Whine & Cheese

Hey Paula (Poundstone)!

On Saturday night, we went to see one of our favorite stand-up comedians... Paula Poundstone.

We had seen her several years ago and while we're not huge comedy club go-ers we still remember it fondly as vowed to see her again the next time she came to town.

But, as you may know, Paula had a run-in with the law... a 2001 drunk driving charge that took a few nastier twists (detailed, where else, but in her Wikipedia entry) which threatened to be a career-ender... but ended up being a pretty sizable speed bump, since I am really not sure if she has done a Phoenix gig since her "real person"/no special treatment 180-day stint in rehab.

Likewise, it was nice to see her pack in a near sell-out crowd at one of the jewels of Phoenix, the Orpheum Theater (more on that later).  Couldn't quite get a good pulse on the crowd... definitely seemed to skewed older than us (Poundstone is 47 years old), a notable but not large gay presence (never been any personal disclosures from Poundstone, who comically self-describes herself as asexual), and no surprise... politically left-leaning.

Paula is comic genius.  While her act had some of her old favorites (i.e. heard it before on comedy specials), what I am most impressed with is the "on the fly" part of her show.  She she always asks a handful of audience members "What do you do for a living?" ... but I am always surprised how quickly and how much humor she is spontaneously able to squeeze out.  Also, she apparently does her research coming into town... spending a good deal of time talking about life in Phoenix.  It's safe to say, it's never the same act twice!

There was one part of the show that had me nearly at tears (ok, at tears).  The style of stand-up that Paula does is my favorite... just very observational and not an excessive amount of "bad language."  So when she let the occasional f-bomb fly it made it even more funny.  She starts this stint on those pharmaceutical / "ask your doctor about" TV commercials that often feature a long list of possible side-effects -- usually read quickly and with mumble... and she let's out this one-liner...

"What the f&ck could you have that is so bad that you are willing to risk anal leakage!?!"

And while it was clear that no one, including Paula, thought that particular condition was funny... but the mere mention of that particular phrase just sent the crowd into further convulsions.   All in all, and as expected, a great night of comedy and I certainly would highly recommend getting a ticket to see Paula should she make a stop in your town.

As promised, a quick word on the Orpheum Theater.  We have only been there a handful of times, but I always look forward to going to it... truly one of the gems in Phoenix.  Completed in 1929, and outside anything Native American, that's pretty much as historical as it gets in Phoenix.  (Again thanks to Wikipedia) Costing what had to be a whopping $750k at the time, it underwent a 12-year, $14 million restoration and re-opened in 1997.   While certainly not having all the conveniences (i.e. sizable bathrooms) of newly-built theaters... it more than makes up for it in character and charm... you find yourself meandering around and trying to soak all the amazing architectural details  -- they don't build them like this anymore!   Oh heck, it's easier to just show you...

It's probably a good thing they turn down the house lights when the show starts... pretty amazing!

Getting off the D-List?

What do Paula Abdul, Barbara Walters, Paris Hilton and Larry King have in common?

They were all major targets of Kathy Griffin's stand-up act on Saturday night... and I'm thinking she might have to re-think the whole D-list thing! 

When you are performing in a theater that require video screens on both sides of the stages so everyone can see you... you are starting to move up the alphabetic status list.  The last time we saw Kathy in Arizona (almost two years ago), she played a tiny intimate theater in Tucson... and now even Kathy (and her people) seemed genuinely impressed that she sold out Phoenix's Dodge Theater... it's a flexible seating venues, but I am guessing a crowd of nearly 3,000.  And while her beloved "gays" were certainly out in force, it didn't have quite the "is this a comedy show or a gay bar?" feel of that previous show.  I would almost say the crowd was primarily women ("girls night out" sort of thing), the gays, and quite a good ratio of hetero couples.

We did have this quite darling young 20-something gay couple (ah, youth!) a couple of rows ahead of us.  A concert/show is pretty much a gadget event... cell phones, digital cameras, and various combinations of the two keep everyone quite entertained with themselves before a show these days.  These two guys attracted quite a bit of that media attention with their "Team Kathy" shirts.... with one have "Kathy's Whore" and "Kathy's Bitch" emblazoned across their backs... ah, times they are a changin'!

There's no sense trying to go into her nearly 2-hour routine... she had the audience rolling... only losing the audience for a mere millisecond during an American Idol backstage story, when she said she missed seeing Sanjaya walk by because he was eclipsed by our home-town girl Jordin Sparks and her flowy dress. Oh, she did more than suggest (allegedly!) that a certain beat-boxing contestant may be a part of a segment of her core audience... hmmm?!   

Kathy also briefly mentioned the death of her father ... which will be addressed in this week's episode of My Life on the D-List.  She mentioned her thanks for all the kind words that have been left on her website and that she has received in person.  Certainly the break-out stars of this reality show, the crowd gave father John a well-deserved ovation.

She ended her night of comedy with some backstage dish on The View... the morning ABC gal gabfest that she has recently been guest hosting (pre- and post- Rosie, who she had nothing but nice words for).  I think Kathy may actually be gunning for a permanent spot, she was just a wee bit more careful with the Barbara Walters, who she admits she loves to tease (and she does if you have seen her on the show), than some of her other focal points.  Nevertheless, even if she does land the job, Kathy predicts a tenure of about three weeks.

... and a gig on The View would start edging her off the D-List as well... plus she's becoming a Larry King favorite too (Programming note: she will be on again later this week!  Thursday?)!   Kathy called Larry, the oldest person she's ever met... who spends his time yelling and firing people during commercial breaks and, even after two appearances on the show, she's not quite sure Larry knows who she is.

"A-List" Charges & Fees

Like a dutiful gay man, this morning I purchased tickets for Kathy Griffin's June show here in Phoenix.

I was pleasantly surprised the tickets were only $30 or $40 a piece.  We have been known to pay some astronomical prices to see our favorite gay-cons... so even Kathy would agree that her ticket prices are pretty D-list (heck anything under 3-digits seems to qualify as that these day)!

I am on TicketMaster and put in my "best available, somewhat centered" seat preference request... only $30 seats popped up... but not too bad (rear orchestra)... so what they heck, it's comedy show and not something that needs to be appreciated close-up (no offense Kath!).   

I go through the check-out process, but still a bit shocked by the final figure... call me silly, but for some reason I think it's going to be approximately $60... but then there's a...

facility charge fee + convenience fee + order processing fee...

