Fitz and the Tantrums at Showbox SoDo: Doin' it again!

Last August, the soul/indie pop band Fitz and the Tantrums performed to a sold-out crowd at Seattle's Showbox SoDo.  I was there, and it was an energetic, amazing show.  Fast forward ten months later, and the band returned to the Showbox last week to another sell-out audience.  On my drive south to Seattle for the show, despite getting an early start, I still got caught up in rush hour AND Seattle Mariners game traffic.  The baseball game inflated parking rates around the stadium, which happened to be just a block from the venue.  Rather than waste time looking for cheaper parking, I decided to bite the bullet and selected a lot across the street from the Showbox.  As I crossed the street, I noticed two Fitz and the Tantrums tour buses parked adjacent to the building.

As I was taking photos, I spotted Fitz exiting the building and walking toward the buses.  He looked in my direction, I waved to him and Fitz waved back. At the last show, I staked a spot at the front of the stage with a friend, which was great.  This time around, I was going solo, so I decided it would be best to grab a seated vantage point in the venue's bar area.  Checking out the line in front of the building, I noted a handful of people in the main entrance line, and only one young female waiting in front of the bar entrance.  Since it was still pretty early, I decided to see if I could chat with any of the Fitz and the Tantrums band members.

Just as I rounded the corner to where the buses were parked, I saw drummer John Wicks just about to enter one of them.  I shouted out a greeting, and he walked toward me.  I had brought a drum head with me, hoping to get it autographed by John, so this was a perfect opportunity.  John graciously signed the drum head...such a nice guy!  I continued walking around the buses and standing there taking a smoke break was Fitz himself!  We talked for a little bit, and I joking asked if he had warmed up his pitching arm.  Fitz and the Tantrums were scheduled to throw out the first pitch of that night's Mariners game, and Fitz was to do the honors.

When I returned to the front of the building, the young lady was joined by her female friend.  I struck up a conversation with them, and despite the fact I was much older than they were, we quickly bonded.  After the bar opened, they invited me to join their table, which I happy accepted.  It's always more fun to attend a concert with company!  We talked about music and movies...like me, they both loved horror movies!  Even better, one of them was a fellow Washington State University alumnus, so we talked Cougar stuff, too!  When doors opened, they raised the curtains separating the music hall from the bar.  The young women had selected a table along the curtain line, so we had a good view of the stage.  The two opening acts, holy child and Max Frost were basically time killers...none of us liked them very much. Sometimes, that's the way the cookie crumbles!

 

It turns out neither one of my table mates had ever seen Fitz and the Tantrums perform live, so I assured them that they were in for a treat.  When the band took the stage, they started things off with a bang and never looked back.  The music and energetic vocals were simply awesome, and the light displays were even better than last year's concert.  Here are some pics and the set list for the night.

 

 

Get Away

Don't Gotta Work It Out

Break The Walls

Keepin' Our Eyes Out

Spark

Merry Go Round

Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics cover)

Out Of My League

House On Fire

Fools Gold

Last Raindrop

6AM

Tell Me What Ya Here For

LOV

Encore

Moneygrabber

The Walker

After the concert, my table mates were just blown away...they LOVED it!  I'm sure it would be the first of many future Fitz and the Tantrums shows for them.  It was after 11:30 pm, but I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to my friend Joe, the bass player.  I staked out a spot along the barricade near the buses along with about a dozen other fans.  First to come out was Fitz, who took the time to talk, take pics and sign autographs for everyone there.  I got a hug from Fitz, and I told him, as usual, I thoroughly enjoyed the show.  One by one, the other band members came out.  I got a high five from keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna and chatted with saxophone guy, James King.  It was almost 1:00 am when Joe finally showed up.  We exchanged a few words...it's always so nice to see him...and after a goodbye hug, I made my long drive back home.  I would have loved to stay to see Noelle Scaggs, but it was pretty late.  Hopefully, I'll see her at the next Fitz and the Tantrums concert, and there WILL be more for me.  Watching them perform live is almost addicting...I just can't get enough. 

