As we get ready to move into another set of Tears for Fears shows in the coming cooler months, we’re reflecting on the excitement that took place a little more than a month ago. Big thanks to our dear pal Pennie for sharing her experience!
Living in a destination city, I have been fortunate to have seen Tears for Fears locally. In the last year I’ve had the opportunity to travel to a couple of shows out of state. I decided on Albuquerque/Sandia Resort because the show was at an amphitheater which had wonderful reviews, and this would be my first show experience at an amphitheater.
I arrived mid-morning. The grounds of this resort are quite remarkable, with a beautiful golf course that seemed to be more enhanced by the stunning Sandia Mountains in the distance. In the lobby of the hotel I was greeted by a large TV screen displaying the announcement of the TFF show! I was obviously in the right place!
Show Time!
We arrived at our seats just as Tears for Fears was taking the stage. We found that people were sitting in our seats. An honest mistake, I’m sure. Luckily, an usher helped get them to their correct seat. It was near dusk with a slight breeze, and slowly the stage lighting became more colorful. The set list was very similar to previous shows on the tour. Some of my high points:
-The wonderful guitar rift on EWTRW makes me feel like I’m floating.
-I LOVE the new techno intro for Pale Shelter.
-Break it Down Again (video below)- Roland was doing his best to keep the crowd involved, encouraging everyone to get their arm up and swing it side to side. We had a pretty responsive audience.
-Memories Fade- This song is quite emotional for me. I never get tired hearing TFF play this song.
-Creep… we all know how we feel about Creep!!
I took an audio recording of Head Over Heels. I always do when my daughter isn’t with me. It’s one of her favorite TFF songs and I love to share the moment with her.
Later in the show, the wind picked up quite a bit and was blowing from all different directions. The band had a heck of a time keeping their hair from blowing across their faces… some more so than others. Roland stated joking with Curt about his hair which made the crowd laugh.
Technical difficulties always seem to turn into an amazing, impromptu masterpiece of winging it. At the beginning of Woman in Chains, I think the wind knocked one of Jamie’s drum sticks from his hand because everything stopped while someone brought him another drum stick. The wind continued to blow and I was becoming a bit nervous about the overhead speakers and lighting which were swinging back and forth over the stage. I had to tell myself to “Focus on the music Pennie.”
During the show I noticed a guy running up and down the steps several times who would turn his ear to the stage and listen as he reached a seat below us. I ran into him after the show and asked if he was working the boards because I kept seeing him running up and back? He said “Yes, how did it sound?” You could tell he was genuinely interested in my opinion. I told him it was absolutely wonderful.
I come away from this show knowing that Tears for Fears genuinely cares about their fans. We are truly fortunate to have Tears for Fears touring again!
Looking forward to the next adventure!
TFF Travel Fan Pennie K.
Fan Videos from Albuquerque:
Very energetic version of BIDA from Karla Kristina on YouTube
Johan Malone shared a great video of Shout on YouTube
Lael has travelled and met up with the Travel Fan Team for several shows. This year she headed off to the Wild Horse Pass Resort and Casino with SnapHappy Pam, another long time travel fan, for the Arizona stop on the tour. Here’s her experience…
Lael and Pam… long time travel fans… 🙂
I connected up with SnapHappy Pam, who takes great pictures and videos of bands, for the TFF show in Chandler, Arizona. She was gracious enough to pick me up at Sky Harbor International Airport. I was highly concerned about the heat that day, as it was expected to get up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit!!
Pam and I also had our work cut out for us, as we needed to find a birthday card for Curt Smith, and gifts for both Curt and Roland Orzabal. We found some nice gifts at the Arizona Mills Shopping Center, but we were still on the search for an appropriate card for Curt. Pam decided to stay in the car as I went to find a card, stating that she “trusted my judgment”. No pressure, right?!! Well, I finally found a card, and after a little issue with gift bags, we were on the way to the hotel.
After checking in at the hotel and getting ready for the concert, we made it to the venue about 5:30 p.m. It took us a little time to actually wind our way back to the Ovations Showroom. The actual theater is adorned with beautiful ornate glass door panes. We looked into the doors of the venue, and guess who we saw on stage? Roland Orzabal was working on his pedal settings while tour and venue management looked on from the back of the venue. We peered closer, and Pam pointed out Curt Smith to me; he was also monitoring the sound check at the back of venue. After a couple of minutes of viewing the sound check, and talking to other fans that were now congregating outside the venue, we went on our way to find something to eat before the show, and to try to find the band’s tour bus.
Pam held our place at the lounge, while I ventured out to locate the tour bus in heat that made me feel like I must be searing my eyeballs. I found the bus after a several minute walk, and it didn’t appear there was anyone on it at the time, or maybe the crew were all sleeping? Being as discrete and respectful as possible, I quietly made my way back to the lounge.
As I still was on the search for some decent food, I was starting to feel faint at this point. I discovered that the lounge located in front of the theater didn’t serve any food, so I needed to find the take-out line for the restaurant. At this point, I was in a maze of a daze; it was very easy to get lost in this casino, because there are many interweaving lounges and restaurants, even though it’s actually a rather small complex. After finding where the casino had take-out food, and then after a decent time in line, I was finally able to place my order for a spinach salad, but was told it would take twenty minutes for my order to be ready.
Wild Horse…
Now I realized we needed to get the gifts back to the boys, as time was running short!! I was finally able to get in touch with the venue’s entertainment manager, Jason, on a tip from Andye, and he was gracious enough to run our gifts back to Curt and Roland. Meanwhile, Pam was having fun taking pictures of the beautiful artwork and ornate lighting fixtures all around the interior of the casino.
The doors opened promptly at 7:00 pm, and we were told by the ushers that we could go back and forth to get food and drinks, which I thought was so GREAT, as I still hadn’t picked up my food order.
It was now only half an hour before show time, and I was HUNGRY. Pam was smart and had grabbed something more substantial to eat while at Arizona Mills, while I was sustaining myself on the banana I’d had for a snack hours ago. I finally retrieved my salad and then preceded upstairs, as my seat was in the balcony, while Pam’s seat was downstairs. This turned out to be a pretty ideal situation, as I loved the view up top, while Pam liked the feeling of solid ground underneath her, and it gave her a great vantage point to take her wonderful pictures and videos.
The Show
When I got upstairs, I was pleasantly surprised that there was a lounge up there with a beautiful view of the surrounding desert. I delved into my salad and discovered it had an eye-popping freshness with its delicate greens, sweet strawberries, and juicy pieces of chicken. While I savored the fresh cracked pepper that lingered on my tongue, I marveled at this amazing venue, the circumstances of how I got here, and the show I was about to see. I got to my seat in the very last row of the balcony and took in the view—it reminded me of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in the L.A. Music Center—and I felt as if I were floating over the stage.
Carina Round took the stage to a house that was still only over half full. Her beautiful, soulful, and rustic-tinged voice filled up the hall while people were still talking over her—argh, grumble, grumble! I was singing along with her when I realized most of the people around me didn’t know the lyrics to her songs, which made me kind of feel out of place. I went to the restroom and her voice and guitar filled up the ladies room as well. Carina’s set included a newly added song called “Backseat”. Curt Smith’s ethereal voice could be heard offstage, and then he came on stage to sing the last stanza of the song with her.
During the fifteen minute break, I went downstairs via the elevator to see if I could chat with Pam for a moment. (I think it’s marvelous that security let us go up and downstairs, allowed me to bring my almost empty gift bag with me into the theater, and surprisingly didn’t check our bags either.) I wasn’t able to locate Pam, so the security guard started to give me a hard time about being down there; he gently reminded me how much time I had left before I headed back upstairs.
Tears For Fears opened the show with Lorde’s version of EWTRTW before coming on stage, which created a heightened space for the show. It’s beyond comprehension that while this was the fifth time I’ve seen TFF perform, I felt as if I were hearing them for the first time. They sounded so tight, the separation between the parts was incredible, and it never ceases to amaze me how they stay true to the original recordings of their songs, while imparting a new energy each time they tour.
Since I was ‘hovering’ over the stage, I had a great vantage point where I could see all of the fingerings and chords for both Curt and Roland. I also saw exactly what Jamie Wollam was doing, except for his pedals, which I could hear quite well. I was standing up, singing, and dancing to all their songs. I couldn’t help thinking: unless one is not physically able, how can one NOT dance to Tears For Fear’s music? It is dance music, correct? I was trying very hard not to annoy my fellow concert goers, while cheering, screaming operatically, and waving to both Curt and Roland. It was pretty hilarious, if you ask me!
There were only a few downsides of this show from my seat in the house: the mix was heavy on the bass and drums, people talked during the entire show, and the bar ought to have cut people off earlier, as there were some pretty drunk fans by the end of the concert.
Reflections on the Show
It seemed to me that Jamie Wollam was putting on a drum clinic, and Roland was giving a master class on opera singing at times. With Curt’s beautiful vocals and precise bass playing, Charlton Petuss’s sweet lead guitar, and Doug Petty’s wizardry on the keys, anyone that sees Tears For Fears perform live is in for a real treat.
Highlights of the show included, “Sowing the Seeds of Love” which sounded very fresh and tight to me, “Change”, showcasing their consummate technique, and when Roland’s voice opened up on that last line of “Creep”. I found myself thinking, ‘Why is this dude NOT singing opera—seriously—as he definitely has the vocal chops for it?!” The definitive highlight of the show was Roland recognizing me, making eye contact, and then flashing me the greatest smile. As Roland sang the line, “I hope we live to tell the tale” in the encore, “Shout”, I realized why I was meant to be there…I also had finally “lived to tell the tale”.
