The Tears for Fears Travel Fan team members made an epic journey and effort to have representation at each of the shows on both coasts for Part II. Lax made it to the Vina Robles Show, another went to TBD Fest as shown in the previous “Tour Recaps” and then several including Lax headed east for the Sterling Michigan, Canada and New York Show at the Capitol Theater (plus both New Jersey concerts).
The Midwest Travel Fans, led this time by Bobby, got the mini-tour bus treatment and went through Oklahoma, Atlanta and several other states to get to New Jersey for the Morristown and Red Bank concerts…Bobby clocked approx. 4,500 miles taking fans from their homes to the shows and back again. He is definitely TFF Travel Fan MVP.
While some were making their way up the historic highways, taking quick snaps at the nation’s capital and learning about New Jersey tolls, many others were lining up at the Capitol Theater. Lax, a dedicated Travel Fan from the San Francisco area was one of those people. He and others in our loving circle piled into that venue tightly among a very animated crowd that, according to reports, included two drunk women who wickedly made their way through the crowd sloshing their drinks. They ended up spilling them on several. They were thankfully removed from the venue. Still the fans remained focus and were able to enjoy a good show. Kudos to those who flew in long distances (from the West Coast, South & Central America) to be at shows.
Set List
Courtesy Travel Fan
Here are videos from fans who attended the show:
EWTRTW – courtesy Cyberace27
Change by R Palomba
Mad World
Memories Fade
Advice for the Young at Heart
Badman’s Song by Kurt B.
Head Over Heels by xxsusannycxx
WIC by Ronald R
Shout by R. Palomba
Big Thanks to Lax, Lady CM and Cams NYC for the pictures as well as Deb, our fellow Travel Fans (i.e. Lady JP & more) for their wonderful shares, reports and contributions. Be sure to leave a kind word on their videos and a “like.”
Inside the TheaterCarina, Roland Capitol Theatre by Lax
Roland at Capitol Theater courtesy of LaxROCS at Capitol Theater by Lax
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
This is another show that has fans buzzing and more than excited. Tears for Fears will return to Canada (Casino Rama just north of Toronto) this September for 2 days (25th and 26th). This will be immediately following the Michigan show (24th). The venue has a variety of seating options. Most of the front row seats are gone. Reviews on this venue are mixed. Some say it’s just not their favourite place to see a band in Ontario, Canada. However, many are going anyway. Looks fine to us as all the floor seats seem to be in clear view of the stage. See ticket links below for both shows and examine the seating chart carefully. Yes, you have to be at least 19 years old to attend. This is not an all ages show or one where you can bring your teens, tweens and toddlers.
VIP & Meet/Greet Inquiries
We’ve had several slightly aggressive requests for meet & greets plus “demands” for tickets. Please know we don’t have much power in those areas. It’s been a miraculous coincidence that we’ve been able to get the extra seats we had and so we decided to share those tickets. We always share or offer anything we can including any meetup opptys. We just don’t have them this time. Very sorry.
Accommodations
Stay at the casino… period. That’s our suggestion. Click here to reserve. We’ve stayed at a number of casinos during our travel fan years and thankfully all of them have been very nice. We feel this one will live up to our standards as it offers quite a bit just like Sunset Station and Red Rock Casino in Vegas.
Passports
If you are not a Canadian citizen, you need to get a passport. Not having a passport is not an excuse for not attending the show. You can get a rush passport. You can get the snailmail passport. The way we did it years ago was as follows: Download the application/pick one up from the post office. Passport photos were taken at a local Walgreens for a small fee. We filled out the passport info and submitted it. It was returned to us in 2 months. Passport prices vary depending on how fast you need it. A renewal is cheaper than a new one. You can also get a rush passport at most major airports. One girl forgot hers at home and had to get one on the spot in order not to miss the flight. I think she paid about $300 because it cost more to get one post-haste. This is not something you can leave behind. As you can see in the link. Gotta make a checklist before you get to the airport. Do a double check before you get to the airport or begin your drive into Canada. There have been too many issues where someone can’t find their tickets, travel wallet or passports. Put them in your Tears for Fears Travel Bag (made available in 2011 in Los Angeles). Do your best to keep up with your travel documents, pictures, etc.
That heart is for both, it just generated on Mr. Orzabal’s leg.
How many people are going?
