Beautiful review (and tribute) written from the heart, Lauren. Thanks.

Lauren

Thank you so very much for this wonderful review. Just thinking about the show and you wonderful words does bring a tear to the eye

It's a fine world
Jim

Dear Lauren Thank you so very much for the beautiful words...I was able to imagine being there....after seeing and hearing her (as well as you recognizing me at the NJ show), I remember Peter and Melanie ever so vividly...Angel Song has to be one of my favorites and my Grandchild, Josephine , continues to sing it with all her heart. Please give Melanie, Beau, and the Family,a hug or two, and my thoughts and prayers are being sent in their direction. Bless you for being such a good friend.

Wow...Lauren! Incredible! Thank you SO much for the heart-felt, touching and beautiful review! ("...there's nothing rustoleum can't fix." I LOVE it!!!) I know you lost a great friend too! Thanks for sharing the love of the evening!


-Bill

Yes, I have to agree, a beautiful review, thank you so much Lauren for taking the time to write it so we could share the experience.

Great review Lauren....I am all teared up.
Your reviews always are great but bring me to tears on several occasions is a first.

Sorry on the loss of your friend....hang in there, love Eileen

BEAUTIFULLY SAID, LAUREN (as I wipe the tears from my eyes.)
I don't know how Melanie did it, but I'm glad she did!!! I just wish I could have been there. It sounds like an amazing concert!!

Lauren, what a wonderful review you gave!
Thank you so much for taking the time.

I was there too, as most of you (readers) know, driving up a day to be there, as Hubby and I felt we simply had to, it was the place to be. Luckily it was on a weekend, so we actually could.

We are SO HAPPY that we did it, because this was a truly historic and magickal moment in our lives, and it was the place to be.

When reading Lauren's remark about people's question "How could she do this?" (to which she responded "how could she NOT do it?" I felt looked at, as I was one of those asking that question. But I had meant it in the sense of "how can she be possibly able to get through this piece of work while tragedy is still in her very flesh?", and not in the way the response was pointing at. (English is not my first language, and what seems natural in german is sometimes odd or even offensive in english, and usually I don't even know it until Hubby explaines it to me.)

I have to agree with Lauren that Peter was indeed there. I was afraid first when I said it, fearing people would look at me like "oh what a crazy woman, she is one of those nuts Melanie mentioned she is a magnet for". I am glad so many other people felt his presence too, and they confirmed my impression. Beau had me hold his father's talisman (a precious stone) after the show, and it was absolutely vibrant.

Lauren described the show so absolutely accurately and precisely, so there is only 'framing' left for me to add (about Framingham, ha).

The fact that Jeordie and Jess did make it was so great, and I felt that they gave Melanie more strength to go through with a certainly difficult show. I could clearly see the siblings interact from my second-row seat, and it was obvious how much they loved each other. I had never seen them together before (in person, that is).

There had been no rehearsal with Jeordie, and so they were improvising the harmonies to each song. I could see how Beau gave tiny instructions to Jeordie about what kind of part to sing or how etc. And he led in for Jeordie to join in, and it worked just great. She obviously knew all the songs, but I guess there are alternative versions of harmonies for some songs, and with Beau's leading she hit it right on the nail's head (saying).

Ha, Jeordie knew the german verse of "Look Ma"!!!!! I could watch her singing the text accurately, and I must admit I didn't expect that. The french verse, yes, everyone knows that (literally every person in the room present did!!!), but with the german version it is usually just me singing along.

"Peace will come" was sung amazingly (well, it was performed in the AMAZING things venue after all!!) and I can't express my admiration enough. It is one of my favourite songs from early (1977) on, and I loved it so much.

Was it here, at the beginning of THIS song, when she said "I don't know whether I can do it like the record version. If not, then shoot me. I am ready." ??

I don't remember anymore at which song's beginning that was said. But I do remember that she was being reassured by an obviously long-time fan in the front row that this version was indeed "just like the record version".

And there were many long-time fans there, most of them older then us and "in it" much longer than us. I think she really has her fan base in the Northeast, and it is here where she gets the most gratefull crowd. Please correct me if this impression is wrong!!

"Beautiful people" with Beau playing the guitar like a violine (or cello?) was absolutely beautiful, we loved that! He is such a genius!

