New York, NY

New York, NY

 

New York, NY

Big Day!  Big Day indeed!

We all packed into the breakfast space at the hotel before heading off for a day's adventure in Manhattan at 10am.  We all walked up to Wall Street, not far from the hotel, and then past the New York Stock Exchange to Trinity Church.  We stuck our head inside this ornate church, as well as toured the cemetery, where we saw the grave of Alexander Hamilton. two blocks, and one tourist store, south is the Charging Bull statue in Bowling Green.  We, like every tourist on the planet is seemed, lined up to take a photo.  Not sure why I hadn't been here on 2 previous visits, but it was funny watching people pose with the bull, and we got a great family photo.

Trinity Cuurch from Wall Street, New York, NY

JKLMBL&D, Charging Bull, New York, NY

We then walked the half dozen blocks up Greenwich Street to the 9/11 Memorial Pools.  Such a somber place.  This is a tragedy that still affects many people, and you can see this in the respect of all the visitors, as the air is tense, and people mostly look in silence or hushed tones.  We saw the names of those lost on that terrible day, and noticed some had white roses placed with them.  I learned that this was done daily and the white roses were for those who should have been celebrating a birthday.  I do find it both eerie and triumphant that this memorial sits in the shadow of the since built One World Trade Center.  Taller than all, this landmark sticks out everywhere in Manhattan, and serves also as a reminder of the overcoming spirit of that fateful 2001 day.

One World Trade Center & 9/11 Memorial, New York, NY

LMBL, Oculus, New York, NY

Just west of the area is the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal.  We jump on for the half hour ride down to Staten Island.  Along the way we take in the views of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (time meant we didn't go over and spend time on the island), as well as Manhattan at the back of the boat.

The stop in Staten Island is at a near empty mall, where we stopped at Shake Shack and had lunch.  K & L took the Staten Island Ferry back to the hotel, while the rest of us jumped back on the ferry all the way up to Pier 76, where we got out and wandered back to the city.  The ferry dropped us off right near the convention center, which was packed with Comic Con conventioneers all dressed up.  Great people watching.  A quick stop at Russ & Daughters for a bagel and to watch a protest almost get out of hand outside Black Rock Investments (Israeli / Palestinian tensions on the rise), before continuing to head west along 34th Street.  J, M & L left us at Penn St Station to head back to the hotel.  A,B&I continued down to see the Empire State Building.  I wanted to see the Flat Iron Building, so we walked down there, only for it to be covered in scaffolding.  Fortunately right behind the building is a Harry Potter store, so B was in his element.  He basically dumped his stuff on us and then disappeared in a Tasmanian Devil-like whirl into the store.  A&I did our best to keep up with him, though it was tough.

DM&B, Empire State Building, New York, NY

B, Harry Potter Store, New York, NY

A quick cab ride back to the hotel, just to ramp up the adrenaline before we wanted to rest before our night out.  

At 5pm we met JKLM in the lobby for our journey back up to the theater district to go and see Back To The Future.  Slices of pizza outside the theater constituted dinner and after a taste of close to Times Square we were in our seats.

The show was a blast.  Very true to the movie.  Probably not what we would've picked had we not had kids with us, but still, everyone was having a great time and I'm glad we picked it (though I was hoping for The Outsiders).

Afterwards we walked down into Times Square so the kids could experience that for the first time.  I love it.  Tons of people everywhere, so much visual stimulation.  It got a bit much for the kids, and that edge was pushed when some "religious" nut started screaming in the face of L&M.  We got out of there and headed back to the hotel via the subway.  One dickhead put a black mark on an excellent day.

Outside Winter Garden Theater, New York, NY

DLB&M, Times Square, New York, NY

Rebel, New York, NY

New York, NY

We didn't really do anything of significance while my sister and her family came to Charlotte, but we did take off for a long weekend in New York.  A great stop in their month long adventure in the US , and the perfect opportunity for us to take the boys there for the first time.

