Patbscrooge's Norfolk VA Recap

Just got back from the Norfolk show. Just some random notes (we all know the show by heart, don't we?):

1 - Taylor used "hardtime Norfolk, Virginia" in the first lines of Living for the City instead of "hardtime Pascagoula (sp) Mississippi". Crowd loved it.

2 - I think Taylor substituted one of the lines in Hollywood Nights and made mention that once in Hollywood they "wouldn't ever let a boy go back home". Not an exact quote but close.

3 - OK, Kaylor fans, please sit down and take a deep breath. At the end of Living in America, Taylor kissed Kat's hand! Just like Prince Charming and Cinderella. I fully expect the internet to go into shock on that one.

4 - We had two little Highrollers sitting in front of us (14-16 year old range). They had a couple of posters that Ace signed for them and were very excited about having met some of the idols and getting a hug from Ace. They also met Chris (before they saw Ace) and made the mistake of asking him about Ace. They got the speech about Ace being a grown man and Chris not being his keeper. Sounds like DAUGHTRY needs some PR advice or at least a new script. We've heard this story before.

5 - A lady in her 30's near us almost fainted when Ace took off his shirt. An honest to gosh THUD right in front of my eyes!

6 - Elliot's mom was in the audience and received a very nice round of applause.

7 - Norfolk is close to Richmond, so Elliot was the hometown boy tonight. He wore a Virginia Tech shirt for his spot in the show and a University of Virginia shirt in the group sing at the end. (They were not oversized and fit quite nicely.) Unfortunately the venue was located on the Old Dominion University campus and I heard some grumbles on the way back to the car. Those college rivalries run deep here in Virginia. Geesh, the guy can't win. He was, however, well received with the loudest pop of all the performers tonight. Norfolk loved them some Elliot. He asked about his ladies (loud response on that one) and I did not notice chewing gum tonight. Excellent rendition of Trouble (my favorite Elliot song)

8 - Taylor saw a Soul Patrol sign at the side of the stage and did a couple of shout outs for us. He then went to the other side of the stage where there was an Elliot sign and asked to see that one and I think he asked about an Ace sign too.

9 - Did I mention that Taylor was wild and crazy tonight? There was a lot of interaction with the crowd and I think he was actually doing poses for folks, although you had to be quick with the camera since he never stands still. He chased the "official" camera away from his face (or other regions) at one time and also draped a lei that a fan gave him over the camera near the end of his set. At one point he told the crowd on the side of the stage that he was going to do the Hustle. And I was finally able to answer a question that has been bugging me. Taylor definitely does a "Woody Woodpecker laugh" after he finishes JHR. Don't know if anyone else has noticed this since I have never seen it mentioned, but I've been wondering. His voice sounded a little strained but, man, the performance was super! He must be tired but did not let us down. Oh, fashion folks, black shiny jacket, lavender shirt, jeans and (I think) tennis shoes. Jacket on for the encore. Gel, but it might have melted out by the end.

10 - Chris wore a cowboy hat when he sang WDOA. Not sure if this is new or not. He was in excellent voice but I think his throat must have been bothering him because he drank a lot of water between songs. He wore a GREEN shirt tonight (not black!) but still sported that wallet chain. He was well received as always and the crowd was very loud when he came out.

11 - Security was fairly tight. They didn't want people standing at the barrier in front of the stage and after the first half they stopped allowing people to walk up the isle to take a picture. Not even just one! People were not out of control and I thought this was just over the top.

12 - Cheese factor - I guess our city must be the Kingdom of Cheese because we had a good old sing along with "We Are the Champions". I think the Idols were surprised cause they looked at us like we were nuts.

13 - I think *** is taking lessons because she actually gave props to the band. Her performance was fine and I'm relieved to see her barefoot on stage since she was wobbly on those heels in Greensboro.

Everyone was well received and the show was class A entertainment. If you haven't made a show, time is running out, so get out there and find some tickets soon!

Just a side note that our favorite Back Street Boy, JT, also had some rough things to say about our neck of the woods. He recorded Sexyback and some (or maybe all, I don't remember) of his CD in Virginia Beach (adjacent to Norfolk) and said he was glad to leave since the area was all "strip malls and Chick-fil-a's".  I'm sure it was "taken out of context". Doesn't that boy like anything??

Idols rock!