I was as excited and giddy as usual about the prospect of seeing Keith in Toronto, but also felt a bit of heartache that this would be my last show for who knows how long. I nearly had a heart attack when my first flight was slow getting into its gate and I almost missed my connection to Toronto. As I ran down the long terminal hallway at Chicago’s O’Hare, I heard them announcing over the loud speakers “Would passenger Walsh please board immediately at gate B22”. “I’m coming!!” I screamed even though I’m sure the gate personnel could not hear me.
Big city Toronto is a paradox in many ways. First - no jet-bridges for either my arriving or departing flights (what a pain dragging my suitcase down that little ladder of steps from the plane and then up two flights of stairs into the terminal!) but then my bus downtown was equipped with free high speed internet and an electric plug at every seat! Downtown skyscrapers sit in pretty close approximation to little neighborhoods where the French and English of Canada intermingle with almost ever other language imaginable.
The weather was chilly and rainy when I arrived, with low hanging clouds hiding the tops of some of the tall buildings. It didn’t look like I’d be able to admire the views from the CNN tower this weekend! I had picked my hotel for its proximity to the Air Canada Centre without really realizing what a famous and formidable bastion it was - the Fairmont Royal York takes up most of a square block. I certainly hadn’t realized that it actually connected to the ACC via underground tunnels through Union Station - which turned out to be really convenient! It was still raining Saturday night but I didn’t even have to wear a coat to go through the tunnels. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Friday night I chose the cozy environs of the hotel over venturing out in the inclement weather. The Fairmont has a bar in which many tables look out into its very busy lobby and who knows what famous couple may wander through that lobby! So first I settled there and treated myself to one of their “award-winning” cocktails. And they deserved their awards for the artistry and subtlety of their mixologist’s hand! I tried a “Pear-Cinnamon Sour” which tasted just like the essence of a juicy fresh pear with a pleasing bit of tartness, served in a martini glass topped with a cinnamon-y foam and a thin full cross-section of a Bosc pear set on its rim. Yum! It was so good and so pretty that I had to try another of their “epic” (as they call them) drinks. Being a chile lover I chose a “Mandarin Sting” made with fresh squeezed Mandarin orange juice and “hand-crushed” serrano chile. Might sound scary but it was just wonderful, with the serrano giving it a fresh, fragrant, green, herby-more- than- hot tinge to the orange juice that was so seductive. The drink was topped with a thin slice of chile this time. Good thing they gave me a great bowl of bar munchies that kept me from getting too silly. I just had a pleasant glow when I went down to the hotel’s lower level to Benihana’s. I had been to the big grill tables of Benihanas elsewhere but never realized they had a sushi bar. So forget about the grill tables - I was going for sushi, one of my food loves. Here too the chefs were truly artists as they constructed the most beautiful plates, first of 5 kinds of sashimi and then a maki roll which looked like a Chinese dragon with scales of thinly sliced avocado. Even my wasabi was pretty, garnished with the tiniest little 3/8 inch marigold.
I complemented the sushi chef and he beamed and bowed.
Saturday weather was still drippy so I took the subway (which also can be accessed from the Fairmont without going outside!) two stops down to a big mall called Eaton Centre. Browsed all the levels (bought a couple Godiva chocolates : ) and, when the rain paused, took a walk through the very international surrounding neighborhood, and had some Chinese for lunch. My fortune cookie predicted “Good fortune will come your way today,” and I hoped it was right.
Almost show time! I was too excited to be really hungry but grabbed a cup of seafood chowder in the hotel since I didn’t know what would be open after the concert. Then I followed other concert goers through the underground shopping area, food court and Union Station until I saw the entrance to the ACC. I made it to my 10th row Seat 1 with just enough time to meet the woman who had sold me her extra ticket and chat with her family a bit. We enjoyed Lady Antebellum (I must say that although I like their own songs, I really love their performance of Mellencamp’s Hurt So Good because it really gets the crowd going). I dashed to the bathroom as they finished their set because I was hoping that during the break there might be the opportunity to move up to the stage or catwalk from row 10. Well, it didn’t happen during the break. Security seemed quite tight on my left hand aisle and there seemed to be something extra going on at this venue. Several of Keith’s top managers whom you never see out front, came down my aisle escorting quite a few gents in suits up to the stage area for a while.( Happily they did not stay ‘cause they didn’t look like a fun crowd; ) Also it seemed Keith’s crew were intentionally keeping the area by the left-hand ramp clear of standers, maybe because they had a cameraman set up in the first set of stairs of the left risers. I think they were doing some special filming all evening, including capturing some shots of Keith coming out on the catwalk for Hit the Ground at the start of the show. They also did a lot more audience shots last night. Could they be making up a special video to send out before the CMA awards? Didn’t they do that last time?