Ok, convenience fee is fine... kids these days will never appreciate what we used to have to go through to get tickets to a live event.  I definitely don't miss the days of actually having to leave the house to go to a ticket booth or stay at home and hit re-dial and listen to buzzy signals for hours on end... or worse yet, be "tricked" into thinking I got through but instead receiving that "all lines are busy, try your call again later" operator message. Granted this likely would not have been an issue today (sorry again Kath!), but when everything was tallied up...

Those three items tacked 45% onto the face value of the ticket (actually 45.9%!)!  Now, it's not like we can't afford it or that I wouldn't have bought the tickets at the ultimate price... but it still struck me as slightly outrageous.

I guess the fees have no correlation to the ticket price ... it's just that when we're paying hundreds of dollars for tickets the additional charges seem like the proverbial drop in the bucket.

Buttah? Barbra!

Well, well, well... what a night!   

I have suggested that I could "die happy" by crossing off Barbra Streisand off my "must-see" concert list... but c'mon, hopefully I have at least a few more decades left in me... so let's not take that literally folks!  But last night's concert was everything I could have asked for... and considering I was only familiar with about half of the songs Streisand sang last night that's really saying something.  Heck, if she sang The Way We Were, People, Evergreen and closed the show out with the proverbial read of the telephone book and I would have been thrilled! 

As you would expect, everything was meticulous.  A huge stage of bridges/walkways with a split full-orchestra pit... bouquets of roses set on tables along the way.  Streisand rose from a lift at center stage (I called it the "el-diva-ator") to, of course, thunderous applause and cheers.  I thought the 64-year old Streisand look great (dare I say, "gorgeous"!)... in her trademark Donna Karan ensembles (a total of 3 wardrobe changes in all).  I didn't get too verklempt... just a little stunned that she was finally just a few hundred feet away.

She sounded wonderful... perhaps a bit more huskier/raspier than she used to... but when she hit those signature notes it was goose-bump city... over and over again!

Ok... so it was fantastic... but let's move on to some fun and snarkiness.

If you wanted to get a grasp on the demographics of last evening's concert-goers you need only to look at our row and the row in front of us.

In front of us, were slightly beyond middle aged women.  One in particular captured our attention for most of the evening... she was pretty loopy from the get-go, but another helping of white wine sent her over the edge.  She would cat-call Barbra, try to high-five people around her, and simply dissolved in a puddle of tears during Somewhere.  It was kind of cute at first, but it got pretty embarrassing (for her) as the evening wore on, with her friends trying to shush her down.

Now, our row was a quartet of guys on one side of us and a highly-suspected lesbian couple on the other side.  One eavesdropped conversation from the guys included references to Rosie O'Donnell, The View, Celine Dion and Cher... they also took turns looking at a purchased copy of the 2007 Il Divo wall calendar.   So there you have it... older women, gay folk and older couples as well.  Overall, I suspect we were on the low end of the age curve (which I don't know is a good thing or not).

Okay... Il Divo.  To tell you the truth, they were better than we thought they would be... though they were pretty much relegated to be mere accessories to La Diva.  Despite their inherent cheesiness (singing pop music not in English in the language of love), you can not deny that they are very impressive vocally (and three-quarters of them are pretty easy on the eyes).  Now I would have preferred them not to have joined in on Evergreen... but the duets on The Music of The Night and Somewhere were two of the many highlights of the evening.  I agree with Rosie O'Donnell... striking me as rejects from The Bachelor... but that is better than what the AZ Republic called them "(an) oily 'popera' group, who sing capably, but very anonymously.  Imagine four better-looking Josh Grobans for an idea of what they do."   Ouch!  (And leave Josh out of it while your at it!).

Okay... the teleprompters.  It's no secret that Streisand suffers from stage-fright after forgetting lyrics when she performed to a huge Central Park crowd back in the 60s.  She only returned to live performing with the advent of the teleprompter.  We were side stage... so we saw them all... and there were literally dozens of them -- including a gargantuan one hanging from the back of the arena.  This was a constant distraction for us.  Not only were the lyrics there... but the "spontaneous" chit-chat with the audience.  So while not totally detracting from my Streisand awe... it was still and unwelcome look behind the wizard's curtain.  Streisand did fess up to her use of teleprompters during an audience Q&A, "pull questions out of a jar" segment... which I assume was "real" since there was nothing on the prompters at the time.  Despite their presence,  I don't think Streisand was using them all that much... likely just knowing they are there if needed is probably enough to ease her insecurity.  Though do you really need "Mmmmmm.  Mmmmmm.  Mmmmmm." to be on a prompter to open Evergreen?  BTW, Il Divo, when singing solo, did not have lyrics on the prompter... only on their duets and audience chatter.

The chit-chat often was customized to us... she read spoke of visiting different local restaurants and landmarks earlier in the day... though she did flub one exit line... saying she needed to take a break because there was a tostada waiting for her from the "Old Factory" (a glance at the prompter showed she should have said the full (actual) name of the restaurant, The Old Town Tortilla Factory).   Before closing the night out with Happy Days are Here Again, she commended us for not "writing bigotry into our state constitution" with the failure of the "gay marriage" proposition.

Oh, the George Bush impersonator was there.  This segment has gotten Babs in some trouble in other cities... heckled in one city (where she told the person to "shut the f&ck up") and a beverage thrown elsewhere.  So I wasn't necessarily looking forward to it... but it was just fine.  But I am guessing the tone of the routine is much different now, thanks to the results of the midterm elections... and as mentioned, it made her closing song all the more apropos and a hit with Barbra lovin' partisan crowd:   

So long sad times
Go long bad times
We are rid of you at last  (big cheers!)

Howdy gay times  (big gay cheers!)
Cloudy gray times
You are now a thing of the past

Happy days are here again
The skies above are clear again
So let's sing a song of cheer again
Happy days are here again

If you made it this far... congratulations and thank you!   I knew this was going to be a big 'ole ramble and I certainly didn't let myself down.  For another ("professional") take on last night's show here's a link to the AZ Republic's review (Streisand Simply Sensational).

UPDATE (like I need to say more!): Two celebrity sitings worth noting.  Music industry big-wig (and I am assuming FoB, Friend of Barbra) David Foster was front row center.  She shouted out "Oh, David you're here" early in the show and once I scanned the front row it was pretty easy to figure out who the David was (hey, watching American Idol and Celebrity Duets comes in handy!).

