Steveh

Eric, Ok, you've probably been asked this many times before but I might as well ask you myself. Wouldn't you enjoy playing a little piano and singing at my wedding reception? Now wait...I did come to the Raspberries' reunion concerts in Cleveland and I am a pretty longstanding member of ericcarmen.com. And Pittsburgh is not that far away. This will be my second and last marriage and to have you sing your ballads at my reception would make me feel like a Make-A-Wish kid. This will be a family only reception so it would be pretty small - like 50 people in a private room at a nice restaurant. I won't beg but...please??? Steveh

I agree - not bubblegum. Prototype of bubblegum - The Grass Roots - simple and pleasant melodies, steady but unimaginative beats, energetic, cheerful. "Temptation Eyes", "Sooner or Later", and "Two Divided By Love" are upbeat, fun songs. The Raspberies and Eric Carmen I consider to be Power Pop.

At first, when I read here that Babs may be playing Oct 6 in Cleveland and Eric is rescheduling, I thought it was understandable. Now I've changed my mind. I say, "On with the show!". As scheduled. How many of us would really be upset if we missed the babs concert because we were at the ec concert? That's right - zero. Eric, your fans want you - you are not competing with babs - she's got her own fans, and there's enough entertainment writers in Cleveland to cover both shows.

Put me on the "hint of optimism" side of the argument. More than being pessimistic or optimistic, I think Eric is being REALISTIC - trying to help the other person accept the reality of a dead relationship. The lyrics acknowledge initial optimism, then disappointment and inability to resolve issues, then hope for the future for each person separately. I think Boats is a great reality-based, mature song that avoids blame. Steveh

I love reading all those older posts. I wonder how many of those fans who posted in '97 and '98 were at the recent concerts? You would think they would still be posting? Steveh

James, I agree with points #1&2, but before eliminating boxing, why not invite the terrorists to put down their weapons and put on some gloves and try to beat up people they hate? That seems just a bit more civilized than strapping a bomb to your body and taking out dozens of innocent people. James, I agree with your position of having a less violent society - but we cannot the deny that humans have aggressive tendencies which I'd prefer to be directed in a way that doesn't harm innocent people. The beauty of sports is that people can sublimate this aggression on a level playing field. I imagine that there have been many thousands of young men who have chosen sports who might otherwise have chosen to be part of a gang, or engaged in other various violent, illegal behaviors. And what do the studies show of the correlation between watching boxing matches and subsequent violent behavior? By the way, I think we all seem to agree that at least in human competition, we have a choice whether or not to participate. With animals, they have no choice - I am totally against any activity which benfits from the sufferring of animals. Steveh

James, Look at it this way: these days, you hear of so many acts of violence using WEAPONS...boxing is a relatively tame activity! At least with boxing, there are rules and the referee can stop the fight. I agree with you, Kirk, that its a good way to blow off steam - a very direct way of expressing your anger. Of course if you lose.... I just love those ESPN classic boxing matches from decades ago! Steveh

Eric, Here's to the happiest of birthdays to you! What a year its been. I finally got a chance to meet you, and been able to see two shows. You deserve a really relaxing, joyous birthday for all the hard work you have put into making Raspberries the number one band in the world again!!! Keep up the fantastic work and by next year's birthday, we'll have even more to celebrate. Steveh

Keith, Everyone is either in New York or wishing they were in New York. Steveh

If you've got kids, take them to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It had Dr.Seuss qualities to it, and it kept my attention throughout (not an easy thing to accomplish!). Steveh

RASPBERRIES RULE!!! National TV exposure will surely help our momentum. The news just keeps getting better and better.... Steveh

Thanks for the updates. I wish so much that I could be there tonight and tomorrow but...at least I've gotten to see the guys twice in Cleveland. Have a great time and let us know how the show went when you can! Steveh

After reading the other posts...I wholeheartedly agree that I Don't Know What I Want was unbelievable - unbelievable that it was not The Who singing. And...about the sound quality...maybe I'm just easy to please - I was just happy to be there and yeah, I'm sure if the sound guy did a better job it would've sounded better, but I still thought the band rocked! Steveh

I just got back from my trip and I wanted to share my thoughts before reading everyone else's. I thought that the performance was outstanding! MUCH better than the first show in Cleveland. Eric was in top form, hitting the high notes like the old days. Most notable highlights: Let's Pretend was so smooth and rich with harmonies - the best version of Let's Pretend I've heard. I Can Remember was again performed brilliantly. Eric's vocals at the end of If You Change Your Mind were great - difficult to sing, and he did it. Wally, Dave, and Jim played with passion. Dave's Making It Easy was his best song. Wally was terrific on The Party's Over. Jim was flawless the whole night, but shined especially on Tonight and Ecstacy. Billy, Paul, and Jennifer looked like they were having fun, too. I wish they had also played: Starting Over, Cruisin' Music, On The Beach, and All Through The Night. It was great to see Darlene, Herman, and Gina again - sorry I missed the rest of you. The bubbles were fun, Gina, although one fuddy-duddy guy sitting behing me asked if we could blow them in another direction! Of some concern: The place wasn't sold out! I don't know why...I had a GREAT time! Steveh

I'll be in Section 1, row K - and I can't believe another Berries concert is upon us. See you there! Steveh