2008
Manchester, NH - December 4, 2008 (Thanks to Val)
Now this was an exciting concert...Val sent me an email about 6am PST asking me to call her when I woke up, so I promptly did.
She said you'll never guess what just happened...don't worry, it's not about
work (Val is one of my co-workers in our Boston office). She just got a
new roommate, Adam and he was flying back from Chicago. He walks
in the door and says to Val, "Do you know who Amy Grant is?" and of course Val
says, yeah, she's that singer from way back in the early 90's, my old boss is obcessed with her and we always argue about who is better - her or New Kids
(yes, sadly, Val is a fan of New Kids). Val proceeds to sing Baby Baby,
and then Adam finally recognizes the song and says, yeah...I remember her.
So here's what happened...he checked in for Southwest, and went to the waiting area. Adam sees this lady with one of those electronic book reader thingies and since he's thinking of buying one, he sits next to her and starts chatting. He asks her about the book and if she likes it etc. They also talk about swinging and drug abuse (okay, I don't know the context, I'm just repeating what I was told). They board the plane together and choose to sit next to each other and talk the entire way back. Eventually, the conversation gets to, "So Adam, what do you do?" And he tells her, and asks what she does to which her response is, "I'm a songwriter, and I'm flying into town to do a Christmas concert with my husband Vince." She kindly offers him free tickets to the show, and he gives her his phone number to call. She says I'll have my road manager call you.
They leave the airport, and he realizes that someone is there to get her bags and she's picked up in a limo. He thinks, hmm...maybe she's a real songwriter...Amy Grant, the name does sound kind of familiar, so he goes home, asks his roommate Val, and google's Amy Grant. He then feels really dumb realizing who she was. Justin called the next morning, and Adam and Val got 3 tickets to the show, 7th row, right in front of one of Amy's friends that Adam and Amy had talked about on the plane. I tried to find a flight out there so I could go too, but no luck finding anything that would land on time.
West Point, NY - December 6, 2008 (Thanks to MJ)
MJ's Video: Jingle Bells, Tennessee Christmas, I Need a Silent Night,
Til the Season Comes Round Again, Love Has Come, Welcome to Our World
Worchester, MA - December 12, 2008 (Thanks to Nathaniel)
Soundcheck Video: Hula Hooping, Jingle Bells, More Hula Hooping, Love Has Come, Thanks to the anonymous person who sent this to me
Elmira, NY - December 13, 2008 - (Thanks to Andrew)
In Elmira, I truly felt as if I got the VIP treatment. I arrived for the sound
check at about 3:40, and was the first to arrive. I was surprised to see only 4
or 5 other envelopes…especially since the show was on the weekend. At 3:55 they
said they would let me go in. For those of you who have been to sound checks
know, they usually escort you in…well, since I had been to sound checks before
and “knew how it works”, I was just pointed in the right direction and I was on
my way. Vince was already on the stage with some of the other musicians…playing,
and then singing “Elvira” (kind of a play on words, since we were in “Elmira”.
Amy came out shortly after 4:00…her first comment was, “You are the only one!”
Yep, it’s true; I got my own personal sound check.
One of the first things Amy said (directed to the band)…”We are going home after
the show tonight…we are going to play these songs at lightning speed!” For those
who have read Amy’s blog, know that everyone is going to make a brief “pit stop”
in Nashville today (Sunday), before they head to Atlanta for the show tomorrow.
Amy sang 3 songs during sound check (I think “Jingle Bells” was the only song
she sung from start to finish). She started out with Jingle Bells. Then wanted
to work on a couple “rough” spots in “I Need a Silent Night”. Amy wasn’t happy
with the way the song had ended the night before…come to find out, she was
playing the wrong chord at one point…she quickly apologized to everyone as it
was her “mistake” that ending wasn’t right. Next was “Love Has Come”. Amy asked
Jenny Gill if she wanted to run thru that song…Jenny said she was okay with it
as she had been working on her part…but they ended up running thru the song
anyway. Amy thought the song sounded kind of empty, so she asked Kim play the
jingle bells pretty much throughout the entire song. (for anyone who has ever
played the jingle bells, you know that isn’t as easy as it sounds). Amy asked
Vince if he wanted to run thru anything and his response was, “I’m good.” Then
Amy suggested running thru a song that incorporated all of the band members, so
Vince and the musicians played “Santa Clause is Coming to Town”…and Amy made
here way down to the floor to see how it sounded. She immediately came down to
where I was (in the front row) and said...”I don’t really think the front row
has the best seats in the house.” And of course I agreed…however I would NEVER
pass up front row seats (I was in the front row last night). Amy walked around a
little bit and I could hear her chatting with the Arena Manager about # of
tickets sold and she asked him which section is the hardest to sell.