As I mentioned yesterday, the last time Streisand was in town it was for the filming of A Star Is Born.  Coincidentally enough, her co-star Kris Kristofferson was also performing last night (at a theater that holds about 13,000 less people).  She mentioned that maybe if he finished early he would stop by... and sure enough between who two encore songs, she dragged out Kristofferson to some of the loudest cheers of the evening.   Pretty neat.

And for my own sake (and rapidly failing memory), the set list is "after the jump":

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Diva Edition

Back in September 2005, I created this W&C banner:

In the spirit of the blog, it seemed to make sense to have a "diva" banner.  I wanted to include divas I had seen live in concert... so Cher, Bette, and Celine were no-brainers.  Gladys Knight and Dolly Parton were the next additions, though I didn't think they quite fit the "diva" mold... well at least the temperamental and demanding wing of diva-hood... okay, maybe this is more a "gay-con" banner... that makes Dolly fit in...I was still unsure about Gladys... but how could I have a banner without two of the biggest divas out there... Barbra Streisand & Madonna? 

So even though I had never seen them in concert... and figured I never would... I did away with the silly "restrictions" and just put in a handful of ladies that I would be happy to see pop up randomly on W&C.

But you just never know what life will throw at you... and what a difference a year (+ two months) makes?!!

Making her first appearance in the Phoenix area since the 1980s, I knocked Madonna off the list when her Confessions Tour hit town back in May.

And tonight, what I thought would never, never (never, never, ever, ever!) happen ... Barbra Streisand. 

Though hopefully I haven't been rooked... my "print out your own" tickets say Barbara (vs. the more particular Barbra).

But, if you thought Madonna had been avoiding Phoenix... well, the last time Babs performed here was when she was filming A Star Is Born in the 1970s!  Apparently during some concert with a other musical acts at Sun Devil Stadium, she popped out to sing a few songs for the movie.  All for $3.50... which, as you can probably guess, is less than the "convenience fee" for tonight's concert.

If you need an indication of what a big deal this is for me... that is, beyond the base fact of being a gay man of a certain age... well, there's a picture or myself and Barbra up on our refrigerator... okay, technically it's me and the wax figure of Barbra from Madam Tussauds.

So I am still pretty much in denial that it's actually going to happen, let alone tonight... it will probably not until we leave for the show... and have to deal with the mess around the arena (apparently there are metal detectors + no beverages allowed in the arena... guess that's what happens when someone throws a drink at her!).

I'll tell you all about it tomorrow (time/energy/"real" work permitting)... oh, and there's Il Divo too... now there's another act that I never thought I would see live... but not for the same reasons.

For now I'll enjoy my own little version of Field of Dreams... if you post it (or put it on your fridge), she will come.

Gay Card: Lifetime Renewal

For my heterosexual readers, let me explain the phrase "gay card"...

It is the hypothetical "membership club card" for us gay folk.

The phrase "gay card" is most often invoked when we something NOT gay... at that point, it is threatened to be taken away.

For example:
"You don't like Cher, Bette Midler, or Madonna?  Give me your gay card!"
"You watch the Super Bowl for the football and not the commercials?"  Hand it over..."

Based on recent/future concert attendance, I now believe my "gay card" is safe for a lifetime.

Exhibit 1:

Madonna's Confessions Tour back in May.  My gay card was in question. I had never seen the Material Girl in concert.  But c'mon, she never toured within 300 miles of anywhere I lived.  So when she decided to grace the Valley with an appearance this time around, the only way to keep my gay card out of jeopardy was to get tix.

Exhibit 2:

Last month, we had Melissa Etheridge.  An actual gay person!  Now this one gets a bit more complicated.  As a gay male, my attendance was not required... but encouraged... for lesbians, non-attendance would be an automatic gay card surrender.  I am happy to report that did not occur... as every lesbian from Arizona (and surrounding states) were at the show.

Okay... so Madge and Melissa ... a decent gay card renewal rate... maybe a year or two ... but certainly not enough to get me to my retirement years!

So next we move on to two, and until now undisclosed, upcoming concerts...

Exhibit 3:  

As you may know, we're (surprise, surprise... not!) going to Vegas for my birthday.  Once we figured out the actual dates, I looked around for entertainment options.  As luck would have it, we'll be there when Elton John is "filling in" for Celine Dion at the Coliseum at Caesars Palace (we've already seen Celine's show, check!).  We are going on my birthday... which will be a very nice treat... and since it is on a Wednesday (vs. Friday or Saturday night) we got pretty decent seats, too!

Ok... Madonna, Melissa, Elton... the gay card points are piling up... but now we send it into the stratosphere...

I'll give you a hint... "The Prince of Tides" was neither about princes nor tides... discuss!

Exhibit 4:

Oh my frickin' goodness... we are going to see Barbra Streisand on November 16th!

This is just beyond my comprehension.  We've seen a lot of people in concert... and honestly there aren't many (if any!) artists left on my "die happy" concert list.  The one hold-out was Barbra. 

I had pretty much given up that it would ever happen.  Like Madonna, in her many "farewell" appearances she never stopped in Phoenix (reports have it that the last time she performed in Arizona was in the 1970s).  She has done Vegas a couple times in the last decade... but they were usually (always?!)  for New Year's, which is the one time I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Sin City (plus paying $600+/night, minimum 2-3 nights for a hotel room... believe me, I checked).

I am thrilled... I just hope I can keep it together... I might get a little verklempt!

(For that classic SNL Coffee Talk/Linda Richman skit featuring Madonna & Rosanne Barr plus a surprise appearance from Babs herself... it's on You Tube (of course!)... click here).

So I think my gay card is officially safe for the forseeable future...

Now I just have to get over that the cost of all these concerts tickets likely exceeds the GNP for some third-world countries!

Melissa

Still recovering from last night's concert...

... as we joined the lesbian community of the Greater Phoenix Metro area... of Tucson... of Arizona... of New Mexico... of the entire Southwestern region of the United States to see...

Melissa Etheridge in concert!

