience was totally thrilled, happy and thanked David with standing ovations. They would have waited for more encores, but the light was switched on right after the last one so we knew it was over.

I totally love the Mendelssohn concerto and the way David's interpretation is. He plays it in a soft, gentle, emotional way, then with a great tone and virtuos. This time the audience resisted to clap between the 1st and 2nd movement (it is so exciting....do they clap or not....lol)..but did after the 2nd movement.

I have to say at the moment I am feeling very tired and exhausted like David probably does. I have attended to 6 concerts of the 16 of the tour. Travelling, concerts, my usual work, not much sleep......but it is sooo much fun.

Birgit (sad that the tour is over, but happy to get more sleep...hopefully)

D1

Dies war das letzte Konzert von David's Klassic Romance Tour und ich hatte das Gefühl das Orchester und er haben sich mittlerweile perfekt aneinander gewöhnt. Ich hatte das Gefühl David wollte heute noch einmal alles geben und das hat er meiner Meinung auch. Die letzte Kritik aus dem Abendblatt die sagte, angeblich wären Zuhörer eingeschlafen, kann ich nicht bestätigen. Ganz im Gegenteil, das Publikum war sehr euphorisch und begeistert, gaben ihm stehenden Applaus und wenn das Licht nicht angegangen wäre, hätten sie wohl noch weiteren Zugaben zugehört.

Ich liebe das Mendelssohn Konzert ganz besonders und mag die Art und Weise wie David es spielt, zart und emotional, dann auch wieder mit kräftigem Ton und virtuos.

Ich muss sagen, ich fühle mich zur Zeit genau müde und erschöpft wie David sich bestimmt fühlt. Ich habe 6 von 16 Konzerten dieser Tour besucht, Reisen, Konzerte, meiner normalen Arbeit nachgehen, wenig Schlaf usw.....Aber es macht so viel Spaß!!!!

Birgit (traurig, dass die Tour vorbei ist, aber glücklich über mehr Schlaf...hoffentlich), official forum

davidgarrettberlinbybirgit201001271

***

February 19

Hartford, CT - Performance @ The Bushnell

UK4

David,

Loved your performance at The Bushnell last night in Hartford.

You were absolutely Brilliant David.

Love You

Andrea

***

David Garrett -Crossover Violinist Virtuoso and Rock Star Gets Two Standing Ovations from Hartford

UK7

World renowned Violinist David Garrett , (David Bongart) was born in Aachen, Germany to an American mother and German father. David's father was an antique dealer of stringed instruments, and when David Garrett was four years old; his father gave his older brother a violin. David was so enchanted with the instrument, he began to play it and a year later, he participated in a competition locally, and won it.

Since then, David has been performing publicly. By aged 10, he was playing Mozart with an orchestra, and by the age of 14, David Garrett had already released two albums. Around the same time, David was introduced to Rock Music and he began to build his own unique style, blending classical music with traditional rock.

David matriculated at Julliard in New York in 2004 and was a student of Itzhak Perlman. In 2008, he toured the United States with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and in the last two years, he has been a popular addition to the Public Television Network, performing throughout the United States with various orchestras and his band while also performing at other locales throughout the world.

On February 19th, David came to Hartford, CT's Mortensen Theater, The Bushnell Center for the performing arts and enchanted the audience of all ages. At first, I was a little miffed when I realized that there was no Orchestra pit, and that on the stage, there was a drum kit, a keyboard, some amps and a few microphones.

When CPTV had aired their telethons for fund driving, they had aired a piece showing David Garrett performing with an Orchestra and I thought that was what I had purchased too. Having bought tickets for my 92 year old grandmother as a Christmas Present, I was afraid I was going to be disappointed with the show, and that the music might not be up her alley, but we were more than pleasantly surprised.

 

From the CPTV program at the show, 'The BBC Music Magazine calls David Garrett "...already the stuff of legend-in him is enshrined an entire corpus of virtuoso violin art, expounded with a fearsome beauty beyond comprehension."

Let me tell you what that means to me, after watching David perform. First, the guy is a man god, really - he is gorgeous. He is the type of guy you would stop to stare at, just because he is nice to look at. But, when he plays, there is an energy he exudes from deep that captures and raptures your soul - it draws you in and gives a jolt.

