Sights For Sore Eyes

Tuesday

Ro woke us up at 3am, probably due to mixed-up sleeping arrangements and a buggered bedtime over the past month. In the morning, he told Sherry, "I want a treat" - and to his surprise, she actually had one! Of course, it was just an Advent Calendar, but he had fun opening the first door (each one has a small chocolate inside). For kids, those things are a true exercise in patience.

Mark slept in, still recuperating from driving all over the North Island and a long work weekend. When Sherry took Ro to school, she helped the class make chocolate zucchini cake and veggie fritters using goodies from their garden. Ms Carr, trying to get the class to guess some of the ingredients, asked "What spice smells sweet and starts with a V?" The best response: "vinnamon!"

Sherry has become one of the teacher's trusted helpers, and Ms Carr left her alone briefly with the class. The kids were in a noisy mood, so Sherry tried Ms Carr's methods to quiet them down, calling out "Okey Dokey!" eliciting a class response of "Hokey Pokey!" No luck...so she tried "One, two, three!" trying to get the class to interrupt their own conversations by responding "Look at me!" The kids responded enthusiastically, but only got noisier. Then she tried to get them to sing a song from their Christmas production, but they just shouted it at the top of their lungs. Ah, kids, what are ya gonna do?

Ready for an encore performance

After Sherry brought Ro home from school, Mark took the car on a long-awaited road trip up to Auckland for the night. His favorite band just happened to be playing their first-ever New Zealand show tonight, and he wasn't about to miss it. After an uneventful 3 hour drive into the City Centre, Mark checked into the Crowne Plaza (he'd earned a free night from our time in Darwin), which was conveniently located right around the corner from the Civic Theatre, where the concert was being held. BurgerFuel was packed with concertgoers, but Mark still managed to get dinner and made it to the show with plenty of time to grab a beer and find his seat. Row D, center...woo-hoo!

The Civic Theatre is a gorgeous art-deco hall, looking a lot like the Paramount in Oakland, where Mark had seen this band before (with cousin Christopher). It was odd to see the plush, elegant surroundings filled with metal-heads. For a band that's been around 20+ years, the audience was fairly young, with a higher percentage of females (mostly goth) than you'd see at their Stateside shows. There were a few fathers with their kids, the youngest of which looked to be about 8 years old. Mark's notion of taking Ro was quickly vetoed by the powers that be...after all, it was a school night. The opening band had to cancel, so we were in for a real treat...an entire evening of Dream Theater!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Theater

Sunset reflected off the building behind the camera

There aren't many bands who've been around this long who are getting MORE popular, but DT is one of them. Their latest album debuted at #6 on the Billboard chart, and #1 in Europe. With a reputation built almost entirely on word-of-mouth (their songs are too long for radio), their live shows are, quite simply, mind-blowing for any rock or metal fan. These guys can play!

NZ Televison interview with drummer Mike Portnoy before the gig (10+ minutes):
http://www.3news.co.nz/Dream-Theater---full-interview-with-Mike-Portnoy/tabid/312/articleID/132373/cat/85/Default.aspx

Or just the news story with interview highlights:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Video/Nightline/tabid/368/articleID/132395/cat/41/Default.aspx

Since this was the only time they've ever been to New Zealand, it was as close to a "greatest hits" concert as they ever play, which is pretty rare for a DT show. Normally any song from any album is fair game on any night, and no two setlists are the same. Jordan Rudess, the keyboard player, has a new trick up his sleeve for every tour, whether it's his rotating keyboard, his Continuum Fingerboard, or his portable keyboard for dueling with guitarist John Petrucci. All of those were on display tonight, but this year he added his...iPhone?!? Not sure what app he had on it, but he plugged it into his rig (with that ubiquitous white USB cable) and played it much like the Continuum, dragging and wiggling his finger across the touchscreen...sounded great!

The crowd was fired up all night

In the confines of the hall, their progressive songs sounded clearer than the hard stuff, as evidenced by the absolutely spine-tingling versions of Hollow Years and The Spirit Carries On. They aptly showcased their metal side, as well, with bone-crushing takes on As I Am, Constant Motion and A Rite of Passage. They capped the show with classics Pull Me Under AND Metropolis, Pt. I (you're usually lucky to hear one at a DT concert, but both!?!), before playing a new song for their encore. By the end of the show, they had left the enthusiastic crowd breathless and elated.

Even non-metal fans will enjoy this great rendition of their ballad Hollow Years, recorded a few years ago. Amazing guitar solo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6k1VdgNeKE

Link to tonight's setlist, for those interested:
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dream-theater/2009/civic-centre-auckland-new-zealand-4bd7239e.html

Taking a bow

Mark wandered by the crowded t-shirt counter on the way out, but none of the designs were very inspired, at least not for NZD$50-75. As soon as he stepped outside, though, a guy was selling shirts from the previous tour for $20, so Mark snapped up his last XL. After a quick change back at the hotel to look presentable, it was time to walk a block in the other direction to SkyCity casino for a little blackjack before bed!

Sitting down at a $10 table, Mark figured he could play for a while on $100, right? Wrong. A consistently unkind deck and a disastrous double-down left him with bubkes just 10 minutes later! Frustrated, he got up from the table to cool off, wandering around the casino. The baccarat tables in the high-roller room may as well have been in Hong Kong from the clientele packing them. After much reflection, Mark decided to get back on the horse and try his luck with his last $100, sitting down at a $25 table. With the help of more conservative play and a few timely blackjacks, he made his money back and then some, quickly calling it a night and feeling much relieved.

Mark checked his voicemail before bed; Sherry had called excitedly during the concert - Bear Bear was home! The housekeeping staff at the Melbourne Hilton had found him in the laundry and shipped him to Ro, along with a Hilton-logo kangaroo with a joey in her pouch to keep Bear Bear company on his journey! Ronan, although glad to see his bear, thought the package was a Christmas present, and kept looking in the box after he emptied it, wondering where the toys were...lol. Sherry was overjoyed to see Bear Bear once again after all they had been through together, and couldn't help but notice that he smelled better than he has in years. Nothing like an industrial washer to get your stuffed animals springtime fresh!

Good to have ya back, buddy!