A quick word about the concert. The venue was by no means sold out - there were plenty of seats to be had. But it sounded to me like the audience that was there was appreciative.
When the concert started, I initially found myself missing Ronan - which is in no way to say that I didn't care for John McDermott. I have always liked him, and was excited to be seeing him in person. But as the concert progressed, I found myself loving his subtle wit. He is really a funny man. There is certainly a different dynamic than there was before, and I think the three are still getting used to one
another. But I don't think I have ever seen Finbar happier - his body never stopped moving from the second he walked on stage. He and Anthony have not given up on getting John to dance, and I have faith that they will eventually succeed.
In my opinion, the selection of music for this tour is superb. I'm really hard-pressed to name a song that I didn't care for. I'm especially partial to Anthony's "If You Can Help Somebody," and his rendition is exquisite. And John's request that veterans stand so that everyone could recognize them was especially meaningful for us.
My husband is a Vietnam-era veteran, and we have two nephews in the
Army right now. In fact, John's "Legacy" drew a standing ovation from
my husband who has never been known to be visibly enthusiastic about
anything.
At the end of the show, we tried our usual stage door trick, this time to no avail. But as we were standing by the door, the guys' bus started to pull away. The problem was that Arnie had left his bag by the side of the bus, I guess assuming that someone would put it underneath for him. To everyone's dismay, the bag got caught under the wheels of the bus, and it was the sound of breaking glass that
caught everyone's attention. The second the bus stopped, Arnie came
running out, only to find what he knew he was going to find - a smashed suitcase which apparently held his laptop. The bag was wedged between two of the bus' wheels, and it looked like it intended to stay there for the duration. The next thing we knew, John came to the rescue. He lay down on the ground, working the bag, and directing the bus driver to move in the tiniest of increments, until the bag was
freed. Sadly, John is not a miracle worker, and we all left, a little concerned about the fate of Arnie's computer. This apparently has not been an easy tour for him. He lost his wallet in NY, and quite possibly, his computer in NJ, to say nothing of his personal loss. (His mother passed away)
Sue Owens
MY FOREVER FRIEND TOUR
Commerce Bank Arts Center
Sewell, NJ
November 13, 2004