His onstage movement is precise, and engaging - not just with the audience, but David also engages his band, with his eyes, his smile, and the point of his bow. I felt a rush of energy in my body, a stirring of emotion as I watched his right foot keep the rhythm, and his powerful and controlled fingers played such absolutely stunning rifts.

David's mastery of the violin, a prized Guadgnini valued at 1M, is astounding, as he switches through finger picking and riding the bow across the violin's four strings, deftly playing a huge range of notes, ranging from the very highest to the lowest, or the holding of just one soft sweet one.

Some of the rock song crowd pleasers from last night's show were: Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters', Gershwin's "Summertime", Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal'(tell me you don't feel his power), AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck', the Dueling Banjo's, and the 'Flight of the Bumblebee'. Garrett also performed his own piece, called 'Rock to Staccato' which was a huge hit. And for those classical lovers, his band and he nailed 'Summer'.

His band members, (pardon me if the spelling is wrong,) John Wayward on keys, Jeff Alley, on base, Marcus Wolf on lead guitar and Jeff Prayress on drums, also wowed the audience; their timing impeccable. They comfortably showcased David, and their own musical prowess.

If you are going to spend any money on a show this year, check out David. Whether he is backed by an orchestra or rock band, he is absolutely wonderful to watch and listen to as he artfully blends traditional Rock n Roll and Classical music with Spanish, Italian and American influences together. David shared with the audience, his thoughts on music and why he pursued this as his lifelong ambition, "Music joins people together". What a wonderful night it was at the Bushnell as we joined with David, singing the chorus to "Thunder" and clapping in time with many of his pieces.

We love you David Garrett. Come back to visit us again real soon! For upcoming shows near you, see David Garrett US Tour.

Kay Balbi, associatedcontent.com

***

Boston, February 20

Very emotional!

UK6

I don't know where to start. So I was 4th row & Berklee is very intimate. Of course he came out of the side door playing Carmen, everyone freaked out, as he walked passed our isle. I don't know the set list in order, but he played for 2 1/2 hrs due to 3 encores. He played everything from his David Garret CD, & Mendelsson(sp) & Humoresque (that doesn't sound the best due to no orchestra) from Classical R. He also played Somewhere from W Side Story, Kasmire from Zepplin, of ACDC Thunderstruck where he makes people yell & the lights flash so bright that I was blind for ten minutes. People weren't yelling loud enough & were off time so he made some fun of that. He spoke that he had the taping of Oprah, & that she wanted to hear Flight of the BB, so he played that too. In a min & 13 secs. He was very funny & told his usual stories, about his first apartment, the lady who shielded his hair from the rain, and talked about the story behind CheLsey Girl, which all the women swooned when he said she broke his heart. People were yelling from that balcony about that. The lady next to me said who would break up with HIM?? He didn't wear his plaid shirt this time thank god, you'll see in the video & photos that he looked nice and was very up beat. He had a stool but once he sat, he popped back up & was very emotional with his playing. His bow was ripped apart by the first song, and throughout he would just rip the hair off & throw it on the stage...each hair probably cost 500$...the drummer & that lead guitarist (and the pianist) who can play any instument were fantastic & they always watch him closely,it's like they have signs-all DG has to do is give them a look & everyone knows what to to do. For the first time I noticed DG actually had a set list infront of him. I was told he was playing an encore performance the next night too. I wanted to hear Partitas (sp) but he hardley played classical. In my amature opinion, it was the best I've seen him play, and act. He joked alot, was quite funny because to me hearing him speak English is funny because I hear people around me asking What is he saying?? But again he didn't hold his Violin correctly or the bow but it doesn't matter, and seeing him pluck with his bow is amazing when he plays Dueling Bangos from Deliverance...still can't believe he can do that & the audience freaks.

Karen1979, source: official forum

***

Oprah Show, February 22

BEAUTIFUL JOB AT OPRAH SHOW I LOVED EVERY LITTLE NOTES ON THE VIOLON DAVID<<<< WOW....

JOE, ONTARIO CANADA, February 23, 2010

***

Seattle, February 22 & 23

UK5

Last night at The Moore Theatre, I was privileged to see the handsome and talented violin virtuoso David Garrett perform the last of his two Seattle shows.  This German American musician is just a couple years shy of age thirty and already has a list of accomplishments.  A child prodigy, Garrett learned to play the violin at age four, recorded two CDs at age thirteen, played in multiple prestigious orchestras, and was named by Guinness World Records as the world’s fastest violin player.  Add in the fact that he is a former Armani model, and it is understood why he is called the “David Beckham of the classical scene.”