Fitz and the Tantrums: Fun times at Star 101.5 Star Stage

Last week, one of my favorite bands Fitz and the Tantrums visited the Pacific Northwest for a series of shows.  I had the good fortune of not only attending their scheduled concert at the Showbox SoDo, but also scored a ticket to a live radio show.  When it comes to radio station contests, most of the time you have to listen in during live broadcasts and call or text in at designated times.  That counts me out because I'm usually at work during the day and I'm not allowed such frivolous activities.  Plus, my flip phone makes texting rather a chore, not that I text anyway...that's right, I don't have a smartphone.  But, occasionally, radio stations allow members of their listener clubs to just submit their email address to enter contests.  That was the case with the Fitz and the Tantrums show, and I was ecstatic when I became one of the lucky winners.

The show was sponsored by Star 101.5 FM radio station in Seattle.  This was my first time attending such an event, not counting the 101.9 KINK FM Bing Lounge show I went to in Portland, OR back in 2010.  Yeah, I also scored a ticket for that radio show, but it was just attending a live performance...nothing more.  The Star Stage show was a little more involved. Attendees were treated to a box lunch before the show, which was was nice.

I chatted with a lady who was there with her daughter.  Like myself, she was also quite familiar with Fitz and the Tantrums.  I found it especially interesting that she had actually seen Five For Fighting perform on Star Stage several years ago.  I would have loved to see THAT show, but alas, I was not so lucky back then.  After lunch, myself along with about 50 other people made our way next door to the Star Stage.  I got a front row seat, but really, every seat had a great view of the stage. 

For the day's show, only three members of the band would be performing.  Star 101.5's morning disc jockeys Kent Phillips and Alan Budwill introduced vocalists Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs and guitarist Joe Karnes.  I've known Joe since 2010 when he toured with Five For Fighting.  As Fitz and the others took the stage, Joe spotted me in the front row and gave me a little wave.  Normally, Joe plays bass, but in this particular setting, he brought his acoustic guitar.

 

Fitz, Noelle and Joe played three songs...The Walker, Out Of My League and their new single, Fools Gold.  The songs are all off their recent album release, More Than Just A Dream.  It was great watching them perform in such an intimate setting.

After the show, there was a quick meet and greet.  Everyone got a brief moment and a photo with the band.  I got a hug from Joe AND Fitz, who said he remembered me from the last time they were in Seattle for a concert.  

In addition to the photo op, everyone got an autographed Fitz and the Tantrums picture provided by the radio station.  In all, it was a wonderful experience, and a fitting preview of the upcoming full band concert.  Thanks Star 101.5!

Barcelona at Marymoor Park...oh, and The Fray, too

It isn't often I take a day off work.  I much prefer to save my vacation days for things like road trips.  But, some things are much too important...like going to a Barcelona concert!  One of my favorite musical groups is currently touring with The Fray...a huge deal for a little Seattle band!  I wanted to get to Marymoor Park...the site of the night's concert...nice and early.  Driving down from Bellingham, I grabbed some lunch at La Isla in Redmond, famous for their Puerto Rican food.  I haven't had such cuisine since I lived and worked in New Jersey more than 20 years ago.  My Puerto Rican coworkers used to bring their specialties in for office potlucks.  When I got to the restaurant, I ordered my favorite dish, pastelon...kind of a Caribbean-style lasagna made with sweet plantains, mozzarella cheese and pulled pork.  It came with salad, red beans and rice, and tostones (fried plantain patties). Delicioso!

After lunch, it was only a few miles drive to Marymoor Park.  I had about three hours to gates opening, so I hung around to see what was going on.  There was a group of people there for a radio station preshow soundcheck/meet and greet event.  Peeking through the fence surrounding the venue, I saw The Fray on stage...heard them, too as they did their soundcheck.  While I was waiting for the box office to open, I saw Barcelona's van arrive, pulling a small trailer.  As with all my previous Barcelona shows, I was on their guest list and got a free ticket.  Love that!  When gates opened at 5:30 pm, I took a look at concert area. Grassy hills form a natural bowl-shaped amphitheater with great views of the stage.