Thank you, Lael! Very sweet of you and Pam to share great photos and highlights from the Arizona show. See you next time! 🙂
Thanks for reading!
-Lael & AA
*videos and pictures by SnapHappy Pam
Follow: @tearsforfears @curtsmith @rolandtff @carinaround @jwdrum @dougpettyla @CharltonPettus (you can follow travel fan fun via @papasfans) Also, be sure to visit our #2015Love focus and consider a donation: http://www.standwithmaceo.com/ #StandWithMaceo
*Dedicated to Steven Jacobson who made his Twitter debut with a post to Tears for Fears and the Travel Fans. That was pretty darn cool! Thank you!
Our emotional & exciting journey to Tulsa for Tears for Fears began at 12:47am on Tuesday morning, the day of show. I rested just enough to be coherent and not miss our 10am lobby roll call. At 10:25am we rush off with our amazing pal Bobby, a long time TFF Travel Fan that we met through Captain Julian Orzabal. He lead the way. G-d bless Bobby, he gave us the VIP treatment in his incredible vehicle. His son Roland was by our side and kept us laughing and upbeat as we did one last check to make sure we had our tickets, etc. before heading to this next city (Tulsa) on the tour… it was broadcast on Persicope. (pardon this one-off device to device recording).
Living the Dream As we drove, I thought about the unexpected band chat we learned we were to attend that same day. The excitement of that plus feelings from the Kansas City, MO show just began to pour. We became overwhelmed by our experiences with the band over the past 3 decades (which is 95% of my life – #ProudTFFToddlerFan – I still visit the place where I first heard them on the way to school). And then Bobby says, “This reminds me of the winter of ’85…”
On the way
Upclose is an understatement…this felt amazing to all my 5 senses. Healing indeed.
Road Warrior Realities
We finally arrived at the hotel after barely getting through some time consuming traffic. Making the transformation from road warrier to concert attendee is not something that can be done in an hour’s time. You want to bring your best self in the presence of the band…whether you’re seeing them up close for a chat or within arm’s length at the stage. I wasn’t able to accomplish that this time around. The weather was humid, it’s raining and we have a band chat to attend… and I’m just not ready. Not to mention I had been trying all morning to get a last headcount on which fans were coming so we could share this opportunity in an organised fashion. We’re reaching out to see who was on the way so we could, calmly and appropriately give some hugs and appreciation to this extraordinary team of musicians that we have adored forever and a day… and it’s like crickets. Everyone was in transit or busy getting ready vs. answering the phone, replying to tweets or even picking up these extra 2nd and 6th row tickets before the show. It was strange to say the least. So, it would just be us…Silver Kitty, Bobby, Roland the Sequel, Lady C and myself… and at 6:30pm we rushed off to get an extra bag of Curt’s sweets for the show with a few things for Roland in tow.
Long story short, I ran back inside for a bar of Cadbury chocolate for Curt…and got all damp from the rain. “Maybe I should just go to my seat and let the others say hi for me…” I thought as I try to fan myself dry. I decided I’d better show up and just stand back, taking a rain check on the hugs.
A Nice Chat
*Not going to elaborate on this part because I respect everyone’s privacy (and the law of the land) to not record every word said or detail every movement made. But as always, these chats are very sacred and I’m grateful that we were able to share it with those who came along. Somewhat drier, we get inside the venue and see members of the beautiful TFF official team, people we are always overjoyed to see. As we are hugging I realise I still don’t have one of their items. I’ll have to send it later. Long time fan, former TFF member and all around awesome person, Afton is there looking like a million dollars and I’m just thrilled to see her again. Learn more about Afton (Sangster) here.
They led us down the trail to the chat which was a scene from Alice in Wonderland. There I was in my damp royal blue Japanese Kawaii coordinate entering the twists and turns like one trailing down the rabbit hole leading to this extravagant moment. It was so cool yet serene as the room in which we eventually entered looked like a grand mini ballroom with its cool furniture, deep colours and gorgeous band members relaxing like they’d just finished the most sumptuous of tea parties ever…in big chairs mind you.
Still, I wasn’t ready… After all the years of seeing them, delivering this or that…this wasn’t new for me, yet I still couldn’t believe it. Damp and dizzy with a racing heart that sent me into a cold sweat, I walk in the door ushered by the very subdued Silver Kitty. I’m greeted by the majestic presence of this band. The Good Sir in all his glory greets me with incredible and beautiful warmth. His precious hands meet mine in a respectful way. The Good Sir gives me a gentle hug depsite my forelorn and bedraggled condition and he went down the line greeting us as did others of this sacred set of musicial geniuses …The Good Man came in as well and lovingly signed merch and allowed us some nice snapshots while chatting with us about his life. It felt like family, like I was where I was supposed to be…The rest of their generous time in their presence was equal to a very spiritual encounter and will be kept in our vault. Nothing off colour or seedy occured, it was just a warm discussion and chat that for us is the closest thing to heaven. It’s a Zen gathering, it is the ultimate peace and joy. One’s soul calms when standing near them and, as usual for me, it takes about 6 months to realise that we did actually see them. Several times I find myself waking up at night thinking…was that real? It’s just such a miraculous moment.
So much fun, such a euphoric experience, all TFF concert are…
To think we were little kids watching them on TV, holding their music close like security blankets and now they stand before us providing comfort that words can’t describe. I have not found that type of peace anywhere else. There is nothing I can even compare it to because it’s like a dream. It’s a very uplifing and a soul gripping experience, it redefines Cloud 9’s eurphoria. Any odd things that happen in our daily lives are completely washed away as their energy and kindness makes a therapy session look like a cheap bandaid. Tears for Fears, whether they accept it/know it or not, are a healing experience. One look, one nod, one smile by members of this band… and one is forever changed. It’s a phenomenon.
After the unexpected and generous chat we wandered back through the cool, twisting trail and past the stage curtains which were open. I couldn’t help but take a peek at all the cool instruments. Seeing the audience from their perspective was pretty damn cool. Seeing all the eager people and happy faces just waiting for them to come out and dazzle the world as they do was exhilarating. SK was kind of enough to get us really great seats. I was happy that the stage wasn’t so high that I couldn’t see over it. I had just enough room to dance around without it pressing into my hips. Those on the first row center were literally knees-to-stage. We were first row right (Curt’s side), Lady C on first row left (Roland side) and quite comfy. We met some really lovely fans before the show and during that time I exchanged email addresses with as many of them as possible so we can stay in touch. Before long Carina Round came out and played her fantastic set. She gave a shout out to Pucifer who had played at this location some time ago and she was there with them. Curt accompanied her on the final song of her set as he’s done on so many other occasions (notably, Sunset Station Hendersonville Nevada 2012).
Annnnd of course Tears for Fears appeared not long after…and it’s all recorded. Here are some videos from the show by various fans. Big thanks to Charlton for the generosity. Huge thanks to Jamie for the drumsticks given to Bobby!! Gargantuan thanks to Roland and Curt for their TIME. Sweet gentle kisses for Carina and her beautiful voice (love her wardrobe). And special thanks to Lady T and Afton for that generous pre and post-show hug. I’m so inspired to work hard to bring forth my best self because of this band. They make me want to be a better person. It’s just something about them that makes me want to do better in every possible way. I pray, by G-d’s grace I can do it. I pray we can always enjoy their majestic presence as tour attendees and dedicated travel fans. G-d bless everyone’s contributions and efforts and the positive energy of others alongside us in sister fan groups in Manila, France and Brazil/Brasil. TFF puts the “FF’s” in “Fan Family.”
Videos and Show Highlights
*SK says to watch these in HD or the sound is completely inaudible.
We screamed a lot. Looking back through the videos, we were just in plum TFF Manic mode… I’m so glad we remain calm during M&Gs with Curt in California and impromptu gatherings during tours because if I heard or saw people like myself in “show mode” I’d probably be afraid. One beautiful part of the madness is that the entire crowd was “roaring” with joy. It was awesome, overwhelming and everything in between. The energy in those shows is electric. We get so excited and though it’s over an hour (2+ I think) it’s never long enough, you want it to go on and on. We don’t get tired of this because every concert FEELS new, one is not like the other. Atlanta isn’t LA an LA isn’t Vegas, etc. Each concert has unique pieces and occurances that make you eager to go to another so you can enjoy the new things they say and do in each city.
Another set of treats and gifts are the conversations between songs and souvenirs tossed into the audience. We were on Curt’s side for this show and Charlton was standing over us. I loved watching him play guitar and he was all smiles, even obliged and gave me a guitar pick. I was collecting Curt’s for some time and giving them to fellow fans back in Atlanta and for those who had only gotten to see Roland or stand on his side. I find that no matter what side you’re on, it’s just fun to be near them. Roland and Curt do a lot of great shoutouts during shows as well. Here’s one for a set of twins who share The Good Sir’s birthday/bidet/bday.
Birthday Shout Outs
During Charlton’s solo intro of Closest Thing to Heaven, Curt slips some Skittles. Then he comes over to us and literally throws a handful over our head to make it rain!!
OHHH MY GAHHH, you’d have thought he was throwing money. We were so excited, catching a few in our hands and swallowing them down (or at least I did. I have a collection of his autographed Skittles so any new ones are fair game to be eaten). We couldn’t get “the rain” on video because it was unexpected but we’re hoping someone else did. Good Man you are so freakin’ cool!
courtesy of Bobby
Set List
Being so close to the stage distorts the sound sometimes so here are some clips by a fan named Aaron for a few of the songs. Carri also took some cool video close up.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Lorde & TFF riginal Opening)
SW, SOL, AFTYAH,
Pale Shelter & cool chat from Good Man Curt *they sound crystal clear in person, again being so close to the stage our recordings sound a bit distorted.