Simply dressed in jeans and a casual jacket, Garrett made an attention-grabbing entrance by sauntering down the aisle of The Moore while playing his violin.  He then unleashed a variety of songs including classic Bach and Vivaldi, bluesy numbers, rock tributes, and even the Pirates of the Caribbean theme, proving that the violin doesn’t just make music your grandmother would love.  Granted, The Moore was packed with mostly older folks and families with children whining to go home at intermission.  However, Garrett’s covering of popular songs by artists such as Queen and AC/DC are in accordance with his goal to give young listeners something contemporary mixed with classical music in an effort to find a new audience for the classical genre.

Throughout the show, Garrett was full of smiles and humor, often telling stories to introduce the next song he was about to play.  He told of his struggles to find an “affordable” apartment in New York City when he studied at Juilliard before playing the song “Summertime,” and humorously detailed an incident in which a woman held an umbrella over him as he played outdoors, not to save his violin, but just so she could hear him play the song “Air” in its entirety.  By far my favorite songs were his last two before intermission:  the bluesy “Summertime” and Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” both of which definitely have a modern ring to them, convincing me that Garrett is indeed making steps in the right direction to win over a new generation of listeners.

davidgarrettseattlesuzypratt

Suzi Pratt, Feb.24, source: seattleshowgal.com

***

absolutely AMAZING!!! 

UK8

His concert was absolutely AMAZING!!!  I could have sat there forever watching him play.  I was so disappointed when the night ended as it went by so quickly.  I hardly slept last night as I was going over his performance in my mind.  The audience totally rocked on last night and he played pretty much the entire Encore CD, a couple of pieces from Virtuoso and Classic Romance plus others not on his albums.  Every piece he played was absolute perfection.  My girlfriend and I were awestruck by how talented, sweet and funny he is. His band is also incredible and they play so tight.  We had front row seats and what a view we had.  The sound system was fantastic as well.  I enjoyed every song he played, especially Kashmir by Led Zepplin, Toccata, Air and Chelsea Girl.  What was that girl thinking when she broke his heart?  Her great loss and what a blessed woman who ends up stealing his heart.  His mother must be so proud of her son.  You're a classy guy David and incredibly handsome too.  Thanks to Birgit for the wonderful pictures. My friend and I  were told we couldn't take any so I didn't bring my camera but we did take a few with her cell phone but they're not very good.  I did buy a key chain and the purple ladies T shirt (which has a vintage feel to the fabric - it's very comfy).  They were also selling his Encore CD, DVD of Live in Berlin, various T shirts, small poster, and tote bag.

I so wish I had tickets to tonight's show and hope he plans to come back again soon and perhaps play here in beautiful Vancouver, BC.  I'm so hooked on his music and will make every effort to see him play again.  David seems like a very humble guy and I pray he will remain that way and not allow the media to destroy him.  If you read the posts on this forum David, THANK YOU for such a BEAUTIFUL evening.  I have been to many various concerts over the years and have seen some great performances but I will never forget your concert. May God continue to bless you and your family.  YOU ROCK DAVID!!! 

Petra, source: official forum

***

My daughter and I travelled to Seattle from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada just recently to see David Garrett live in Seattle.  We had only just discovered him, via public television in November 2009.  Anyways, seeing him in concert was absolutely amazing..he is breathtaking!  An experience of a lifetime and we are lucky enough to see him again sometime.

Georgie

***

Jared & I went to see David Garrett in concert last night at the beautiful Moore theater (oldest operating theater in Seattle). It was, decidedly, the best concert that I've been to in years. Yes, that's right. Even better than Billy Joel. Shocking.

Reason #1 - I love David Garrett's story. You can read it here. His life reads like a movie script. Raised as a child prodigy on the violin, he was utterly submerged in classical music until his teenage years. “I’d listened to nothing but classical music until the age of fourteen,” says the now 27-year-old David, who was home-schooled until that age. “So when I started going to regular school, and started to be exposed to all this pop and rock, it was a revelation.”

Reason #2 - He can PLAY the violin. I love the sound of a well-played violin. The crisp notes, the vibrato, the slurs and broad range of sounds. But when David Garrett plays, you almost forget that you're listening to a violin and you begin to experience the music.