I didn't bring anything to sit on, preferring to just move around once the music started.  I would be able to get a good view of the stage from the side...perfect for taking photos.  There were several food trucks there and after perusing my choices, I settled on a grilled cheese sandwich from The Grilled Cheese Experience for dinner.  Very tasty!

Promptly at 6:30, the first opening act Oh Honey took the stage.  This New York based band played a very energetic set, and got the audience pumped up for what was to come.

 

Oh Honey played five songs, then relinquished the stage to Barcelona.  Lead singer Brian Fennell immediately started into my favorite song from their new album The Melodrama, Paper Lion.  He was accompanied by Rhett Stonelake on drums, and Branden Cate on keyboards and providing background vocals.  

Barcelona, with the exception of one song, played stuff from their new album.  Old songs are nice, but I love to hear the new songs played live.  I was happy that the single old song was Please Don't Go...my favorite track from their debut Absolutes album.  There were a lot of appreciative local Barcelona fans enjoying the music as much as I was. I even spotted one group of enthusiastic females holding up a homemade "I ♥ Barcelona" sign.  Here is the set list for the night.

Paper Lion
Strange Way
Diamond and Silver
Sick
Fall In Love
Lose Control
Cure
Please Don't Go
Background

 

It was the first time I had seen Barcelona play in an outdoor setting, and it was well worth the wait.  Every song sounded awesome and with the natural lighting, I was able to get some pretty good photos with my point and shoot camera.  I could have listened to Barcelona all night, but I think most of the crowd were eager to hear The Fray.  Personally, I only know a few of their songs, and I had never seen them in concert.  Lead singer Isaac Slade had loads of stage presence as he sang and played piano.  The music was good, but...can I say it...I like Barcelona better!  

While The Fray was still performing, I got a chance to talk to Brian who was hanging out, talking to friends and family.  He asked if I would be able to see some Barcelona shows elsewhere in the country, and I replied if they tour in October, definitely!  It's been awhile since I've done a groupie road trip...my last was with Five For Fighting back in 2009...and I would love to follow Barcelona from show to show.  I ended up leaving before The Fray finished their set.  I wanted to beat the traffic out of the park, plus I had to work the next day.  On the drive home, I had The Melodrama blasting out of my Blazer's speakers.  That seems to be the ritual after every concert I go to...play the music I just heard on continuous loop, hoping to relive the night's magical moments.  It's not too much of a stretch...Barcelona's music is already magic! 

Back in the Northwest

I did a lot of driving today.  It was such a relief returning to the cooler temperatures of the Pacific Northwest.  Leaving Paradise, CA, I headed north and only stopped briefly for lunch.  But, I had time in the afternoon to visit one interesting place.  The Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, OR provides refuge to birds of prey that are unable to return to the wild due to illness, injury or human interaction.  The facility rehabilitates the birds, and educates the general public to appreciate these magnificent animals.  Visitors can freely walk among the enclosures to look at the raptors. Taking photos was a bit of a challenge due to the protective grating forming the walls of the enclosures.  Still, I had some success.  Here are photos of northern spotted owl, barred owl, great horned owl and burrowing owl.

Many of the birds at the center have injured wings that prevent them from flying properly.  Others had eyes removed due to damage caused by accidents.  Birds that cannot fly or are blind can never been released into the wild.  There were several falcons on display...peregrine, prairie and gyrfalcon.

The peregrine falcon once had a private owner, but can't be set free because it's too imprinted on humans.  The facility also has eagles and hawks, like this northern harrier.  I really enjoyed looking at the beautiful birds, although it's sad that they will live their lives in captivity.

Well, my road trip has just about come to an end.  Tomorrow, is my last day and I'll spend it driving home.  It's been fun and I had a great vacation.  After I settle back into the old routine, I might find the motivation to post some additional facts and tidbits from this trip. 