We tagged along as KJL&M had booked their flights and hotels already.  We book the same.  It's an easy flight up to La Guardia, and a van took the 8 of us straight to our Fairfield Inn in the Financial District in Manhattan.  After our experience in Philly, we opted for 2 rooms with king beds as A&I and the now teenage boys are crammed into a room with 2 doubles.

We dumped bags and headed straight to the Fulton St Subway to get over to High St in Brooklyn.  We then spend the late afternoon wandering around Brooklyn Heights, taking in both Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.  Doing all the touristy pick of the bridges and the Manhattan Skyline.  Eventually we ended up at the Time Out Market, where we seemed to go 8 different ways to get dinner, but still manage to find a table together.  Unfortunately the roof was closed for a private event.  That's where we really wanted to be.  The boys and I had eaten at a Time Out in Montreal, and that was a great experience.  This place may have been even better still.

We continued walking along the East River, just being happy to be in a new city.  Our last stop was at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, for the kids.  From there it was across the street to the ferry, which took us back to Pier 11, just a short walk back to the hotel.

LMB&L, Brooklyn, NY

BMD&L, Brooklyn, NY

DBL&M, Brooklyn, NY

Charlotte Hornets v Miami Heat @ Spectrum Center

We didn't do a ton of stuff in Charlotte when my sister and her family were here.  But one thing the boys wanted, was to see some sports.  So the boys and I took Jason and Maxy, and Uncle Drew, to the Spectrum Arena to catch the Hornets in a pre-season game.  

We got some seats at a good price on the lower level (I've never had that before) and headed into town to catch some dinner at the 7th Street Market before getting into the venue just before tipoff.  The arena wasn't 1/2 full and we probably could've moved down closer, but we were content with some good seats.  Thing were pretty even in the first quarter, then it looked like Miami might start to pull away in the second.  After half time the Hornets came out and dominated, going from 58-62 down to leading 89-81 at the end of the 3rd.  Things remained even throughout the last quarter and the Hornets held on for a 3 point victory.  

I hope the result is the sign of  a good season for the Hornets.  With Charlotte FC having a good year, it would be nice if another Carolina team could follow their lead and get people excited about sport in this town.  Because, while the arena was not half full, the atmosphere in the arena was like that of a library....again.  I'm not sure how to change that, but I'm sure a winning season wouldn't go astray.

Charlotte Hornets 111 (L. Ball 24, T. Salaun 15, M. Bridges 14, T. Mann 14) defeated Miami Heat 108 (B. Adebayo 13, K. Ware 13, J. Butler 11, P. Larsson 10)

Crowd: 10,093

Litchfield Beach, SC

Our week at the beach for the summer starting on 16 June.  This year with Nanny.  While days were spent either at the beach or the pool, a couple of nights of dinners at Frank's - just Amy & I - and outside at Chive Blossom - our regular Pawley's Island Restaurant, this time with Nanny.  As well as our almost daily visit to Paradice Ice Cream.  Relaxing as always, what I wouldn't give to live near a beach again

Lego Brickfest Live @ Charlotte Convention Center

B, Nanny & L

 L&B

L, Dad & B

NC State vs Miami @ PNC Arena

My brother-in-law is a big basketball fan, and when he came to stay with us for a couple of nights, all he wanted was to see a college game.  Unfortunately the UNC versus Duke game was sold out, but he was more than happy to see NC State play Miami up in Raleigh.

For the 2 days prior I had been ill with an indigestion and migraine problem, and it wasn't until 11am (an hour before we left) that I felt OK enough to drive the two and a half hours north.  Not a lot of traffic on the way up and we pulled a miraculous spot just outside the PNC Arena, and walked into the arena as the national anthem was being played.

NC State started strong, and from high up in the stadium, it looked like we were in for a treat.  The day was Armed Services Appreciation Day, so many local NC State Alumni were paraded on the court during the many time outs.  Nice touch, which had us getting out of our seats regularly for a standing ovation.  NC State powered to a 9 point lead at half time (45-36), and looked set to take the points in this one.