Reason #3 - Watching Jared's face light up as he watched David Garrett play was priceless. Watching his jaw drop when he performed a particularly incredible riff was awesome. Sharing this moment with my son was a memory I will always cherish.

Reason #4 - His reportoire was wonderfully varied. He played some classical - Bach & Paganini (my favorite piece!). And he played some contemporary "soft" music by Gershwin, Bill Withers and of his own composition. But the most fun came when he rocked out on his violin to Queen, ACDC, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson. Here are a couple short videos that I filmed, so you can see his diversity and intensity. This wasn't your average violin recital. :-)

dormant ocean

***

just awesome!

The Moore Theatre is a very, very old, but beautiful concert-hall. It has 3 !! Levels, the main level and 2 balconies (my goodness, I could have never had my seat in the upper balcony)...

The concert  began 10 minutes late, not because of David, but because the audience were not sitting!! lol (same procedure as every year).

The band came on stage and started playing "Carmen", you could only hear David's violin, but not see him. As I knew he is 99 % entering the concert-hall from the back I turned my head and there he was. A few strokes later he was in the light and the audience clapped and yelled!!

He played a mixed program, almost the same than last year! The audience was between 5 and 80, some of them were disappointed before the concert, because they expected an orchestra on stage. They just knew him from PBS and the "Live in Berlin" DVD. They were now wondering, if it would be a core rock-concert.......but is was not and they all were totally thrilled.

David charmingly introduced the pieces (was it just me who thought it, but his stories are getting longer and longer...lol)...When he introduced "Who wants to live forever" he mentioned that the Chinese figure ice skating team performed to his version.

I have never heard an audience who was so yelling, clapping, adoring him. It was just awesome. They shouted and screamed soooo loud, when we all had to scream "Thunder"....it was great!!

They sold the DVD "Live in Berlin" (25 Dollar), the 2010 tour poster, the t-shirt design from laster year (men-sizes) and I just saw a few of the dark-red Lady-Shirts....no idea if they were already sold out or they just had a few!

I am longing for the today's concert!!!

Birgit

davidgarrettseattlebirgit2010022312

***

Portland, February 24

I am emotionally drained!

UK9

I just returned from Portland this afternoon after experiencing my first DG live concert.  I am emotionally drained!  The Aladdin theatre is a small venue (seats only 620) and we got in line over an hour before the doors opened because it was general admission (no reserved seats, except for PBS subscribers)  I was 14th in line and as soon as the doors opened I headed for the right side aisle of the center section.  We were nine rows back, probably 30 feet from stage with an excellent view of David.  We could easily see his facial expressions and even hear his breathing through the microphone on his Strad. I suspected he would enter the stage from the right side aisle and I was correct!  When the band began the first melancholy guitar strums of Carmen by Bizet, David strolled down the aisle within arm's length of where we sat.  There was something so familiar about it all, and yet at the same time it was almost surreal when he paused right at the end of our row and played this beautiful piece, before bounding up the steps to the stage. I longed to raise my camera and record the moment, but the photography police were standing at each corner of the stage and never once relaxed their vigilance during the entire concert!  They put notices on the doors of the theatre before we entered that said, "At the artist's request, there is no photography or video allowed."  ??? If it indeed is David's request, I decided to honor it and enjoy the performance any way. What a stunning selection of different genres he played.  I tried to recall them afterward and listed more than 24 tunes from both his David Garrett CD and his Virtuoso CD and a few from his DVD David Garrett Live in Concert and in Private and several I'd never heard him play before, like Hora Staccato and Little Bird by Jimi Hendrix.

The audience at the Aladdin was a mixture ranging from school children to the elderly  with a predominance of couples aged 30-50s. It took NO TIME AT ALL for David to win their hearts!  His playing was astounding, his anecdotes charming, his smile warm and responsive to the shouts and applause after each song.  While I already knew David was a gifted performer and his fingering and bowing technique were electrifying to watch, I really came to appreciate the musicians in his band as well, particularly John Haywood on keyboard and Marcus Wolf on electric and acoustic guitar.  Especially as I watched the improvisation between David and Marcus on Duelling Banjos and the melodic counterpoint between David and John on the lovely ballad Somewhere by Leonard Bernstein.  Bravo!! 

