Concert Review
May 3, 2014
The Grand 1894 Opera House, Galveston, TX
"DREAMS ARE NUTHIN' MORE THAN WISHES, AND A WISH IS JUST A DREAM YOU WISH TO COME TRUE"
We all believed the Galveston concert would be meaningful & special for David as it would be his last for awhile. His life changed in so many ways and from so many directions during the months preceding this concert that, perhaps, the concert itself would represent the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. What would he say? How would his spirits seem? How would he look? No matter the answers to these questions, we where there to support him........and I, for one, could never have anticipated the magic of that night.
Please indulge me as I share a bit of personal background to further enhance the meaning of the experience for me. Not unlike most US fans, my interest in David began with The Partridge Family. The walls in my room and the albums in my collection certainly reflected that!! My dear mother took me (age 10) to my first David Cassidy concert in 1972 in Dallas. After The Partridge Family went off the air, David's career shifted to performing in Australia, the UK, and other parts of Europe. Those were the days before the internet, so I had no idea about his post Partridge Family career. Life went on for me with college, work, and other responsibilities. I heard bits and pieces about him appearing in "Blood Brothers" and in Las Vegas and thought that someday when I had the time & money I would take in a show....but life kept happening and I never did.
In late 2012 I was diagnosed with a potentially serious medical condition and was still in a deep depression after losing my granddaddy. I was barely functioning at home and work and found living with purpose to be a challenge. One day I heard a commercial advertising David & Peter Noone's concert in January 2013 near my home. On a whim, I went with a friend. It was like God held my hand as I walked through a time warp....watching David perform gave me the connection I needed to the more carefree & happy self inside of me that had been locked away for awhile. No more antidepressants....all I needed was to nourish my soul with the music & feelings of one of the happiest times in my life. After that January 2013 concert, I attended four more all over the country including Galveston. Perhaps I should be a Harvard case study because over the months of those concerts my health gradually improved and living with a purpose became real again!!!
From the planning stages, the Galveston concert would be a completely different experience for me. I attended past concerts either alone or with my good friend, Brenda. But Galveston presented the opportunity to share a rental condo on the beach with DC fans I had only met on his website and Facebook page. My mother and Brenda also joined in....a real girl's getaway weekend. I now consider these girls to be good friends...a blessing.
The venue was also different. The Grand 1984 Opera House is a multi-tiered historic performance hall with box seats adorned in swagged fabric to either side of the stage. Seats on the floor and both mezzanine levels form a semicircle, intimately wrapping around the stage front...no seat further than 70 feet away. The close proximity of David to his fans may have played a part in his emotions as he stated early in the show, "WOW! I feel like I have a personal relationship with each and every one of you"! The stage was set for something truly special.
Peter Noone opened the show with a very energetic, funny, and audience involved performance. After the intermission, David took the stage full of spirit, showing that classic ear to ear smile of his and started his set with his signature bluesy version of "C'Mon Get Happy". Then fully acknowledging his recent struggles, with arms outstretched and fists clinched in pride he announced gleefully "I am 112 days sober"!! I saw the look of thankful relief on his face....you know, the look a mountain climber has when finally reaching the summit. I can only assume that right now each day for David is like climbing a mountain and making it through that day without drinking is like standing on top of the world!!! The audience responded with a loving embrace of applause, cheering, and whistles. Later in the show, seated on a stool in a quiet moment he shared that this would be his last concert for awhile so that he could devote his time to working on some things.
As in every show for the past two years, he gave a touching & sincere tribute to Davy Jones talking about their relationship which was really established only in the years before Davy's passing. In the significance of this night, I am pretty sure Davy was standing there in spirit arm in arm right next to his friend as David sang "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer".
There were also some lighter moments when David tried to find the origin of a "hum" coming from the amplifiers; he started a song in the wrong key and asked the band to start over; in another song he realized his guitar was not correctly strung...Dave Robicheau & Frank Fabio quickly came to the rescue and solved the problem. For me this added a personal touch and made it seem as though we were in his living room listening to him and the band jam....just a regular day.
Each band member (Teri, Dave, Frank, and Craig) tore it up with their solos!!! Craig did his own playful version of the theme from "Charlie Brown" including playing the keyboard with his bare feet. Frank gave a salute to Texas with Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again". Dave and Teri were both crazy wild with their performances as well! And if playing drums wasn't enough, Teri Cote (sporting her Fedora hat) sang "Brass in Pocket" with her sultry voice while traveling back and forth across the stage in her own very cool "Teri style" dance. It is so obvious this group of talented professionals are the closest of friends.
As David sang "Cherish", I held up my nine DC solo & PF albums with "Cherish" on top. He motioned for me to bring them to the stage. Holding up the "Cherish" album he looked at the cover and said "isn't she pretty"? This same scenario occurred at all but one concert I attended last year bringing me great delight in the personal interaction I shared with David. After "Cherish", he introduced the band, they did their solos, and then David walked to the front center of the stage. He sat on the floor with his legs hanging off the edge of the stage and said "I never do this". I thought he was referring to sitting on the edge of the stage, but no.....THIS IS WHERE MY DREAM WAS ABOUT TO COME TRUE!!!! He motioned for me to bring my albums to him, and he signed three of the nine right there in the middle of the concert!!!! UNBELIEVABLE and UNEXPECTED!!!....isn't that part of the definition of magic? It was....magical.
I wasn't nervous at all....just stood in disbelief. I know and have always respected his views on autographing items because of profiteers who later auction them off. I have never asked for or expected an autograph....and now I have three!! I am a Christian, and I can only believe that he was inspired by the Holy Spirit to make this night as meaningful and memorable for a fan as it was for him. Who knows?....maybe that moment represented something just as special for him in some way.
By far, the most emotional part of the night came when David sang "In My Life". He started by talking about an evening he spent playing old Beatles music with John Lennon. As he sang, the song seemed to transition from a tribute to John & The Beatles to a heartfelt message from David to his fans. His eyes swelled with tears, tears dripped to his cheeks, and his voice cracked a bit near the end of the song. The words "In my life, I've loved you all" never had more meaning than at that very moment!! His raw emotions were unfiltered.....it was beautiful, honest, revealing. I can't speak for David, but I can only imagine how his mind must have been pouring over the ebb & flow of his personal and professional life, thinking of the friends and fans who have been by his side along the way...through thick and thin. His cheeks remained stained with tears even through the next song.
He wrapped up the evening by joyously expressing how much performing and his fans mean to him and that he would ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS NIGHT!!! Of course the last song was "I Think I Love You". Fans rushed to the stage in love & support of this man who has touched all our lives in some special way. Yes we stood there in hopes of shaking his hand, but more importantly (I think) we were there to symbolically wrap our arms around David to give him strength for the journey still ahead of him.
WHAT A NIGHT!! This is only my personal account of the concert, but I hope my story brings inspiration to all of you to DARE TO DREAM and CHOOSE TO DANCE!!
DAVID...if you are reading this, please know that God is with you as you continue to navigate through your recovery. On those days when it seems like you're alone, remember "Footprints"....."it was then when I carried you". And on those easier days when you have great strength, remember to Praise God! We love you, and I look forward to seeing you again on the other side of your hiatus.
God Bless,
Lisa Dunlop (TEXAS)