However someone put a rocket up the Hurricanes at half time.  They were a different, now determined team, that NC State had no answer to.  Miami totally killed it, while NC State looked like a shadow of their first half selves.  In the end the 5 point margin to the Hurricanes made it seem closer than what it was.  A lot of disappointed people leaving the PNC Arena tonight.

Was surprised by the number of empty seats in the lower level of the stadium.  While crowd was officially 17,567, I think that may be tickets sold, as well as season ticket holders who hadn't bothered to show.  We were on the top deck, right in line with the basket where the NC State students sat.  I liked being higher up, was a great view of all the action.

On the way home we stopped about halfway back to eat at Lexington Barbecue.  This 55 year old BBQ institution, was recommended by my father-in-law, who during his working years would go out of his way to eat here.  Food was great, and the atmosphere very southern.  Good stop before we had to make the last hour home.

Miami Hurricanes 84 (D. Reed 26, A. Lawrence Jr 19, E. Inzundu 16) defeated NC State Wolfpack 79 (D. Smith Jr 31, T. Henderson 21, O. Yurtseven 10)

Crowd: 17, 567

The Cure & The Twilight Sad @ Lakewood Amphitheater

So night 2 of The Cure saw Erik and I leave Charlotte around 11 am to drive down to Atlanta.  This is the first time I've done this drive (this way), and I gotta say - not sure how I kept awake the whole trip.  It is dull!  We checked into the Midtown Hilton and had a rest before the nights activities.  After a quick dinner at the Trader Vic's in the hotel, we drove the 8 miles down to Lakewood Amphitheater without the hassle of the traffic we encountered coming into Atlanta.  Not knowing the area we took a spot in a parking lot when Google Maps said we had arrived at the destination.  We were taken for $20 but later on tonight that will seem like a bargain.

Once inside we tried to see if we could get upgraded seats (which they were offering in Charlotte last night) but the show was sold out, so we went for our spot on the general admission lawn.  I didn't know that the tickets had gone on sale and this was all that was left by the time I got tickets.

We picked our spot about 3/4 of the way back, dead center, and made ourselves comfortable for the last half of the Twilight Sad.  Again I've heard nothing from this band that I particularly like, but it was good to hear how humble they were playing in a venue of this size, opening for the Cure.

 

The Cure came on as the sun was still out, which felt a little weird, protecting your eyes and trying to see them as they played.  We were in the same spot and had plenty of room to move and Erik and I didn't draw in our usual freaky crowd.  Tonight's set is a lot darker (a stack more from Disintegration) and not as poppy/fun as last night's.  But it's The Cure, so you know it's all good.  It wasn't until Lovesong that it was actually dark and felt like a Cure show.  Being directly in front (as compared to the side last night) gave a whole new perspective to the entire light and visual show.  Just Like Heaven got the whole crowd dancing for the first time and sounded just great.

For me, it all kicked off from the first encore.  Shake Dog Shake was one I wanted to hear desperately and it didn't disappoint.  With the flute tied to the Robert Smith's mike stand you knew when he picked it up, Burn was next.  An underrated song from the Crow soundtrack, I'm glad I got to hear it both nights.  Then my all time favorite, A Forest, finished it off.  Not the spine tingling moment I had last night, but such a great song.

A quick break, and the still heavily clothed Smith (it's not as hot as last night but we aren't under the aluminum roof like last night) spoke of feeling like he was playing an "out of tune radiator" each time he changed guitars, before launching into Lullaby, which got the loudest reception for the night.  Fascination Street and Wrong Number were splendid follow ups.

The 3rd encore started with The Walk, which was as good as last night.  And then the lively Doing The Unstuck, before the crowd went apeshit for Friday I'm In Love.  The mood of the crowd and the band was on the up all night and you'd think after 9 songs in 3 encores that would be a great way to end it, but no, there was more to come.