BIDA, ELAHE & Creep
Change, MW, MF, CTTH (Billie Jean was on the list but was not played) Badman’s Song
Head Over Heels
Head Over Heels – upclose
Woman In Chains
Shout
Shout (upclose)
After the show, like immediately after, this young lady comes out of nowhere and jumps up on the stage. She’s trying to get a set list. When a staff member gives it to someone else we start yelling, “But she jumped up on the stage! C’mon, let her have one please!!” The guy did hand one over. Roland the Sequel got one as well…which was pretty darn cool and well deserved for his amazing contributions this season.
Back at the hotel, security is walking around …we don’t know why. Maybe the band was going to their rooms or something. We stayed off to the side in the lobby and people came over to us to say hi and hang out. During that time we met these cool peeps from one of the conferences that the hotel was hosting.
Hotel Lobby
Hours later in our rooms we’re looking at videos, packing and such. We had to hop off the tour because we couldn’t do that Arizona and ABQ heat. I had a swim meet back in Atlanta, so I couldn’t go to Jack’s 10th Show. This would be it for a few months…and the thought of pausing was hard. We stretched time that morning though…
Travel Fan Brunch – from Periscope TV – replay of broadcast
A Little Pause
On the way to the airport we contemplated if we should just take some extra holiday time and just go to the next show anyway, crazy 100+ degree temps be damned. We couldn’t but thankfully other travel fans were taking good care and headed out to represent the TFF365 spirit. I tried to hold in my tears the whole of the Tulsa show and afterwards but at the airport, right there at the curb I just lost it. I just cried…horribly. The ugly cry…smh.
I said goodbye to all through sobbing tears. Carolyn who was flying in the same terminal as myself walked me in and I sniffled my way through check-in. It was so hard. I walked around the airport. TFF were, to our knowledge not far off, one woman said she saw two guys who looked like The Good Sir and The Good Man walking into a side door. You know they have those now where you don’t have to walk in with the public. I thought they already did but anyway, they were supposedly spotted. Roland had tweeted that they were grounded due to the storms. Carolyn’s flight was delayed for the same reason. Mine was on time but we still had about 3 hours to kill. So…like any dedicated fan we located the Airport Jukebox that plays music over the intercom system throughout the entire airport… and we changed all of the songs to Tears for Fears…like over 2 hours worth. We Periscoped it, making sure to avoid people’s faces because we weren’t sure it was legal to broadcast there. Thanks to all, especially Steven, who logged into the broadcast and showed us how to do it. #TeeHee It was awesome! People all around us were tapping their feet and dancing in their seats. Only one guy approached Carolyn later (she was wearing her TFF shirt) and asked if she was responsible for Tears for Fears being played non stop… We have no shame. She even has a t-shirt her daughter gave her that says, “Danger, Tears for Fears Fan…”
Again, very grateful to Roland and Curt, their entire team, road team, Lady T, fans on tour, Afton and all the support and kindness we got via Periscope and the entire time we were gone. So many people help make these tours possible and we’re just thrilled to be out there on the road with their energy. Really looking forward to the new album and more fun and exciting times in this life with Tears for Fears leading the way. Cheers! Thanks for reading! AA
Memories to last a lifetime!
Follow: @tearsforfears @curtsmith @rolandtff @carinaround @jwdrum @dougpettyla @CharltonPettus (you can follow travel fan fun via @papasfans) Also, be sure to visit our #2015Love focus and consider a donation: http://www.standwithmaceo.com/ #StandWithMaceo
This is dedicated to Ryan, our newest Travel Fan Team member. Ryan is based out of KCMO and helped us find all of the things we needed to make memories that will last a lifetime!
UptownTheatre
Writing these show re-caps never gets any easier because each show and each year outshine the previous ones. We go to these concerts more for healing than entertainment. Tears for Fears are a theraputic oasis for the soul. For the past week I’ve been relaying others’ photos and experiences at Tears for Fears extravaganzas. Today I’ll share mine. One of the shows I attended took place in Kansas City, Missouri. Up until I actually landed in KCMO I was referring to it as just Kansas. Weeks and months prior I had conversations via phone with Carolyn, the Travel Fan Team rep in the area, and she corrected me saying “Missouri…Andye, it’s Missouri.” I replied, “Ooops, sorry. I won’t do it again.” Then I said “Kansas…” again. She, again, corrected me and so did every person from the driver that picked me up to Carolyn’s travel pal, Ryan who showed us around the city. Later, Curt called it Kansas with clear intention of meaning “KCMO.” He later made it clear to everyone that he did indeed mean Missouri. So, lesson learned, when referring to Kansas City, you better include the state or risk being corrected (politely mind you – e.g. soft whispers in your ear) by the sweet gentle folks that live here. And gentle is an understatement…the people there are unbelievably kind and caring!
Why Kansas?
Kansas City, Missouri was named as one of the coolest cities in America…and it is! There’s a lot to do there. They have an incredible Plaza downtown that rivals the midtowns of several major cities in North America. The shoppes and prices are more than reasonable. The food is delicious and restaurants stay open pretty late, we even found a few at 4:45am in the morning on a Sunday night/Monday morning…crazy hours and awesome at the same time!
This was the city in which several decided to see a show together. One of our members is a police officer and took it upon himself to escort us to KMO as well as Tulsa, Oklahoma. We spent 4 long days together and bonded like you would never believe. None of us had really spent THAT much time with each other previously unless you count the times we were having cold ones with Captian Julian and a few band members, road crew, etc. post show at Sunset Station in Hendersonville Nevada, Thackerville’s Winstar Casino in Oklahoma, and the list goes on. Despite our limited interactions in person, we actually clicked FAST! Everyone, especially Bobby and his son Roland (yeah, he named him after Mr. Orzabal and was one the highlights of the trip) did whatever was necessary to make the midwest shows ultra fantastic and comfortable for fellow fans around them.
Gotta represent…Drummer Genius Jamie avaiators and Orzabal check plaid…
Travel Fan Fun
10am in the morning (yeah, we got about 6 hours of sleep), Carolyn and I are downstairs ready to roll and chat with whomever walked in the door of the hotel. And we did. We met all sorts of people and had numerous conversations. I should mention that the guy at the front desk saw my TFF tshirt when I checked in and just beamed as if he knew something. My goodness, were we staying in the same hotel? Then we all headed out to the Plaza where we got Bobby ready for the shows at one of the neat shoppes. I also grabbed a pair of Hello Kitty socks which had *anchors on them. The whole day we kept finding little signs of TFF that wouldn’t normally be present except during a tour. There were lots of symbolic things that happened or either we were hypervigilant. All of our adventures were broadcast via Persicope. Some have been archived on YouTube for later viewing. Thanks to all who joined in the live broadcast, we had 65+ viewers on some emissions. If you missed it, you can find them on YouTube…should be about 7 of the 12. Enjoy!
The Show
After visiting the venue earlier and making sure we knew where to park (coincidentally chatting with staff etc. wink wink) we went back to the hotel, changed quickly and rushed back to the venue. The parking lot, which had been completely empty 90 minutes prior was now completely filled with only one space open facing the backstage door. We took it! We sat in the car as it drizzled and watched crew working and doing last minute things while fans lined up the sidewalk, shifting around the local radio station’s live broadcast booth. Just like L.A. there was a guy on the corner beating a plastic bucket with a pair of drumsticks. Others were seeking tickets…and we were one of those people as we had just enough for the Travel Fans and not our newest inductee, Roland. A kind man handed over a ticket to him 20 minutes before showtime for free!! Whomever you are, HUGE THANKS!
Shared by a fan (someone send us her name) w/the Good Sir – the effects in the theatre were beautiful!
The Uptown Theatre is a gorgeous venue that looks a little bit like the Fox Theatre in Atlanta with its intricate architecture. It’s hard to tell if you’re in a cathedral or a music hall. I’d happily go to more shows at this place. All of the seats are pretty good. There’s space so you’re not really bumping up against your neighbour and that’s crucial at TFF shows because just about everybody is dancing. As mentioned I was in my little tiara representing TFF’s Rock Royals title that many of us (and a couple of music industry peeps) have placed upon them and unexpectedly received so many compliments. In ATL where I spend most of my time, tiaras are not uncommon. I was shocked people even paid attention. I used that opportunity to make new friends and get email addresses so we can exchange photos, etc. Then I got seated as I was too excited to stand around. I just wanted to get to the front where we were close enough (6 rows back) to the stage that the band could see us and interact with their returned peace signs and such. It was awesome! We also met a few travel fans who had seats on our row. :waving at Lady M:
Carina Round looked and sounded like a powerful angel…there are no other words to describe it. She outdid herself. It was unreal.. we made sure to show her a ton of love, from the time she walked out to the striking solo parts of Woman in Chains and BadMan’s song. She got a lot of love not only from those of us who follow her, but from the new fans in the audience…they adored her and showed it! She deserved it! Amazing job!
The band just stirred souls left and right. People were crying, people were picking each other up (no matter what their contrasting size) and hugging mid-song. They were having solo moments of their own by adding little supportive lines to the various songs. One guy just lost it and looked around singing at people with great force. Attendees did not mind the aisles, they flooded them where possible and rushed the stage. It was chaotic to a degree but still felt safe. Most notably, people. were. crying. I don’t mean a little tear, but instead that crippling cry where you can’t talk. Wives were holding husbands, husbands were holding wives and friends had their arms around each other. People just “had a moment” at the show. One person was local journalist Holly E. She blogged about her experience as well. She begins with…
“Concert footage in which fans are crying. I never understood it. Sure, the music is great and the band members are (sometimes) good looking, but weeping at a concert?
