2003-11-24 4:57 p.m.

Friday night at the Galaxy was Awesome!!!! I swear these guys get better every time I see them!

I met Netty & Sean around 6-ish and we didn't have to wait long at all to get in - but they'd already been there waiting for a bit. We had great seats. Floor level is actually not the best seat in that venue because the stage is kinda high. We were second level, which is pretty much eye level, at the Jeff/George corner of the stage. I love being close enough to see Jeff's spit getting caught in the lights (I'm gross, I know ;-)

Dinner was actually pretty good, and the opening act, Ashley Matte, was very good. Good throaty voice & accoustic guitar. She finished up about 9 and the crowd was getting impatient for Pella. Then we realized we were getting the Pella Shoe Shoe. There was about a foot between the curtain & the floor. We saw someone pacing back & forth, back and forth. We were guessing from the energy of the pace it was scott. Then Netty saw him peak out. Then another pair of shoes, but we weren't sure who's until George peaked. The moved back a ways, but when the house music started with some funky version of a Russian gig, 3 sets of feet started in the back. The audience started clapping & 2 sets of shoes realized they were being watched and came up to the curtain to perform :-) It was very cute. The the lights dropped and the crowd went insane!

House of the Rising Sun was first, followed by Moments of You. Scott tried to think of a funky name for himself, but came up with Scott. He seemed to have just the tiniest bit of a scratchy throat. El apologized for the late start "We were waiting for the 5th limo!" got a big laugh from the audience. Dancing in the Streets came next with Kevin running to and fro through the audience and some pretty cool back-up choreography on stage.

Next it was time for an Elliot ramble, which was surprisingly ramble-free. "It took us 2 hours to get here from LA!!!" didn't get much of a reaction. I think people were waiting for the rest of that story, but there was no more. So El tries "yeah, we're playing in LA tomorrow." also no reaction and he says "oh, LA's not too popular in here!" It was cute. Then the told the baby/bathtub story, still grinning from ear-to-ear. Of course it was followed by No Doubt At All.

Then we have the song that reminds me why I love George so very much: Here Comes the Sun. Damn I love George. Next was Use Me my first time hearing that with George. Still amazing.

Kevin Ramble - Kev said they were trying to get into the holiday spirit and think of a Thanksgiving song but all he had was one his daughter taught him - which he sang the first verse of, hand motions and all - Ten Little Indian Boys and Girls. So cute.

Then was Change in My Life, which I always enjoy, Have a Little Faith; The Greatest Hit (Folgers); which lead right into the Camren Looser song that I can never remember the name of - Don't Do It - I think but you know the one... Quit! Stop! no no Baby don't you leave me this way.... that one. On to Long Cool Woman , including Jeff's lovely little gun made with fingers. :-)

My Girl/Pretty Woman was named Rachel & I don't think she'd seen Pella before. She was SO fun. Kev, with his nack for picking them young had got another high schooler, but she said she was a senior so he put his arm back around her and did his little innocent, yet evil grin. He picked on her sandles saying - "at least you'll float, because they're cork." When Scott pulled her off the stool, she didn't dance with him, she just looked at him like he was nuts and laughed at him, but still, she was great, smiling the whole time. When she got off the stage Scott said, "Wow. Great Dancer" ;-)

Next was another one I hadn't heard in forever, but still love: People Change. Then came the song that has now and forever cemented my love for George. I love that man and his low rumbly voice! Of course I mean Papa Was a Rolling Stone. Holy Feaking Cow! What an amazing arrangement (by Scott I assume) by such an amazing singer. No words I could put here would do George justice. I just sat there with my mouth wide open in awe. {sigh}. Good times. And lastly before the encore was Carmen, which included all the guys jumping at the end. Then of course a standing O.

Encore number 1 started with Up On The Roof/Wonderful World with only the tinest line flub from Scott. Then he introduced the next song as a "Very California song. Kind of like there was some one who lived somewhere like Indiana who wanted to go somewhere cool. Probably a lot of people here have done that. Who's done that?" Quite a few raised hands (mine included). So Scott starts a conversation with some guy who says he's from Idaho (Scott "ew. I don't blame you." ;-) and they start talking about "do you know where so-n-so is?" and Jeff sings out "Deep in the heart of Idaho!"

