Andre Rieu (2)

4 appointments today. (>_<;) Haircut, chiropractor, dinner with Steven, and the concert. The forecast low was 6. So it was only natural to wear my nice warm dressy leather boots. However! I was regretting it even before reaching my hair dresser! I forgot that they are high heels, and not meant for walking!! Couldn't find closer parking, and every step was excruciating. Must endure this pain until I got home almost 12 hours later! (T_T) It's still sore right now. Oh dear... I still need to run around tomorrow... Not looking forward to it...

Second huge screw-up: forgot to stop by the bank before meeting Steven for dinner. (T_T) I only had a $5 bill in my wallet plus some loose change. He ended up paying for it. Thanks Steven, but please let me pay you back. You came to the concert with me, and even help me buy the ticket. If it wasn't for you, I would have given up. Not to mention you bought me Pinkys from Japan! I really appreciate your help. If I let you pay for dinner, it makes me feel like I'm taking advantage of you. (>_<;)

So, today's main event, the concert. This is my second time. When was last time...? Argh! Can't remember! Probably in the 90's. Back then, ticket was $60. I went with my ex-violin teacher and a friend I now lost touch with. She got married since then, and had a baby girl when I last heard. Sigh... time flies... (T_T)

Out seats were pretty good. Although far towards the right, it was a good distance and eye level. The best thing was, the 2 seats directly in front of us were empty. Flags were given out before we arrived. Nope we didn't get any. Just for a Pinky picture, we borrowed one from a gentlemen near by. Thanks Steven for the Pinky help again. (^_^) Most attendees were seniors. We figured average age was about 55? (Maybe older.) There were young kids too, though. Personally, I think a ticket at that price is way too much to spend on a kid. But again, this is no ordinary classical concert.

Andre Rieu was entertaining as always, with lots of gigs. The goulash and angel were my favorite. The sausage-throwing was funny and unexpected too!

Got trapped by the washroom line up and missed the first piece after the break. Not that I was trying to buy one, but the booklet was sold out! CD $25 DVD $30. Hey you can buy his CDs at London Drugs for around $15! Last Christmas I bought a DVD for only $12!

The floor was filled with seats, so I didn't expect people to actually get up and dance. But they did! At one point I counted 39 couples. The number kept changing. Some people were dancing with their arms while remaining in their seats.

Ah, that's the difference between a cheap ticket and an expensive one. The expensive one gets camera attention, sausage thrown at, balloons, and can dance in the isle! At the end, fans flocked to the front of the stage. Some kids were throwing balloons at the musicians. Naughty!

Actually, Andre Rieu tended to stand towards the right side of the stage, which happened to block the view of the singers most of the time. (>_<;) 2 hours was too short. It was sneaky for him to get everyone singing Oh Canada, haha!

Last time, there were announcements on photography being prohibited. This time, there was nothing. I was slightly concerned, but determined to sneak a few shots regardless. Since the seats in front of us were empty, there would be no camouflage, which could easily get me into trouble. When I saw the countless flashlights from all over the stadium, I was so relieved. (^_^) This, unfortunately, reminded me of the Anime Evolution incident with the professional band. That, was mean.