Hello Friends and Happy New Year to you all!
Although we decided to take New Year's Eve off this year, when I received the invitation to perform with TSO in my home state of Alabama, it was impossible to resist. I had been curious about this phenomenon for quite a while, but nothing I'd seen or heard prepared me for what I would experience on December 31st at the BJCC in Birmingham. It's kind of like Yosemite. You can look at Ansel Adams photos until you memorize each one but when you arrive you are still awe struck.
We performed "Blue Collar Man," Renegade" and their reprise of "Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo 12-24" as the last three songs of their encore. Jeanne, Jason and I sat at the sound board for two-thirds of the show before heading to my dressing room, and had gotten a good taste of the raw virtuosity of the players on stage and the mind altering light show, but my portion of the show is still somewhat of a blur to me--it went by so fast! I've seen a couple of You Tube clips, but that's not the way I remember it either. One minute I'm standing at the foot of the steps as the heat of the pyro threatens to curl my hair, the next I am joining in a group bow at the end. I faintly remember this big rush of excitement as the Birmingham fans stood up to welcome me and we launched into "Blue Collar Man."
And I do recall how much fun it was when Al Pitrelli and I traded off several rounds of lead guitar at the end of "Renegade" and that soon we were in the opening notes of "12-24" which I had been practicing since getting the invitation. This song alone makes waiting for Christmas to come around well worth the wait. Emotional, heavy and thoroughly uplifting at the same time--a lot like the reality of the holiday!
Still most the other details elude me, and only the feeling remains. And what an unforgettable feeling it is. Like experiencing TSO's show, it's as if you awoke from a beautiful dream. Many thanks to TSO for inviting me into their magical world.
T Shaw
for the record, i hope someone posts a clip of CE/S to youtube- i'm dying to hear THAT!!!!!