When David invited the audience to interact on Thunderstruck by AC/DC, I thought the rafters in that old building would rattle and shake!! Of course he played my favorite Csardas by Monti, a bluesy version of Bill Wither's Ain't No Sunshine,  and showcased his blistering speed on Rock Prelude, Summer by Vivaldi and The Flight of the Bumblebee (Oprah's favorite! LOL) and Zorba's Dance.  I think I forgot to breathe a few times and my hands were sore from clapping long afterward. (Note, for any future DG concerts, don't wear rings.  It's painful.)  After the final encore, the audience reluctantly left the theatre.  We headed out the back exit to our car.  As we passed David's enormous black bus, who should exit the theatre directly in front of us, but the man himself with his precious Strad slung over his shoulder like a backpack.  I wanted to call out "thank you for the most exciting 2 1/2 hour concer I've ever experienced", but I was too shy. 

I propose a new rating system for David's concerts...5 stars isn't enough.  The new superlative should be 7 broken bow strings!!  The number he broke at the concert last night.

Lynn, source: official forum

***

Anaheim, February 26

Paganini, Bernstein, Jackson, Zeppelin, ACDC, Humoresque, simply amazing

Hello all!   Well, we descended upon the Grove of Anaheim yesterday..  I can say I am NOT a DG virgin any longer if that makes sense.  I was so excited for this.  Pamela and I kept missing each other by phone calls and texts, so I went to the venue at about 7:30.  Proceeded to will call, received my ticket and made it in.   I went down to see where I would be sitting for the evening. WOW so close.  Small venue, about 1400 seating.

I was on the aisle right next to the stairs I knew he would be coming down.  I went back up to get a drink... (pepsi) lol.  And went to come back down, and my ticket was GONE.  Imagine not being able to find your ticket on the first night of many beautiful nights.  I wasn't panicked... yet... lol

 I sat down on the floor (imagine that sight!) dumped out my Mary Poppins carpet bag  (just kidding) and it was NO WHERE to be found. A little light bulb went on, so I went back to the usher who seated me, and he remembered me and exactly where I was sitting.  I told him I lost my ticket, and he said "no problem I remember you!  Go ahead and go sit down .  Let me know if there are any problems"     I sat down and waited and listened and waited and watched everything and everyone around.   Young and old, everyone seemed so excited.    5 mins til showtime.   The band came out and then, heard the beginning of Gypsy Dance... I turned and looked behind me.. and nothing.  All of a sudden there he was coming down the center aisle stairs.  He was so close to me I could have reached out and tickled him ... lol   What beautiful music.   I was completely mesmorized by his hands and fingers playing this beautiful intstrument., and how it looked so simple and carefree to him.  I could not speak, clap, stand up or anything.  I was in the moment!   Paganini, Bernstein, Jackson, Zeppelin, ACDC, Humoresque, simply amazing.  He spoke about how he was just diagnosed with an inner ear infection..  David,  GET SOME REST!         He looked good, but I will say a little road weary. He spoke about his loft in NY and some of his little street smarts came out with a four letter word... Starts with an F... lol  I laughed so hard when he caught himself and tried to cover up what he just said.  lol     Beautiful night!  Absolutely loved it.

 At intermission it was phone tag again with Pamela.  Here we are inside the theatre telling each other where we were.  It must have been a spectacle to some people in there.  Pamela going down aisles, not being able to get to where I was, losing me, finding me etc..  It was so funny.  But we finally met and hugged and had an instant liking to each other. Pamela!!! You are loved!!!    At the end when we walked out, all that was left of merchandise was the Iheart David Tshirt and the mens David Garrett T shirt, and that was it!  I didn't get anything, because I am waiting for the show in San Diego with Pamela. I'll probably have to get something before the show, because there will probably be nothing left afterward!  We really couldn't take any pictures, which I suspected would be the case.  I have pictures of me there, but I'm sure you would like to see him instead. lol

But I recorded the encores on my phone. I'll try to get them up, I have some of his musings and some music on there.  They are pretty audlble, but I can probably clean them up a bit and will post for you all.  Hopefully Pamela and I will have more success in SD as far as that goes.  So tomorrow I meet at Pamela's house we will drive down to SD together, stay at the Hilton 3 or 4 blocks away. And have our night replayed.

 I'm sure Pamela will be posting her views on the evening too.

Everyone take care!  peace, 

Lisa, source: official forum

***

DAVID IN SAN DIEGO AND ANAHEIM

A California Dreamin’ Road Trip for Fellow Forum Girls Part I

As you all know, the anticipation of seeing David Garrett LIVE can, pretty much, make us forget about anything else in our lives.  Jobs, Family, Friends all come second when he’s in town.  Afterwards, we must all come back down to reality and face our responsibilities but, then, we have the memories to get us through until the next time.  So, this weekend I made great memories but am, now, a little sad that life has gone back to normal.

