Something I should have experienced at 21
Brock and I attended the Dave Matthews Band concert on Tuesday at the Tweeter Center as guests of Rudy, the IT guy for the band (he also takes pictures during the concerts for the band). Rudy ran the One Lap this year and invited Brock to attend the concert, which we gladly accepted.
This was going to be our first time leaving Leda for an extended period of time, but we are MORE than lucky to have the BEST NEIGHBORS EVER who have a daughter of babysitting age - So, off to Camden at 3:15PM, after handing Leda off to the capable hands of Megan (and, as it turns out, most of the McCartney clan!), and 2 and a half HOURS later (yes, 2 1/2 hours to get to Philly! Geez!), we are meeting up with Rudy...
Rudy not only offered us seats at the concert, which was generous enough, he offered to give us a tour backstage an asked us to have dinner with him, backstage! Who are we to turn down such an offer? So, a little past 6, we are walking backstge at the Tweeter Center with Rudy. Past 6 or so Motorcoaches, 8 or 9 semi-trucks, straight to the stage, before the doors opened and the masses were allowed in! It was pretty awesome and a completely different view! The venue looks so much smaller from the stage than it does as an audience member!
Rudy gave us the tour of the backstage area, introduced us to some of the production crew (the guys who run the boards, the lighting, etc.). We had dinner, served by 3 chefs that travel with the band (one is a pastry only chef! Wow!). And, dinner was really good! We then headed for the Lounge...this is the "holding place" for the guests of the band...it's a place to keep them out of the back stage area (and out of the Band's hair!). There's a bartender, food, and a TV to show concert footage back there! It was pretty awesome! In anycase, this is our place to hang out before, during and after the concert - NICE!
We went to our seats to watch the concert. We were on the aisle of the center section, about 10-15 rows back...great seats! The concert was really good... the music was great - let me suggest that if you ever get the opportunity to go see the Dave Matthews Band live, do it - you won't be disappointed.
Rudy asked us to meet up with him after the show, so back to the Lounge after the show. Rudy escorted us back to the REAL backstage party!
Now, this is where I realize that this is an expereince I should have had when I was in my 20s, not when I am almost to my 40s (and yes, this is where I realized I am closer - MUCH closer - to 40 than I am to 20!) We are back on the loading dock, where the crew has turned a few of the semis that carry all the set and music and sound equipment to all the concerts into a bar, a place to play a little foos ball, there's a poker game going on, people are dancing, and having martinis (it was a martini party, after all!). We are hanging out, meeting some of the "groupies," and just plain having a good time!
It was about this time (midnightish) that I start thinking we need to get home soon to get the babysitter home at the time we told her parents we'd have her home, and we have a baby who will wake up early in the morning!! I then think, if I had been 10-15 years younger (it's amazing my head didn't explode when I realized that it's been that long since I was in my early twenties!!!!) I'd be drinking a few martinis, dancing with all the others and probably not thinking about needing to go home...in fact, I don't think I'd be thinking about home at all!
It's amazing how one little 2 foot, 14 pound creature can make your life so different and make you love it different! How amazing it is not to feel like I was missing out on something...I mean, we were having a great time, but I didn't feel like I was missing out if we needed to leave!
Anyway, Rudy was very generous, a great host and we had a wonderful time. It was something neither of us will forget.
This was going to be our first time leaving Leda for an extended period of time, but we are MORE than lucky to have the BEST NEIGHBORS EVER who have a daughter of babysitting age - So, off to Camden at 3:15PM, after handing Leda off to the capable hands of Megan (and, as it turns out, most of the McCartney clan!), and 2 and a half HOURS later (yes, 2 1/2 hours to get to Philly! Geez!), we are meeting up with Rudy...
Rudy not only offered us seats at the concert, which was generous enough, he offered to give us a tour backstage an asked us to have dinner with him, backstage! Who are we to turn down such an offer? So, a little past 6, we are walking backstge at the Tweeter Center with Rudy. Past 6 or so Motorcoaches, 8 or 9 semi-trucks, straight to the stage, before the doors opened and the masses were allowed in! It was pretty awesome and a completely different view! The venue looks so much smaller from the stage than it does as an audience member!
Rudy gave us the tour of the backstage area, introduced us to some of the production crew (the guys who run the boards, the lighting, etc.). We had dinner, served by 3 chefs that travel with the band (one is a pastry only chef! Wow!). And, dinner was really good! We then headed for the Lounge...this is the "holding place" for the guests of the band...it's a place to keep them out of the back stage area (and out of the Band's hair!). There's a bartender, food, and a TV to show concert footage back there! It was pretty awesome! In anycase, this is our place to hang out before, during and after the concert - NICE!
We went to our seats to watch the concert. We were on the aisle of the center section, about 10-15 rows back...great seats! The concert was really good... the music was great - let me suggest that if you ever get the opportunity to go see the Dave Matthews Band live, do it - you won't be disappointed.
Rudy asked us to meet up with him after the show, so back to the Lounge after the show. Rudy escorted us back to the REAL backstage party!
Now, this is where I realize that this is an expereince I should have had when I was in my 20s, not when I am almost to my 40s (and yes, this is where I realized I am closer - MUCH closer - to 40 than I am to 20!) We are back on the loading dock, where the crew has turned a few of the semis that carry all the set and music and sound equipment to all the concerts into a bar, a place to play a little foos ball, there's a poker game going on, people are dancing, and having martinis (it was a martini party, after all!). We are hanging out, meeting some of the "groupies," and just plain having a good time!
It was about this time (midnightish) that I start thinking we need to get home soon to get the babysitter home at the time we told her parents we'd have her home, and we have a baby who will wake up early in the morning!! I then think, if I had been 10-15 years younger (it's amazing my head didn't explode when I realized that it's been that long since I was in my early twenties!!!!) I'd be drinking a few martinis, dancing with all the others and probably not thinking about needing to go home...in fact, I don't think I'd be thinking about home at all!
It's amazing how one little 2 foot, 14 pound creature can make your life so different and make you love it different! How amazing it is not to feel like I was missing out on something...I mean, we were having a great time, but I didn't feel like I was missing out if we needed to leave!
Anyway, Rudy was very generous, a great host and we had a wonderful time. It was something neither of us will forget.
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