"Life will not go away" is one of my favourites from the 90s, it was on the "Silver Anniversary" DOCD wich I still love today. Of course I would have never dreamed to think she would actually perform this. It hadn't been on the setlist in the previous shows, and now, in the midst of tragedy, it will most certainly be unthinkable to... but no! She did it! And how great it was! Jess Leary was asked to join them on stage, and they did a fantastic LIVE version.

Melanie had led into the song by explaining how it came to be: when she had to explain to her little son the concept of life and death, what happens really when we die, etc. I didn't know this before (how the song came about) and I found this very interesting to hear.

Somebody either here or on facebook had mentioned that Jess Leary would be there, and since I knew who that is I had packed the Silver Anniversary DOCD in my purse to get it signed by her, if that was possible.

And indeed, after the show we saw Jess behind us in the seated area, and I took my chance to ask her to sing my CD booklet. She was very surprised, and she asked "Where did you get this?". I replied "I bought it in Germany, I am German, actually" and she then understood. She told me that she didn't have this CD herself ("I have to get one for myself, I don't have this"), and for a split second I feared I got it wrong and took the wrong CD! "You are playing on this CD, aren't you?" I stupidly asked, and of course she said she did. (I am such an idiot sometimes...)

She graciously signed it and also let Hubby take a picture of me and her together. Thanks Jess, that was so kind of you!

Back to the show (sorry for my thoughts jumping).

In "Ruby Tuesday" I felt that the "Good Bye" part was really physical. I don't really know how to put that into words. Melanie felt it and expressed it, and we perceived (received?) it and lived the moment with her. This GOOD BYE was to Peter, not to any Ruby, and I guess everybody knew that as well.

In Lay Down the Handies (engl: cell phones) were lit up and waved, and I thought "Oh wow, look Hubby, we are the only ones left in the world who don't have that." We should have brought a candle and match sticks, but we simply hadn't thought of it. Since I gave up smoking in 1995 I don't even have lighters around anymore.

She wove Lennon's "Give peace a chance" into the the song, and when the crowd sang that along, she even improvised (?) "There's a thread, yeah..." from the Angel's Song on top. That was super!

She was playing for about 90 minutes, when after "Lay down" she obviously was pumped out. She had given her all to us again, but this time it was even more physical than ever before. I could feel it, she was completely empty and had to be helped off the stage after the bow down to the audience.

Beau, Jeordie and Jess continued to sing the chant for another minute (or two), and then also went off stage. Everybody there understood the situation, I am sure. Hubby and I said to each other what a stunt this was, that she could actually have gone so far. Someone else would have simply cancelled, but she is so different than anybody else. She is genuine, authentic, she is so real. And she shared her grief with us until she could no longer stand there, and we understood we had been whitnessing something truly historic.

This was not a show (like Britney Spears and alike would put on), we were part of something really personal here. We love her so much and wished we could be of any help (which is of course nonsense, as there is no help in a tragic like this).

Afterwards she actually came back out and signed LP-covers, CDs and the "Gather Me" booklets that somebody must have dug out from some attic or so. Because it was the actual ORIGINAL print from the original release. I thought of course it must be a reprint, but no, this was a stack of original booklets from 1971 that were sold there. Of course we bought one and had Melanie sign it. We asked to put both our names on it, as a) the space at the side was big enough and b) we didn't have anything with both our names yet on it. It had been either for Hubby or for me. Now we have something together.

Most of you will not know this: Hubby and I have met on one of the Melanie Yahoo groups 10 years ago. Without Melanie we would have never met in real life, as I had no plans to ever visit America, and he had nothing to do in Germany. We would simply have never met. It was through the love for Melanie that we both shared that brought us together initially. (Imagine the face of the immigration officer when we had to explain how the hell we met)

Back in the hotel I said to Hubby "Now you can never divorce me, as our names are there together now" and he laughed and said "I just thought the same thing, now you can never leave me". We laughed and embraced each other and we felt so grateful towards fate and Melanie.

Thank you Lauren - It was very emotional for me to read this. I felt as if I were there.

Deeder

Thank You also, Albgardis! You took us all there with love and emotion..(and excellent English )!


-Bill