Boy, there were a lot of lesbians!  Ok, I know what your thinking... what the heck did you expect?  That's like saying, boy there were a lot of heterosexual males at the football or hockey game.  But the sheer proportion was staggering.  It was some bizarro world where, for a few hours, there were more gay folk in the world than straight... that said, the gay boys didn't represent all that well last night.  We were literally surrounded... two lesbian couples in front of us, a couple next to us, 3 single gay gals on the other side, and a very eardrum-bleeding screaming couple behind us.

As always (and expected)... Melissa was AMAZING!   She wasted no time... refreshingly kicking the show off a mere 5 minutes after the ticketed start time of 8pm... and rocked on for nearly 3 hours!   Without a new album to support, her last release was a greatest hits collection, the show was pretty much all her hits, all the time... none of that unfamiliar "new" stuff that so often bogs down concerts.

Melissa conversed with the crowd often... and in a very non-robotic way... no sense of that canned chit-chat thrown out on each and every stop (I'm looking at your Madge, Celine, and Cher!).  The show was pretty well-structured... a lot of it had to do with love... finding love, getting love, losing love, reeling from bad love, and embracing good love.  Also, a particularly striking section had her pairing "Silent Legacy" with tributes to Matthew Shepard ("Scarecrow") and 9/11 Flight 93's Mark Bingham ("Tuesday Morning")... and her own battle with breast cancer... "This Is Not Goodbye" and the goose-bump inducing anthem "I Run For Life."

One of my favorites was her latest release... one she was asked to write by Al Gore for his documentary An Inconvenient Truth... "I Need To Wake Up"...  highly recommended for download (maybe I can coerce Scott to nominate it as the "Boogie Boogie" song of the week!).  Just a wonderful song that not only speaks to the impending planetary issues... but also can apply to one's own life (global warming or not!).  And Melissa is not just talking the talk, she revealed that her tour buses are all fueled by bio-diesel.

Though she writes most of her stuff, one of the highlights was her cover version of Janet Joplin's "Piece of My Heart."  Vocal comparisons aside, this has become one of her signature songs... thanks to giving one one of the most memorable Grammy performances in recent years... performing bald and still weakened from chemotherapy.

Before I wrap this up, I do have to give a shout-out to one of Melissa's bandmates... guitarist Philip Sayce... AMAZING!   

I am no guitar aficionado... but I have seen my fair share of concerts... along with some greats like Eric Clapton... and Sayce is simply one of the most incredible guitarist I have ever seen.  And yes, he wasn't too bad on the eyes either (he had a bit more hair last night, this pic was taken from an early stop on the tour).

So just a wonderful concert... passionate and inspiring!  With last night's show, Melissa also enters some rarefied air... in the "seen most times in concert" department, Melissa joins Bruce Springsteen and Cher as folks I have seen 3 times (she is Todd's first three-timer).

Shockingly enough, it appears Melissa changes up the set list every night... a rare thing these days!  Granted it is 80% the same each night, but it is still nice to see an artist who likes to do something at least a little different each night... you can check out the set lists on Melissa's official website.

tags:  melissa etheridge

Madonna Rides Into Town

... and she brought her riding whip!   

Madonna emerged from a giant disco ball (reportedly covered with $2 million worth of crystals) and literally kicked (and whipped) the show off with an equestrian-themed/S&M take of Future Lovers from Confessions on a Dance Floor.  A video-ized Madonna introduced the real-life Madonna proclaiming "I'm going to tell you about love"... and the roar from the crowd told her she was about to receive a whole lotta love right back for the next two hours.

So, I really don't know where to start. 

The show was amazing... the ticket prices made me question my sanity (and that's saying something!!)... but the production value of this show is so high... there were really no regrets... your dollars wree certainly on display during this visual feast... plus that you are in the presence of arguably one of the most famous women in the world.   

I came away from the evening with a total (increased) respect of Madonna's artistic vision.  You know she had total control over every aspect of the show... and she has certainly come a long way from her bubble-gum pop musical roots... sure there was an incredible amount of ego on display... but the night was a mix of fun (even kitsch), but also "message."

She turned political a few times ... in the "shock value" (and most press publicized) moment of the evening, during Live To Tell Madonna puts herself up on a mirrored crucifix (with a crown of thorns, no less!)... but against a video back-drop of the devasting toll of AIDS in Africa. 

And let's just say, it is pretty clear what Madonna thinks of Dubya and Tony Blair. In a video sequence for Sorry... the two world leaders make mulitiple appearances (beside images of more notorious "evil doers") as the words "Don't Speak" are flashed across the screen and the song's chorus "I don't wanna hear, I don't wanna know/Please don't say you're sorry/I've heard it all before" is repeated.  Dubya also gets a shellacking during I Love New York, "If you don't like my attitude / Then you can F off / Just go to Texas / Isn't that where they golf"... that last "golf" line was changed to something about sucking a lower appendange on the current President.  Yowza!

Yesterday I mentioned that Madonna, like many "divas," has a thing about air conditioning... and that surfaced last night.  Past the mid-point of the show, Madonna said something to the affect of "A word to the management, turn off the air conditioning.  Sure enough, it did heat up (literally) for the remainder of the show... and this turned into the primary focus of an article about the concert in this morning's newspaper.  Apparently, a half hour before showtime was 75 degrees inside... at showtime (40 minutes "late"... at 8:40p) it was up to 80... and by the end of the show, it was a very noticeably toasty and moist 87 degrees.

So that's a good segue to say to say... at times, she was a bitch.  There was minimal chit-chat with the audience beyond the prerequiste "Hello... [insert city name]"... I sensed every aspect of the show was planned out, orchestrated, choreographed...  right down to her swigs from the water the bottle. 

Ok, back to the bitchiness... me thinks, this was "part of the act" as well ... her diva 'tude and tantrums are legendary... so you expect (and want!) to be put in your place!  When she told you to jump you jumped, when she said dance you danced... when she told you to roll your arms during Hung Up... well, you better f&ckin' roll your arms... NOW!!   Ma'am, yes ma'am!!   Heck, even her dancers seemed to be trained animals (at times literally), catering to her every whim and asked to do some amazing physical feats... and they were truly incredible... for these folks (and yes, some hot male bodies) a spot on a Madonna tour is as prestigious a gig as you can get in the dancing world.

Finally, at age 47, Madonna looked amazing!  For some reason, I thought she was coming across ever so slightly chunky of late... but her body is incredible... if anywhere, her age is showing in her face.  But her legs were incredible... and she still exudes sex appeal.  Our seats were great... at times, I would say we were about 60 feet away from her (both at a side stage "arm" and a mini-stage that extended halfway out to the floor).  During Hung Up, we had a most excellent rear view of her humping the boom box... and well, even for a gay guy, I have to say she had a fine ass.

