Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre was another really ornate building with a magnificent entrance hall that was all carved in brick and had mini boxes in places! These venues seem to be getting stricter about not allowing in cameras (some even say that it is on Meat's orders but at another concert he said that he didn't mind people taking photos!) but luckily I've discovered a great way to smuggle mine in! I can't use a flash but hopefully with my high speed film and the fact I was in the fourth row, the photos should turn out okay!
Meat has slipped back to being late starting the show - at the beginning of the tour he always came on stage dead on time but maybe he's realised that too many people hadn't arrived by then. Tonight he came on at 8.20 (showtime was 8.00) but the concert still lasted three hours and ten minutes!
It was a great audience tonight too! There were more sensible questions - no drunks but no stories either! I think that this was the first crowd of the tour that stood during Bat Out of Hell and this was mainly due to a guy at the front shouting at us to stand! I hate sitting during BOOH! I'm used to the UK and European audiences where it's almost compulsory to stand up for that song!
Most of the questions tonight had already been asked at other concerts but Meat did explain that in Jim Steinman's musical Neverland, Heaven Can Wait is sung by Peter Pan as he prepares to do battle against Captain Hook. He also spoke for a while about Steinman's food ordering habits (that he'll order everything on a menu and then not allow anybody else to try any until he's tasted everything)! Personally I'm not bothered what his food ordering habits are, I just think he's a genius with all the wonderful songs he's written! And yes, Meat says that there are some discussions going on about a Bat III album!
It was really great to hear Objects in the Rear View Mirror may Appear Closer Than They Are again - only the first verse but great nevertheless! Kasim sings a lot of that just with Meat Loaf so it was great to hear his voice coming over so clearly! When asked where the idea of the song came from, he asked the girl if she'd ever looked at a car's side mirrors! Meat reckoned that him and Steinman had spent almost a day in the studio discussing whether they had that phrase round the right way!
It was great to hear Out of the Frying Pan again too - i think they've been rehearsing that track as they were more together tonight!
Pearl's hair is still straight and I'm not sure if it was because it was up in plaits so her face was easier to see or whether it was because I was so near the front but I was amazed at how expressive her face is on stage! She really gets into those lyrics! I noticed the vast difference between her and Tom - Tom is an excellent piano player but he sings with a totally deadpan face whereas I could almost tell what Pearl was singing just by watching her face! I remember her first appearance with The Neverland Express back in May 1996 in Germany and she's really come on so much since then!
And as for Patti Russo.....! I have never known any woman get into virtually every beat of each song as much as she does! Her expressions in Paradise and whenever else she sings lead are great but even when she's sitting on her stool and the light is off her, she still getting into the music!
The Paradise couple tonight were, well, memorable!! I think the bearded guy (shouldn't they rephrase the question to "Would you kiss a guy (who may have a beard) in front of 3,000 people?"!) was getting excited (as Meat always asked) when he saw the girl who was going to be "the straddler" tonight! She was wearing a very short and low cut red leopard skin effect dress and very little else! When Meat told her to get on the table she whispered something to him so he wrapped a towel around her but it became obvious later that she must have told him that she wasn't wearing any underwear! When it came to the Phil Ruzzito part they were necking rather than kissing!
As nobody asked what "that" is, we had a two song encore before we walked out into December temperatures at 11.30 at night of over 60!
From his brief introduction/monolog at the beginning, to the dramatic scenery and lighting effects of songs like HOME BY NOW and LIFE IS A LEMON, to the comical comments (and good natured insults) hurled at the audience,to the stories,and to all of the good sports who get called on stage to become part of the show.A ny performer who can rock a packed house of four thousand repetedly to their feet, and still be going just as strong a full three hours after he begins, and not send one single person home feeling disapointed or cheated in any way, is a true entertainer in every sence of the word.
The entire band was in top form, and it was obvious as Meat introduced each one, that he is well aware that he isn`t up there alone. In particular, as he introduced Kasim, complete with a glowing list of his accomplishments and contributions throughout the years.
If you don`t already have your tickets for one of the shows, you`d better get your seat lined up now, not that you`ll be in it much!!! ............and as a foot note, Meat said after this tour he will begin working on two new motion pictures, including one for HBO, in which he will actually star.......