Satan's Luau

NIGHT ONE: December 2, 2006

Last show of the tour, The Kings of Leon, two sets of busted up tamborines, the drummer's birthday (The Full Sheet Birthday Cake Tossing Incident ... and a launched towel to clean it up), end of show at 12:45AM ... a lot can happen in 3 hours of show, including a performance for the ages

Who's Afraid of 11 o'clock???
The People's Band. And now I know why. I cannot think of any band in recent memory that I have seen at our local arena that has had an opening act ... AND still played close to three hours. Every band doesn't want to pay the overtime, doesn't want to pay the curfew fine ... oh wait, I stand corrected.

Is my watch right ... Is it really 12:45 a.m.
Just an amazing show, the band had a lot of fun ... lots of sing-a-long moments. Lots of energy from the crowd, lots of energy from the band. And 32 songs later ... really, after a 32 song set, it was time to go home. Yep, I really don't have too many words to say about it, except definitely competing for show of the year.

Anyone notice the orb invasion?

Hey! Wake Up!

The cake, in happier times ... pre-launch

Where's Waldo? (Yes, we are somewhere in this picture)

After 3 hours, what didn't they play?!?!?!
Oceans
Corduroy
Animal
Do The Evolution
World Wide Suicide
Severed Hand
Given To Fly
Love Boat Captain
Wishlist
Even Flow
You Are
Unemployable
Jeremy
Wasted Reprise
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
Hawaii '78 (yes, that Hawaii '78 ...)
Better Man
Porch
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Inside Job
Man Of The Hour
Last Kiss
Crazy Mary
Black
Alive
---
You're True
Happy Birthday Matt
Smile
Why Go
Big Wave
Life Wasted
Rocking In The Free World (w/ KOL)
Yellow Ledbetter / (Little Wing)

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NIGHT TWO: December 9, 2006
Unos Dos Tres ... Finally

Ahh, the spectacle that is the BIG rock show! We actually met two guys who flew in from Seattle that same afternoon to go to the show, we also met this rich woman from NYC who saw PJ last week and stayed all week. Nice people, and it goes to show that these bands command a world travellin' audience -- a gathering of the loyal, as Mr. Hewson said

Anyways, back to the BIG show. There's something about the BIG show that makes you forget about ridiculously long lines for everything -- from bathrooms, merch, getting in, leaving, parking ... or at least you hope that there are things that make you forget about these BIG show things

Just a few words about the show, I think we got spoiled from last week's marathon last show of the Avocado album tour because just as we were getting into the groove with PJ ... gone, 45 mins ... gone.

As far as the big spectacle that is vertigo, you just get the feeling that everything is completely orchestrated ... even stuff that is supposed to be "impromptu". But much like you don't care when you see some other well choreographed performance, we didn't care here. Just got swept up in the fun that is a you, too show ... as did our other 47,000 friends

Uh honey ... the orbs are back

Paul Hewson, David Evans ... and of course, Adam "No Nickname Required" Clayton

Song about the unnamed streets

We love the edge

PJ's Short Set
Interstellar Overdrive
Corduroy
Life Wasted
Do The Evolution
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
Big Wave
Even Flow
Hawaii 78
Better Man
World Wide Suicide
Given To Fly
Crazy Mary
Alive
Baba O'Riley

Played by You, Too
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
I Will Follow
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - In A Little While
Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's - Blackbird
Angel of Harlem
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (w/ random audience pianist)
The First Time
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky
Miss Sarajevo
Pride
Where the Streets Have No Name
One
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The Fly
Mysterious Ways
With or Without You
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Window In the Skies
The Saints Are Coming (w/ Billie Joe of GD)
Rockin' In the Free World (w/ PJ)
All I Want Is You

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NIGHT THREE: December 16, 2006
Behind the stage ... no, really

Okay, so here's the deal. If you get a chance to see the piano man from the back of the stage, by all means, go see him. I should have learned this lesson during college, as one of our friends did just that in LA and was real close. Fast forward about years and yeah, behind the stage seats at a piano man show are just fine, in fact, quite good

About the show, it's about the music, it's about the storytelling, it's a whole lot of fun ... especially when our man turns away the mic and lets the crowd sing a few lines. I did have one really major revelation and it came during the roadie's performance of Highway to Hell

MAN, THAT CROWDED POPPED!!! The biggest sing-a-long, the biggest action from the crowd

If that little band from Oz played here, judging from audience reaction -- a BJ audience, mind you. Yeah, I'm as blown away by the thought of it. Well, they really need to play here next tour

Back on subject, just a really cool show. BJ and the band play to each portion of the crowd equally ... including facing the back, sides, whatever. Just a neat show, and a nice cap to three awesome nights in December 06

Mr. "Don't Go Changin'" sure has changed

That grey bearded, bald guy sure plays a mean piano

Sing us a song ... you're the obi-wan

What He Played
Prelude/Angry Young Man
My Life
Everybody Loves You Now
The Entertainer
New York State of Mind
Zanzibar
Allentown
Don't Ask Me Why
Just The Way You Are
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)
An Innocent Man
Keeping The Faith
She's Always A Woman
I Go To Extremes
The River of Dreams
Highway To Hell (yes, that one ... by his roadie)
We Didn't Start The Fire
Big Shot
It's Still Rock and Roll To Me
You May Be Right
Only The Good Die Young
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
Piano Man