The Perfect Girl was the start of the end.  This Kiss Me song is not one I was familiar with, but there was no denying the beginning of Hot Hot Hot!!!  Man, it sounded so good!  Straight into Close To Me.  It was just one iconic song after another.  Why Can't I Be You was another smashing rendition, all to be closed out with Boys Don't Cry. Last night's show was out of this world fantastic and was always going to be hard to top, but tonight's show was great for many different reasons.  13 songs out of the 31 weren't played last night.  The cooler-ish weather made it more comfortable.  And just seeing a great band in a new venue/state was exciting.  If I didn't have a family, I would have seen a ton more shows on this tour.  I will have to settle for the next time around.  I can't wait!

The Crap Facts:

This is my 406th concert.
Lakewood Amphitheater is the 114th venue I've seen a concert in
Atlanta is the 49th city I've seen a concert in.
Georgia is the 13th state I've seen a concert in.
This is my 214th concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Twilight Sad concert.
This is my 5th Cure concert.

The Cure & The Twilight Sad @ PNC Pavilion

Yay!! The Cure are touring again.  And less than 2 years since I saw them at Riot Fest in Chicago.  We had Erik and Shelley fly in from Vegas for a few days, specifically to come and see this show.  They had been to the Hollywood Bowl earlier in the tour, and were so excited.  It was infectious.  Also Mike & Laura were coming too.  It was to be a awesome night.

I had read some reviews from the previous nights show at the PNC Pavilion (Weezer) and all talked about the trouble everyone had with parking and taking forever getting into the venue.  Because of this we left for the venue early and with absolutely no trouble at all we glided unstopped into the venue.  So well before The Twilight Sad started we were able to get a beer to combat the 90 degree weather.

We met Mike & Laura at our seats and saw the start of The Twilight Sad.  I liked their first song - very Ride-ish.  However, the next 2 were relatively similar, and we left in search of food.  I could hear more of the same as we bought dinner and a shirt.

I was, however, definitely back in my seat and ready when the Cure came out on stage and I was spellbound from the first notes of Pictures Of You.  We were about as close as what we were for Riot Fest and the band looked and sounded great.  What I can't understand is the amount of clothing the band was wearing.  It was so hot in the audience, they must have been dying up there.  I can't remember the moment he said that they decided to do only singles (or should've been singles) tonight. It could only mean one hit after another and the Cure did not let down.  Just Like Heaven got the first real big cheer for the night, but for me every song was a stand out.  In Between Days is a favorite and the back to back Lullaby / Fascination Street, but my first live Hanging Garden was unbelievable. They then finished their set with my favorite song, A Forest.  I had a "hair standing on the back of my neck" moment hearing those first chords.  It happened again in the same song as Robert Smith screamed "Again and again and again and again.....".

I was beside myself and elated.  I had not felt this good about a show since The Cure at Coachella 2009.  A new song, It Can Never Be The Same, opened the encore followed by The Crow soundtrack song, Burn, which I'd never heard live.  It was as good as you'd expect.

The second encore had the appropriately names Charlotte Sometimes, another song I was hearing for the first time.  Straight into the upbeat Primary, you'd never imagine this show could get better.  But of course it did.

Another new song, Step Into The Light, before blitzing through Never Enough, alt.end and Wrong Number.  But wait the biggest songs were yet to come.

A 5-song-4th-encore.  Unheard of before. My first ever Lovecats opened this set and was as quirky as I'd hoped it would be.  By the time the 33 song night finally ended with Boys Don't Cry, I was spent, yet on such a high.  This easily enters the top 10 of all time concerts seen.  I have rated it above the Coachella set into number 4 (behind Cure 98, McCartney Coachella 09 and Nirvana BDO 92).  I know we aren't going to be as close to the stage tomorrow in Atlanta, but I am so psyched to be doing this 2 nights in a row (I wish I could have done more).

The Crap Facts:
This is my 405th concert.
This is my 2nd concert at PNC Pavilion.
This is my 47th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 52nd concert in North Carolina.
This is my 213th concert in the USA.
The Twilight Sad are the 479th band I've seen.
This is my 4th Cure concert.