A lot! A lot…that’s all we can say… the show has not sold out but tickets have been on sale for quite some time. We tweeted about it prior to the announcement by the venue and we tweeted about it the day the venue put the tickets on sale. We are also talking/blogging about it right now. Few can say they just didn’t know. Anyone that reached out to us at shows or in the hotel was told about the blog. Again, just no excuse here. If you really want to go to this show and have the resources and time to travel then it can be done.
If there’s anything we have forgotten let us know.
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.
Tears for Fears have announced more shows and one will be in Irvine California at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (formerly Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre) alongside several other bands (i.e. Bush, Everclear and Cake). This is all a part of Jack’s 10th Show. It takes place Saturday June 20th at 3pm. This show is not general admission and tickets can be purchased via live nation right now. However, the better seats have been snatched up by third party ticket sellers. Good thing about this is that $1 from official ticket sales goes to TACA (Talk About Curing Autism).
Travel Accommodations
Lodging and hotels for this show are a breeze because it’s California and not a remote spot so you, the fan, decide. There’s so much to do in this area from dining to just hanging out we’re not going to bog you down with a list of “must sees” …it’s California, go see everything!
We do suggest taking Uber to the show just because it’s easier and you can drink w/o designating a DD. If you are not familiar with the area and are just going because of the band vs summer travel we suggest the Irvine Marriott. You can dine on site and focus solely on the concert. We do not have the official list of who goes on first. But that line up is intense, those are some major bands and many of us have seen them all including Andye who, as a teen, was carried out on stretcher during one of the other band’s shows in 1996. Thankfully moshing is not all the rage anymore so we’re expecting good behaviour from most and no emergency response teams needed.
Show Day
Will call is open 2 hours prior to the show. Arrive early, bring valid ID. We have about a handful of travel fans committed to going to this show. These are mostly the local folks from LA who are driving over (please see the link for parking details on the radio station’s event page if you are not taking Uber).
M&G + Other FAQs
Write us directly on FB or in the comments box with any questions. Contact Jack’s 10th show directly for info on meet & greets (none of which have been announced yet…because this show is sponsored, the radio station with which it is associated may be able to confirm whether or not they are giving away backstage passes, etc. If they are you need to ask the radio station if you get to pick which band you want to meet. Rules change for different events so you have to ask the station as we won’t have that info in our info parcel. That’s usually arranged by a third party when it comes to radio hosted events.
Official Venue Address: 8808 Irvine Center Dr. Irvine CA. 92618
Pardon the brevity…got to keep it moving as another show was announced and that info needs to be posted. Scroll up in about 24 hours for that concert note.
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Team ROCS’ Fans/Travel Fan Bloggers
This is where the magic starts to happen, the lights lower and your soul soars…Tears for Fears are approaching the stage!
As discussed on social, Tears for Fears will be featured at the Kool 105 Kool Concert 2015 alongside two other great bands, The B52s and Berlin. The concert takes place at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre and is an all ages show. A few fans have expressed their joy in being able to create new memories at this venue. One fan warns that the Denver weather is tricky in the summer so be sure to bring a poncho. The venue features assigned seats and also a pit. The pit tickets, as many have seen, are about $80 and you enter on a first come first serve basis…aka you’ll need to line up early to get the spot of your choice. The show there is early and it seems that the concert and festivities wrap up about 10pm? Give them a call and find out for sure but this is an early show so it may be a bit warm when you arrive in the June weather and then cooler temps at night. If you have lawn seats, try to upgrade to something closer. The pictures we have of past shows make the lawn seem as if it’s rather far from the stage. If you’re travelling quite a distance, you don’t want to just “listen” you want to “see” Tears for Fears in all their gorgeous glory…so, try again and get a closer seat.
Accommodations
We suggest Hyatt Place at Denver Tech Centre. Right now you can get a standard room at about $130 a night after fees and taxes. The Hyatt Place is different from the other Hyatt hotels in that the rooms are a bit smaller but each has a sitting area with a fairly large couch. If you plan to share a room that’s not a bad option. It may fit up to three people fairly comfortably. But we suggest just getting double beds if you have up to three in your travel party. This hotel also offers breakfast and had plenty of foods at fair prices throughout the day on our most recent visit. If you’re not into festival food, you may want to eat there before you go and take some snacks with you in a small carryall bag. Again, check to see what types of items you can take into the venue with you. Most don’t allow backpacks anymore. One thing you can guarantee is that you’ll sleep well after standing on your feet all day.