So I watched Hit the Ground from the 10th row (look at the 2nd clip catch the crazy thigh action at the very end). But then, to my surprise, once they got the shots they wanted during HTG, the crew actually came down my aisle and INVITED us to now come up to the ramp area!! So I did! And since no one had been allowed to populate that spot earlier, I scored a primo location right on the ramp edge! I was so tickled! Great views and Keith passed in front of me on that ramp no fewer than four times!
Each one of the guys came down on that runway at least once and Brad and Brian came shooting past, sliding to ramp’s bottom during Sweet Thing. Jerry and Brad also strolled down the ramp and out into the audience during the Better Life. Good fortune had indeed come my way.
Keith leapt into Days Go By with a huge shout-out “TORONTO!! Here we go!” Stupid Boy was just stunning and I enjoyed seeing Keith, as he bowed low and breathed out a big “whew” following that seering solo, followed it (while still bent over) with a big grin at the roar of approval from the audience. When he chatted with the audience afterwards he did his playful bows and kowtowing to those in the VIP boxes. During Blacktop he made his first trip onto my ramp almost paralyzing me with the dilemma of what to do! Take a photo? Just smile and greet him? Reach out and “greet him”? Well, the last impulse won out but boy he was on the move. So somehow what began as a reach to pat his arm didn’t get there in time so turned into running my hand down the back of his leg as he passed! :0
Better half signaled that Keith would be going to the satellite stage, but no way could I leave my position tonight. But I caught some good shots of the other guys, and a few of Keith on the big screens. Keith was very impressed with Toronto’s singing and told everyone they sounded beautiful after Making Memories. He also talked a little about it being the last show in Canada and how Canada has always made them feel so welcome. He concluded with “Whatever is in the water up here is working - so keep drinking it!” He added a bit of a special ending to Only You Can Love Me, taking his oh-ooo’s way up into the falsetto range. When he returned to the main stage I knew he’d be heading up my ramp again, so this time pledged to have my camera ready. I tried my best but he was was still too fast for me to catch him going by, so I ended up with a shot of him already up on stage. Foiled again : )
Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me was great although I do miss a little some of the playful interaction with band members that used to occur during that song. But that song triggers some of the very best of Keith’s moves, doesn’t it? Sweet Thing got a great crowd response and gosh, was that Keith looking over his shoulder at me again? (I can only hope) (I need a shirt that says “ Yes -it’s me AGAIN!”). Til Summer Comes Around was beautiful, but if you watch Keith closely (how can you not?) he must have been enjoying the audience because he keeps smiling during this song about heartbreak!
Tonight’s prelude to Raining on Sunday was some really pretty picking with Flamenco-like guitar flourishes - so nice! But perhaps after Til Summer Comes Around Keith had unconsciously run his hand through his hair as he sometimes does when he is warm, so for ROS he had a bit of a “bed head” - something you don’t see too often (see clip). The guys were on stage behind Keith accompanying him during the ROS closing and I just had to film them because they looked so good (see clip).
I tried to limit my videoclips because I didn’t know whether Lady A or Keith would be doing something special for their last Canadian show. Keith did bring Hilary out for his tennis ball antics. He was in green sweatband and wristbands tonight, Hilary in red. Her swings were a bit wimpy (and later in the evening she apologized to Keith “I hope I didn’t ruin your tennis game.” ; ) If you’re interested, here is a link to the lyrics of the rather naughty tennis song they have been playing during these little tennis interludes:
http://www.allmusicals.com/lyrics/cityofangels/thetennissong.htm
A couple extra tributes to Canadian musicians added to tonight’s show. First Brian came out with his baby blue guitar and did a new solo following his introduction - Bryan Adams’ Run to You. And then Keith chose to precede Tonight I Wanna Cry with the chorus from Gordon Lightfoot’s Sundown (I used to listen to Gordon for hours on end!).
