Anna R Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 OMG!!! What an incredible night! My first time seeing them play and I am still flying high from the M&G and show. These are the 4 nicest, down to earth guys you could ever want to meet. And being a HUGE Eric fan- meeting with him was the highlight of my life!! I cannot wipe the smile off of my face. My sister and I had front row seats- incredible. It was almost surreal! They sounded as good as they did 30 years ago... amazing. Friday night can't come soon enough for this fan! WOW!!! Anna And it was so nice to meet Kirk, ReidC, AnnD,and Paula. You guys were so nice to be with!! Thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reid C. Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Right back at you, Anna. Paula and I had a wonderful dinner and evening with you, your sister Liz, and niece Melissa. Thank you AnnD for some great conversation and laughs. Hope you can make HOB, 'cause it won't be the same without you. It was great to finally meet up with Kirk in person. He and I have been unkowingly shadowing each other at seemingly every West Coast Raspberries and Eric Carmen event since 1972! Babysister, my favorite animal lover, so good to see you, and what a smile! And, Kathy and Bernie, truly a pleasure to get to talk with you at last! The sound check and M&G were my the high point of my day. This was no assembly line cattle call, either. The guys came out, mingled, chatted, signed memorabilia and posed with all. I got to say hi, slobber thiry-five years worth of thanks to everyone, and get plenty of pictures. I was just amazed that I was standing there talking British motocycles with Dave, a fellow enthusiast and Triumph owner. The music was incredible, but my favorite part of the show was the kick I got out of watching Eric's grimmaces and eye rolls when the bass got out of control during "I can Remember". The laughter, banter between the band members and interaction with the audience made this a truly memorable show. Thanks Raspberries and Overdubs. Friday night can't come soon enough! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Anna and Reid have captured the essence of the evening, but I will blather on anyway I didn't have much traffic and ended up getting there about 1 pm- same time as Ken Sharp! He must be my good luck charm as I was able to join him and Sue during the set up and sound check Not too long after that Bernie showed up, followed by John Borrack (popdude) and David (from IPO). It did my heart good to spend time with these guys and see the smiles on their faces. The meet and greet was, as Reid stated, no cattle drive. We were able to mingle with everyone associated with the band for what seemed like an hour. Lots of pics were taken and many things autographed. I always get a kick out of people meeting the band for the first time and hearing them say how cool and accessible these guys are. Dinner with the aforementioned 7 was great! Reid and I truly are Raspbuddys! It was unbelievable how many of the same Raspberries and Eric concerts we have both attended!! It seemed as if all of us who had been hanging out together ended up in the first two rows for the concert The band sounded great! I could rave on about each individual band member, but I've done that before. Suffice to say they are as good or better than ever!! The guys were so loose tonight and there was lots of chatter onstage. There were a few fobiles that just got laughed off. Dave fell for the false ending on "I Can Remember" and that was good for some smiles; Eric skipped a song and took off on "Nobody Knows"- and nobody did! Then Wally said the next song would be by Dave, but an Eric song was next! A control knob from Eric's guitar came spinning off like a top right in front of us- I guess they really don't make 'em like they used to. None of this seemed to bother either the band or their adoring fans. I revelled in the comraderie I saw onstage this evening. Needless to say, this will be a birthday to remember for years to come. When I see them again on Friday every moment will become a memory, and every memory a fulfillment of a dream. May I never wake up. Kirk. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marlene Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Thanks for your wonderful reviews of last night's show !! So glad you all had such an incredible time....(and we KNEW you would, didn't we ?? ) Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Anybody have the setlist? (Just wondering how it may have varied from last month's NYC shows...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 AnnaR said no - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Nice to hear that the band was in fine form and that everyone had a good time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim From Wisconsin Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Good to hear! I can't wait for tomorrow night! With the exception of having a bit of a fu&*^ng cold , I am ready to go. I'm crossing my fingers that they have kept "I Can Remember" in the set list. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna R Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 They did keep I Can Remember in the set list Tim. It was incredible.... I have to say one of my top Raspberries songs. Ticket to Ride was a great addition- it rocked! I am still smiling.... And I agree with Kirk- may I NEVER wake up!! Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 I'm still giddy from the NY shows - I think HOB will send me right over the edge lol. Only a few hours more before I leave work and fly outta town! See you all there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherberries Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Wow, I'm bummed I couldn't make that one! But it makes me even more excited for tomorrow!! It sounds like you guys had an incredible time! I hope our M&G will be as great! I also hope they'll keep ICR in the set list. That would make my year!! I can't believe I'm going!! Thanks for the great reviews!! Can't wait to meet all of you! Sherry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austinberries Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 how was attendance? someone on another post surmised it was going to be low... was the place half-full, full, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna R Posted November 29, 2007 Author Share Posted November 29, 2007 Yes- it only had around 200 people or so- very depressing. Even the M&G had only around 20 people or so.The band played to us like it was a packed house!They were loose and playful on the stage which made it all the more fun.What a night!