Arena @ Gwinnett Center
October 28, 2004
| Kiss My
Brass II I got to see Bette for the second time this week. I saw her on
the first leg also. My mom and I left out house in North Georgia
at about 7:00 and made it there with an hour to spare. We made our
stop at the souvenir stand and purchased a lot of goodies, which
was well worth every penny. We found our seats and for forty something
minutes just chilled and got very excited about the show. The Girl Ain't Retiring! Even though it was my school's homecoming (and our football team is 8-0), a fellow teacher and I left town to see Bette in ATL on the 28th. Not sure of how long our commute from the hotel would be, we left for the arena several hours before showtime. Five minutes later at the arena, walking up to the box office, my collegue suddenly stops and says, "I hear her....", and I'm thinking that maybe I have embarked on a road trip w/a nut job. But then, through the glass doors I hear the strains of "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." So instead of killing time in the car listening to Bette CDs like we had planned, we instead sat just inside the arena's box office and listened to Bette rehearse. I was amazed at all of the vendors scurrying around to set stuff up, not pausing even once to realize that they were hearing the Divine.....like it was no big deal. Anyway, doors open and we go inside (spent more money on a NEW program) and found our seats. The crowd was really thin right before show time, which I later found out was due to really bad traffic on I-85. So the show started a little late, and by the time the house lights went down, the almost complete crowd was really pumped. I thought we were going to start the wave or something. Bette came out in all her glory, looking and sounding FAN-TAB-U-LOUS! When she talked, her voice sounded a little horse, but when she sang, she was in perfect form. Her first new joke was a slam at Ashlee Simpson (she apologized for being a little out of breath, but that's what happens when you sing your own songs live....). She also had a few new barbs at Jeb and George, which went over really well with the crowd there that night. The high point of the evening...."When a Man Loves a Woman". I've heard reviews of her singing this lately, but until I heard it I didn't realize the power that she truly has over that song. She held notes longer than I've ever heard, and there was so much strength in her voice that during the standing O at the end of the song, some people began to sit down b/c their knees went weak. It was unbelievable...that song alone was worth the price of admission. Second act....I got a huge kick out of the additions to the Delores skit (she descends from the rafters on a huge hook....the visual is just hilarious). Again, voice was flawless, although the props were not. The band and the Harlettes also had perfect timing, it was as others have said, a much tighter and cleaner show (although, I have to admit, I love the little fumbles, or more accurately, Bette's response to them). From a Distance hit a special chord with the audience, you could feel the stillness while she was singing, and looking around you saw a lot more people crying than average (during the verse, "from a distance, you look like my friend, even though we are at war, from a distance, I just cannot understand what all this fighting is for".... people were visible shaking with sobs). She closed with the audience singing the Rose and I have to admit, we sounded DAMN good. As she helped us finish, people were swaying, I saw many lighters in the air....it's one of those ways that Bette can completely enrapture 10,000 people and create new fans on the spot. Then for an encore she said that she was trying something new, but that there wouldn't be much dancing due to her foot injury (which I never noticed). They did "In the Cool, Cool...." b/c as Bette said, it's a good driving home song. As she sat on the piano and waved as it was pulled offstage, I had my little anxiety attack that I would never get to experience her live again....so I REALLY hope she means it when she says she's not retiring. I met fabulous people and had an unbelievable time, I only pray that I get to do it again soon. Jill Oh Atlanta: Feeling The Love I was lucky enough to attend the October 28th KMB
II concert in Atlanta and was only one of hundreds of delighted
fans there. For starters, I've never seen people tailgating at a
concert before (maybe I'm a bit sheltered, but that was something
I had never seen before.) So, it was to my surprise to see a few
deliciously hot gay guys with their SUV hatch open and blasting
"In My Life" in the parking lot before the concert began. Bette Got Back...To Atlanta! I got to see Bette again in Atlanta this week....I sort of knew that we would get another chance to see her when she was here earlier this year...Her final words to the audience was something like " I hope to see you again real soon"....That being said I knew she would be back through here in the very near future....My thinking was right.....I really can't say much more than anyone else has said....Everything about the show was perfect....Bette was in top form and gave all she could to make sure the audience had a good time....The few added extra's on this second leg of the show were quite fun...I had really expected some new jokes being so close to the upcoming election but there were none....Which probably is a good thing.....It seemed to me this evening belonged strictly to Bette and her talent....Two things though stood out to me that I hadn't really noticed or realized before.....The Delores segment was so funny...espcially with the new "Phantom" bit....I just really never realized before how hard she and the Harlette's work to do this piece...But the most important thing I realized during the show is the fact that Bette really looks and acts as if she really is having a good time performing.....There was never a moment when her face and smile weren't shining....I got the idea that she was loving every minute of it....I guess that part is one thing that has kept me as a fan all these years....Plus the woman doesn't sweat....And her makeup doesn't show any signs of wear as she roars through a show that is over two hours....I got the idea that this audience was rather subdued but yet attentive.....Thankfully there were no over the top fans with signs or roses trying to pass them to her.......There was, though, this really weird freakish gal behind us that did some rather bizarre dance during "The Rose"....Trust me, it was something you would have to have seen to understand.....If you did that in public the loony bin would have been called in to take you away......I don't know if I am right in saying this or not but it seems that Bette did a really really Ungodly job of "Wind Beneath my Wings".....She hit notes that I don't remember from the past....And "From a Distance" was a major hit with the crowd as things are right now with world....Funny how a simple song can make such a major statement.....I also love her line during the "Rose" singalong...."You all sound pretty good.....You must have belonged to the glee club"......It was a fine evening by a divine soul....I truly feel blessed to have been able to enjoy her talents during my life......................But then on the shuttle back to the hotel a woman said, " I had no idea that she talked so filthy"...I responded by saying " you didn't know?" ....Well as Bette says, "fuckem if they can't take a joke".....Bottom line, Bette was great as usual.....The venue though, truly bit the big one........................And one final thing....There better be a video of this tour for all of us to enjoy as a wonderful memento of seeing Bette do her thing......If not I think we should all get together and plan a class action lawsuit!!!!!!!! Thanks, Kennect
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