David Gilmour: Finale

What a way to end this ride! I got to see meet a whole slew of David Gilmour blogger, see David Gilmour live on Jay Leno from right next to the stage, hang with more bloggers, and see Gilmour again at the Gibson Amphitheater!!! I have really been one lucky dude this year...

Here's Gabrielle from Washington State & Susan chatting it up before Leno....

Kevin from Michigan (who flew in just for Leno!) and Erin with her "Thanks Fed" T-shirt ....

W1P & Tom from the Gilmour Blog having a Floydian debate...


Susan meeting Patrick Eaves and guest....

And Chris who was convinced by the Tonight Show Page to see the Leno studio taping...

Here we are (Mike & wife, Renee, & Erin) eating garlic fries on a garbage can!!! We missed meeting Brad and Tim. I wished we could have, we could have really made a nice crowd...

I wonder if the FEd will ever get to see this?

And here we are right before we went in to the Amphitheater with John from Florida and his wife between Erin and Mike.

I spent the next day just driving around taking in all I could of California and what this whole David Gilmour experience has been like. I can't put into words what a great experience it has been. I've been a fan since I was a kid, but I never really got to experience "fandom".... I may have missed out back then, but, boy, have I more than made up for it!.....

David Gilmour: Reprise

Here are my pictures to Los Angeles, California. I have plenty to reflect on, but they'll be time for that later....

April 19th, 2006 at THE KODAK THEATER:

The venue......

My lucky streak continues. I found hotel space behind the Kodak Theater (That one's for you Christine. See what I mean?)

Jorge and I at the Pig-n-Whistle on Holywood Boulevard.

Fans patiently waiting for autographs and hour after the show backstage.

I don't care what anyone thinks: the LA show was a hell of a lot louder and rowdier than the Radio City show with people taking pictures and calls of "WOOOOOOOO!!!". It was in a way more intimate as well, however, with about 3,400 people there.

After the show people came out flabbergasted...

We met the nicest fans, too. Here are the Cole's from Palm Srings, California. Mr. Cole, a life long Beatle fan and ex-roadie, said there is nothing to compare to this show in his concert experience. Here we are where we met at Mel's Diner on Highland at 2am. Damn camera phone....bad shot!

So, there's plenty of space on the Walk of Fame for David Gilmour star? Where do I sign up!

Noella's Dora Adventure

Today was Noella's turn to see an "icon" at Radio City Music Hall. This was the picture I took after we saw "Dora's Pirate Adventure", a cute show that had Noella on her feet most of the time. We started with hot dogs at Gray's Papaya's on 72nd Street and made our way down. Why Gray's Papaya? Five hot dogs at Gray's: $4.75. One hot dog at RCMH: $3.75!

This was our first little trip together anywhere in a very long time, and it was well worth it. Everything from taking the train to just walking down the street was new and fresh...much better than hanging out in a mall somewhere. During the show she sang and interacted with a huge smile on her face. I think we spent most of the time watching her watch the show!

We're now considering a family trip to California as a follow-up to my lone trip in a few days to see David Gilmour again. I've realized that it's way too easy to get into a routine which itself can become a rut. Work is becoming a larger uphill battle than I've bargained for, and family life at home has been condensed into a two and a half hour exercise of getting ready for bed. It's getting warmer out, and Christine and I need to start planning family activities consciously and with regularity. Going away on a long trip maybe a nice way to mix things up a bit....

...now on to packing for my Gilmour pilgrimage out west....

Aww, I'm gonna miss these guys...

Welcome Alexa Christie!!!

Angelica and Alain welcomed their new daughter into the world today at ~8:10pm. Alexa Christie weighed in at 8lbs 6oz and was wide awake and very healthy!!! Here she is at one hour old. Everybody in our immediate family was there to welcome her to the world.

Mom and Dad arrived to the hospital at 9am. It was a day filled with plenty of contractions, ice chips, and visits from their anesthesiologists!

The doctors waited as long as they could for the baby's head to decend, but it didn't happen quickly enough for them.

At 8pm they prepped Angelica for a cesarean section which went off without a hitch!


Here's the proud Papa with Alexa Christie and a curious big sister, India, looking on.

Here's her very happy Abuela holding her fourth grandchild.
Noella and Christine get in on the action.
That is a pure natural reaction from her "Titi." That is a really cute baby!!! I think we're going to love having this little one around...

From David to Dora, & Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Now it's Noella's turn. She loves all things Dora, and how could I have turned up a chance while at RCMH last week to buy tickets for us? Well, on Sunday we'll be taking her to the same place I saw David Gilmour. I'm sure she'll have a blast, but I'll be seeing hallucinations of David Gilmour soloing to the Dora Theme Song...

She's never been to RCMH and we have pretty decent seats, so it should be a good experience. These tickets were pretty expensive so it better be! One ticket costs more than what I paid to see David Gilmour!!! Come on, it's a cartoon!

On another note, today is my mom's birthday. She's been so kind to me over the years (okay, I've been spoilt rotten being her only son). Noella has really taken a liking to her this past year as she has filled in babysitting for us. She turns 63 today.