Winter's last gasp

When I left my hotel in Paradise, CA this morning it was a bit overcast with a brisk chilly breeze.  I had seen on the TV weather report there might be rain or snow in the area, but there was none of either.  Just a couple of miles out of town, I drove on a gravel and dirt road to Travertine Hot Springs.  I had read it there were natural hot springs which was also popular for soaking in.  When I got there, there was no one around...no surprise since it was early morning and cold.  In other words, I didn't have to worry about finding naked people in the springs...I had read about that, too.  Warm water bubbled out of a small hole and filled the soaking pool next to the road.  I think there were other pools, but I didn't look for them. 

 

As I surveyed the surrounding area, there was evidence that the single bubbling spring had not been the only geothermal activity.  In the distance, I could see it had snowed up in the mountains, and there were still some ominous looking clouds in the sky.  

I left the hot springs and drove north, then west.  As I climbed into the Sierra Nevadas, a few flakes of snow fell from the skies.  It turned to a little rain drizzle, but nothing big.  But, as I turned onto U.S. Hwy 50, everything changed.  The snow was coming down, and I immediately came to a checkpoint.  Chains required or 4WD with snow tires.  I had the latter, so I was waved through, but there were other vehicles including semi-trucks chaining up.  The speed limit was only 25 mph, and as I joined the caravan climbing up to the summit, the scenery turned white...on the ground and on the trees.  The road was not too bad, though, and after descending, the snow turned into a steady rain.  I stopped for gas in Kyburz, and also cleaned snow off my Blazer that had accumulated on my front lights and below my wipers.

When I reached Placerville, I had what would probably be my last In N Out burger of my road trip.  Then, I traveled a short distance to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.  This park tells the story of how James Marshall discovered gold in the area, sparking the famous California Gold Rush.  I walked through the grounds, looking at the outdoor exhibits including an example of a prospector's cabin.

One of the reasons I put this park on my itinerary was because it had a designated area along the American River to pan for gold.  I had even bought a gold panning kit for this purpose.  Unfortunately, it was raining pretty good, and although I had a rain coat it wouldn't have prevented the rest of me from getting wet.  And, it hard to use a gold pan holding an umbrella.  So, reluctantly, I left the park disappointed.  Tomorrow is my last full day of my road trip.  I'll be doing a lot of driving, with one item on the agenda if things work out.  I can't wait to see my cat and sleep in my own bed again! 

Walking among the tufas

Today I said goodbye to L.A.  Everyday was fun, driving was not.  I certainly won't miss the stress of negotiating the roads there.  Before leaving, I made a quick stop to grab a tasty breakfast from a place I had heard about on Food Network.  The Donut Man in Glendora is famous for their fresh fruit donuts.  In season right now, their fresh strawberry donut.  It was delicious! 

I headed north on US Hwy 395 to the small town of Lone Pine, CA.  After some pretty laid back activities in the past several days, I wanted to get back to walking around.  Just north of town in an area called The Alabama Hills is the Moebius Arch.  A short hike and a small arch, but I was curious to see it.  Paved road turned into dirt, and a couple of miles later, I reached the parking area.  It was pleasantly warm...sunny and mid-70s, and the majestic Mt. Whitney towered in the distance.

It didn't take long to walk to the arch, and I had it all to myself since there wasn't anyone else around at the moment.  Along the way, I spotted a bit of color...a flowering cactis plant.  Once at the arch, I took photos from all angles...here's one of them.

I have driven US 395 quite a few times, passing Mono Lake near Lee Vining but never stopping.  Today, I planned a visit there to see their unusual tufas.  What's a tufa you say?  Mono Lake is extremely alkaline, full of salts and minerals.  Tufas are formed when fresh water springs well up through the alkaline lake water.  The calcium in the spring water combines with carbonate in the lake water, and this repetitive action forms the tufa towers.  I took a paved path/boardwalk at the south end of the lake to walk among the tufas.  It was somewhat cloudy, so my pics aren't as spectacular as they could be.  Still, I got some nice shots of the tufa formations. 

