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Raleigh show notes
#2
(11-22-2019, 04:07 AM)admin Wrote: Here are some of my notes from last night's show:

  • Unlike last year, there was almost no congestion while parking.  It was still $25 online or $30 in person though.  Way too high.
  • I bought my tickets a couple of days before the show.  I feel like they come to town too early and I am not really in the Christmas mood but I figured I would regret not going.  According to the Ticketmaster site, it was just about sold out.  In reality, there were many nearly empty sections so I don't know what happened.  Their charity check was for about $9200 which means they sold about 9200 tickets.  According to Wikipedia, the arena should hold >18,000 people for concerts depending on setup.  Assuming 1/3 is blacked out for the stage, a sell out should still be about 12,000 people.  It was nowhere close to that and the crowd was pretty dead.  Contrast this number with Metallica's recent local show that broke the attendance record with 20,052 fans.  Metallica set up a boring, flat stage centered in the floor that allows them to sell more tickets.  
  • The volume was SO LOW for the entire show.  So low you could hold a conversation with the guy next to you.  Most of the other shows I go to are so loud and distorted, the sound quality suffers.  There needs be a happy medium.  Either way, such a low volume really took the air out of the room.  Even one of the usual highlights, "O Holy Night" was BO-RING with no volume.  
  • Once again, I was really not impressed with most of the singers or songs with vocals.  I have been a fan since day one and I hate to be "the old guy" but the songs are now played TOO SLOW with an overly dramatic effect.  Play the songs the right away!  I used to think this was a Paul O'Neillism but since his passing, they are still not playing the songs correctly.  So now I don't know who to blame.  
  • Zak got a Savatage mention during the singer introductions and sang a good rendition of Handful of Rain.  His voice never ages.  
  • As mentioned in another thread, they played an old Savatage song named "The Storm" but they only did the first half and renamed it to "Calm Before the Storm", which rolled right into "The Mountain" which they did NOT play last year.  These are both great guitar heavy songs and they really bring the place to life.  More of this, please...
  • I noticed a lot of people leaving after the first half and they didn't look pleased.  Maybe they didn't expect the heavier stuff or heavy metal posing. 
  • There were no risers or lifts this year but they had some type of "Tesla coil" contraption set up on the back end of the floor.  It created some cool lightning effects.  I prefer the lifts and the nerve it takes to get up there since I am scared of heights.   
  • "Kayla Reeves" sang a long lost Paul O'Neill song called "Can You Hear Me Now".  The song was OK but I was hoping for the Savatage version from the Streets album.  This one still gives me chills.   
  • I was also not a fan of TSO's "Believe" which is sacred ground for many Savatage fans.  They struggle to match the emotion of the original.  
  • I stuck around for the meet and greet which I have never done.  My girlfriend wore my old Savatage Rage and War t-shirt and it was the only Savatage shirt I saw in the arena.  Pretty sad.  The 3 Savatage members loved it, especially Zak who pointed and said, "THAT THAT THAT!".  I mentioned to Jeff, Zak and Chris that I was an old fan and mentioned some of the shows I attended in New York and they lit up.  I asked about the chances of a reunion and Chris said that he and Zak are ready and they are not the ones saying no.  I asked about Jon's health and Chris hesitantly said it was "so so".  I notice Jon has kept himself out of view for a while and I worry about his health...  None of us are getting any younger and I understand all the business reasons why things are they way they are but it doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.  

Jon has done a few live interviews at The Sound Affect recently. He seems fine. He has ZERO interest in ever touring again, though he might do a residency if it was offered. Savatage and JOP are DEAD. He has no interest in revisting them. The band members have never been the issue. They would do it in a minute.

Both Chris and Al have introduced the new song as "Say, Can You Hear me Now". It wasn't recently discovered since, as Dan has posted, Dino was flying to FLA to record it when Paul died.
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Messages In This Thread
Raleigh show notes - by admin - 11-22-2019, 04:07 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by KISSAlien - 11-22-2019, 05:26 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by admin - 11-22-2019, 06:16 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by danfromnj - 11-22-2019, 07:12 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by TheBigTBone - 11-24-2019, 02:21 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by KISSAlien - 11-26-2019, 03:42 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by TheBigTBone - 11-29-2019, 02:21 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by admin - 11-24-2019, 02:41 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by TheBigTBone - 11-24-2019, 06:23 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by hollywoodswag - 12-17-2019, 04:25 AM
RE: Raleigh show notes - by fraroc - 12-25-2019, 12:46 PM

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