When Keith brought Lady A out again to sing Seven Bridges Road with him I thought it was cute that Hilary was still wearing her red tennis wristband. She is probably just like any of us might be if we caught one of Keith’s wristbands at the show! She may still be wearing it right now! : )
We got to hear a little of Keith’s deep “Elvis” voice during I Told You So, when he sang “Just come on home Priscilla” like the King. In You’ll Think of Me, Keith began the emotional build up by slipping in “I’m gonna bet ya (that you’ll think of me), then he let out a bitter, sneering “And all your pathetic reasons” before he got to his impassioned “I hope when you see my face it gives you hell, it gives you hell!”
I was chanting to myself “Come down this ramp, come down this ramp” as Keith was playing his light-up guitar before You Look Good in My Shirt. Hurray - he did! But once again that man was too fast for me and my camera. I almost missed him on his trip back as well but not quite : ) - got a little “Vitamin K” to tide me over!
I caught 3 picks from my runway spot - none from KU but fun just the same (although the friendly security guard next to me probably thought I was going to hurt myself diving for those little things each time they were tossed out!).
I must compliment the audience - when I replayed them singing Tonight I Wanna Cry with Keith they truly sounded like a sweet professional choir! Maybe some of you have heard of the Morman Tabernacle Choir? Well this was the Urban Tabernacle Choir and Keith’s “tabernacle” is any arena in which he plays - his “choir” automatically shows up!
Keith was sweet and gracious at the end of the show as usual. “Good God Ontario! What an amazing, amazing night! Tonight was off the hook! We had the best time playing for you guys!” and “As I mentioned this is our last show in your incredible, incredible country and you have been unbelievably good to us.” After thank yous he closed with “Be good to yourself, believe in yourself! Everything that you need is right inside you!”
Physically exhausted after standing by the ramp for two hours I collapsed back in my tenth row seat for a few moments before tackling the walk back to the hotel and was joined by several friends from the boards who were similarly pooped. Too bad we didn’t find each other earlier in the evening! We had barely sat down when security shooed us out so they could fold up the chairs! Mercy! Us ladies need to recover a bit after spending the evening with Keith!
I was surprised to find that the underground tunnels between the arena and hotel were filled with enterprising young people selling various Keith Urban souvenirs, probably without permission. Shirts, pictures, posters - all a bit different from the offerings of the official merchandise booth. I confess I bought a shirt and a 10 X 12 print - it had been such a glorious night!
My fancy hotel bar was still open, so I stopped for dessert and a nightcap while I replayed the show in my mind. Chai-scented creme brulee (yum) and a tropical drink tasting of passionfruit called Lychee Love garnished with a Lychee on the thinnest of bamboo “picks” which was twisted into a decorative knot at one end. Seemed a fitting ending to an evening of musical passion and love.
Postscript: In the morning I headed to the airport. Luckily I went 2 hours early as they recommend for international flights, because there was quite a long line to go through customs in the Toronto airport. I patiently snaked my way through the rope-separated aisles until I made it up to the desk of one of the 7 customs agents on duty. When I came into Canada they had questioned me about the purpose of my visit and now she asked again “What were you doing here in Canada?” “I went to a concert at the Air Canada Center.” I replied. “Who was playing?” she asked. “Keith Urban” I said. And she stunned me by saying “Keith Urban? He just went through here a little while ago!” and then added “All by himself.” I think she meant that he didn’t travel with an entourage - just alone, like a normal person. But I also took it to mean that Nic wasn’t with him at Customs. Although we had heard she was going to come to the Toronto show, I’m wondering if perhaps their plans changed. Although Keith dedicated MMOU to his wife, he made no mention of her being present as he often does. And from my front stage view I saw no signs of frequent glances offstage as sometimes happens when she is watching from the sidelines. And now this bit of information from the customs agent. Has anyone seen tweets or reviews mentioning Nicole-sightings in Toronto?
Heavens, how much more exciting working my way through those long customs lines would have been if I could have kept my eyes on Mr. Urban the whole way!! I came so close to a “real world” encounter.......
A few of my clips are up on You Tube:
Sweet Thing
Stupid Boy Solo
Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me
End of Somebody Like You
A Bit of Sundown Before Tonight I Wanna Cry
Tennis with Hilary and Keith Brian's New Solo
Tiny Tidbits for the Truly Addicted (very short clips):
Thanks for all the great 2009 shows Keith!!