Last night I wept at the Tears for Fears concert in Kansas City. On and off, from the first strains of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” through the encore “Woman in Chains” and “Shout.” Read More Here
*Holly is also a really cool person, one of those people you’ll just enjoy on many levels through her writing. Follow her @HollyEdgell.
And she wasn’t alone, again…Carolyn cried, strangers cried, the guy behind me could barely get the words to the songs out due to his emotion. I turned around and smiled at him, he was all verklempt with his daughter snuggled up beside him. It was a very emotional show and the energy in the theatre was different from past concerts. Kansas City, Missouri got more than a performance, they received a big ol’ Tears for Fears Concert Hug.
Pale Shelter – Curt sounds really good, listen and enjoy…
The Set List was similar to last year’s with a few songs switching places. I’ve abbreviated it as we do… Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Lorde intro then the majestic mesh into the original), SW, STSOL, PS, BIDA, ELAHE, Change, MW, MF, CTTH, AFTYAH, Creep – (Radiohead cover) BMS, HOH – Encore WIC and Shout
Drummer Genius Jamie’s drum solo was excellent and the crowd just lost their minds through the power of his talent. During Shout the crowd sang “the long version” intro loud and clear. Roland was sweet again and dropped the mic down so various individuals could sing into it. You know we all love that. I’ll never forget when he did that to me back in 2011. I’m still in complete awe. There were just all sorts of extras at this show, Skittles included. I think Curt threw a few.
Doc Martens Shout Outs
Another great moment that happened before the show was when Ryan talked about his own pair of Doc Martens of which he was wearing. We snapped a photo of them and then sometime later (not neccessarily related to our tweet) Curt sends his Docs tweet.
Then during the show Curt motioned toward his feet to reveal these saying, “Because I’m not in Kansas anymore.” It was clever and got a lot of laughs Very cute! During an earlier Periscope Travel Fan broadcast I talked about how I asked the gentleman that brought me to the hotel if this was Dorothy’s Kansas. I enjoyed hearing Curt referrencing The Wizard of Oz as well. It was also cool to have Manila Kooks like JW in the mix.
Eventhough I managed to write a bit about the show, so many parts of this particular part of the tour left me speechless and I don’t even know where to begin in detailing them. As always it’s just cool to hear from the band throughout the tour/talk to them via social and see Roland so animated and involved with Twitter (something of which for years we thought he’d never do until he surprised us back in March 2014). It was very important to us. At one point I was messaging with the Good Man Curt Smith as Carolyn was so worried as to why he hadn’t said “Kansas City, Missouri we are in you…” and he mentioned they were just getting in. I think I’m responding to Carolyn, but I was accidentally responding to Curt and told him to “…go on and get dressed everything is going to be fine…” or something. It was rather embarassing but funny in hindsight. Glitches will happen…
The above may seem like “little things” to other people but if you’ve been following this band for at least a year at mininum (though for most of us it’s been 90% of our lives) you “get it.” You know why the Docs tweet is important, you understand and even cherish the tears of your fellow fans. We just mesh…that’s one thing about the fans…most of us just “mix and gel” quickly. In the cases where meshing didn’t take place or is struggling to gel, societal ills are present and have nothing to do with the band. If you come to this fan world with a pure heart, you will meet your soulmates. Not necessarily your future spouse (although that isn’t uncommon) you will, however, make friends that will become family. That’s what happened on this tour. Friends became relatives, souls were stirred and combined. I could go on. But I’ll conclude with this; nothing, not Periscope, not YouTube or any streaming media compares to being PRESENT. This is why, even if it is for one show or all of them, fans travel all over the states, to and from various parts of the world to see this band and experience something so overwhelmingly majestic that it brings a crowd to tears…
Shoutout to the loyal people who waited outside the venue post show with hope in their grasp…
Big thanks to the people we met in Kansas City, Missouri! I have never been to a place so friendly…and I thought Toronto had the world beat! All of our loyalty and dedication is to the band and many hugs to the new travel fans that flew in from all over to be there. There’s no way any of this would work if love didn’t show up in the form of attendance!
Cheers!
-AA
*Nautical Anchors are a constant symbol in so much of TFF, CurtSmithOfficial and DelaQ.
More on the Kansas City, Missouri show from Timothy Finn
Well, as expected, TFF proved they are a force, a powerhouse of pleasure, serenity for the soul and simultaneously “f*cking” awesome! Reviews from around the music writing world, words from those peeping in via Periscope and tons of praise on Twitter support the posts about this band’s popularity. Roland and Curt are more than well-respected, they are Rock Royalty.
Last night’s show at @Bonnaroo was streamed live thanks to @RedBullTV. Not only did fans attend in person, but also on their way to upcoming shows, crouched in airports or riding to the next destination in their cars. Hundreds tuned-in to hear a fantastic set that included many of the band’s greatest hits. The show was beyond exceptional and the crowd and fan reaction online stood out among the Bonnaroo praise. Roland was even pleased with the crowd. He shared a tweet from his personal account about their enthusiasm. That kind of crowd spirit is what we as travel fans hope for (and try to bring) at every show.
Tears for Fears Bonnaroo show
This is just the beginning. We’re only on show #2. Show #3 is tomorrow night in Denver Colorado. It’s another festival and an opportunity to go mad during Mad World, scream and sing for Shout and let the world know who really rules the throne of Rock and Roll. As one young fan said, “It’s Tears for f*cking Fears baby! They rule this world. F*ck yeah!”
@nerdist (TFF plane pal)’s followers joined in the Periscope love
Congrats to the band on their success. Wishing all fans very safe travels. We still have a few tickets left for the Tulsa show. Contact us on Facebook, follow on twitter (@papasfans) and be sure to follow @curtsmith @rolandtff & @tearsforfears.
This is where the magic starts to happen, the lights lower and your soul soars…Tears for Fears are approaching the stage!
Happy January 2015! Hope all on the ‘band fanwagon’ are doing quite well! Fun seeing everyone online and hanging out in Twitterville. Thought we’d start this year off by taking a look at ‘Fan Travel.’ We have a lot of travel themes in our fan circle. There’s the loyal team of shipmates on the fan ship, the SS DelaQ led by Captain Julian Orzabal. There’s the travel fan team, Curt’s Kerfuffle of Kooks that travel to hang out at shows in L.A., it all overlaps, intertwines and most important, celebrates all things Tears for Fears! We have had an extraordinary time, so much so that the idea of not going the extra mile to be a part of the superfan shenanigans is just unheard of. From taking multiple planes just to get to one show, to crisscrossing the country in less than 24 hours to try to get to each one, we’re known to clock some pretty outstanding mileage…neighbours, family, husbands, friends and sometimes pets in tow…and cupcakes, we always have cupcakes! You can thank Lady K for that.
Sometimes tragedy hits… we either get stuck in some city, or encounter medical issues i.e. several times a passenger has had a heartattack on the plane we’re on thus resulting in an emergency landing. The worst cases have been death defying transporation issues that made us wonder if that day was one of our ‘Last Days on Earth.’ We each have had some horrid tales of trying to get to shows and something just went all wrong…but somehow, by ‘The Grace’ we made it! I, too, have showed up at a concert (a different English crew) after a car accident, one where I ended up losing the whole car. But that’s an account for another time and place as I digress… Let’s read about Alice E’s hair raising tale of barely making it …and when she did she had the time of her life!
CD posted some shared photos from online, great picture! Hugs to the photog!
Here’s her story… My daughter and I started out in the morning for a 10 hour round trip to Oakland for our 1st Tears for Fears concert! We had bought what was equal to three times the tickets to make sure we would get up front (not something in our budget). Less than half way there, we were in an accident. The car was totaled, my daughter got a concussion, and I fractured a vertebra. We called a good friend (who, BTW, isn’t a fan and is an overly critical musician) and he really enjoyed the concert, very much…….Yes, we made it!
We stood for, what seemed like a long time, at the edge of the stage. Then Lorde’s version of Everybody Wants To Rule The World started playing in the dark, so perfect. Then the lights went up. Curt entered from the other side of the stage. I waved. He waved back. Then I turned and looked up to see Roland standing at his microphone, right in front of us. Was this really happening or I did I die in the accident and go to Heaven?!
It was a whirlwind of music and joy. I could feel the warm stage lights engulfing me. Yes, we danced, injuries and all! Roland and I communicated with lip reading and sign language! What joy and laughter. One time I looked up and he was sticking out his tongue and waving his arms about. As I followed his gaze, I saw my daughter sticking her tongue out and waving her arms about. I think I’m glad we got to see one of these non album-release concerts. It was like a party with old friends and familiar songs. We even made some new friends. It was a beautiful venue. Wow, have times changed since I last went to any concerts, the sound was great!
I usually don’t pick a favorite song, because it always depends on my mood. Recently, I played The Prisoner about 15-20 times in a row, very loudly. Everybody Wants To Rule The World is my most danced to song and fits a lot of moods, but after this concert I’d have to say it is my favorite. From the 1st note Roland played, I began to blubber like a teenager in those old black and white clips of the Beatles arriving in the USA for the 1st time. When the song was over, Curt commented that we had some therapy going on here. Probably. It was overwhelming tears of joy. Tears for Joy! I was thinking at the time: WOW, that’s the guy that sings my favorite song on my TV all the time.