We bought her a little cake, and Noella wrote a special note in her card. Here's Noella singing "Happy Birthday" to her Nana Flora. It was a rough start between them, but they really have grown to love each other. There's lucky little Shaggy-Precious who we found abandoned as a puppy in an empty lot Thanksgiving 2004. She's brought plenty of joy and companionship to my mom since then.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!

David Gilmour at Radio City Music Hall: Coda

I took only two pictures inside RCMH. I couldn't help myself. I needed to have some visual record of my feeling that night. First, the scalloped dome and stage. It was from this vantage point that I witnessed what will probably be the most satisfying musical experience of my life.

(PICTURE REMOVED)

This one is from a DG Blog friend, Deborah, who sat just a few rows from the front. Then there was this picture below that I took during the end solo of "Comfortably Numb"...

(PICTURE REMOVED)

...I was in a Cathedral of Sound, and David Gilmour conducted his sermon to maximum effect. I'm already a convert, but man am I reborn....

David Gilmour at Radio City Music Hall: Day Two

Tonight was my turn to see David Gilmour at RCMH at long last!!! The performance was everything I expected and more!!! That may sound a bit cliché, but it's true.... There's so much to tell and not enough space to tell it in. Let's just try the pictures, shall we?

Here are more bloggermates at Heartland Brewery. From left to right: Yours truly (time to lay off the burgers and fries!!!), Deborah, Laurie, Stephen, and his son, Nick.

Here we are by the RCMH Stage Door entrance waiting for a glimpse of the man himself (notice Deborah's "Echoes Please" t-shirt?) Sorry you never got that picture of David, Deborah...you could have mine! And here are some of them below....

Heeeeey, Guuuuuuyy!!! Is that David Crosby and Polly sneaking in behind you? Below are more pictures, but look at the people's faces (there's one person in particular who stands out). The lust for autographs filled the air, unfortunately.

Hey, is that Richard Wright in the background? I never noticed him coming in? Somebody told me he went right in and refused an autograph saying, "No, not David's album." I don't blame him. The next two pictures of people wanting their photo's taken with David started to make me feel really uneasy about being there.

You see, there was a moment when David Gilmour looked at me and just smiled. I thought, "Hey, that's cool!" I smiled back and held his gaze for a moment without anything to say, then I realized he thought I was the photographer for the guy he was posing with. When I realized that, I gestured to the guy next to me. I woke up and took these two pictures in sequence just before he stepped inside, but I didn't feel right afterwards. Was I any different than that lady in the purple jacket? I'm not sure of the answer to that, but allow me to share this last picture which is my favorite of the set and was taken as a fluke random shot.

Everything in this photograph speaks volumes. I wonder if Polly would like this one?

Oh, and to all those fans who treat David Gilmour like a commodity....

:-)

David Gilmour at Radio City Music Hall: Day One

The sky cleared up and RCMH was ready to receive the Gaggle of Gilmourrim with open arms. The sound check was booming through the closed doors on 51st Street. Little did I know that the renditions of "Shine On", "The Blue", and some "harmony thingy" I heard included the legends David Crosby & Graham Nash! I may not have attended today, but I did get to hear them do those songs!!!

Here are DG Blogger mates who came to hang out before the show. There I am with Wendy, Sally, Tom, and guests before we went around the corner to Heartland Brewery.

Here we are at Heartland Brewery talking about all things Floyd, the David Gilmour Blog, and our fearless Features Editor (all positive, 'onest!)

My blogger friends encouraged me to try and stand on line and get tickets on reserve that were not picked up. I got to third in line, but no luck. But no matter....

...It's my time tomorrow night! As I was walking towards the train station, I snapped this shot of the 42nd Street/Times Square area. The picture doesn't do it justice. As chaotic as this town can get, I can think of no where else I'd rather live. This city, for me, embodies all that is dark about humanity as well as all that is good and beautiful. No example is more apparent than on that horrific day of September 11th, 2001 and the days afterward when everyone knew each other, held each other, grieved together, and rallied together to stand up in the face of tragedy to proclaim we would not give in to fear. Politics aside, New York City has rebounded 100% and then some. If you look into the eyes of a New Yorker, look beyond the attitude and see yourself in his or her eyes....

T-Minus Three Days......

It's three days until David Gilmour and company open their North American Tour at Radio City Music Hall. I was in the area today with my daughter and brother-in-law and took these pictures with my camera phone.

Here's a poster outside RCMH. This one is not too far from the stage door entrance (hmmm?)

Manny's Music put together a Gilmour shrine with a replica of the strat he bought there around 1970.

"On an Island" ranks number five on the Virgin Megastore charts based on their sales of the album. A free lithograph with the purchase of OAI is still available at the Times Square location. Here's some guy with obvious good taste.

Three days to go and I'm pumped!!! Next stop: The Discovery Channel Store for a good pair of binoculars.....

By the way, if any Gilmour Blog friends are reading this and plan on driving to RCMH, park north of 50th street and west of 8th Avenue to save $$$! I parked on 46th and 8th Ave. and paid $44 for a few hours!!! That's the middle of the theatre district and a block from restaurant row!!!