Bloc Party, The Vaccines & Oscar @ The Fillmore

Where are you Charlotte?  It's Bloc Party!  I know it's a school night, but this turn out is feeble.  All the more room for the rest of us, but hope this doesn't stop the band coming back on the next tour.  I got to the Fillmore early (I think willing an early start so I could go and see Screaming Females at The Station afterwards) and the curtain blocked off half the venue, indicating not a lot of people coming to the show.

I stood near the back for Oscar.  The art-pop musician and his band didn't really do much to catch my attention.  Same goes for the Vaccines.  I had heard some hype about this English band.  But not unlike last weeks Silversun Pickups show, they put on a good show, but nothing that set them apart (again, for me only).

Because of the smallish crowd, I moved closer to the stage for Bloc Party and found myself a great spot, leaning against on the the posts,  people back from the band.  After Kele finally solved a feedback problem, the band launched into Only He Can Heal me from their latest Hymns album.  The audience listened intently, like they were sussing out how the new stuff sounded.  Then Hunting For Witches got the crowd in the right mood for the rest of the evening.  The band played a good mix from all of their albums.  Obviously a lot of new stuff with a new album to promote, but Positive Tension, Song For Clay (Disappear Here) and Banquet were fantastic.  And the four song encore was as close to perfection as you can get.  Waiting For The 7.18, Price Of Gas, Ratchet (fast becoming one of my favorite songs, and an absolute barn-burner live) and lastly the great Helicopter to finish of the night.

It had peen 4 years since the last Bloc Party show and their live shows are getting better.  Again I hope crowd numbers don't stop them coming back, because this is a great band who put on a show. Kele has a great stage presence, and the band is tight, and the music energetic and fun.

I left the Fillmore and drove over to the Station.  I'd heard it was more of a later night venue, and thought I may have been able to catch the Screaming Females, but as I got to the front door, the band had just finished up their set.  I, and they, were in Asheville last night.  I should have gotten off my lazy arse and seen them there.  I'm sure there will be a next time.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 403rd concert.
This is my 16th concert at The Fillmore.
This is my 45th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 50th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 211th concert in the USA.
Oscar are the 476th band I've seen.
The Vaccines are the 477th band I've seen.
This is my 5th Bloc Party concert.

Barenaked Ladies & Ben Folds Five @ Uptown Amphitheater

After last year's Barenaked Ladies show in Vegas, I was keen to see them again.  This time in a venue I'd never been at, and with Ben Folds Five, who I'd never seen before.  Was pretty excited for the show.

However I would end up disappointed.  The Uptown Amphitheater is a pretty good venue.  We were in seats in the front two thirds of the venue, which was OK for music like this.  But in a couple of weeks Queens Of The Stone Age are here and I'm not sure I want to see them in this venue, as general admission is either at the back or to the side of the stage.  Not really what you want for a rock show.

Ben Folds Five came out to thunderous applause.  They are from Chapel Hill, NC and not doubt have a huge fan base everywhere in this state.  It kind of went downhill from there.  While I don't know many of their songs, the further the set went on, the more people either lost enthusiasm and sat down, or left to get a drink.  Music and voice hit some bad notes on a few occasions, and song selection was relatively low key. Obviously their"hits" Brick & Underground were a crowd favorite, but overall I was disappointed.

It took the Barenaked Ladies a while to warm up as well.  A lot of new material to start the set and it wasn't until Be My Yoko Ono that the show really got started - that and the mention of Charlotte's own Prices Chicken Coop (BNL know how to play to a crowd).  Brian Wilson was great as well as Big Bang.  One Week is always a big favorite and $1000000 was a good ending.  My highlight was the last song of the encore - Violent Femmes' Blister In The Sun.  A fun rendition to a song everyone knows.  Overall the night was OK, but Ben Folds Five was not what I expected, and the show wasn't nearly as fun as last years' with Blues Traveler.