I am not good with good-byes, this was the hardest. When they began to play Shout, I didn’t know what to do. I ended up blanking out mentally. When I became conscious again, Roland was gone and Curt was about to exit the wings. I was thinking, I didn’t get to say good-bye. Then suddenly Curt turned around, walked almost all the way across the stage, knelt down with his hands together. Looked at me and said “Bye, Mama”, then backed away. I threw him kisses & waved good-bye.
Fan Souvenirs, Doc Martens, Man-U swag & TFF’s latest on Vinyl, courtesy Patricia O -France
NOTE: I’ve been a fan since 1985 (my favorite band). My daughter, same age as Diva Smith, found my cassette tape of Songs From The Big Chair & hasn’t stopped playing it. Since then, she introduced me to the internet, YouTube, and Amazon. Now my life is full of Tears for Fears. I’m dancing, singing, and on Facebook daily. Roland was so sweet to tweet my daughter singing advice for her 1st solo since Kindergarten. She sang Shout, while playing the bass. She is a fantastic bass player, even the up-right acoustic bass. This Christmas she asked for a pair of Docs, just like Papa Smith’s.
::hands out tissues:: THAT is …I need a minute.
Yeah…that right there, sums it up! Heaven only knows the things going on in our personal lives or what JUST happened to us before we got to a show…or why going to a show is a pilgrimage and a sacred ceremony for SO MANY fans of this band. Alice truly expressed what so many of us feel. There is nothing that compares to being in their presence. This is not hero worship as much as it is pure appreciation for the energy that Curt Smith, Roland Orzabal and the entire team put out at those shows. Their concerts are compared to gospel services, church, religious ceremonies and hard core parties all the same. It’s truly worth the effort, this band makes every travel experience worthwhile. We won’t ever forget it, we look forward to many more and I pray we all get there safe, sound and ready to rock with ROCS!
Here’s to another outstanding year with Tears for Fears!
Thanks for reading!
AA
~Kol iA~
The Tears for Fears Las Vegas show at the Palm was another win-win for the band and the fans. Reviews, photos and commentary about the show are stating it was fantastic and the travel fans are thrilled that Good Man Curt Smith gave a shoutout from the stage! That means the world to us as a team and band fan family. Over 56 West Coast Kooks gathered to meet up with locals and join the hundreds of people that filled the Pearl Theatre. It was EPIC and quickly named one of the best shows of #TFF2014.
~~This post is lengthy and will detail logistic notes, the good and the bad, so feel free to scroll down to “the show” if you’re looking to get just the details on the performance ~~
Great picture from Sweet E. (looks like Ramskull’s cousin)
Accommodations – Loving the Palm – Black Friday Deals! One of the plusses of this band fan excursion were the black friday deals posted by the Palm Casino and Resort. Rooms were as low as $39 on Sunday night. So if you stayed through the weekend you were looking at $150 at most for 2 days in select rooms at this swank hotel. It was quite a bonus. The staff at the Palm were very accommodating and favourited several of our Twitter posts as they were aware the team was coming in for the show. Can’t stress enough how helpful they were, absolutely awesome via phone. Also great, speedy, easy to navigate booking process online as well.
Looking at other logistics – OMG, are we even gonna make it?!
Our planning for this excursion started the very day that the concert was confirmed. Again, there was a hint that Vegas was on the TFF 2014 list but after reading in September/October that the tour was “done for the year” (or something to that nature) many assumed that this meant no more shows. Suddenly Jimmy Kimmel Live was confirmed and shortly after, the Vegas show at the Palm and KROQ. This meant fans had just over a month to prepare for more travel. To top that off, Lady K discovered the BellyUp show some time after that and was one of few who managed to grab a ticket before it was too late. That venue holds approx 500 people (according to fellow fans) and those tickets sold out “within minutes” from what we understand.
courtesy Becky (BB)
With the additional shows announced, multiple East Coast Travel Fans checked their calendars, got time off from work and begged babysitters to watch the little ones so they could be there to enjoy the GoodMan, the Good Sir and team for the holidays. But after looking at the plane tickets, several saw that prices on most carriers were DOUBLE the usual amount. Even the ‘Black Friday’ sales were quite high – some carriers were listing East Coast to LAS as $450-$1000 (Atlanta rate) in November and by the time we got to the week of, the tickets were $905 to $1100+. Trying to get tickets for oneself, not to mention a spouse became questionable. Many fans from the East Coast stated this was one of the reasons they would not be there. $2000 is quite a bit to spend when it’s usually $290-$350 round trip. So, in short, getting to these final shows of the year was not easy. Kudos to the 2 East Coasters that reported they would be in for the show and those that checked-in during the arrival roll call.
After conducting a survey for travel fans and also speaking to loyals who have a reputuation for going anywhere the band goes, we see that “some” communication between those who release show info and those who need it (i.e. Travel Fans and TFF loyals on both coasts) is greatly lacking. We certainly will need more than a month’s notice, preferably 60 days. We don’t feel 87+ x $97 is a bad profit for the venue to gain…but those 87 were not there, so that’s ticket dollars lost. Hello to whom it may concern!!! This band is special!! It has a travelling fan club much like Duran Duran’s and we need advanced notices, not a week before tickets go on sale!! Thanks!! <– A formal system has been set up to address this. We’ll see what happens…
Shipmates and their Captain, Julian Orzabal, ruler of the high seas, creator of The Wonky Woo childrens book series and lead singer w/DelaQ. Boom Boom, SK & the Captain
The SS DelaQ Rolled In…
One of the major highliights of the trip was Captain Julian Orzabal being on hand as well as Lady Rise. Friday night’s drinks and fan fun featured shipmates Silver Kitty, Becky Boom Boom, Lady Rise and the Captain himself. We’re always thrilled to have him around. He is an integral part of fan life!
Fan MeetUp
The next night, long time fan Alfredo, who was also with us back in 2012 at Sunset Station and countless shows before that, hosted the Travel Fan meetup for this occasion. Fans met up in front of the Pearl Theatre at 3:30pm for a drinks and convos. Anxious as we are, several got in line soon after. Pictures and check-ins from the West Coast Kooks poured in. A few East Coast Kook/Travel Fans also made it in (some last minute). “We’re in skirts” Becky Boom Boom texted when asked “what’s tonight’s attire?” Fans looked incredible in their fashionable #TourCouture. Pennie K with the purple sharpie, Silver Kitty swankin’ in silver and gray, Becks in blue, Lady K had a stylish sway as did Cams with her cool hair colour. High five for Haute Couture on tour!
Tears for Fears loyalists and travel fans ready for ROCS! #ItsMagic
Big shoutout to #DrummerGenius Jamie Wollam who gave some hugs and hellos to familiar faces! We’re always glad to know he’s around. Beatifully bearded Bill was seen the night before…that’s always a plus. “Bill!!! Bill!!!”
Floor/Gen Am section Courtesy if BF
Another shoutout to the Good Man Curt Smith for his #TravelFan team shoutout on stage and a big high five to Sweet E and her daughter Audrey for making the trip from the midwest to Vegas. Let’s add a ‘Big hug and kiss’ to Rosalie, maraming salamat ya kapatid!! She went around and hugged everyone, delivering love from Manila. And a cool virtual hug to Lady Wzzy for getting a picture for Patricia who stayed up late in France.
Roland rockin’ it w/the team! Courtesy of Cams
The Show
Twitter, Instagram and FB lit up with videos and photos of the band. Text messages filled phones with photos and video of the dynamic duo dancing and doin’ their thing on stage. It was a circular raised theatre platform so the band seemed spread out but fans on the front row managed some great shots and cool footage inlcuding this one taken by Cams.
Set List
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Secret World
Sowing the Seeds of Love
Change
Mad World
Memories Fade
Closest Thing to Heaven
Ready to Start*
Creep*
Advice for the Young at Heart
Badman’s Song
Pale Shelter
Head Over Heels
Break It Down Again Woman In Chains
Shout
(order may be a bit off)
*Covers
Ready to Start by Arcade Fire
Creep by Radiohead
Not too long after the show, Curt noted that he got home safe and sound into the warm loving arms of his wife and family. Captain Julian stated the show was rockin’ and the Good Sir had a tearful goodbye to Vegas and new friends in his twitter feed.
Really cool decor featuring the band was everywhere! photo courtesy BB & SK
Tears for Fears’ Vegas shows have a long history of being some of the most fun ones on record. Fans fly in from ALL OVER THE WORLD to be there, including those from outside the states. The fan family continues to grow and we’re all gearing up for another amazing year with the band leading the way. Many thanks to all of the travel fans who worked tirelessly around the clock to scan the internet for ticket deals. Thanks to Becky’s daughter, Lady Rise, Lady K, Pennie K, Silver Kitty, Becky for their contributions to the travel team from day one and a roaring number of others who were determined to be there. Huge thanks to those who stayed up all night long watching, RT-ing and those on deck who provided photos and more for all to enjoy. Another EPIC online party and show!
We were there in person, remotely, in spirit and every other way possible that a fan can partake in the joyous festival that is a Tears for Fears show. Our travel fan friends, Jaynie, Lady K and several others were on the ground getting photos and relaying them to fans worldwide. With viewing confirmation updates from the UK, France and of course stateside, many took part in this event pre and post show. We are so happy for opportunities like these and fellow travel fans like those from around the globe!
Looking like royals, Curt and Roland, accompanied by the Tears for Fears team: Charlton, Carina, Doug and Mr. Nick, treated attendees to several favourites and it’s all on video. Let these archives speak for themselves! We’re all absolutely thrilled that everything went well.