Direct flights going into Denver are about $300 right now from either coast (one way) on major airlines (not including low cost carriers, you can perhaps get pretty darn good deal on Southwest so just check). For those headed straight to the next TFF show, flights from Denver into Kansas City are about the same. So enjoy these low fares while you can.
Roland rockin’ it w/the team! Courtesy of Cams
Set Lists – Because the new album isn’t out yet we imagine you’re going to get a lot of great classics from Tears for Fears and some of the stellar selections from ELAHE. You may even get a few more oldies as the other bands are doing some mega classic pieces including “6060-842” by The B52s. That’s a real throw back. Keith Strickland may not be with the band at the show because he mentioned he’d stop touring after 2012. He’s still a B52 but isn’t touring as far as Andye knows (she coincidentally lives near one of the members and follows their news closely- she learned this from a press release after a tour). “It’s a real shame because he adds so much to the group. Still they are absolutely amazing in show and gave me the drum sticks once, I’ll not ever forget it…I’m pretty sure that made me a loyalist and I’ve been following them ever since. They are truly the ‘party band’,” she says. Expect really good classics from this band as well new selections from their most recent album. They’ll most likely close with Planet Claire and Rock Lobster…and yes, “Love Shack” is on their list…ever notice how the video starts with a Sunflower? oh yeaaah baby… 😉
Same for Berlin…expect “The Metro” and “Take My Breath Away” plus other classics…
Extra Advice
Sip your water slowly, don’t guzzle so you’re not having to run to the loo excessively. Keep snacks with you and pain killers for your legs or heat headaches. We know outdoor concerts are not everyone’s favourites but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer til the band gets to the stage. Have a good time, use the hashtag #TFF2015 and tweet the hell out of this show! We’ll RT you.
Address:
6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd. Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Doors open at 4:30pm, show starts around 6pm
Still need tickets? Click Here
Dearest Fellow TFF Followers, Tears for Fears Travel Fans and friends!
It’s Andye here with a little love note to you all! I want to first thank all of the readers from around the globe. Over the summer, SK and I sat in L.A. and took a good look at the stats. We were well over 35,000 visits with people checking in from all over the world including parts of the Middle East, several nations in Africa, Italy, you name it. That is very encouraging and very helpful in our goal to provide information to all interested parties.
We get a lot of thank you notes from fans for providing the info and I appreciate each and every one. But be sure to pat yourselves on the back because none of this is possible without the slew of 70+ registered travel fans who come out to shows year after year. We can’t always go to the same show together but where one person can’t go, another will, bringing the Tears for Fears Travel Fan spirit to the forefront. Because our band fan activities have been mainly at shows, I’d personally like to take it up a notch and expand our gatherings (there’s so much more we want to do and host). Still, I’m grateful for the progress we’ve made in getting more people to concerts, sharing extra tickets and now doing larger carpools and spending more time together in person and online.
Thank you from Alisa. Big Hugs to her!
I have a list a mile long of contributors. All of the names mentioned in this blog, from Carri and Becky to Alisa and Rise, SheeShee, Lady J and Lady K, plus CH and Jenny WBDA are to be thanked. Each person has gone out of their way to make this group fun and exciting. The band has been very generous with their time, their families have been very sweet and tolerant plus we’ve experienced great responses and outreach from the venues and hotels like Loews Santa Monica who provided us an incredible 500+ sq ft suite overlooking the ocean in 2012 during Brit Week. Boy did we put on a performance out there on that patio in our Curt Smith tshirts and swimwear. Sometimes you just have to be there to see it. We’re just incredibly grateful. These are memories to last a lifetime.
There’s been a lot going on over the last 3 months, some noticable and some unnoticed. Carolyn is right, we are doing this as volunteers. We are not on anyone’s payroll and have not requested to be. We are human and have challenges like most. For example, a few of you know I’m attempting to organise fan travel and juggle local challenges. So, yeah it’s a bit much. I may not be able to do a whole lot of parties and gatherings at the moment but I trust that fellow fans will step in and help each other get to and from shows this year. Meanwhile, we’ll do what we can to get any info we receive on upcoming shows, airline deals, etc. If you are having a hard time getting to a show or just don’t know the first thing to do, feel free to send us email through our FB Travel Fan page or send us a tweet on twitter. We’ll do whatever can.
