I have the setlist! From the Great Big Sea concert last Thursday in Rochester, NY. Thursday Night Kitchen Party!!

I love me some Canadian Music!!! And no, I did not get to meet the band dammit. Not this time. Although they did hang out at O’Bagelo’s where my friend Paul used to work… before the show.

(Aside: Oh and by the way, Band Members of Great Big Sea? If you are reading, and I know you are…Paul was the VERY VERY VERY tall blond man standing in front of Murray who knew just a little too much about the bagel shop. It’s ok, I could see around him. Mmm. Murray. I love bass players. Ahem. And the Rochester Dinosaur BBQ/Hope We Don’t Suck song was a big hit. Although, I, being from Buffalo cannot chuckle with true conviction like the rest…However, I will be looking forward to our version in April at UB. And you didn’t suck. Read on.)

That sexy bass player…

I could go on for a while about how ANNOYING the staff of Water Street Music Hall was, but I shall not. “Cause I got a smile on my face and four walls around me.” Ok, one sentence. Next time you have a Celtic kick ass band from Canada starring at the opening of St. Patty’s Day week festivus, PLEASE make sure that your bartenders are not LATE. Oy!

Now to the show. The list above is pretty accurate. True to form the band decided to play what the hell ever they wanted in the second set. Which meant that “When I am King” and “Beat the Drum” were replaced by other songs. Which is too bad, cause I love those two. Of course I still have vivid images of Alan’s hair blowing in the wind at Darcy McGees in Buffalo, NY during Beat the Drum. I think that might have been my most favourite show, ever.

I also heard “A Boat Like Gideon Brown” which, well, made me cry. Um, no one else in the world would cry to that song but me…I wrote this post about the song back in June. Sigh. NOW you know why I cried. THANK YOU GBS! I lovelovelovelovelovelove that song.

And I have to say, I was really impressed. REALLY impressed with the new record. The traditional Newfoundland songs. Drinking. Boating. Um. Drinking. And wooing.

Sean the rover, wooing…again.

As I turned to the boyfriend and said, “Honey, why don’t you sing me traditional wooing Newfoundland songs?”

Maybe cause he is Scottish? Anyhow…

Alan. Singing his heart out.

Great Big Sea, you did yourselves well by going back to this music. I was overwhelmed hearing the crowd singing along to “Come and I Will Sing You” Beautiful. Moving. And broke my heart that I had not yet purchased the new record. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? That has been remedied by the way. If you don’t yet have the CD, click the go buy yours now!

Of course the traditional music loveliness goes the other way as well, when Sean sings about, um, the tail. Of the mermaid. Yeah. 😉 Keep shaking those pipe bomb looking things Sean. So sexy. So fun. All the men always look like they are having so much fun together, and after 13 years…that is truly an accomplishment! And man can they carry a tune.

And before stop speaking of pipebomb looking shaky instruments I offer up this passage from Alan and the GBS tour diary before the Rochester show. Crossing the border.

I might have jinxed our border crossing ease by explaining, a few posts back, that we never have any trouble entering America. On our way to Rochester, we got yanked off the bus and into the customs office one at a time and asked tricky questions that I was way to sleepy to answer properly.

“Tell me Mr. Doyle, have you stopped reconsidering your intentions to delay your terrorist activities?”

Just kidding. That would be a tough one though. The actual conversation went like this.

“What is the purpose of your trip to the US, Mr. Doyle?”, asked the not-too-happy-to be-working-nightshift customs officer.

“Play music sir”. I whisper.

“What is the name of your band?”

“Great Big Sea.”

“Great Big Sea? You guys a Rap Band.

“No we play folk music. Its sea, like the ocean. We’re from Newfoundland”

“Is that where you kill those baby seals?”

Oh dear. Not seals silly, HORSES. That’s where they kill horses, and write songs about Shave the master and raise a glass to Charlie the Horse.

Back to the show. The break even made me smile, Water Street got smart and plugged in some Carbon Leaf for us to listen to while waiting for GBS to return. A band I discovered and fell in love with after seeing them play with GBS! Of course, I have since MET the men of Carbon Leaf. But not yet the infamous Newfoundlanders.

What else can a girl say? I was really happy to be at a more intimate show once again. The T.I.T.S. gig this summer left me wanting. Mostly the crowd. Read: I’m getting OLD I was actually there for the MUSIC not the beer! And this concert really brought the songs I love, the old and the new together. I like. I like very much. And now I am going to get tickets for the show in April. Come with?