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvin Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 It's nice that you are getting to experience the highs that the rest of us have had the pleasure of experiencing. Believe me, it will take a long time to come down off your cloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John P Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 Setlist anyone please!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted November 29, 2007 Share Posted November 29, 2007 From memory- the setlist was identical to NY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 It truly is a dream come true when you hear Raspberries for the very first time! It was for me even back in the day. And the first time gets you totally hooked. The excitement, electricity and joy was always there every time back then and it is even more so now! Marvin's right--you'll be sailing around up on a pink cloud for quite awhile. I love the way Kirk sums it up. I don't think *any* of us has awakened yet from the 2005-05 tour. --Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie Clarke Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 These reviews are so great to read. It brings back the wonderful memories of the New York shows and of the meet and greet that I experienced on the second day. It's so nice to hear of a band spending (investing) quality time with their fans, not demeaning them as some bands do with the cattle drives (aptly put!). I'm so glad to hear everybody's loose and playful onstage as well. That's great. I know the music biz is a bit challenging these days, but I hope the touring can continue and that maybe thought can be given to recording some new material. Try it out on us first live :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnD Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Hello people! It was great meeting you all - Reid, Paula, AnnaR, Kirk, Liz, and Melissa. The band sounded great and Eric sounded really great. I had a great time with you all and I sure hope I can do it again tomorrow. Don't know for sure yet. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed. What time is the meet and greet? 4:30? I doubt that I'll be able to make it, but who knows. Hope to see you tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna R Posted November 30, 2007 Author Share Posted November 30, 2007 Ann,There are still VIP tickets available!We would love to have you!Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reid C. Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 Hey Ann, even if you don't make the Meet& Greet, dinner is at 6:00. We will accept no excuses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svin Posted December 2, 2007 Share Posted December 2, 2007 I wrote this for another message board I'm on...I'm too lazy to write another one for this one, so here it is...Being an old fart as I am, it's not very often I'm excited as I was yesterday as I was driving to take in the Raspberries show I was attending later that night.I've been a 'Berries fan since their heyday in the early seventies, and the chance to experience the reunited band in all of their glory was something to look forward to.Leaving San Diego in mid - afternoon, the drive took a not fun three hours to complete, with a stop at the internationally known restaurant Bad To The Bone included.On arriving at the venue, a place called the Grove( more about that later ), I noticed that the parking lot was practically empty, this an hour an a half before the show.After checking things out, I left to get some refreshments, returning about an hour later. There were more vehicles and people wandering around, but not a lot. It was a bit troubling to see that.Soon enough, it was time for the show. With everyone in the house, there were only a couple hundred folks there. That had to be disappointing for everyone concerned.Happily, the band played as if there were two thousand people there. I won't trouble with a set list. To say they simply killed would about cover it. From Jim Bonfanti's rock solid drumming to Dave Smalley's inventive bass playing, to Wally Bryson's guitar playing, to Eric Carmen's frontman act and singing, they performed a great hour and a half set that was completely satisfying.They played all of the songs a fan would expect them to, plus a couple of smart covers, plus Carmen's " All By Myself ".The band was loose, as one would expect from a group that plays live concerts infrequently, but they were not sloppy or unprofessional.There were some amusing moments. Carmen, after the first song, sang out " Hello San Diego ! ".He also skipped a song, misreading the setlist posted on the stage floor, upon which Bryson quipped that Carmen should have brought his specs from backstage. That led to much joking about their being the " Elderberries ". Bryson and Carmen started a song only to find out they were playing two different songs. There was the exchange between Carmen and Bryson when Carmen sat down at the piano to play " All By Myself ".Carmen remarked that the song could have been a Raspberries song if they had been nicer to each other back when. Bryson remarked that it WAS a Raspberries song when Carmen wrote it. Maybe the most funny exchange came when Carmen remarked that they couldn't hear each other speaking with the in ear monitors they were using. Bryson remarked that they would have useful " thirty years ago ".All in all, a great show, worth the time, money and trouble.I do want to add that the venue was first class all the way.When it became clear the house would not be full, they moved everyone who had purchased tickets for " Tier Four " to " Tier Three ", essentially upgrading everyone. It made the show much more intimate, almost as if it were in a club.Also, the sound was impeccable, a combination of the venue and the soundman ( who Eric introduced along with the roadie / guitar tech for the band. That was classy. ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Was Pete, Raspberries' regular sound man, there? How great that Eric introduced him! --Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted December 3, 2007 Share Posted December 3, 2007 Dar, I think the sound man was named K I R K; at both soundchecks I kept whipping my head around every time someone would call him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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