Before we let it roll, shoutout to Sherlock Silver Kitty CD, Cams and others who went out of their way to try and make it to the show. From those who dared trying to catch last minute flights and then turn around and get back to the East Coast by morning (Andye & a couple of others who just “had a fan moment”) to the teams’ members on the ground in L.A. holding the extra tickets, MANY WORKED HARD (i.e. Joyce A of the Philippines) to contribute to this excursion and all are to be commended. THANK YOU!
Thank you supportive husbands and wives!
Lady K’s experience:
We walked to the studio from our hotel and saw Charlton strolling down Hollywood Blvd. I said, “hi and good luck.” We arrived an hour early and heard soundcheck from outside. I met a girl who apparently met RO and CS a few hours earlier as they were pulling in. She had a photo with them. Why do I always miss these opportunities? Hehe. I was so excited because I heard Badman’s Song and Creep. You know how much we love Badman’s Song live! RO had on a leather coat hence the “leather” reference on twitter. The band hung side stage for awhile as they were directed to go on live. This is when I snuck a wave to RO from side stage. They sounded beautiful. It was nice not to be allowed to take videos for the first few songs because I could just soak in the music. I didn’t take many videos because I just wanted to enjoy the music. My husband and I were right in front of Roland. They played EWTRW, SSOL, Secret World, Pale Shelter, HOH. The crowd screamed for an encore but since this wasn’t a normal concert they didn’t do one. We were super excited though because apparently other bands are gone after two songs. TFF were cool enough to play 5!
Thanks Lady K for your recap! We’re all about the fan experiences~!!
Well worth the wait, …getting sneak peeks before the show!
Here’s Lady J’s experience ~ Dedicated to Kim T & Sheila “SheeShee”
So to start off as I got to the line to get in I saw a Kimmel staff (I thought) standing off to the side and asked her if it was the start of the line (as it was quite disorganized). I then realized that she was waiting in line like the rest of us and she introduced herself. I instantly knew she was a friendly and warm fan unlike some who were cordial but mostly kept to themselves. There wasn’t anyone that I recognized from Facebook/Twitter-doms so went back to talk to the lady I had met and was thrilled to find we knew a mutual friend – Andye! I was so shocked that I finally found someone from social media there that I was speechless for a bit. I was so elated to meet her! I told her “you’re Lady K!” We commiserated about how we missed Andye being there and wished she could have made it (she was at the airport, unable to get the flight she needed to make it in time). We hung out together with her husband (what a patient and supportive man) and caught many sneak peeks in between the fence (see picture) while they did their sound check!
It was pure bliss while we heard them go through their songs! After they opened the gates, we split up ~ Katie in front of Roland and me in front of Curt. We were told we were in for a treat as they played a total of 5 songs (as Katie described above) whereas the majority of bands who play there play only 2 songs and leave. I’m very appreciative that TFF were so considerate to their fans by playing so many songs for us even though the main point was to be there to film the Kimmel show. We relished the evening so much and the fans showed them much love! Was thrilled to meet new fan friends and hope to one day meet all of them who are on social media near and far!
Lady K and Lady J! Thank you for your TFF Travel Fan contributions!
“Pale Shelter” by Tears for Fears – Jimmy Kimmel Live (courtesy – Angelolugo77)
“Secret World” by Tears for Fears – Jimmy Kimmel Live (courtesy – Angelolugo77)
also included that night… Head Over Heels (snippet from Tears for Fears Brasil) Be sure to check out the Tears for Fears Brasil page for a few more video snippets and photos! Muito obrigada a equipe la pra seus partagems! Also,Big Shoutout to Lady K’s husband who is very tolerant of our fan habits. Gotta love a supportive spouse!
Tears for Fears – Jimmy Kimmel Live 2014 -Making Dreams Come True
Thanks for reading!
AA
We’ll add additional photos here… starting with the Good Man Curt Smith by Lady J.
One of the awesome things about travelling to see this band is meeting up with fellow dedicated fans. The group is very diverse with writers, photographers, up & coming artists, award-winning musicians and families, sometimes third and fourth generation…and all from different cultures and walks of life. We all make great efforts to get to the shows with one common goal; Celebrate Tears for Fears.
This year we were happy to find out in advance that our honourary Travel Fan Pal, Jason DeBord, would be in attendance. He mentioned he’d aim to join the crowd for two shows, L.A. and Oakland. Here’s his review of the L.A. Wiltern sold out show that took place last month.
Review – Tears for Fears – Los Angeles – Venue – The Wiltern
“Is that the new iPhone 6?” Roland Orzabal, early on in the show, as he and Curt Smith looked out over the sea of cell phones in the air, held by an exuberant sold out crowd at the historic Wiltern in Los Angeles last night. Tears for Fears, best known for their collection of timeless and classic New Wave hits from the 80s, do not tour very often, and when they do, the tours are usually not too many dates and cities. So there was a bit of an “event” feeling in the air, and based on some of their comments later in the show, they both seem to have quite an affinity for the City of Angels. Click here to read more.
Follow @Rocksubculture on Twitter
Also see: Paul Stamat’s Review & Photos (very touching) Click here
photo by Josh DeBord – after 7pm at the Wiltern
Please read on to see the photos and videos from other professional writers and media team members and fans. Many thanks to everyone who contributed links, recordings and show photos. We’ve been sharing them for over a week and the excitement from this tour hasn’t left us…it lingers throughout the day and night, well into our dreams.
Tears for Fears – Oakland California – Fox Theatre
Where you goin’ Roland? Rolaannd?
Head Over Heels (crowd sing-a-long) posted by JeremyKirkf
Billy Jean posted by JeremyKirkf
Shout (Listen to the crowd’s excitement, it’s electric) posted by Flowen Production
photo provided by KLF Barrett
Tears for Fears Portland’s Project Pabst
First off, big thanks to KLF Barret for sharing photos throughout the evening, tweeting her show experience & filling our macaron dreams. Our travel fan team member Lael was too ill to attend the show but others stepped in and reported back with magnificent pictures and more.
Creep by Radiohead covered by Tears for Fears uploaded by Teresa Cook
(chose this particular upload as the others recorded the technical difficulties that were happening – check those out though, TFF handle everything like pros and are so crowd inclusive)
Sowing the Seeds of Love recorded by Bobby Digital
Ready to Start by AF covered by Tears for Fears
(there are so many great vidoes of this floating around, some featuring some eye-catching close-ups of Mr. Orzabal’s beautiful face. It’s breathtaking…so brace yourself.)
What a nice tweet from the band! Great picture! Lovely wrap up of 2014!
It's been amazing run of shows. Thank you to those of you who came out! It was so good to see you again…. pic.twitter.com/LT65P8Lnxs
Pros and Cons of 2014 – Let’s Be Real + Live Tweets & Instagram Posts
5. We’ve already agreed the tour was short notice. But we learned it was not the band’s intention (nor did we assume it was). They aren’t a team of arses so let’s move on from this.
4. It wasn’t East Coast as everyone assumed the next tour would be. But let’s rejoice that the midwest was once again included…and we had a damn good time in Texas and Oklahoma! Big thanks to Becky for helping make that happen.
Don’t be jealous, saddle up and ride the travel fan train. #GoToShows
3. 4 out 5 shows were general admission – Booo! Many fans reported to me that their bodies just can’t handle sitting on the ground outside or standing against a wall for long periods of time anymore. That is very understandable! As Carri would say, “We OVERstand your pain.” For those that mustered through the agony, thank you w/a virtual heating pad for those legs and ankles! We had a great time waiting in line and meeting new people! High Five to Katie and Snap Happy Pam…and to Jamie Wollum Drummer Genius for making it worth everyone’s while.
2. This was expensive!Actually, it was the same price as the last two tours with respect to hotel prices, food, merch, show tickets and airfare combined. The kicker was if you didn’t rent a car from the airport, it was easily $250-$333 each way from Dallas into Thackerville…adding an extra $500-$600.
BUT!!! Enter the Travel Fan Team —> ; We worked together. So, for those who carpooled or offered it, thank you! Huge thanks to Becky for clocking over 1,000 miles to get fans from point A to B and back again in time to catch their flights.
1. Missing Info & People… yeah. What was up with the lack of email newsletters from the offical tears for fears website? The official twitter handle was still only posting throwback thursday photos vs. show announcements. But that seems to be changing, so…let’s not be hard on band management, there are a lot of great folks behind that team. We owe them a lot.
**But can I just add that personally I missed Stand or Fall in the pre-show music series, like, maaaan, we were waitin’ on that track. Cool to have Seal but The Fixx, you know, that used to come on just before TFF on radio hit countdowns and…let me stop. I won’t kick up a stink over it. I should be happy in the pink.
See, somebody didn’t get the memo and missed a show! Not cool! Not cool!!
Annnd…a lot of people just couldn’t make it…but you know, it worked in the end for those that could. We were really worried if we could pull this off and by the Grace we did and were able to share the experience with the teams and families.
Shout out to fans who celebrated from home and a big congrats to Travel Fans Mark & SheeShee who got married the weekend of the Thackerville show! They of course played Tears for Fears at their wedding! As it should be done…
Mark and Sheila (Shee Shee is our DelaQ shipmate nickname for her) have been travelling the Travel Fan train for years, so loyal to the band and each other 🙂
Pros
5. Beautiful Accommodations – Minus the indoor smoking in the Thackerville casino, it was a cute place. Huge too! You got your money’s worth! We also found some new places to hang out in Los Angeles – even after having spent several summers there we always discover something cool on each visit.