Ok…then Amy comes back and we chat…from here on out, I guess I will just do
bullet points:
Kim Keys came down to chat as well. It was COLD in the Arena (ice arena) and Amy
commented about how cold it was, so she said lets go up on stage and visit and
take photos up there (SCORE!). I made some sort of comment about wanting to sing
back ground vocals with Kim and Amy said, “You sing BGV?!” I was escorted to the
center of the stage and Amy immediately picked up her guitar and put in around
my neck for some photos. My camera was handed to someone to take photos…not
their fault, the photos turned out blurry, but that’s okay, I LOVE THEM! (No, I
don’t play the guitar…I’m a piano man…the photos of me on stage…posted on
FACEBOOK…are all an act). Looking back, I wish I would have asked to sing a song
with Amy and Kim (as I doubt I will ever have this exclusive access again). We
took more photos and I chatted with both Kim and Amy….in no order, her are some
of the highlights.
Amy wandered if I had warmer shoes for the show (since we were going to be just
inches above the ice). I told her I was thinking about going to buying some
boots before the show. She wanted to know what size I wore…she was needing to
buy Matt (her son) some UGGS (Australian boots) and she said if bought them, I
could wear them at the show, then she would buy them for me and then give them
to Matt for Christmas. I didn’t go out and buy the boots, but how funny that I
could have purchased one of Matt’s Christmas gifts!
Amy did put a MAJOR dent in her Christmas shopping a couple days prior. She said
the shower stall on the tour bus was filled with gifts.
Amy was SO energized by the Lead Me On Anniversary Tour, that she is going to
bring back some of those musicians into the recording studio with her in
January.
So far, no tours planned for 2009. Amy said she needs to get the album finished
first.
Amy immediately asked about my boys…she had remembered that I had adopted two
boys this year…so we talked about kids. She also asked about my partner and
wondered if she had ever met him…we probably talked about family (her kids and
mine) for 3 or 4 minutes.
We chatted about the web site...Kim joined in and we talked about FACEBOOK. Kim
had actually gone onto FACEBOOK (via Justin) two days ago and read the comments
on “her” page…we all had a good laugh!
We chatted about Ski Aspen (yikes, I think that is the name of the annual
event)…the ski event that Amy and Vince engage in every year…where disabled kids
(and maybe adults) have a chance to ski the slopes of Aspen (sorry, it has been
2 -3 years since I’ve read about the event….and I didn’t take time to look up
the details).
Vince is in A LOT of pain…it sounds like his knee is healed (he had knee surgery
a few months ago), but he also has a bulging disk in his back. Amy commented
about the pain he is in. So far Vince is refusing (wont even consider) surgery
(typical male!!!). Anyway, please keep him in your prayers. For anyone who has
(or know anyone who has had) a bulging disk, knows the pain Vince must be in.
Ok, I gave Kim Keys her Christmas gift…she LOVED it. I couldn’t figure out what
to get her (or Amy)…First of all, let me say, I HATE wrapping gifts…I usually
start out doing an okay job, but by the end, I always think, “Why didn’t I just
use gift bags.” Anyway, the gifts looked fabulous…I got creative and made some
special bows (which I’m not usually good at). I got Kim a travel version of the
game Scattergories, which she loved and said they would be playing it on the
bus!
Amy asked if she could save her gift until Christmas morning…she said as the
Mom, she never has many gifts to open…so I thought that was cool that I will be
part of her Christmas morning.
For Corrina, my family got her a small stuffed animal and a packet of special
Reindeer Food to sprinkle in the yard on Christmas Eve.
Corrina is expecting Santa to bring her a real live fairy for Christmas…Amy said
she felt my pain when I told her my boys are expecting a roller coater in the
back yard when they wake up Christmas morning!
Amy has yet to see the ice skating special that was on TV a couple weeks ago.
The concert- I won’t try and re-cap the concert, but again here are my thoughts:
The show was absolutely flawless!!!!
Amy is always radiant…but let me say, when Vince is on the stage with her, there
is an extra gleam in her eye…it is truly special to see!
I am not a fan of twangy country music, and I was afraid I would hear a lot of
it…maybe two songs had a heavy country flair, but that was it.
I loved the set/lighting.
Jenny Gill and Kim Keyes were FABULOUS!!!! LOVED THEM!!!!!!!!!
Ok…I could still write pages, but I have tons of other things I need to catch up
on.
My final thought is: When you strip away the music and it is just Amy the
person…she is truly an amazing, genuine, inspiring, caring individual. Of course
there are so many admirable qualities she possesses, but I guess those are the
four that immediately come to mind.
Atlanta, GA - December 15, 2008
Grand Rapids, MI - December 18, 2008 (Courtesy of Bubba Pryor and sister Melissa M. LeClear)
Back to Amy Grant: The Christmas Collection