Then the conversation migrates to the 4 states they've never played in - New Mexico, Nebraska, West Virgina, and Vermont. Then on to the train wreck speech as the intro to Jenny Come Away. Love that song too :-) Then good ol Zombee. Standing O & they leave.

Encore #2 starts with a song I've never heard live, Summertime Blues. I liked it much more live than I do on CD. Then Santa Clause is Coming to Town, and finishing up with Keep On Smilin'. Scott got so caught up in the grunting, he had to ask "what key are we in?" and reblow the pitch. And of course they got another Standing O. Truly Amazing Show!!!!

Netty and I were debating staying for the meet & greet, she was tired & my left contact was a little itchy (oh, if had only known how much worse it was going to get). But Sean was amped to stay, so we went to form a line. It only took the guys about 15 mins to come out. Kevin was 1st and by the time I got to him Scott had cause a bit of a back up so I got time to chat. We did a quasi hug since he was behind a table. I told him I was going to have to move back to the east coast so I could see them more ;-) and he laughed. He noticed my glasses were gone & that I had contacts {See why I love this man!! I haven't seen him in a year & he notices that! How freakin cool is he?). And I picked on him a bit about them waiting to do a show in NC until after I left. He said with his evil grin "that's right! It was intentional you know!" I moved on to El who was getting some slack from some dude about not doing a song he liked. The guy was joking but El seemed tired. So I brown-nosed "El, I'm totally happy with your songs! Keep it up!" which got me a grin. I also gave him congrats on the new baby.

On to Jeff with my usual "Great Show" and an added "I really liked the shirt you were wearing tonight." On to George, whom I still can't really talk to cause he's just to damn sexy. I said something but not sure what, probably just "great show". Scott was still talky with the guys in front of me so I was just stuck there with the sexy guy I'm too dorky to talk to so I pointed to his wedding band and said "Congrats!" He looked confused for a minute but then grinned real big and said "yeah! go me!" to which I said "Definately better you than me!" and he laughed. Scott finally got free and was looking for what of mine he was suppose to be signing, but I told him he'd already signed it, but I wanted to tell him how amazing the show was. Of course I had to grab his hand while doing so & sweetie that he is squeezed back. Then I cursed myself by saying "See you tomorrow." Which I didn't. Damnit.

I was back in the hotel by 11:45 & contacts were out by midnight & my left eye was still a little itchy. But when I got up Saturday it was VERY itchy, all red and watering like a spicket left on high. Not fun. But I thought it would be manageable if I got some visine or something. I was thinking it was from sleeping on the feather pillows. As soon as I got outside and into the sunlight the itchy became pain. But I got some visine and soldiered on to Hollywood anyway {SO not fun driving on the 405, the 605 and the 101 with one eyeball open and other flooding!}

Once at the hotel I tried everything I could think of, flushing every few minutes with water, then eye drops. I tried ice, I tried a warm wash cloth. I'd taken benedryl. NADA. By 5pm I'd given up hope of seeing Pella. My big fear was that I had pink eye, and if I did I would have been contagious. How much would it suck to be the gal that gave Pella Pink Eye? So I called Netty and gave here the bad news. Then popped some more benedryl and tried to sleep. I was able to sleep on and off, but the pressure on the left side of my head just kept getting worse and worse. My jaw bone even hurt. I seriously considered going to the ER, but figured the ER in Hollywood on a Saturday night would only make me feel worse.

Netty called post show to tell me it was a blast! Big yay for her & Sean getting to go and enjoy, even if I couldn't be there. I was sad I couldn't go, but at the same time, when you feel as crappy as I did, what are you going to do, ya know? I got up at the crack of ass on Sunday & drove back to San Diego - eye now swollen shut but no longer gushing. The dude at urgent care assued me I didn't have pink eye, so yay for that. He gave me an eye wash & some special drops, advised me to take Tylenol Sinus for the pain. So I stopped by Ralphs and got Tylenol Sinus Nighttime and slept my sunday away, getting up a couple times to treat the eye. Today it's better, but still a little oogie. Sucks about missing Pella, but I'm not too upset. At least I got to see them once, and that's more than people in NM, NE, WV or Vermont, right? So who am I to complain?