So I guess that's it... sorry for the ramble...  believe me, my mind is still processing everything...  I am sure I could go on and on. 

I know some folks consider it a SPOILER, so I have included the song/set list "after the jump" (if you are reading this via Bloglines or some other feeder... avert your eyes)...  I certainly didn't commit it to memory, just pulled it from the Web and "confirmed" it...

Oh, btw... no encores... which was fine with me! I have always found "planned" encores (you know when the artists leaves the stage having never sang their biggest or most current hit) to be annoying and manipulative... so it was quite refreshing that the show was over when it was over (the first time)!!

UPDATE:  From The AZ Republic... a much more focused (and pretty much on target) concert review/re-cap: Madonna dances through Glendale spectacle

Burnin' Up

Tonight's the night!

Yep, it is the big Madonna stop in Phoenix!

Not that I would have ever forgot it , but I was reminded of the show when I had to put that TicketMaster charge into Quicken this past weekend... yeesh!   I am hoping complimentary lap dances from her male back-up dancers are included with the price of admission!   Shockingly enough, the buzz is that the show is actually worth the steep price of admission.

While I doubt she'll sing it... I have a feeling we'll be... burnin' up! 

Allegedly Madonna has called for minimal/no air conditioning at the concert venues.  This is not unheard of in the divahood... Aretha Franklin has been known to throw a hissy fit and storm out if the air is on... while Celine Dion has a highly controlled temperature/humidity performance "bubble" at Caesars Palace.   So we'll see, even without air conditioning, Arizona's infamous "dry heat" may do in the Material Girl!   (Though the weather has been very strange here for the past two days...)

This is also the start of an unusually high density activity schedule... Friday night we are supposed to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat... Saturday, Todd's parents stop by to pick up Lucy (who arrived for a short doggie stay yesterday)... Sunday is a Diamondbacks game... then Monday, Todd is off to France.

So more tomorrow... that is, if I can recover after being out on a "school night."

Cinco de Maya

Tonight we are going to see a true American living legend... Maya Angelou!

Her resume runneth over... writer, director, actress, producer, poet, civil rights activist, teacher, recording artist, cookbook author... for starters!

Nominated for a Tony award and fluent in 6 languages, Angelou is best known for her autobiographical work I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and On The Pulse Of Morning - the poem created for and delivered on Bill Clinton's first presidential inauguration.

She is even "celebrated" in La Vie Boheme from the musical Rent, with Mimi & Angel offering up this tribute:

To hand-crafted beers made in local breweries
To yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese
To leather, to dildos, To curry Vindaloo
To Huevos Rancheros and Maya Angelou

We should expect the unexpected.  Her publicist couldn't tell our local newspaper what the night will hold.  Angelou doesn't bring notes to the stage -- every "perfomance" is different.  That's for sure.  We did see her several years ago.  She was really getting into one of her poems... and with a wild arm swing she knocked her glass of water off her lectern... the look on her face was priceless, but she didn't miss a beat.

But I am sure the now 78-year old Angelou will provide inspiration and words of wisdom.  Here are few of her "famous" quotes that jumped out:

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver."

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."

"If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers."

"There's a world of difference between truth and facts. Facts can obscure truth.'

"Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it."

Tuesday Mish-Mash

Usually it's mish-mash Mondays... but a day late with a few unconnected thoughts...

Madonna - Well, I wasn't the only crazy person to spend oodles of dollars on Madonna tix.  Today's paper reported that it took only 16 minutes to get to "only single seats left" status.  With that kind of demand, a second show has been added two days later on much more concert-friendly Saturday night... but I wasn't going to roll the dice on that!   We also had $44.50 worth of fees added for the pair of tix... I remember the days when paying that alone for a concert seemed like a big deal.  I'm getting old!

Queen Night - No, not more about Madonna... tonight is Queen tribute night on American Idol.  USA Today has published tonight's song selections.  I won't spoil it for you... but will just give some cryptic comments.  Elliott is singing a song that I thought would have been perfect for Ace... while Ace's choice seems questionable to me and fear the 'interpretation'... Kellie has the most interesting choice and potential train wreck... Bucky is likely saving himself by song choice alone. 

West Wing - I think that it is a little sad that there has been little press about the result of the Presidential election on The West Wing.  I think the show has been better than ever, but it certainly seems to be leaving on a whimper buzz-wise.  The NY Times has an interesting piece (registration may be required, sometimes I can read the full piece without it) about the outcome ... seems like the election would have swung the other way if John Spencer had not passed away in December.  Looking forward to seeing past cast members return in the closing weeks of the show... though next week's episode looks like a tear-jerker.

MINI Cooper - Yesterday was my car's one month anniversary.... which I find hard to believe... on one hand it seems like I just got it... on the other, it seems like I have always had it... it has just over 600 miles on it now... and received its second fill-up over the weekend.  Got about 27 MPG on the second tank... but still lovin' it... and with the weather warming up, it has been nice to ride around with the sun roof open and the windows down!

Justify My Love Ticket Prices

Well, Madonna tickets went on sale this morning... and I managed to snag us some.  Thanks goodness the days of having to call-in or sleep-out at a ticket booth are over!

Though my online experience was not without its moments. I was all signed in to Ticketmaster as 10 a.m. approached, I kept hitting the reload button... and just at 10 a.m....  I got a message that I had "exceeded the maximum number of hits allowed" and "please try your request again in a couple of minutes."  Arrrrrgh!!!  Couldn't they have mentioned that somewhere before I got trigger-happy!?!

So I switched to another browser, tracked down the page again... submitted my request and then it says it will take "approximately 2 minutes" to pick out tickets... so I scrambled back to my other browser, which had now forgiven me... and suddenly I have my choice between 2 sets of tickets... and better yet, despite the lag time (every second counts!), I got lucky:

Section 101 - Row J

So pretty darn great... but I have a feeling why it is called the Confessions tour... and it has nothing to do with the of the album/CD... it's because no one will want to admit how much they paid for tickets! 

If we weren't wracked with enough guilt in the past couple of days, now I have to deal with the fact that I am paying to see Madonna for an amount of $$ that could feed a family in a third-world country for probably a significant period of time.  Eeek!  I think a charitable donation is in order to get the karma back in balance.

