Change of plans: Five for Fighting, Day Four

So, as I mentioned in the last blog post, I received an unexpected invitation by John Ondrasik to attend the last Five for Fighting show in the current tour in Thousand Oaks, CA. I had initially requested to get on the guest list for that one, but was told the list was maxed out. Instead, I settled for the show in San Juan Capistrano...you can read about that one also in the last post. After making a new hotel reservation, I had to quickly come up with an alternate plan on how to spend my free day in Los Angeles. The easiest place I could think of was the Los Angeles Zoo. It had been several years since I last visited that zoo, so it was settled.

My drive back north on I-5 was much better than yesterday's nightmare on I-405. When I arrived at the zoo, I was surprised to find the parking lot packed with vehicles...and the zoo and only been open for a half hour. I soon discovered the reason why...they had a Halloween event going on. I found myself having to deal with a zoo full of rugrats and their parents! Not only that, the temperature was hot...much too hot for my liking. I would later find out it was over 90 degrees! But, I made the best of my zoo visit by enjoying the animals...and taking photos of them. I tried to look for the unusual or creative shots. For instance, the meerkats seemed a bit intrigued by the gummy meerkats above their enclosure.

Mommy, what are the tigers doing? They're just playing! Hot and sweaty from my zoo visit, I was ready to check into my hotel and prepare for the Five for Fighting concert. I got to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza pretty early, but I always do. After getting my comp ticket from the box office, I sat outside the building that contained the Scherr Forum...the venue for the show. The bench I was sitting on was very close to the security box that controlled access to the performers parking area. Suddenly, a late model black sedan pulled up to the box...and it was John driving! I yelled, "Hey!" and John replied that he would see me later.

A short while later, I went inside and waited in the lobby for the doors to open. I chatted with the gal staffing the merch table...she had been doing so for the whole tour. When I got inside the theater, I found my seat was at the top row of the orchestra section...that would be sixth row from the stage. As the attendees filed in, I kept my eye out for John's family. Soon, I saw John's parents come in and take a seat down the row from me. A little later, John's wife Carla arrived and prepared to sit next to them. When she looked in my direction, I waved to her and Carla came over to greet me.

My last Five for Fighting string quartet show of the tour was fantastic as usual. The audience was filled with John's family, friends and industry acquaintances. The venue requested that people not take any photos or video, not that I really needed to do that. I've already done that during the previous shows, and I really have enough. What is more memorable is my interaction with John and the quartet. And, after this show, I introduced myself to John's parents...I've never really formally met them in the past...and it was nice talking to them. John came out to chat with his friends, and I was able thank him and say my goodbyes.

And so, my latest rendition of the Five for Fighting groupie experience has finally...for sure...come to an end. It was fun...lots of fun...but, I have more road trip to go. Tomorrow, I continue on to Yuma, then Tucson, before working my way back north. I'm dreading what appears to be more blazing hot temperatures. I may need to find indoor activities if this continues. I'm melting!

Traffic madness: Five for Fighting, Day Three

So, I got back pretty late after last night's Five for Fighting concert, and as before, I'm doing this post the next day. Leaving Morgan Hill, I headed east to link up with I-5, which would take me all the way to Los Angeles. It would normally be about a 5 1/2 hour drive to San Juan Capistrano, the site of the final Five for Fighting show I would be attending on this trip. But, I planned a little side trip to the Farmer's Market in L.A. to get my favorite Brazilian grill. What I didn't figure into the equation was southern California's famous traffic. It was easy enough to get there, but when I tried to get back to the freeway...ANY freeway...I was stuck in street traffic gridlock. When I FINALLY got to the 405 freeway, I immediately realized I was in trouble. It was stop and go almost the entire way! What would have been a 1 1/2 hour drive took me THREE HOURS! Instead of getting to the hotel early enough to relaxing some before the show, I arrived stressed out and frazzled!