Let’s take these gatherings up a notch! #TFFIsFineWine
We are not “exclusive” so there is no initiation or crazy requirement to be a travel fan. If you show up, contribute a story/photo and have genuine love for the band you are in. Come by at shows (or if you see us in the lobby) and say hello, we are open to taking selfies/usies that can be posted to the blog to show everyone’s participation. The goal is to promote the awesome fun that Tears for Fears (Roland, Curt and Team) provide at shows; dancing and swaying in front of the fans. #ItsAllAboutTheBand!
We’re pretty laid back minus being kind of wild and always up for a party. So jump right in with friendliness and hugs! Also, thank you Lady K for the gift of the rice maker! I’ve been on the fence about buying one and now, problem solved #SushiEveryday! For those who sent the gift of macarons francaises from around the world, a separate blog was created to praise thoses delicious french desserts because they are THAT crucial. LOL!! Wishing everyone safe travels this #TFF2015 season and again, thank you tons for the love! Hugging everyone right back! #GroupHugs #TeamWork #TFFTravelFans
We are very happy that the band appreciates the fan teams. We received a tweet from Good Man Curt Smith. Thanks Marcio for capturing that awesome moment 🙂
It’s with great regret that we, as travel fans, learned several team members can’t make the tour this year. The reasons have been fairly synonymous, most stating:
– We were not given enough notice.
– We need tour info 5-6 weeks advance so that we can notify our bosses/jobs.
– Thought they weren’t touring til 2015? The tweets said next year?!
-We have 3 days to get another set of tickets for our family of (insert number)? That’s not enough time!
We’ve counted about 12 of the crew going out of the 60+ previously noted consistent travel crews from in 2010-2012. What does this mean? Who cares? Well, we care! We don’t like to see our fellow travel mates unable to dance alongside us, show support to the band and do all the fun things we do prior and after the shows. We have great memories of plane hopping, sharing car services, carpooling and texting each other to “WAKE – UP we gotta get to the airport!!” It’s fun to see Roland off the lift to the next destination by chance or see Curt wave at everyone and speak to familiar faces during shows. For many, this is what we do. Showing up at Tears for Fears concerts is our thing and we appreciate the band for being so kind to us, obliging and having a down right lovely demeanor upon every encounter. We live for those moments!
Out of respect to those who can’t attend, the to-be-announced fan generated party plans that were in the works for Friday night at the WinStar Casino will not take place. We also mentioned, late last night, some dinner parties in strategic locations in Hollywood for Monday, the night before the Wiltern show. These plans have been postponed as well due to the fact we are missing more than half our travel team and it wouldn’t be the same without them. The timing is just not good this year. We may do something but it won’t be on the scale of those things we did before.
We trust that management will indeed inform us of the 2015 events by the coming spring so that everyone can prepare and plan accordingly. We understand that no one can be expected to drop everything at the last minute, find a couple thousand dollars+ to cover multiple flights, car rentals and hotels and last minute show additions in order to attend a concert on a moment’s notice. Your voices have been heard and your emails have been read, at least by the travel fan admins. Trust us, we’re as sad as you are that even some of our admins are not touring alongside the band this year due to lack of timely info.
General Admission -It’s a mixed bag here regarding the Gen Am Show- love it or hate it, there is a bit of standing in line prior to the show if you want to get a decent spot. In the past, we’ve discussed the discomfort of standing in line for hours prior to a show to fight with grown ups for a decent space at these venues. We do remember the past scuffles and childish behaviour, but again, when we travel in groups we usually have a good time, conduct ourselves accordingly and look out for each other so that we’re all in a place that is in waving distance, if not reach out and shake-a-hand length of the band. We do have a solution to the discomfort. As for standing for hours, we brought blankets last time and played UNO. Trusting that won’t be an issue this year. The key is to prepare for it vs forsaking it.
Please cheer up if you can’t go, it’s painful to see friends frustrated, crying on the phone or falling into the gloom of depression. We’re pretty sure this short turn around on concert dates was not purposeful or done with malicious intent. Please do not take out frustration on Roland and Curt with angry tweets and posts. There are more effective ways of expressing one’s anger and disappointment. For those who are going, plans of live tweeting the shows and photo uploads of the concerts have been requested and received. We hope for the best going forward.