4. Great time of year to tour – We like the September dates, not too hot, not too cold, just right. Breezy, beautiful weather in every location
3. The setlists were FANTASTIC! No, it wasn’t a new album, but the show selections had a whole new feel. Songs were re-arranged, Lorde’s cover of EWTRTW was a great intro with all due respect to Dance of the Knights of which we enjoyed immensely for two tours. Adding Ready to Start was ultra refreshing coupled with Roland’s dancing and the band really getting into it…and of course the Working Hour stole our souls…unforgettable! #LegendaryHistoricMoment!
Shows are full of surprises!
2. Okay, Roland and Curt were very generous in more ways than one. They were extremely obliging where permissible at their own will. THAT is more than any fan can ask for! Still overwhelmed from that.
So many people incredibly excited to see Roland, Curt + team! Makes our heart beam! 🙂
1. Curt and Roland look great! The entire team is fit as a fiddle and in tip top shape. They were interactive, full of smiles, great fashion and stage presence, birthday shoutouts…and they did a mini-roll call with shout outs to the Kooks and those that travelled a long way to see them. Most of all…they are celebrating over 30 of music. 30 Years…And they still rule the world like a bunch of smokin’ hot badasses! BOOM! They ARE all that! Peace! :drops mic and walks away:
Thanks for reading 😉
(AA)
Follow @tearsforfears for official band news
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Follow @CurtSmith and @Rolandtff because it’s good for your health
Roland during ‘Ready to Start’ – “If I was yours…”
#LoveForLadyT
Shoutout to all those who brought their SDO books on tour and waved them around. Big thanks to Roland for signing several!Curt during Mad World #CoolBandFashion #CoolAsEver #KookMeister #LoveForTheLegend #AllOurLoveForROCS
Travel Fan Experience featuring Carri, Kai, Yara, Pam, Katie and Veronica narrated & written by Andye
Back In the Air After a thrilling three days in Oklahoma we went our separate ways…but thankfully only for a few hours. I only went back to Atlanta to repack and catch my scheduled flight to Los Angeles where I’d meetup with Pam and Carri who would fly in the same day (Monday). L.A. is their home. Fast forward 16 hours and I’m back at the airport boarding an international aircraft with other Tears for Fears Fans who live in Atlanta but are originally from the UK. We had a blast on the plane, talking about life in London. These ladies have the hook up, they run football tours in England. You should have seen us, we were dishing out all sorts of fun ideas for the future. More news on that to come (with respect to future tours).
We recommend the Line Hotel for 1,001 reasons! -picture from ‘The Line’
Living It Up at The Line The nearly 5 hour flight zipped by, we in fact arrived a bit early and boy was I glad. 8pm in Los Angeles I head over to the meetup spot to find sleepy people too tired to shake a tail feather at the Club & Pho bar. So off I went to what turned out to be the stay of all stays. Now, in the past during Curt’s solo show events, we’ve stayed closer to the venues in some pretty swank places. That’s important to us. We want all of these travel fan excursions to be truly fantastic for everyone. We DON’T recommend just any place or hotels we haven’t stayed in before or hotels that are just “cheap” for the sake of saving a dime. We don’t suggest everyone go for broke but we’re not going to put you in something less than 3-5 stars. As a hotel hobbit, I research various brands and was fortunate to find The Line Hotel which turned out to be a bit closer to the venue than previously thought. I’m sure I could have walked but I have a love affair with Uber. Without this turning into a tripadvisor listing, let’s just say, The Line is lovely! It has the option of overlooking the hills which also provides a glorious sunrise each morning. It also features floor to ceiling windows and a fully stocked (it’s actually stuffed) mini bar and more. The food is a cultural array that is perfect for those of us who are big on culture clubbing. I could go on and on, please see a future post from @lovemymacarons where this stay will be featured.
Cheers to Pam, Carri, Katie and several others for starting the street party, we had a blast!
A Line of Another Kind Again, bright and early for our daily race…and this was a race as Carri comes over and we get ready to go over to The Wiltern after publishing the Oklahoma show in the blog. We got there first and saw no one, so we waited. Then after slopping down a bowl of soup so we wouldn’t pass out from hunger, we found several other travel fans (Pam, Katie and friends we see at Curt’s solo shows and past TFF Wiltern waitings). It was very comforting. There were some missing faces from the years before but thankfully they were already taken care of and didn’t need to be outside. Originally I had no intentions of going to this show because as a frequent conference attendee and one who does pop culture cons, I have had as much as I can stand of “standing in line.” In this modern age, I feel like there’s surely some other way to tackle this. Again, I have ideas. But Kai and Carri were going so…
Cupcakes from Sprinkles’ Bakery
There we were again and it was thankfully a beautiful breezy day, Katie brought cupcakes to share with fans and some for the band of which Jamie Wollam (while taking a photo of the sold out sign) was given. We love Jamie. He is so sweet and we appreciate his kind words more than we ourselves could ever express. He came over and gave out hellos, handshakes and hugs and again we all appreciated it! Hope they liked the cupcakes. They had Curt’s couture/Ben Sherman style logo on them and came from Sprinkles bakery.
Confession: I am not familiar with this particular gourmet sweets brand (we don’t have Sprinkles on the East Coast – I reside in Macaron Francaises country) and assumed when Katie said she was bringing Sprinkles that she was either bringing a can of sugary red and green holiday fluff thus perhaps adding to the Skittles party that Curt brings to the table …or her dog. I thought, “Roland is gonna love this…puppies barking in the show. Maybe we should ask Curt to bring Bella and Ivy? Did Katie check with the venue to make sure we can have pets?” But no, instead 2 boxes (one box for fans, one box for the band) of these awesome cupcakes that were too beautiful to eat.
Drummer Genius Jamie was kind to stop and say hi when we interrupted him taking a photo of the sign. Sorry Jamie, but thanks!!
Bootleg Tshirts – UnOfficial Merch
Baffled by Bootlegs Around 4:45pm a guy comes around with bootleg Tears for Fears tshirts (last time they did it after the show). This fellow had shirts that included the showdates on the back. That was enticing, until I looked closely to find that the dates were wrong. I wanted to pull him over and say, “Look…if you’re gonna bootleg do it right, son. Do your research, find out exactly what tour this is. It’s not ‘The Hurting Tour.’ We’re far beyond that…like 30 years, kid. Also, you forgot two of the most important dates on the tour, Austin and Thackerville. You lose. Do not pass Go, no Tears for Fears fan money for you, you cannot collect $200.” The shirts were $10 a piece and he sold those muthers like a rogue restauranteur selling Krispy Kreme donuts on the side! They. Were. Gone. I was so mad.”Guys, look at the back of that shirt!” I yelled. Some dates are wrong and some are completely gone! Besides, this isn’t official merch! What about the band?! There’s merch inside!” But it was the front that got them. A picture from the SFTBC album cover series, one of the back b-side photos. I mean it was highly enticing. I got one simply for the proof but I did tell the guy the shirt was incorrect. “You didn’t do your research!” I yelled.
We all sort of sat there afterwards saying things like, Gah, they could’ve been selling paper cups for $100 dollars each with photoshopped autographs and we’d be all up on it as if it was legit. smh!
Tears for Fears sign at The Wiltern (right next to The Kooks of course)
VIP and Fast Passes This year instead of being re-directed into a downstairs room, we got the option to buy ‘fast passes’ for $15 (that’s $5 less than the $20 + bar fees we paid in 2011). We got the passes and were moved to a different line and took photos of the signs (we’re all about signage) between trips to the coffee shop where we bought drinks and used the… yeah. So that line filled up quickly but orderly. There were lots of friendly Wiltern security around so things went extremely fast and smooth. A few, however, said the staff started letting in the non-fast pass line though. Thanks to Veronica, a lot of that got straightened out and thus we avoided a catastrophe of unfairness.
The Show We rushed in as soon as they let us, 7pm on the dot! My legs were sore from sitting on the hard ground but I shuffled in along with Carri of whom I’m certain was traumatised from sitting on the streets of L.A. for that length of time. We found a spot next to KROQ’s Richard Blade, a champion for the band. We exchanged a few words and then I moved because I knew that I’d be making zaghareets all night not to mention I’d be verklempt by what can only be assumed is the holy spirit during these shows. Whatever it is, I didn’t want to accidentally flop Mr. Blade in the head with a peace sign or church swayin’ so I went to his left. Turned out great, I was right in front of Roland with a direct view of Curt. I ain’t gonna lie, I also stood there because I wanted some Skittles. I always want some Skittles. He could come right over and dump the whole pack, makin’ it rain and I’d be set for life. I’m not even joking…that would be one for the books.
By this time I couldn’t find Carri, she’s off with Mr. Blade, her buddy. They talk all the time online. She was in good hands so I focused on Katie and her husband, Pam and our Curt Smith solo show pals of whom I nickname Roland’s neighbours because they live nearby.
Carina Round We leaned against the barrier which put us about an inch within the stage. I like this barrier because being slammed against the Wiltern stage is not fun. Whomever installed that thing, thank you! Carina came out right at 8pm. She wore that pretty black two piece dress and beautiful dotted scarf, her hair up in a bun. Her voice was like a songbird and she did a fantastic job, so many praised her. However, I have to be honest and say the crowd was terribly rude in the back. They talked “loudly” over her portion of the show. She asked them very directly to shut the f*ck up…her words not mine. For such a beautiful person, it was sad to see her have to “get ugly” with concert attendees. While she did a glorious job and included the lovely crowd interactive song (to which many sang along) this should have gone better than it did. Again, I have some ideas… I’m full of ideas…
Tears for Fears …fueling all the feels!Lorde’s version of EWTRTW came on right at 9pm. We had been waiting on it. Filled with pain meds, earplugs from standing so close to the speaker (I was directly in front of Roland, his microphone and that speaker) while others were filled with Merlot to really get into the TFF groove, the band was met with ALARMING praise and screams. They were jolly, giggly and all that inbetween when they walked out. Lots of playful looks among them and just an overall warm and exciting demeanor that was contagious. We were immediately transformed by their spirit and energy. The night blossomed into an amazing set.