It was 5:00 pm when I got to the hotel, which gave me time to freshen up and eat some of my Brazilian grill for dinner...delicious!  The concert wasn't scheduled to start at The Coach House till 8:00 pm, and I got there at 6:30. I went to the box office and told the guy working the window that I was on the Five for Fighting guest list. He jokingly replied, "Yeah, they ALL say that!" But, after checking the list and seeing my name there, he said,"I guess you ARE on the list!" He gave me my ticket and I made my way into the supper club. They had guys who assigned seating for all the attendees. The nice guy who assisted me was initially going to seat me BEHIND John. Okay, it's really close to him, but I would never see his face. I asked if he could do better for me, and he had me wait for awhile. Then, he came back and seated me at a table right in front of the stage! Supposedly, people with dinner reservations are supposed to get prime seating, but there was just one single open seat at that table, so he gave it to me! I guess it may have helped that I mentioned I was on the guest list.

The gentleman sitting next to me provided very enlightening conversation as we waited for the concert to begin. He mentioned growing up in Riverside, CA and when I told him that I did, too, he was just amazed, in a small world sense. The show was supposed to start at 8:00, but it didn't get underway till after 8:30. It didn't matter, though...everyone was a captive audience as John started things off doing his acapella version of Hope. Here is the set list for the night:

Hope (acapella)
World (piano)
The Devil In The Wishing Well (piano)
Two Lights (piano)
Superman (piano)
Easy Tonight (guitar)
NYC Weather Report (guitar)
If God Made You (guitar) w/Katie on violin
Quartet Jam
Chances (piano)
Augie Nieto (piano)
What If (piano)
I Just Love You (piano)
100 Years (piano)
Encore: The Riddle (piano), Bohemian Rhapsody (cover)

As you can see, I was sitting REALLY close to the stage. My view of John sitting at the piano wasn't as good, but I took advantage when everyone stood up for Bohemian Rhapsody. NOW I can see him!

To make the night extra special, Augie Nieto was in the audience..yes, THAT Augie Nieto. John told the story about Augie and living with ALS. After the concert was over, I said my goodbyes to the quartet. It was really nice to get to know them, and I'm pretty sure they felt likewise. Sadly, I wasn't able to say my goodbyes to John, so I planned to email him when I got back to the hotel. So, after three fantastic Five for Fighting shows, the fun had finally come to an end...or so I thought!

My plan was to visit Joshua Tree National Park tomorrow, then continue on to Arizona. When I got back to my hotel, I happened to check my email accounts. One in particular I only check every other day because very rarely do I GET emails sent to that one. Well, imagine my shock when I saw John Ondrasik sent me a message the previous evening! It seems there was a spot for me on the Thousand Oaks show guest list...if I wanted it. Needless to say, I immediately replied back to him with an enthusiastic YES! A short time later, John sent me a confirmation that I was on the guest list! Wow, FOUR Five for Fighting shows in a row! I feels like old times, when I used to do my groupie road trips and follow John's concerts from city to city. I quickly got to work cancelling the next day's hotel reservation and making a new one. I'll have to come up with an activity to spend my spare time in Los Angeles tomorrow. But, whatever it is, it will pale in comparison to attending the last Five for Fighting string quartet concert of the tour.

Return to the Mystery House

My hotel stay in Modesto wasn't exactly a pleasant one. First of all, my non-smoking room smelled like stale cigarette smoke. Second, the place seemed to be full of construction workers...LOUD construction workers. Third, the walls were thin and the floors above me creaky...it took awhile for me to fall asleep. Fourth, when I exited my room in the morning to get some ice, I couldn't get back in! I could also mention the slow internet and half pillows, but I think you get the point. Needless to say, I will NOT be staying at this hotel if I happen to spend the night in Modesto again in the future!

The big plan for the morning was to visit the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco to see their limited run Rene Magritte exhibit. I had to add extra time to my drive because I KNEW I would get caught in rush hour traffic. Boy, was I right! And, it added some stress to my morning...stress I really shouldn't be experiencing on my vacation. The problem was, I had a timed ticket for the exhibit, and there was no guarantee they would let me in if I was late. Each time the traffic slowed to a crawl...or stopped...I got more and more nervous. Would I make it? When I finally got my car parked, I had ten minutes to walk the short distance to the museum. I made it by five minutes! But...aaagh...I forgot my camera in the car! I ended up taking some pics with my flip phone...no I don't have a smart phone...which was better than nothing, I guess.  But, I couldn't figure out how to download them to my laptop, so I don't have any photos from the exhibit. Take my word for it...I was really nice!

