June 19, 2008: I'm Sixteen All Over Again

San Jose, CA
HP Pavilion 

 

 
It's September, 1985, a week before I am about to begin my senior year of high school and a month before my birthday. I'm 16 years old and have finally, FINALLY, convinced my parents to let me go to a concert. My best friend and I join a couple of other friends and head out to the Oakland Coliseum and attend one of the last of the legendary Days on the Green -- a triple bill show. We're not there for Katrina & the Waves or the Pointer Sisters. No, our sole mission is to see Wham! and squeal and cheer and ogle George Michael. It was a great way to end my 16th summer.

It's early 2008, and I use an Amazon.com gift certificate I got for Christmas to buy some CDs. I have two wish lists -- one of newer items I have public for friends and family to use, one of older items I need to replace in my collection. As with all gift certificate purchases, I pick one item from the public wish list and use the rest to pick up a few replacements. It's a random selection -- whichever CDs are the cheapest get bought. Period. Thus, I wind up replacing my copy of Make It Big -- the big Wham! album of 1984. I laugh at myself as I haven't listened to Wham! since high school, but when I pop it in the car after it arrives I am amazed at just what a great pop album it really is. It's not going to change the world, but it's well crafted pop and this is good. This experience is immediately followed by falling in love with a new TV show called Eli Stone. It has an entire sub-plot that is centered around George Michael tunes. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't, check it out at ABC because it's really a cute show and much too hard to explain here.

So being suddenly inundated with George Michael here there and everywhere, when his first US tour in 17 years was announced, well, I just HAD to go. The tickets were WAY more expensive than I expected them to be, so I settled for getting seats in the upper deck -- something I rarely do -- and a co-worker and I headed out to the HP Pavilion in San Jose last night to take a trip back in time. We dashed to the show after a quick dinner to make sure we were in our seats because the ticket said in great big letters "NO OPENING ACT. SHOW STARTS PROMPTLY AT 8 P.M." Wellll... the first part was true at least. 8:00 comes and goes and it's 8:30 by the time the house lights go down and the incredible stage lights up and we hear the music begin. Up to our feet cheering. I am suddenly 16 again.

I have to say, I was completely blown away by the show. George Michael has to have the best voice I have ever heard live. He hit all the notes in a wide range and the depth and warmth ... wow... I just melted in my seat more than once.

Incredible. Since it'd been 17 years since his last tour, he wisely stuck to a set list that featured songs from Faith and Listen Without Prejudice along with a handful of songs from his Wham! days. There were a small handful of songs I didn't know, but for the most part a few notes in I usually recognized the song (with help from having spent the previous two days listening to Faith and Listen Without Prejudice.) Still, I was amazed at how quickly I recognized a couple of other tunes I literally have not heard since 1986. One of the early songs of the set was "I'm Your Man" from the last Wham! album and up on the video screen was snips from all the Wham videos. I can't remember if that was the ACTUAL video for "I'm Your Man," but parts of that video were there. But the second everyone saw the girls from the "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" video -- screams and on their feet. And damn if I didn't know all the words! I can't remember what I had for dinner two nights ago, but I can remember all the words to "I'm Your Man"... go figure!
 
I need to take a moment here to try to describe the stage. It featured a HUGE video screen that ran from the rafters down to the stage and flowed over the edge in a soft curve. This was the center part of the stage where George sang a top lights and images and all manner of effects and looked AMAZING from my perch in the upper deck. His band was set at the back of the stage to either side of this huge screen in a 3-level platform. Definitely a "backing" band. He also featured 6 back up singers who were amazingly soulful. Each side was flanked by your typical video screen that ran from top to bottom and afforded us up above the ability to see what the man looks like. A little heavier than back in the day, but aren't we all? Still lookin' good. Siiiiiggggghhhh.... His boyfriend is a lucky guy!

Anyhoo, back to the show. It was well paced, interweaving slower, softer tunes with more up-tempo dance songs and kept the audience engaged throughout. I didn't keep a set list, but a few personal highlights for me included "Everything She Wants" (lots of audience participation), "Hard Day," "Father Figure," and an absolutely AMAZING cover of "Roxanne." Holy smokes. I've seen Sting sing that song many times, including, finally, with the Police last summer. What George did... wow... totally changed it around to a slow jazz number that was sultry and sexy and sad all at the same time. He was backed on the video screens by a video he said was shot a few years ago in the red light district of Amsterdam. Compelling images to go with a compelling performance.

There was a 20 minute intermission about an hour into the show and when he returned it was to "Faith" which had everyone up and singing along again. I kept running through my head what songs he might sing and which he MUST sing and was pretty well rewarded. The main set closed out with "Careless Whisper" which again had everyone up and singing along. I had my camera with me and while I doubt any of the pictures will turn out much (other than to show off the dramatic stage) I'm hoping the video I shot during this song turned out OK. -- or at least that the sound does, the images are gonna be blurry crap as I tried really hard not to sway along too much.

The encore opened with "Praying for Time," another of my favorites and he finally closed out with "Freedom" (the 1990 version, not the 1984 version) and again we were all singing along. There were only two set list disappointments for me -- no "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," which I can understand, and no "I Want Your Sex" which I don't understand.

It had better not be another 17 years until he comes to town again and next time -- I'm buying the expensive seats!

December 6, 2014: This concert took place two and a half weeks after my JPP partner in crime Darla Ellis passed away unexpectedly from an inter-cranial bleed. I was still numb with shock and grief and other than the folks in my department, I hadn't told anyone at work about the loss of my dear friend. While waiting for the show to start, Josie, my co-worker who had come to the concert with me, asked me something about Darla (probably along the lines of "why couldn't she come tonight?" as she knew Darla was one of my concert buddies.) I told her what had happened and at various points through out the night I would think of Darla and how she would have loved the show. I've always found comfort in music and this show was a perfect escape from what had been an awful few weeks during an overall awful year.

January 1, 2017 Edit: Since George Michael's death on Christmas Day 2016, I've been thinking about this concert quite a bit and decided to add the few photos you see and go hunting for the set list, which I've included below. (Whether or not it's 100% accurate, I'm not sure.) I'm crushed that I'll never get to buy those expensive seats, but so thankful I settled for the "cheap" seats.

Courtesy of setlist.fm

Waiting
Fastlove
I'm Your Man
Father Figure
Hard Day
Everything She Wants
One More Try
A Different Corner
An Easier Affair
Too Funky

-- intermission --

Faith
Spinning the Wheel
Feeling Good
Roxanne
Kissing a Fool
Amazing
Flawless (Go to the City)
Outside

Encore:
Praying For Time
Freedom '90