Full of excitement, myself and fellow Forum and California girl, Lisa, made our way down to San Diego for the concert (about a two hour drive from Los Angeles) to use the front row tickets I snagged at the last minute.  Thrilled she could go with me when my husband, Michael, threw his back out and didn’t feel he could do the trip.  After our many messages and meeting each other, briefly, at the Anaheim concert (I will get to that later) we decided Lisa would come to my house in Los Angeles from Thousand Oaks (about an hour away) and we’d drive down together.  Lisa had a free night coming to her at the Hilton Hotel so it made the whole trip so much nicer knowing we wouldn’t have to come back late at night.  Since it was on a Sunday we had a leisurely drive with no traffic, listening to “Classic Romance” all the way down.  Lisa had some beautiful DG music on her Ipod that we played in the hotel room while we got ready for our evening.  All dolled up we headed out in a cab (too far to walk in 3 inch heels) for a relaxing meal.  We sat outside on the patio of a cute Italian Trattoria directly across from the beautiful, old Balboa Theatre with the marquee blazing “DAVID GARRETT”. 

This was a much friendlier venue, I felt, and they did not check purses as they had done in Anaheim.  I took my friend’s very small Flip camera, hoping, to get some videos since we were sitting so close.  For the Anaheim concert I took a great camera I’d rented and my husband hid it under his clothes.  I waited until after intermission to film.  I tried one song at Anaheim and, BOOM, I got caught and was nastily scolded from an official.  So, I couldn’t get anything else.  I thought I might be able to get some video in San Diego using something smaller.  However, when I tried filming David playing “Rock Toccata” the usher came down in the middle of the song and I got scolded, again, but much nicer this time. OH, CRUMB!  Sorry, I digress.

When we entered the Balboa the usher looking at our front row tickets and said, “Oh, you ladies are very lucky”! The Balboa is a turn of the century theatre and was originally a Vaudeville house back in the day.  It went through many transitions and then the city of San Diego stepped in and renovated it to be a concert house.  It’s beautifully old with ornate paintings and chandeliers.  The front row was VERY close to the stage and the stairs leading from the audience to the stage were right next to us so, as you’re already anticipating, David walked right by us from the back of the theatre onto the stage.  We were mere inches away.  The audience immediately breaks into applause and hoots when they see David enter from the back of the house.  David breaks out into a smile when he hears the audience’s reaction and I’m thinking this must help him get through his last concert on the west coast.  Lisa and I couldn’t help but wonder how he and his band must be doing with the crazy schedule they’ve had.  We were amazed that his tour had him in Anaheim on Friday and then Reno, Nevada on Saturday, THEN back to California for San Diego on Sunday.  San Diego is only about a one hour drive from Anaheim so this didn’t make any sense to us. With David not feeling well on Friday we were wondering how he’d be on Sunday from ALL the driving back and forth.  Really nuts, I say! 

Well, let me tell you I was AMAZED at how well he looked in San Diego!  I thought the antibiotics for his ear infection must have kicked in.  He didn’t mention it as he’d done in Anaheim and sitting as close as we were I could tell he was feeling better.  His eyes looked more alive and he seemed to be in better spirits…..even after the insane road trip they’d just done!  David played, basically, the same songs I’d heard in L.A. last October but there were some surprises.  He played “Kashmir” which I hadn’t remembered and Lisa and I were in HEAVEN when he played Paganini and Dvorak.  Oh, how I long to see him play with a full orchestra!  Even though, much credit needs to be given to his multi-talented band members who have to withstand the traveling, just like David…without all the accolades. 

I just can’t get over how much David moves me when I see him play.  Knowing a concert tour can’t be easy, he still delivers, night after night, with such passion and emotion giving the audience a thrill to remember.  Sitting this close we could watch his strong fingers flying across the violin and the joy or passion emanating from his face.  In fact, we were so close we could, actually, see those long, beautiful eyelashes of his, not to mention, the grain in his incredibly gorgeous violin. The stories he tells helps bring the audience closer to him.  It makes one feel that he’s playing for you in your living room and speaking to us makes him, somehow, more accessible and human. When David plays “Who Wants to Live Forever” I feel swept off my feet and then he turns around and plays “Rock Toccata” or “Kashmir” and THRILLS me.  I well up with such emotion that I cannot help but wish it would never end.  But, then it does and I must come back down to earth. 

