i was kinda disorganized for this concert, because i had just flown home from florida that morning, so i didn't really know who i was going to the show with. my aunt said she was going to go with me to the concert, because she didn't want me to go alone (alex was supposed to meet me, but then she emailed me saying that she couldn't...then she emailed again saying she could...then it turned out that she didn't come LOL, it was confusing) so, my aunt, and her friend (a friend of our family) met over at my house at 7ish, and we went downtown together just before 8, after i had gotten everything together that i needed to bring (minidisc and mic, for an interview with j {which didn't end up happening ;( }, present for j. that i had made a while ago, but didn't see him to give it to him, and canned foods, for donation to the daily bread food bank) we got downtown around 8:20-ish, so we went for a coffee at second cup (we were supposed to meet alex outside the club at 8:45 - before we knew that she wasn't coming...but then she called while we were drinking our coffee, and said she probably wouldn't make it there on time) so we headed to the club at about 9-ish.
when we got up to Holy Joes, j. was at the door (giggle! yay!) so there were some people in front of me, then they went in and j looks up and he's like "uh-oh...here's trouble!" and i laughed, then my phone rang, and it was alex, and j. was talking to me at the same time, and my aunt was saying something, so i like freaked out...and i moved aside to let other people go in. then, i was finally ready to go in, so i gave j. my bag of canned foods, and then i gave him a present that i made for him (a scrapbook, with pictures and little notes about each of the j. shows that i went to) so i gave it to him, but he said he wasn't gonna open it yet, because he had work to do...so then we went in, and we found a place on the couch (i was actually sitting on the arm of the couch, because there were other people at the end of the couch, so we didn't all fit)
so, a little while later, j. came over, carrying the bag that i put his scrapbook in, and he opened it and he's like "wow! you got me a binder for my school stuff!!" so then, he opened it up, and he started looking through the pictures. LOL, when he got to the second page, he was like "you know...if you were a guy, you would be a stalker" and i laughed and i'm like "but i'm not a guy!" :P so then he keeps looking, and he looked like he was overwhelmed LOL. he got to the page with the street festival, and i had written down the set list on it, and he's like "oh my gosh! you even have the SET LIST!" then he kept on flipping through, and he got to the insert i put in, which was an issue of my high school newspaper, in which i wrote an article about him, and he was just like "wow!" then he got to the end of the book, and he's like "this is amazing..thank you so much" and he gave me a big hug. (like seriously, he didn't let go of me for the longest time!) then he let go, and he's like "i'm gonna go cry now!" and he hugged me again, and then went back out to the door.
at about 10-ish, the first band (? can i call them that?) went on stage. they were called Unique -they were like, a quartet of guys, singing kinda r & b type music? they reminded me a bit of boys 2 men (actually, they even covered one of their songs - water runs dry? i think that's what it's called) anyway. i don't usually like that kind of music, but these guys were actually REALLY good. they had amazing harmonies. i really enjoyed it.
after unique, kevin quain took the stage. he was REALLY good. very comedic too LOL, i very much enjoyed his performance. for the second last song, i think it was called Market Song, j. came out and played acoustic guitar with him. then, the last song, j's band came on stage with him, and they played it all together...i think it was called Mr. Valentine's Dead?
So then, after that, at about 11:30, i think, j. was up. he welcomed the crowd, and he's like "wow, i'm so excited! it's christmas, and it's my birthday, and i get to play a show with my friends!" and then he's like "we're still missing our keyboard guy!" but they started without him. they began with a christmas tune - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)...it sounded So awesome. Then, after they finished j's like "as soon as i find my keyboard player i'm going to beat him to unconsciousness!" Then they played The Hero...SO amazing. After that, j. introduced his next song, and he's like "there's been a lot of hype about this song...this song is not a rebel song, it's a nasty little shagging song!" and, of course, he played abused! Then, midway through the song, he just STOPS, and he's like "we still don't have a keyboard player!" then one of the other guys is like "oh! there he is!" and they continued playing the song, while Tony came up and set up his keys. LOL, it was hilarious. Next song they played was Tripwires (complete with Keys. it sounded awesome)
After that, the band left the stage, and j. played solo. He sang a part of this song, i guess it's called I Can't Stand The Rain, but i'm not sure, and that led into Don't Mean A Thing. After he finished that, he pointed out his mom at the back of the room, and introduced his next song as one when he wrote in his "bon jovi days" that his mom always asks him to play. LOL, then, the crowd was like, really loud in the background, so he's like "hey, i'm sorry, am i singing too loud for you to talk over?" it was SO hilarious. LOL, but it didn't get the people at the back to shut up :S Anyway, the next song he played was called Second Time Around. It was really awesome. Then, he brought 2 guys on stage, that played on PLRS, and they played one of one of the guys' songs, called Seventeen Long Days. After that song, the rest of the band came back on stage, with one extra guy, playing the Cello. j. introduced the next song, and they played Staring At The Sun. it sounded amazing with the strings. Then, j. brought Leslie on stage, and they played Pure. That song sounded INCREDIBLE. the two voices sounded SO good together, and with the strings on top of it, it was like..magical.
Then, j switched guitars, so before he plugged it in, he found a way to create feedback, (but not a bad kind of feedback) with the end of the plug, so they did a little inpromptu jam thingy and j said something about how when he was a kid, if there was ever anything in the house that would make noise, he'd make noise with it. LOL. After that, they played The One Thing, with a really nice, long intro. After that, he told the people at the back to "shut the fuck up" again (not that they listened...again. :S) Then j. told the story of Flowers For Ophelia, which i had never heard before, and let me tell you..it was quite interesting! (i may type it out later. if i'm bored. :P) and, of course, he played Flowers For Ophelia. and, at this point, and every song that followed, my aunt kept on telling me "okay, after this song, we're going home" LOL, but i kinda kept pushing her to stay...
Then, j. asked Kevin Quain to come back on stage, and they played Fade. Then j. was talking about how last year, 20 years ago on dec. 8, it was the 20th anniversary of john lennon's death, and how last year, he went into his studio to record the next song, and he emailed it to his mom, and then put it up on napster to piss off his record company...and he played Watching The Wheels. (my aunt loved it LOL...finally a song she could sing to! :P) After that song, my aunt told me we had to leave, but then they were like "okay, now it's time for the secret weapon!" and so i was like "aww, we have to see what the "secret weapon" is! so we stayed) they brought out a dinosaur shaped toy piano, and someone (i think maybe it was Nigel) was like "ladies and gentlemen, for your listening pleasure...pianosaurus!" and they played More. it was SO cute, with the little piano sounds in it! He did the usual "its your turn now, sing it out now" 3 times...LOL, the second time the audience sang it he was like "yeah, that was actually pretty good, but the band is trained to do it 3 times, so we're gonna do it again!" So, after More, the band left the stage, and at that point my aunt REALLY made me leave.
So, we got up to go, and i was walking towards the door, when all at once i look up, and i see Ryan McCaffrey pointing at me LOL. so i'm like "Ryan! hey! how are you?" and he came and gave me a big hug. (and j. was standing next to us too) and we were talking about how i had just gotten back from florida that morning...then we wished each other a happy new year, and i practically got dragged out the door. so then we left. but i really didn't want to, because i KNEW j. had to play my song, because i saw it on the set list that he was writing out when i walked in...but they made me go :( (and j. emailed me a little while ago, saying (well, not in so many words, but IMPLYING) that my song was the encore) :'( *sniffles* it was a really amazing show though. probably one of the best times i've ever seen j, cause it was really small, and cozy...it was almost like a private show, and just a bunch of friends hanging out. it was incredible. :D