Andye (Nigeria/Atlanta), Cammie (New York), Captain Julian (UK) and Yvette (Armenia/Los Angeles)
Our membership has grown to include so many from all around the United States, Asia & Europe. In addition to the enormous crowd of ticket holders, we, the travelling fans, had 165+ active road trippers that met up at each Tears For Fears show; travelling great distances to see the band on the sunny west coast. We even had the ultra cool Captain Julian Orzabal of DelaQ. What a blessing that was! It is a great joy to begin profiling some of our lovely Tears For Fears Travellers who are dedicating themselves to fan touring and celebrating the band.
Cammie (@BxBourgie) joined us this year and tells her story.
I was born, raised and currently reside in Curt Smith’s favorite U.S. city. I can’t speak for any other New Yorker, but me? I’m spoiled, especially when it comes to bands, concerts and tours. I always expect that if my favorite band is doing shows somewhere in the U.S, they will more than likely make their way to NYC at some point. Why should I have to take a bus, train or plane somewhere else to hear my favorite band play? I’m in NYC! Everyone comes here! They’ll make it here eventually. So I’ll just wait.
Photo from Jason DeBord -a concert reviewer & videographer
In 2011, one of my absolute favorite bands ever, Tears For Fears, were doing a few shows on the West Coast, and I decided to sit and wait here in NYC, for them to announce a date or two here. Yeah… didn’t happen! (“Its not that we don’t love you…”) I missed them when they were here in 2010 because I was on a cruise, but when they didn’t come back the next year, I decided to stalk Curt’s Twitter ( Roland does not do the social media thing right now), and wait for an announcement of Tears For Fears tour dates. I waited almost a year. Then I began to see tweets. From Curt. About show dates. Curt answered my tweet to him, confirming the San Francisco date among others, but I knew better than to ask about NYC; I know that Curt likes to stay close to his family in L.A. I had a decision to make. Let another year pass without seeing Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal right in front of my very eyes sing the songs that I’ve loved since I got cable television and MTV when I was 14, saw the video for Head Over Heels for the first time and fell in LOVE… or was I gonna sit around and wait. I’m a travel junkie, it’s what I love to do, so this was an easy decision!
Fan Travel Tshirts
I bought a ticket to the San Fran show as soon as they went on sale, a flight and a hotel. And then met some fabulous Tears for Fears fans on Twitter, changed my flights around, booked ANOTHER hotel, got ANOTHER ticket to the Vegas show from a generous fan who was unable to attend, and had one of the most awesome experiences of my life. Not only did I get to sing along to EVERY song, almost close enough to touch the ever youthful Curt Smith and the beautifully elusive Roland Orzabal, I had great time meeting many other Tears For Fears fans – some for hours, others only briefly – as well as someone I never expected to meet who was also one of the most charming men I’ve ever encountered.
Roland & Curt in San Francisco by Jason DeBord
I know many people ask Curt on Twitter and Facebook why Tears For Fears doesn’t do shows in their town… but I will say that IF you can do it, TRAVEL to see this band, wherever they happen to be. GO GO GO! THIS from a spoiled NYC girl who expects all bands to come to NY when they do shows. 🙂 I flew across the U.S. to see Tears for Fears, and would do it again it a heartbeat. Around the world, whatever!They looked fantastic, and sounded even better. Shoes and jacket off at the San Francisco show, I jumped, swayed, sang and swooned from the first note to the last. I felt like I was floating! I needed a minute to collect myself after it was over, only to do it again in Vegas two nights later. Wonderful to meet Carri, Becky, Becky’s daughter Rihana, Yvette, Andye, Janice, Colleen, and Julian O. in person, and the many others I’ve “met” from other parts of the world via Twitter. (Much love to Margaret for sending me her ticket to the Vegas show!) As I am able, I hope this is the first of many. In the meantime? As Andye says… perching.
Cammie, we appreciate you coming all the way from New York to join us and have a great time. Other New Yorkers include Jeanie P who began her TFF Fan travels last year. We look forward to highlighting all of the fan fun in the weeks to come including a ton of pictures with the band, fan gatherings, mega-tour fan bloopers & funny moments! Thanks for reading!
Cheers!
Enjoy this video of Mad World by Jason DeBord, one of our friendly media pals we met on during the Tears For Fears Fan Travel 2012:
Memories Fade by Nourset who travelled from France
Tears for Fears Travel Fans 