While at Ticketmaster, I checked out our "Online Order History" (stretching back to 2003 )... I pretty much am sure our TiVo knows we're gay... but I am thinking Ticketmaster probably has a good clue as well:

Madge Alert

Yes, Madonna is coming to town!

I am a little surprised.  Even though we're one of the biggest metro areas in the country, last night I wondered if she had ever been to Phoenix.  And the answer is yes...  21 years ago!   Now that makes me feel old... it was way back during her Like A Virgin tour... so that even pre-dates my tenure in the Valley.

So, I am sure you may surmise, I have never seen Madonna in concert!

I know shocking!  Celine, Bette (twice!), Cher (thrice!), Dolly, Reba... so Madonna seems like it would be a much-needed hole punch on the gay card (and Barbra is threatening another farewell tour, oy!).

But old age is kicking in too... the concert is on June 8th, a Thursday (ugh!) night... it is at the arena out in boonies (for us)... and tickets (going on sale Monday) are $60-$355 (+ countless surcharges).

The North American stops are: LA, Vegas, San Jose, Fresno, Phoenix, Chicago, Montreal, Hartford, NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Miami.

Vegas Shows: Struggles & Shake-Ups

Obviously we did not book the most popular shows in Vegas this most recent trip. 

As you know, our Gladys Knight show was cancelled last week.  Innocently, I thought the star of the show might just be suffering from a head cold, but when Jeff called to book show tickets for later this month and was informed that this Saturday night would be the last show!   I scoured the Internet looking for news about this, but only came up with this link which mentions a big shake-up in shows at the Harrah's properties.  The article mentions the official closing of the Queen inspired musical "We Will Rock You" at Paris... and notes shows like Gladys, Clint Holmes (Harrah's), Scintas (Rio), and Jubilee (Ballys) are all on the chopping block.   So I am now really disappointed we didn't see Gladys... glad that we did see her last year... and hope she'll find a new well-deserved Vegas showroom!

And likewise, it appears Avenue Q is struggling at Wynn Las Vegas.  This gossip column from the LV-Review Journal quotes Wynn as allegedly saying he "made a mistake" about the show.  Wynn is bringing in a new marketing executive with hopes to boost its run in Las Vegas.  There was a pretty good crowd for our Saturday night early performance of the show... but apparently they are only regularly selling half the 1,200 seat house and have not even opened the balcony.   So the show might just be singing one of its signature tunes "It Sucks To Be Me" or perhaps the show is only "For Now?"

Vegas Shows: Fall '05 Edition

With our Vegas trip coming up in just a couple of weeks, figured it was time to get down to buying some show tickets.  It is an especially nice trip since it is a "business" trip for me... so hotel & gas (and at least one meal) are not directly coming out of my checkbook...  best yet, the only commitment (meeting an East Coast business partner) is Thursday evening... so the rest of the weekend is free (ssshhhhh!).

So after some discussion with my other half... we decided to go to a couple of shows (though Todd will be "officially" finding out about this along with the rest of you!)... and btw, Happy Birthday!  (Todd's birthday is week we are going... how convenient!)

Since we enjoyed her show so much the first time.... on Friday night we are going back to see...

Gladys Knight at the Flamingo... it is really a nice and cozy venue that harkens back to the Rat Pack days of Vegas (I think Gladys may have even said that they did play at this particular showroom)... and there is not anyone much cooler than Gladys!   I will just have to start practicing my "woo woo!" back-up singer moves for "Midnight Train To Georgia"... or, umm... maybe not.

On Saturday night, we will get our first look at the relatively new Wynn Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.. and be seeing....

Since Wynn has an exclusive contract with Avenue Q, the only place you can see the Tony award winning musical is in NYC or Vegas (no touring productions!).  We ended up with seats in Row P... I guess it would have been cool to be in Row Q... but I take seats one row closer!

"D"-lightful Surprise

My big Friday night birthday surprise from Todd were tickets to see Kathy Griffin!   I became an even bigger (huge!) fan of Ms. Griffin during her Bravo reality series My Life On the D-List, so you might be wondering why exactly I couldn't figure out that we were going to see her?!

Well, the show was out of town! 

About a month (??) or so ago, I looked up Kathy's tour dates on her website.  The closest she was going to be to Phoenix was Tucson... but since it is about a 1.5 hour drive each way... I didn't even bother to look at the date (or the day of the week).  So Todd gets big brownie points, (a) for picking up on it (honestly, I was not intentionally dropping a hint... and I am more than willing to admit when I do!), (b) tracking it down, (c) realizing that we could swing it on a Friday night... (d) that it was conveniently around my birthday... and (e) keeping it a secret for an extended period of time!

Kathy was just great!  She came out wearing a shower cap after Tucson was hit with a freaky deluge of  rain... saying that she had perfected her bangs and didn't want to ruin her hair. 

With an stand-up act that is largely based on celebrity foibles and misfortune, I have to give Kathy credit for almost immediately putting her own impending divorce out there. She did not linger on it, and seemed genuinely depressed about it... but hoped getting out on the road would help her get through this tough time.  The cheering (dare I even say... raucous!) audience certainly did not let her down.

It was a very gay crowd... I told Todd that I thought every gay person in Tucson must have been there (along w/ some of us from Phoenix).  But with Kathy flip-flopping between adoring and mocking (destroying!) pop culture icons, it only makes sense that she has a big gay following... and as a D-Lister she is also has the "outside looking in" perspective.  So her humor is right up my alley... and we agreed that I certainly could be one of Kathy's "gays"... though I am sure I can just get in line with probably a million other gay men who think the same thing.

If you have seen Kathy, you know this chick has some balls... just fearless!  Her biggest targets of the night included Tom Cruise (he has gone so whacko even the gays don't want him), her former E! red carpet colleague Star Jones (she said Ms. Jones upcoming book on finding love should just be titled "How To Make It Work With A Gay Guy"), and celebrity/right winger Patricia Heaton.  I was particuarly thrilled with the Heaton rant, since she really bugged the crap out of me going on Entertainment Tonight (or as Kathy calls it "the news") during the Terri Schiavo case... and even "big fish" like Oprah, Mel Gibson, and Republicans (You have the White House, the Senate, the House... so shut the f&ck up!) were not left unscathed.