 

The Crap Facts

This is my 357th concert.
Uptown Amphitheater is the 97th venue I've seen a concert in.
This is my 9th concert in Charlotte.
This is my 9th concert in North Carolina.
This is my 165th concert in the USA.

Ben Folds Five are the 425th band I've seen
This is my 3rd Barenaked Ladies concert.

Viva Elvis & Julian Serrano @ Aria

Ahhh! The trusted comp. A great perk of my job, which I have taken advantage of while my mum is here to see Viva Elvis for the 4th time. Because I sell the show we have been given some great seats and mum is excited. Unlike the free Elton tickets, which came out of the blue, I knew mum would want to see this and had this planned for a while.

I’d heard there were some changes since I’d seen it 17 months ago so I was interested to see what was changes to a show that is leaving Las Vegas in August. Mum loved it, she had a blast. I on the other hand was kind of bored. I didn’t think the changes did much to enhance the show, but I was still dazzled by the trampoline act once again. That was amazing! It’s kind of sad that this show could not find it's spot in Vegas' Cirque realm.

After the show we went and sat up at the bar at Julian Serrano. This is my favorite restaurant in ARIA. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is not as stuffy as the other more formal dining rooms. Steak & Brie, patatas bravos, shrimp tempura and some sangrias were the end of a good night out.

RM Seafood & Santana @ House of Blues

Before I had gotten the freebies to Elton, I had bought tickets for Santana to take Mum for Mother’s Day.  Santana is a childhood holiday memory for me.  Mum and Dad always had Santana (and The Who) in the car as we headed north on a car-breaking-down holiday.  I had seen Santana before at the New Joint, but am looking forward to seeing him in the smaller House Of Blues.

We started off the night sitting up at the bar at RM Seafood.  Great restaurant right across way from the House Of Blues.  I think mum now understands how lucky we are here with all the dining options.

The show seemed packed in the seating, but there was plenty of room on the floor, closest to the stage, where we were.  This is to advantage of my 5ft mother.

While his guitar playing is amazing, Santana does not have an exuding stage presence – standing back from the stage and rarely interacting with the crowd.  We got some early classics - Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va - set the crowd alight.  Tonight he played a lot of songs I was not familiar with, but mum was having a great time, which was the whole plan.  Near the end, I loved Jingo & Evil Ways and the crowd went nuts for Smooth.  A great night seeing another great performer / legend.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 329th concert.

This is my 42nd concert at House Of Blues.

This is my 125th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 125th concert in Nevada.

This is my 137th concert in the USA.
This is my 2nd Santana concert.

Elton John @ Caesars Colosseum

Out of the blue came the invite I’d been waiting years for, and at the time when mum was here. Elton John at Caesars Palace. It is the first time I’d seen him and mum’s 2nd show – the 1st one was 42 years ago. How great is that!

We had some great seats in the rear orchestra. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would he do new stuff I didn’t know? Does he have the same flamboyance he used to? It turns out I need not worry as this is a great show.

The Bitch Is Back was the appropriate opener as Elton had many digs at other performers (Madonna, Britney) during his show. From there it was near on 2 hours of a mixture of classics and a few unknowns (to me). Bennie & The Jets, Tiny Dancer (cause that’s A's fave) and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road were highlights for me. And the set ended on a rocking note with I’m Still Standing, Crocodile Rock and the first 5 rows getting on stage for Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting. His one song encore was from the Lion King Soundtrack, which I didn’t know but everyone loved.

He is no longer as flamboyant as his younger days, but the electronic backdrop and the Million Dollar Piano more than makes up for this. This was a great show, and made even better that I could take mum – who had a blast! Hope I get the chance to take Amy in the future.

The Crap Facts:

This is my 328th concert.

This is my 6th concert at Caesars Palace.

This is my 124th concert in Las Vegas.

This is my 124th concert in Nevada.

This is my 136th concert in the USA.
Elton John is the 393rd band I've seen.