Afterward, I drove down to San Jose to see the Winchester Mystery House. I got caught in some more traffic on the way there, which stressed me out a tad because I needed time for lunch before my afternoon tours.  Thankfully, I did enjoy a quick Thai lunch. Now, it's been ten years since I last visited Winchester House, and I was interested to see what was new and what I had seen before. I didn't post any photos from the last time, so here we go! Oh, as I was waiting for the Mansion Tour to begin, I spotted a gray squirrel searching for food and it found a nut! Cute!

Sarah was the widowed wife of William Winchester, made famous by his historic firearms. It is said that she was haunted by those who lost their lives with those guns. Sarah proceeded to build many additions to her house so the spirits would have a hard time finding her within its walls...160 rooms in all! That led to some strange constructions...a stairway ending at a ceiling, a door leading outside from an upper floor, windows on the floor.

Because Sarah was a short lady...four feet, ten inches tall...she had some accommodations built into the house to make her life easier. There were short stairs called calief risers because she was unable to lift her feet very high, and a galvanized shower with custom built sprayers installed low just for her.

There were many beautiful stained glass windows throughout the house. This particular one was designed by Sarah herself. I have no idea what is going on in the other photo.

New to the Winchester Mystery House is the Explore More Tour. Visitors are taken to places in the house open to the public for the first time, like down in the basement. The furnace is located there, and we were told about ghostly sightings in one particular hallway. Unfortunately, we didn't see any ghosts while we were down there.

Even though it was well worth going on the second tour, I paid dearly for it when I got caught in the afternoon rush hour traffic. More stress! At least I didn't have to be at my hotel by a certain time. Tomorrow, I have a long drive to San Juan Capistrano for the final Five for Fighting string quartet show of my road trip. I had a blast at the first two concerts, and I have no doubt this one will be magical, too. Guaranteed!

Music in Modesto: Five for Fighting, Day Two

After a fantastic night of music, courtesy of John Ondrasik and his awesome string quartet, I didn't have trouble falling asleep. Strangely, I woke up with a sore back, courtesy of the overly soft hotel bed. Nothing that a couple of ibuprofen couldn't fix. The plan of the day was a slow drive down to Modesto for the next Five for Fighting concert on his current mini-tour. After getting my stuff loaded into my car, I noticed the string quartet's van...yes, they were staying at my hotel...was still in the parking lot. By the time I got done having a bite from the hotel's complimentary breakfast, the van was gone...no doubt on their way to Modesto.

I had a little time to kill in the morning, so I dropped by the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve...also known as the Isenberg Crane Reserve...in Lodi, CA. The only time I can recall seeing sandhill cranes was when I was moving from New Jersey to Washington almost 25 years ago. There were thousands of cranes on both sides of the interstate in Nebraska, but I didn't have time to stop for a closer look.

I was hoping to see cranes at this reserve, and I did, but not in very large numbers. Still, it was cool and I got some photos, albeit from a distance. There were also other waterfowl present, including a lot of Canada geese and American coot. The second photo below appears to show snipes, too.

 When I arrived in Modesto, I went to the Gallo Center for the Arts...the venue for tonight's show...and took a few pics of the building. I also caught the concert info on the digital board.

After checking into my hotel, I got a head start on this blog post so I wouldn't have to spend so much time on it when I got back from the concert. A few hours later, I headed back to Gallo Center, checking into the box office to get my comp ticket...again, courtesy of John. As I was waiting for doors to open, I ran into Katie...one of the quartet members. I gave her a Starbucks gift card that I wasn't using...I don't drink coffee...which will be much appreciated by the quartet. Turns out I had another great seat...fifth row center. The concert was like last night...simply awesome! The set list was the same as previous with the exception of one song...John performed What If instead of Born To Win. Even though they asked for no photos during the show as a courtesy to the audience, we got free rein to do so for the encore. And, I took full advantage of that!