Kathy puts on a very spontaneous show... if you saw the Bravo series, you know she comes out with her own notebook of brain-stormed notes of current hot topics.  I would guess you never get the same show from night to night and definitely get the feeling that you are meeting up with an old friend who has all this juicy gossip to tell you about.  At times, Kathy would just go off on tangents... holding out her hands and going "Oh wait... I have to tell you this!"  Even after doing nearly an hour and a half of material, the audience still seemed to want more.

So just a very fun evening and I don't think Todd could have come up with a more perfect (or fitting) gift... though it still kills me a bit that I didn't guess what it was (guessing right is one of my strengths). 

The rest of the weekend was fairly low key... which was totally fine... we are both still recovering from our East Coast trip and getting ready for the Vegas trip in a couple of weeks... and  flirting with some kind of head cold... so catching up on TiVo was a perfectly acceptable activity!

Oh, I do have to tell you about Saturday... I am on the verge of a *major* splurge... which, the more I think about it, really smacks of an impending mid-life crisis... stay tuned!

We Need To Clone This Dolly

The Dolly Parton concert was really quite wonderful last night.  Not that there were any doubts, Dolly is a national treasure...and certainly there will never be another like her.  Despite her wacky (tacky!) outfits, self-deprecating humor, and the fact that she is worth tens of millions, the best word to describe her is authentic.  She is just a simply country girl from the Smoky Mountains who somehow became one of the most recognized singer/songwriters in the world.

Before we get to the concert, a fun little story.  While the opening act, The Grascals, were performing they guy next to me tapped me on the arm and said "Hey, there's Dolly."  Sure enough there was a figure in a white gown and teased-up blond hair walking to 5th row seats.  a quick double-take and a couple of seconds later, I whispered to Todd "It's probably a guy."  My suspicions were confirmed when "Dolly" walked up the aisle during the break.  Another person in our row told an older gentleman behind us that "Dolly" was male... the man replied "Really?  Well, I don't know much about that."   Drag Dolly proved quite popular attractioin prior to the start of the show... happily posing for pictures with various audience members.

The "Hello, I'm Dolly" show kicked off with Dolly's 10-man band singing "Hello Dolly" -- Parton arrived at the top of a short staircase with a feathered fan as well as a feather in her hair.  Having seen Dolly hundreds (thousands!) of times on television and in the movies, it was still startling to see her in person (we had great seats - 19th row, dead center).  She often calls herself a cartoon character and that was my initial impression... but once she opened her mouth, there was no doubt that it was the real thing.

Ok, let's get the boobs out of the way.  In this age of Pam Anderson and surgically enhanced behemoths, I figured Dolly's rack could not be that big.  Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!  Dolly's outfit was a body-hugging, scoop-necked, powder blue jump suit (with capri style pants) that showed off every curve.  Well, only two curves... except for her famous chest the soon to be 59-year old was simply tiny -- an impossibly small waist, no butt, and stick-thin legs ... perhaps Dolly's assertion that "nothing grows in the shade" is true!  She did her costume "changes" on stage -- swapping out different styles of skirts that she called "add-ons."  She promised no Janet Jackson moments stating that if she did she would "take out about four rows here in the front."  Click on the pic (courtesy of The Arizona Republic) for a better (and bigger!) view.

Needless to say, highlights included many of her greatest hits: "9 to 5," "Jolene," "Two Doors Down," "Why'd You Come In Looking Like That," "Here You Come Again," and "Coat of Many Colors" -- and also some cover tunes, "Me And Bobby McGee," "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (which she duets with Rod Stewart with on his latest American Songbook CD), "Thank God I'm A Country Girl (Boy)," "Imagine," and her Grammy-winning bluegrass version of Collective Soul's "Shine."

One song that I admit to not being familiar with was "The Grass Is Blue."  A fine example of Dolly's simple, but masterful, song-writing skills.  Her piano-only and aching-voiced rendition was heartbreaking.  Here are some of the lyrics:

I've had to think up a way to survive
Since you said it's over
Told me good-bye
I just can't make it one day without you
Unless I pretend that the opposite's true

Rivers flow backwards
Valleys are high
Mountains are level
Truth is a lie
I'm perfectly fine
And I don't miss you
The sky is green
And the grass is blue

(skip to last refrain)

And the rivers flow backwards
And my tears are dry
Swans hate the water
And eagles can't fly
But I'm alright now
Now that I'm over you
And the sky is green
And the grass is blue
And I don't love you
And the grass is blue

No surprise that Dolly finished with a goose-bump inducing version of "I Will Always Love You."  Dolly told an interesting story that Elvis was interested in recording her song in the 1970's.  However, Col. Tom Parker wanted Dolly to relinquish half the publishing right dollars to them -- a tough decision at the time, Dolly wisely declined... and would later go on to make probable millions off the Whitney Houston version.  While it is perhaps one of the most overplayed songs of all time, if you have only heard the Whitney version do yourself a favor and dig up Dolly's original.

Entertainer. Icon. Legend.  They all apply to Dolly Parton -- last night is certainly one that I will long remember.

Hello Dolly

When it comes to concert-going there are not many people left that I am absolutely dying to see... in my 20+ years of concert going I have seen a lot...

Rock (Bruce Springsteen, U2, Melissa Etheridge, Eric Clapton)
Pop (Elton John, Billy Joel, Annie Lennox)
Country (Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain)
Blues (BB King)
Gay-cons (Bette, Cher, Celine)

But alas there was one music legend who I was still hoping to catch live... and that was taken care of just a few minutes ago... we are going to see Dolly Parton on December 8th!

I know it seems a little cheesy... but what's there not to love about Dolly? Exactly! So giggle if you like, but I am pretty stoked.

Billed as the "Hello, I'm Dolly" Tour it is her first major concert tour since 1993. Dolly says "The show itself has every color of me in it, from gospel to bluegrass to country to the bigger production numbers, and to the pop hits that I've been fortunate to do through the years. I think there will be something for everybody. I wanted to do it in a big way so all of us can enjoy it."

And I am sure Dolly will have us laughing as well... with her famous lines like "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap" and more recently speaking of her famous body part as her "weapons of mass distraction... shock and awe."