 

I did quite a lot of driving today...tomorrow will be a repeat of that.  But, I'll be sneaking in a couple of places to see.  There's some rain in the forecast...it's been a couple of weeks since I've seen that.  Eager to get home...

Senior Day at the museum...really?

My last day in Los Angeles was a fun one.  I started out with brunch courtesy of the famous Pink's Hot Dogs.  I got a Polish dog with chili, mustard and onions to go, with a regular dog dressed the same for a future meal.  Believe it or not, that chili dog will taste just fine microwaved in a couple of days.

I ate my Polish dog outside the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.  While enjoying my food, I watched as wave upon wave of school kids entered the building.  For one brief moment, I considered doing something else.  I didn't particularly fancy sharing the museum with hordes of precocious children.  But, I figured it was a big enough place, and I could probably avoid being in the same place as most of them. At the admissions desk, I requested one adult ticket.  The young man working there replied back one SENIOR ticket.  Huh?  I may be old, but I don't yet qualify for the senior discount!  I started to question it, but he wanted me to have the discount.  Okay!  I'll go along with it, and thank you! 

I was eager to visit the museum's new Dinosaur Hall.  The last time went to this museum a few years ago, this didn't exist.  The centerpiece of the exhibit is the T-Rex Growth Series...the only one of its kind in the world!  It shows the progression of growth from baby to juvenile to adult.  I think everyone loves to see the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Being a natural history museum, there were other exhibits besides dinosaurs.  The rocks and minerals room always impresses.  For me, it was the gold display...California is famous for its gold rush...and the unusual minerals, like this one that resembles cotton balls.

Natural history museums typically have their share of taxidermy animals, and this one is no different.  Personally, I like to see live animals, but you have to admire the skill of those who created such displays.

 

My second activity of the day was attending a live taping of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson...always a favorite of mine when visiting L.A.  While standing in line, I chatted with a father and son from British Columbia.  I told them I lived in Bellingham...just south of the border...and we bonded pretty good and ended up sitting together during the show.  For the first time ever, I scored a front row center seat.  It gave me a great view of Craig, especially during his opening monologue.  Because I was so close to him, I managed to snag a piece of chocolate during his usual ritual of throwing some into the audience after finishing his monologue.  

The guests for this episode were English comedian and actor, Eddie Izzard, and singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett.  Lovett performed Jackson Browne's song, Rosie, which sounded great.  After the show was over, I was involved in a little fun.  The warm-up comedian named Bob had told the audience that if he didn't get everyone to laugh and cheer enough, he wouldn't get paid...jokingly, of course.  And, if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to buy his 3-year-old son a yo-yo for his birthday tomorrow. Well, at the end of the show, the producer approached ME with a brand new yo-yo and asked me to decide if Bob deserved it.  In other words, DID he get the audience to cheer enough?  It was a pretty spontaneous moment, and I had to think quickly.  I told the producer that YES, I thought he deserved it...but, he had to come and get it.  So, Bob came into my row so I could award him the yo-yo!  Afterward, the Canadian son high-fived me because it was such a cool experience for me.  

Before making the drive back to the hotel, I bought take out Brazilian grill from my fave restaurant at the adjacent Original Farmer's Market.  And, my last day in L.A. just wouldn't be complete without experiencing the frustration of one last rush hour.  When I leave tomorrow, I certainly won't miss it.  

The Queen is in the house

I had a fun day today.  Rather than partake from my hotel's continental breakfast, I decided to have something a little nicer.  Not far from my ultimate destination of the day, I went to a Mexican restaurant that served breakfast.  I decided on machaca, which was a dish featuring scrambled eggs cooked with shredded beef and onions.  It came with rice, beans and a couple of flour tortillas.  Nothing fancy, but pretty tasty!