Outside the theatre while Lisa and I were on our phones speaking with family David and his band came out of the front stage door where about 15 fans were waiting for autographs.  We were standing further down, away from the rest, near the bands awaiting van.  I pulled my Flip camera out of my purse and got David, amidst the crowd, signing and speaking to them.  As he moved away from the crowd towards me and the van I quickly put my camera down, not wanting to disturb him.  He came right towards Lisa and me, walked in between us and stood for a few seconds, Lisa in front of him, me behind him.  It seemed to happen in slow motion.  His violin case, on his back, was just inches from me. In fact, I had to move back a step so as not to bump into him.  I looked up into his handsome profile as he was saying goodbye to the crowd and thought he seemed taller than I imagined.  Lisa, in the meantime, had the better angle…right smack in front of him!  Could never have planned this….it was just luck!!!

After the concert we had a night cap at the hotel bar just talkin’ up a storm about how wonderful our evening with David had been.  It was so much fun going with another gal who has the same passion for David and his music. That was a real treat…along with making a new friend.

Pamela, source: official forum

 

Part II

There was a bit of difference for me with the concert in Anaheim, partially, because I couldn’t resonate with the venue.  Partially, because of the horrible traffic we experienced driving down from L.A. in rush hour on a Friday and, partially, because I was nervous about trying to get videos with my expensive rented camera. 

That being said, it was still an unforgettable evening!  Fellow Forum member, Dana, had driven down from San Francisco (Northern CA) and on our drive down to Anaheim to meet her we were continually texting each other while she waited to get a table at the restaurant across from the Grove (the venue).  (Unfortunately, on Dana’s drive from San Francisco her transmission in her car had gone out on her.  So, there she was a LONG way from home with her car out of service, needing to make plans to get her and the car back up north.)  Going back to the evening…a friend of mine, Meredith, agreed to take Dana’s extra ticket so it wouldn’t go unused.  So, she, my husband and I finally made it to Anaheim and met up with Dana at the restaurant.  Once there we could relax a little and anticipate the glorious evening we were all about to have seeing David.  All day that day I was so nervous, like a little kid waiting to go to Disneyland (which, btw, is just around the corner from the Grove).  I couldn’t believe I was going to be sitting so close to see and hear David.  By the way, this was Dana and Lisa’s first time seeing DG so I can only imagine how excited they must have been with anticipation.

At the Grove I had front row seats, as well, but they were not as close as in the Balboa and I found myself having to look up more at David.  The theatre is a cavernous place with no middle aisle. Although, I heard from Lisa and Dana that the sound was quite good from where they were sitting.  I just didn’t feel comfortable in this space. When David entered from the back the crowd went CRAZY, more so than in San Diego.  I think this was because of the proximity of the venue to Los Angeles and a lot of people were there from L.A. who’d seen him before, like me.  I don’t know if it was the venue, or being nervous of the camera under my husband’s clothes but I thought there was something a little different with David this evening.  But what?  No one else would, probably, notice but I was sitting so close to him that I sensed SOMETHING.  Maybe, it was due to the fact that I’m now on the Forum and since we see so much footage and photos of him I’m all too aware.  I don’t know.  He played beautifully and smiled but there was something in his eyes.  THEN, shortly into the concert he’s talking to the audience and mentions he can’t hear us too well. He goes on to tell us that he’d been to the doctor and found out that he has an inner ear infection.  I knew it!  I don’t know how but I just felt…something! The crowd loved that he told us and they shouted even louder to make sure he could hear us.  He seemed to be strengthened by this and, I’m sure, he must have felt the love from the crowd.  He seemed happy and warmed up when he came out to play after intermission.  However, he was probably glad when it was over so he could just go back to the hotel and sleep.  

So, once again, you can imagine how we felt hearing he had to go to Reno, Nevada the next day.  Poor guy!!

All in all it was a weekend I’ll never forget.  What could be better…seeing David, up close, twice in three days!!!  When I’m in his presence I feel so glad to be alive to hear such amazingly glorious music.  There are really no words to describe how special David is as a brilliant musician and performer.  My heart soars when I hear his music and to see him in person is nothing short of breathtaking!

Pamela, source: official forum

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