At the conclusion of the concert, John and the quartet were available for photos and autographs in the lobby. While I was waiting patiently as John interacted with his adoring fans, I chatted with the quartet and got a pic with them.

I was the last one to see John and I jokingly introduced myself and said I was a big fan. John played along and said he had heard of me. I had bought the CD of his live string quartet performances, and asked John to sign it. I mentioned how good the Washington State Cougars football team was doing this year, and John replied that since his Bruins were NOT doing well, he would be happy to support the Cougs. Finally, it was picture time and I must say, it came out well.

After saying our goodbyes, I returned to my hotel and looked to see what John wrote on my CD. It was pretty special. Looking forward to one final show in San Juan Capistrano in a couple of days. The magic never ends...

Back to music: Five for Fighting in Redding

I left Weed, CA this morning with a couple of touristy things on the agenda before catching John Ondrasik's Five for Fighting string quartet show in Redding. Just a few miles down to road in the town of Mount Shasta in their city park is the location of The Headwaters of the Sacramento River. Spring water flows out of the rocks and forms the river.

People actually collect the free spring water, some drinking it without treating it in some way. Just as I arrived, a couple of fellow tourists filtered the water, and the gentleman drank it. He proclaimed, "It tastes like...water," which brought a chuckle out of me. I collected a pop bottle's worth of the elixir, which I will filter properly when I get home.

I took a little detour off I-5 to check out the McCloud River Falls. There are actually three falls to view...Upper, Middle and Lower. When I got there, though, the air was very smoky due to nearby prescribed burning. It was not pleasant. Still, I didn't let it stop me since I drove all the way to see the falls. If you use your imagination, the smoke looks like fog or mist. The photos here were taken from the top to the bottom of the river.

When I finally arrived in Redding, the first thing I did was have a traditional road trip lunch at In-N-Out Burger...double double...then drove to the Cascade Theater to check out the venue of tonight's concert.

Afterward, I went to my hotel for an early check-in. As I was being helped at the check-in counter, I noticed someone walk behind me toting a cello case. Hey! I do believe that was Peter Sachon, who plays cello in the string quartet accompanying John. By the time I got done with the check-in, the quartet's van was already driving off. Oh,well...I'll be seeing them later. Four hours later, I was back at the theater, with the marquee and building all lit up.

I went to the theater box office and informed them that I was on the Five for Fighting guest list, and I was given a small envelope containing my ticket. I soon discovered I had a pretty good seat...fourth row from the stage, center section. I had brought a small bag of Washington state food goodies for the quartet. I figured since I've given John enough gifts, why not treat his quartet to some road treats? John's quartet members are Peter Sachon (cello), Katie Kresik (1st violin), Melissa Tong (2nd violin) and Chris Cardona (viola). Since photos/video was not allowed in the theater, I have none of either to show here. The set list for the night was as follows:

What Kind Of World Do You Want (piano)
The Riddle (piano)
The Devil In The Wishing Well (piano)
Two Lights (piano)
Superman (piano)
Easy Tonight (guitar)
Ocean (guitar)
If God Made You (guitar w/Katie on violin)
QUARTET JAM
Chances (piano)
Augie Nieto (piano)
Born To Win (piano)
I Just Love You (piano)
100 Years (piano)
Encore: Hope, Bohemian Rhapsody (cover)

After the show, I went up to the stage as the quartet was collecting all their stuff. I called out to Katie and she came over to talk to me. I gave her the bag of goodies, and she was eager to show the others my gift. Walking out to the lobby, I waited with other theater patrons for John's arrival for the meet and greet. Then, I spotted Peter and told him that I was staying at the same hotel as the quartet. He thanked me for the gift bag, and I complimented Peter on his excellent cello work. Before he left me, I told him I would be seeing them again in Modesto for the next Five for Fighting show there.

When the line of people finally whittled down to a handful, I joined it at the tail end. Then, it was my turn, and I asked John to sign a couple of the new string quartet CDs for friends. Then, it was picture time, and the nice security guy helped out with that.

So, tomorrow we do it all over again in Modesto. I'll be driving about four hours, so we'll see how I feel about doing something else before I get there. Stay tuned...