Charlotte Checkers v Springfield Thunderbirds @ Bojangles Coloseum

Staying home for Memorial Day Weekend, we decided to cheer on the Checkers on our Saturday night.  Bought a Family 4 Pack of tickets, which put us up in the nose bleeds, close to halfway.

The Checkers started really well, and I thought the first goal for Springfield was against the run of play.  Once they scored, Springfield picked up the intensity and with a 2-0 lead in the series, they looked like they wanted this done in 3 games to get a rest before moving on.  The 2nd period was a little sloppy from both teams, but another goal from Springfield crushed the home town support's hope.  A positioning mistake from goalie, Joey Daccord, early in the 3rd period but the nail in the coffin for the Checkers.  Even when we got a goal with 6 minutes to go, we were already down 4-1, and the goal was a minor blight on Thunderbirds Goalie, Joel Hoffer's, excellent game.  Springfield finished the scoring with an open net, as the Checkers went searching for a comeback.  

I don't know if the boys are making me watch too much hockey on tv, or if tonight's game was played at a slower pace, but today's game is the first that I've been able to follow the puck quite easily.  Now I just got to understand the rules a little better.

Springfield Thunderbirds 5 (N. Alexandrov, H. McGing, J. Neal, D. Joshua, M. MacEachern) defeated Charlotte Checkers 1 (M. McCormick).

Crowd: 7,925

Paul McCartney @ Truist Field at Wake Forest

I have been so excited for this day for 11 years.  More so the last month when we bought tickets for the boys' birthday.  This is B&L's first concert, and if you're going to a first concert, you may as well start at the top.

We left the house at 4.30pm for the drive up to Winston-Salem, the plan being to stop for dinner and get to the venue with plenty of time for the 8pm start.  Not all went to plan.  About half way there the heavens opened up.  Not just rain, but drive-25-miles-an-hour-with-hazards-on rain.  It was still pouring when we reached Winston-Salem and not favorable to getting out of the car and into a restaurant, so we opted for Chick Fil A.  Problem Number 2:  For some reason our order took forever - the type of time that gives Dad anxiety cause we are going to be late.  It was 4 miles from there to the venue, but traffic was at a stop 2 miles out.  We spent the next 45 minutes crawling 1/2 a mile before deciding to park in a strip mall and walk the rest of the way.  It ended up being a good choice.  Crowds this big are obviously not that common here, because getting into the venue and then to our seat were just as big a nightmare.  

But we made it - right at 8pm, but because everyone was still getting in, McCartney didn't get on stage until 8.40pm.  By this point the boys were exhausted but still hyped.  They love the Beatles, it's their first show, the crowd was pumped.  They were running on pure adrenaline.

Can't Buy Me Love started the show and set high hopes for the evening.  While I loved Got To Get You Into My Like and Let Me Roll It, and A loved all of it, the boys didn't know much Wings or less popular Beatles songs and I thought we might be losing them.  The boys like seeing Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman signing My Valentine on video, but Love Me Do halfway through set saw their interest begin to peak again.  Blackbird was beautiful, Lady Madonna had us rocking again, and Paul on the George Harrison-gifted ukulele playing Something was a unique take on the song.  We called Robbie & Toby for Get Back, and then Nanny for Band On The Run (there were tears all round).  Let It Be was 3rd to last in the set.  Live and Let Die was as spectacular as you would expect, complete with fireworks.  Then to finish, the 31,000-odd-crowd singalong, Hey Jude.  The last 3 songs the same as when I saw him at Coachella in 2009.

I had been watching the setlist from his previous show and it had been the same, so when he came back for an encore, after a very brief break, we decided to see 3 songs before bailing before the crowd.  He played I've Got A Feeling, along with John from video footage taken from the Get Back documentary.  Birthday.  I told the boys I asked him to play this as this was their birthday present - they aren't as gullible as they used to be.  When Helter Skelter finished we headed for the exit and were out before the masses.  During The End fireworks were launched again, and we watched from the parking lot.

LDM&B at Paul McCartney

The boys were a little stoic afterwards and I was worried they hadn't enjoyed it, but both said they loved it.  That couldn't make me happier.  I don't remember much about the performance of my first concert - Abba in 1977 as a 4 year old - but I remember experiences.  Being with my mum and Trish.  Standing on my seat to see above everyone (it didn't help).  Wearing my Abba socks.  The pending doom of rain (the night before had been a monsoon) and bailing out at the end because I was scared of the fireworks.  I hope the boys remember more about Paul McCartney, and lead them to enjoying live music as much as I do.

Paul McCartney Setlist

The Crap Facts:
This is my 475th concert.
Truist Field at Wake Forest is the 130th venue I've seen a show at

Winston-Salem is the 54th city I've seen a show in.
This is my 109th show in North Carolina.
This is my 278th concert in the US.
This is my 2nd Paul McCartney Show.

Hamilton @ Belk Theatre

 

I'm ready!  After all the hype, we are finally getting to see Hamilton.  This is A's Xmas present and the first time we've been to a show since Come From Away 2 years ago.

After a quick bite at Rooster's, and some people watching out the front, we went into our seats at the back of the Orchestra level.  It's a full house (as I expected), but noticeably groups of women dominated the theatre.  But also thrown in with a good mix of couples and families.

An historical-politically-themed-rap-musical!  How was that initially pitched?  Because it's like nothing else I heard of in musicals.  

For me - I enjoyed it.  Great story, (even though it is not a history I know - I wonder how well this plays overseas?), great set and well performed by a great cast.  Though it had too much musical formula in it i.e., the old 3 people singing different songs at the same time and songs with the same melody you could sing to most other musicals I've seen.  Having said that, A loved it! (which is most important), as did the rest of the audience as a whole.

Very rarely is there such a thing as a bad night out, and we had fun tonight - which has been rare in the last 2 years.  Would I go and see it again?  If I had to.  Would A?  Probably tomorrow.