After my filling meal, I drove a short distance to Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, home of The Queen Latifah Show.  I parked in their covered garage, and joined the Priority line, which meant I was guaranteed to get in for today's show.  The nice thing about tickets, they are free!  Everyone was eventually escorted to the sound stage where the show is taped.  I heard that approximately 170 people fill the seating area, and every seat is a good one.  Most of the time, cameras are not allowed when entering the sound stage.  Not so for this operation, which was too bad for me.  I didn't realize they were more lenient with the cameras, so I didn't bring mine.  Which means I didn't get to take photos of the set before taping began.  No matter.  It didn't mean my experience was any less memorable!

I found out a few weeks ago that William Shatner...yes, Star Trek's Captain Kirk himself...was scheduled to appear today.  Sure enough, it was true!  Queen Latifah is a very beautiful and likable personality.  It was so exciting to see her interviewing Mr. Shatner.  As a Star Trek fan, it was a dream come true to see him!  He talked about his one-man Broadway show and his horses.  The high point, though, was his spoken word performance of Queen Latifah's song, Ladies First.  I wasn't familiar with the song, but I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Shatner's unique rendition!  The other guest was actor Josh Dallas from the TV series, Once Upon A Time.  I don't watch the show, thus don't know who he is.

In all, it took about SIX HOURS from the time I arrived till the time I left the studio.  Even though I didn't get any photos from my day, I didn't come away empty handed.  Before we entered the set, everyone got a free bag of Sheila G's Brownie Brittle.  I've eaten it before and it's delicious!  As for the episode taped today, it's scheduled to be aired on Thursday, April 24. 

My drive back to the hotel was typical rush hour madness.  My GPS suggested a route NOT on the freeway, and I took it.  Tomorrow, I have another talk show taping... The Late Show with Craig Ferguson.  I love seeing Craig, and I'm looking forward to more fun! 

Behind the magic

I only had one item on my agenda today...the Paramount Pictures VIP studio tour!  Now, I've done this tour before about three years ago.  I had been hoping to attend the Jimmy Kimmel Show, but I never got past the wait list for a ticket.  So, this tour was my fall back plan.  As usual, I got stuck in some rush hour traffic.  A 15-minute trip in ideal conditions took me a half hour, and that was with my GPS taking me on an alternate route.  When I got to the studios, I was allowed to park on site in their visitor's lot...regular tour attendees have to park outside across the street.

I took the tour with five other people.  There was a family of three from Germany, and two women from Australia and Switzerland, respectively.  Our tour guide Danny was very pleasant.  He started us at the Bronson gate entrance...actor Charles Bronson actually took his stage name from this gate and not vice versa.

Right next to the gate there was a special prop item...one of four benches used in the movie Forrest Gump.  I had just watched that movie last week!

The tour of the studio was pretty typical, although more in depth compared to the regular tour.  We were taken behind the scenes to see the different departments responsible for making TV shows and movies look so real.  Props, wood working, signs, cloth work...a lot of hard working men and women.  Here's the biggest copier you'll ever see!  It can handle items up to two inches thick, such as plywood, and put an image or graphic on it!  

We were shown the studio archives, which stores all the movies ever made by Paramount.  Traditional acetate film, videotape, discs and the newest medium, digital files.

Midway through the tour, we were treated to a catered lunch, provided by the studio's executive chef.  It was pretty tasty...I especially liked the dessert oatmeal raisin cookies!  After our meal break, we were shown the back lot with streets and buildings simulating New York City, Chicago and Boston.  Finally, we visited the prop building, which houses iconic items such as these shoes used in Forrest Gump!  There was also a room full of interesting props from different movies.  See anything you recognize?

Our tour came to an end with a unique view of the Hollywood sign.  Paramount is the only studio that has such a view.  Before I left, I got a free movie poster...I chose Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.  I also made a purchase in the studio store...a cool Paramount Studios hoodie.  Tomorrow, I have another big day.  I'll be attending The Queen Latifah Show with a particularly special guest.  I can't wait!