Secret World, Seeds of Love, Pale Shelter, Call Me Mellow, ELAHE, Change, Mad World, Memories Fade, Closest Thing to Heaven, Arcade Fire’s Ready to Start, Floating Down a River, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Advice for the Young at Heart, Woman in Chains, Badman’s Song, Break It Down Again, Head over Heels… and The Working Hour + Shout as the encore.
Now…one of the best things about a LIVE Tears For Fears show are the comments, stories and shoutouts inbetween songs. You learn so much. There are jokes and all. We were surprised that Roland mentioned the ‘pause’ between he and Curt so to speak. Travel Fan Pennie K captured the moment.
Several near me mumbled with sincere sadness, “Dude, let’s not even talk about it. You’re back together, please don’t even mention it.” I laughed. I, too, felt the same. Let’s not even discuss it. Good things and growth occurred obviously during that time, the solo works and TFF albums left lasting impacts on us and we’re all different people for the better. I, too, feel a little sick when I even think about those “solo” years. My poor little heart was in a constant state of prayer. I won’t go into details, this is neither the time or place for it. But Roland did bring it up and made light of it…joking and such. Curt laughed. All was well.
Roland also mentioned how it had been a long time since they had been at the Wiltern. Now, I am not one to memory shame anyone, but the Good Sir said that it had been 4 years. I, standing in front of him shook my head with a smile saying “No, it’s 3! You’re forgetting 2011.” Then he got distracted by the iPhone6 (as shown in the video) in someone’s hand and addressed that. But damn 2011 was a freakin amazing show, how could I forget?! He handed me the microphone. Wild!
Something about this band…just gives us life!
Every TFF show is insanely amazing so it’s no wonder people cry, fall out and carry on…but this one was very intense with some sort of powerful energy yet to have been explained. I gulped down the rest of my drink and jumped right into dancing on the song Change and Mad World. You know how we do, acting out the parts of the video (rain fingers, the Flying Wombat). I could barely get through Closest Thing to Heaven. I just lost it. Tears flowed like a river with images of the late Brittany who starred in the video, to memories of the countdown to this album’s release and of course the CNNfn interview. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was overwhelmed. My years of loving this band since I was kid and all the memory of all the wonderful things they have given to us in one way or another just took over me. Their energy is so warm and amazing that it’s hard to return to regular life after leaving their presence. They are truly “healing” and Katie agreed with me afterwards. There is something about being in their presence, you just relax, all worries are gone, nothing can harm you. Hands are raised in the air, you can’t tell the difference between this and a spiritual service or a gospel showdown, the whole room is transformed. You are forever changed…
Up to the encore, our souls were floating around us…literally. My body was there but my soul was in the air…just weightless. I could see Katie and Carri, Pam and Veronica…so many just in another state. Even cold, heartless, stone-faced folks that I had seen earlier were now all smiles and full of joy! Whatever calming energy that this band has needs to be bottled up and sold along with the CDs and vinyls, it is electric!!
Another plus was Charlton walking around the stage smiling. I don’t want to invade his personal space but if I could hug him for a good long hour I’d do it. I like him. He’s really cool. We were shouting his name as well. Jamie was peeking out behind his genius station as was Delightful Doug Petty. We were just in a whole other world. I can’t EVEN find the words to sum up the emotion. But NOTHING…N.O.T.H.I.N.G could have prepared us for the encore.
Here he is, that darling dude Mr. David Moyer on Saxophone!
Enter David Moyer Now, the crowd was already hype, more hype than any other TFF crowd I have seen since I started travelling religiously to their shows. The cheers for EWTRTW, the loud outpouring of praise lasted for over 5 minutes. I’m not kidding. Curt took a few moments to just stop and listen. It was like…nothing I’ve ever seen at their shows. And they deserved it because they were spot on this magical night. I mean, every song, every story and gesture was just …you had to be there. History was being made! When the band left the stage after HOH, Katie and I refueled. Sips of water, thoroughly drying tears, straighten up our blouses and shirts. I, of course, was wearing my Wiltern usual, a DelaQ shirt and this time sporting plaid in honour of Roland’s past fashion…emphasis on the past. All the while, the crowd around us chanted, “Tears for Fears! Tears for Fears!” Moments later, they re-entered, most from the right hand side of the stage…but suddenly I saw a man come from the left. He had…a horn. A saxophone to be exact! I lost my ever lovin’ mind.
“OMGAAHHHHHH!! It’s a horn!! It’s a horn!!!!!” I began. Roland made a funny surprise gesture and thankfully didn’t laugh too hard at my reaction. I was literally jumping up and down like a child seeing their favourite person on the planet. My pontytails were flopping around and I’m throwing peace signs and waving at this guy (we learned his name is David Moyer) perhaps scaring the mess out of him. He looked a little shy and timid but kept his place and sort of stared back at me briefly perhaps wondering, ‘WTF is up with this one in the red?” But I knew…I knew they were either gonna play Working Hour or one of the handful of brilliant pieces featuring horns. It reminded me of the time I tweeted, “Will there be horns?” Needless to say, this happened.
Hoping for horns before the tour…
Watch how fans go into a state of absolute euphoria when they realise what is about to take place. #ThisHappened
The Working Hour by Tears for Fears (featuring David Moyer, who was flawless) – listen to the people in the background, they are in complete awe…saying something like this was worth it just for that song. Some said they’d have stood in line for hours just to hear this. Can’t blame them…The Working Hour is JUST that special.
Shout, Shout, Let it All Out The show ended with Shout…Curt’s youngest daughter and her friend came out and joined on Carina’s mic. They wore their pastel terracotta and blue limited edition Tears for Fears tshirts from the 2012 Official Tour Merch (had I know they were junior size on purpose I wouldn’t feel like such a failure for not fitting into mine, now I know). They looked darling!!! It was so perfect. I won’t be posting that picture because we have some travel fan rules about posting photos of minors. They did a great job! The show was fantastic. The only thing bad was Katie didn’t get her SDO book signed. Other than that it was hands down the best Tears for Fears show I’ve ever been to date and trust me that’s saying a lot because they’ve all been excellent, mind blowing hours of everything one could ever hope for…
After the band left the stage and the house lights were up I looked around and saw a sea of familiar faces. Yara had made it by a miracle (there had been an accident leaving her stranded in traffic). Joyce’s birthday wish was fulfilled, Curt had read her tweet requesting it to be sung and apparently showed it to Roland (or something like that). It was already on the set list it seems but he made it special by saying her name and mentioning her wish just before it was performed. There were others with whom we’d been in touch with online, tear-stained faces and all emotional. We all hugged and took group pictures before going out to say hi to Carina and also getting some official merch!! I stocked up on that coveted water bottle. If they ran out, blame me.
UnOfficial Meet & Greet Afterwards we went back to the soup place which we had no idea was connected to the backstage area of the venue. As we left, Kai sweetly decided to get the car for us so we didn’t have to walk. So, we’re standing there and I look behind me and see a figure that looks familiar. As it draws near I realise it’s Carina Round in another cute outfit. She asked us if we were waiting on Roland and Curt. Not sure why…we didn’t even know they were there. Puzzled, we told her “no, we’re waiting on our friend to pick us up, she’s right there…” and thanked her for such a great show. Then suddenly Jamie comes out and he’s all smiles and happy to see us. We were thrilled to see him. We talked about the show. He asked what we thought…I was like, “Dude are you kidding? What we thought? It was out of this world amazing!! I am speechless right now!” And I was…I couldn’t even say anything more. I was so overwhelmed I just stood there dribbling “thank you Jamie, thank you so much!”
He thanked us for what we do…I guess he was referring to all the travelling to shows and just being present??- We had no clue, we were just happy to hug him! With hopes of not sounding like a psycho or one that’s unhealthy, I do find that a lot of my joy is in this band. They bring out the best in so many of us. We’re just a bunch of happy little larks/Kerfuffle of Kooks when it comes to Tears for Fears. They bring us a great deal of peace and extreme content.
Time to Perch Carri, Kai and I went back to The Line Hotel. Carri packed her things and I prepared my suitcase for the next day’s flight. We eventually hugged and said goodnight. That’s the life of travel fans, packing, preparing and perching…eager to get up and go to the next show.
That’s all I’ve got for this leg of the tour…I’ll be sure to post pictures from San Francisco/Oakland and Portland (which was attended by other travel fans).
Please enjoy the additional reviews about this fantastic night. Jason DeBord, an honourary member of the Travel Fan team blogs about TFF events too and does a fine job. See his post from Rocksubculture.com. It’ll also be on this blog.
I have nothing but praise for this band and the way they treat their fans…it’s certainly commendable. I love them for it. I pray they’ll always feel comfortable around us and that the care is mutual.
Thanks for reading!
More videos of The Working Hour from various angles – this was a historic night at The Wiltern
Hear the passion in the crowd
Balcony View
More from that show – Please be sure to like and comment on these YouTube videos. Many of these people flew in from a long way and they’d perhaps be happy to see their video recognised.
Change
Floating Down A River
Arcade Fire – Ready to Start (Cover)
Closest Thing to Heaven (which is how we feel about being around this band)
Tears for Fears Travel Fans 