Still Divine

Last night we spent An Evening With Bette Midler...looking as slim as ever Bette burst onto the stage singing the signature song of this tour "Kiss My Brass" - setting the tone for an unapologetic night, the diva proclaimed "I have returned...and you can't make me retire!"  There were no safe targets from the Britneys and Christinas ("I opened up the door to trashy singers with big tits and bad taste, but do any of those girls ever call me up to thank me?" and "These days you're not considered a serious entertainer unless you dress like a 'ho',") to several pointed zingers about the Bush administration ("You didn't think the most dark and depressing period in history would keep me away, did you?").   

I have to say that I admire performers who make an effort to customize there show to the city they are playing.  So often you think you are hearing a great line/joke only to later find out that the performer says it pretty much verbatim every single night.  Now, I am sure Bette just tweaks some of her lines for the city she is in (i.e. "It's so great to play in the arena where the [insert local sports team] lose...er I mean play"), but at least it shows she is doing some research (or that she is learning the lines the people who are doing it for her).  Bette also brought out all of her famed characters - from  electric-wheelchair wielding mermaid Delores DeLago (in an lengthy Broadway-tune infused 2nd act opener) to the elderly Soph's salty one-liners.

On top of all of this it should not go unnoted that Bette (at age 58 no less!) is still in wonderful voice - take that you American Idol kiddies!  Bette does it all and does it just fine...from her toe-tapping retro hits ("Bugle Boy" and "Chapel of Love") to her schmaltzy signature ballads ("From A Distance" and "Wind Beneath My Wings") to blowing the roof off with a rousing rendition of "When A Man Loves A Woman" to tender tributes to Rosemary Clooney and Mr. Rogers...Bette is the total package.

A memorable evening and quite worth the price of the ticket (how often can you say that these days!).  Here's hoping four more years do not pass before the Divine Miss M returns.

Shania Past, Hillary Future

Had a good time at the Shania Twain concert on Friday night. Shania definitely wins the "Miss Congeniality" award -- starting the show off wearing an AZ Diamondbacks jersey and finishing off w/ a Phoenix Coyotes jersey (she apparently wears hometown sport jerseys in each city), raising money for a local children's charity, and shaking hands and signing autographs as she circled her "in-the-round" stage. In a moment that would make any mother proud, she always said "thank you" (even mid-song) when gifts were handed to her from the crowd. None of her wildly sexy trademark outfits were on display, Shania instead opted for "girl-next-door" simplicity.

The show however did little to dispel any thoughts that Shania is a "studio" artist - in other words, her vocals get a lot of help in the recording process. She is certainly a competent singer - I just don't think she would get very far in say an American Idol-type competition. But nevertheless, I respect artists the most who sing, write, and play their own music (though Shania did not pick up a guitar on Friday -- and with a 9-member band I guess there was little reason to).

The night was filled with all of her catchy hit songs. While there is some truth in what the local critic said about them ("Twain's catalog has the musical staying power of a Chinese meal"), they met all the criteria of what makes good pop music. Yes, pop music. This concert rocked and popped - leaving much of Shania's country music roots, in my opinion, floating somewhere in the dust.

**********

My next "celebrity" run-in will be no other the Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton! Saturday's newspaper informed us the Clinton would be stopping in town on January 5th for a book-signing. And while it is no surprise that our household already owns a copy of Living History, we jumped at the opportunity to purchase a couple of more copies and meet her in-person. We already have our "place in line" reservation -- 173 & 174. Our local independent bookstore must be loving this...with those 170+ books sold in just a couple of hours after the opening on Saturday.

The Clinton office put some serious restrictions on the signing. A maximum of 900 books (this is apparently the number of books "Hill" can whip through in 1.5 hours), no personalization just a signature, 2 book maximum and only books purchased at this store, no other books or memorabilia signed, and no photos. But nevertheless I am pretty excited to have my allotted 6 seconds with the Senator and former First Lady.

For an alternate account of these events, please click here...in one household there are only so many thing to blog about!

Concert Prices

Have you noticed the latest trend...trying to getting people to spend even MORE money on concert tickets? It's the Internet pre-sale which allows you to buy tickets, usually good ones, before they go on sale to the general public. This usually involves paying a fee to join a club/program that then gives you a password to use on a Ticketmaster or other ticket site.

I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me thinks it is a total scam to milk more money out of people for already overpriced tickets. The other part does not have an issue with paying for NOT having to camp out outside a department store, speed-dial, or have heart palpitations waiting to see if a web page will spit out something other than "no seats found."

For the Dixie Chicks, I went ahead and paid $40 annual fee to join their official Yahoo Fan club. I really could not care less about the exclusive news or videos on the site, but ended up with 3rd row seats thanks to the pre-sale. I think they were $65/seat tickets...so $85 each for unbelieveably great seats was definitely worth it.

For Celine Dion's Vegas show, I decided not to join "Team Celine." Again, a $40 annual fee to the "club" would allow me to purchase tickets in sections set aside for members. But it takes up to 2 weeks for Ticketmaster to get members into their system. I knew my desired date was going on sale soon, so I did not want to take the chance of not being in the system. Likewise, I heard that the Colisseum did not have "a bad seat." So even without being a member of the team -- and three Ben Franklins later - still had good seats.

This past week I got an email pre-sale offer for Shania Twain...and best of all it was no-strings-attached. The fine print said I was being afforded the opportunity since I purchased tickets in the past 2 years for a show at America West Arena (the Dixie Chicks??). I heard Shania was coming in December, while I like her...I didn't feel any strong "have to see her!" feelings. But here was this offer just tempting me. What the heck... $80/seat later (plus $8/ea "convenience" charge plus $3/ea facility charge, don't you just love that!) we had our seats. I probably would not have got tickets at all, but the lure of "pre-sale" was just too much.

Now the latest. Bette Midler is coming to town next February. I have seen the Divine Miss M once already and it was right up there on the all-time entertaining concert list...so getting tix is a definite no-brainer. Tickets go on sale in 2 weeks, but in my research I stumbled across yet another pre-sale offer. For a $60 annual fee I can join Clear Channel Communications' (the biggest concert promoter in Phoenix) "getAccess" program and buy tickets early. Do I think I will have any problems getting decent tix when they go on-sale to the public? No, but still I have this desire to not worry about it. The $60 seems a little steep, but if I am able to get even one more pre-sale in the next year I think it would be worth it (despite what it seems I really do not go to that many concerts a year, maybe 2 or 3 max).

So does it make sense to spend extra for entertainment "peace of mind" or am I just being a sucker?!