Landmark Theatre
Even though we were a bit worn from a late evening the previous night, everything seemed to sound better tonight. The band appeared more relaxed and played more songs than I think I've heard all tour. Before the show we met a young girl seated behind us named Emily. She was a huge fan (even had a ring with Meat Loaf engraved on it) who wanted to hear an obscure tune called Sailor to a Siren. Mid-show she finally got his attention, and of course he didn't remember the song. Emily ended up on stage singing with him. She did so well and it was obvious as she sat back down this was the highlight of her young life.
They also performed Read 'Em and Weep, which I had never heard live before and ripped thru Rock & Roll dreams. The Paradise couple were amusing, and bordering on a double X rating.
Before we knew it, our three hours were up, and the band was closing with All Revved Up. How appropriate, because you literally are after that show!
Alas, now I sit here knowing my Storytellers experiences are over, and am terribly envious of all of you who have yet to experience it. Let me leave you with my parting observations of this tour:
No I wouldn't call it a concert by any means. It is literally an interactive show with the man. I have witnessed thru all of this that Meat is truly an entertainer who excels in this sort of situation. I've said it before that where there is alcohol available, idiots will be created, and I've never seen them handled better by any performer.
As far as fan involvement goes, I've seen them on Tom's piano (twice), behind John on the drums, getting seats onstage when they couldn't get to theirs, singing as a group and solo, of course the Paradise Pleasure Pit, as well as presenting Meat and the band with various gifts of flowers, souveniers and the ever-present three beers (the blond ones). As Meat himself said, "You can't do that with Limp Bizkit". He truly gives back to his loyal audience on this tour.
Special thanks to my traveling compadre for being an exceptional chauffer and friend, S.T. for the magic, and Patti, next round is on me!
The Landmark Theatre was amazing! There were two massive boards surrounded by lights outside the theatre advertising the concert and then when I walked into the theatre itself, the lobby was covered in very ornate carvings with a massive mural covering all of one wall!
The theatre itself was orate too and appeared to be one of the larger ones that was almost sold out. The one badly designed part was that the people in rows A,B,C etc were behind the three rows of people in the pit and not only was the pit higher than them but those seats were plastic ones instead of the usual upholstered theatre ones so they were sitting up higher too.
Fortunately I was one of the lucky ones in the pit so I had a perfect view but that had a disadvantage too as every single time John hit the bass drum, the chair vibrated so the sound went right through me! My ears certainly whistled later too!
What was wonderful for me was that for the first half of the concert the sound, at least in the pit, wasn't mixed correctly so the background vocals, especially Kasim's, drowned out Meat Loaf almost totally! This gave me such an opportunity to hear how great and clear Kasim's voice sounds!
After the usual introductions and instructions, the three opening songs and Meat Loaf's request for someone to get some beer for him, they played the first and third verses of Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are which was really good! I do so enjoy hearing a different song and, with this sound mix, it was just brilliant to hear so much of Kasim's singing, especially as on this tour Kasim sings more of it with Meat than he did in the 1994 tour!
Next came For Crying Out Loud which was wonderful again (I just love those full bodied background vocals, especially tonight!) which made Meat remark that he'd just performed the two songs that are hardest for him to sing!
There was then a load of questions (mainly ones repeated from other concerts but he did say that after this tour ends on 24th January, he's going to film two or three movies and he won't do anymore concerts in 2000 other than a few in England in the Autumn!) and then a young girl called Emily requested Sailor to a Siren! As it was from the Bad Attitude album, Meat didn't even remember that he'd recorded it so Emily went on stage and sang it with him and was really good!
Another welcome song tonight was Read 'em and Weep which Kasim helped Meat through a lot. Also tonight Meat let the audience sing part of Two Outta Three Ain't Bad again which I think makes the song flow better. Thankfully Meat included I'd Lie For You and Rock and Roll Dreams tonight as it really gets the crowd rocking! Again Ray was allowed off his shelf at the end of this song and at one point Ray, Meat, Kasim and Meat were all really playing hard at the front of the stage! Patti really gets into that one too!
The Paradise couple threw themselves wholeheartedly into their parts tonight! As well as loads of kissing and dancing, the guy really got into fondling the girl - even groping her breasts at one point which Meat and the band obviously found highly amusing!
The encore tonight was again All Revved Up which is a great one to end
with! Tonight, as they hadn't sung You Took the Words, Meat got some
people (competition winners?) up on stage to sing the chorus but as
they were sadly lacking, he got Emily up there again to whip up some
enthusiasm!
