Concert Central

This past Thursday and Friday evenings Chris and I expanded our horizons and attended two concerts: Trans Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller.


First the back story, several weeks ago Chris saw commericals for Mannheim Steamroller and suggested that he'd like to see them. Then the commerical came on again and he mentioned wanting to again. Then the commerical came on again and he mentioned wanting to again. So we talked about it and decided it could be an early Christmas gift. Then we were at a benefit for a friend of a friend and they had a raffle. Well we saw that there were tickets for the Trans Siberian Orchestra so we dropped half our tickets in that bucket. Our ticket was pulled and we chose our prize--four tickets to see Trans Siberian Orchestra at the Nutter Center in Dayton the day before Mannheim Steamroller.


At this point I decided that I should tell Chris about already buying the Mannheim Steamroller tickets the previous week to find out if he wanted to do both or if I should try to sell them. He decided both was the better option, so that's what we did.


On Thursday Chris got off work a bit early, we swung through Spencerville to drop Ainsley off at my parents for the evening and then were on our way to Dayton to meet up with our friends Rob & Kate--we actually won a set of FOUR tickets! We were making good time and everything seemed to be right on track for walking into Nutter about 7pm for our 7:30 concert. That was until about a mile before our exit on 675. The right lane was very slow moving and eventually stop and go. I asked Chris if he thought I should join in that line or what the back up was from. We decided that it couldn't be because of the concert because there was still a mile or so on 675 and then a couple miles away after getting off the interstate. Well we assumed wrong, it was because of the concert, but we decided just to go to the next exit where there were additional signs for Nutter. We get off the interstate and warn Rob & Kate that it looks like things are backed up but we should be there shortly--they had already been there for a bit, but of course we had the tickets! Eventually we find our way to the backed up traffic and join in for the stop and go misery. It. was. so. slow.


Feeling bad that we were causing Rob & Kate to miss the beginning of the concert, not having any idea how long we were going to weave through campus before being about to park, very annoyed/frustrated at the entire situation, I was so incredibly close to tell Chris just to get out of the car and start walking! It'd be quicker than waiting in the car to park and then they wouldn't miss as much. I'd find my way eventually! I didn't ended up asking him to do that and fi.na.lly. we got to the a parking lot. We're we in Lot 7 or even Lot 27?! Of course not, we were in the parking lot shared by the Child Development Center and the Scultpure Building. With only a couple parking places left in the lot, we parked and began high-tailing it to the concert. Our friends had told us that they were delaying the concert a bit because of the crazy traffic--they ended up pushing it back 15 minutes--so we were booking it in hopes of missing as little as possible!


Thoughts as we hoofed it nearly a mile--it was seriously that far, I Google mapped it!:
-Why didn't I dress like that dorky old man with his matching sweatsuit and tennis shoes?! My lil' heels that I had on for over 12 hours weren't too merciful!
-Thanks Chris for asking what coat I wanted to wear for the evening. I wouldn't been a frozen, frustrated mama had I only worn the jacket I had planned on!
-Thank goodness I'm at least semi-healthy because had I had to stop for breathers on my walk--as I saw more than one person needing--I likely would've been more annoyed. It also made me a bit sad that not everyone can simply walk without getting winded.
-Why can't I be more like the lil' boy in front of us who jumping and swinging from his mom and sister's arms as he enjoyed the journey to the Nutter Center versus grumbling under his breath like I was!


Neverheless we finally got there, found Rob and Kate and headed to our seats. If you've never been to this facility before, the way that it is set up is that you walk in at the top and then once inside the arena, you have to walk down the stairs however low your seats are. We suprisingly had great seats, which meant we walked all the way down the stairs! No complaints for this lady! Our seats were the very first row of the permanent seating! Score!

If I were to close my eyes during the concert, based on what I was hearing, I would've expected to see something different that I did. And visa versa and then to add to it all there was practically a light show going on the whole time. A few times in the concert, the band members left the main stage for a smaller stage that just so happened to be directly in front of our seats!

Here are some pics for the evening:

Light Show

Elevating Stage right in front of us.

This pic looks like we went to a Show Girl show. :S

Rockin' it out on the lil' stage!

Overall the Trans Siberian Orchestra was very enjoyable--it was a rock concert, Christmas extravaganza, light/laser show all in one! We definitely wouldn't mind going back--just not at Nutter Center! ;)


After the concert all four of us headed back to our house for the night and my great parents were willing to being Ainsley to us at about midnight when we returned--they are awesome! Ains got to meet Rob & Kate for the first time, and not too much later we were all snuggled into bed! I definitely felt like an old lady though as I can't even remember the last time I was still up after midnight! When 9 o'clock strikes in the Massie household, we all start thinking "bedtime"!


7am came early the next morning--yes, I got up at 7 and was out the door for school by 7:20! Thank you Friday morning treats in the Teacher workroom and Thanksgiving lunch by the Spartan Inn so I didn't have to eat breakfast or pack a lunch!


School went well. I picked Ainsley up from Chris' parents. Changed for spin. Worked out. Headed home. Made homemade pizza & sweet potatoe fries. Enjoyed them with my parents. Then Mom & Dad stayed at our house to watch Ainsley as Mister and I headed to the Mannheim Steamroller concert. I was thankful this concert was only 5 minutes away! We arrived and found our seats and waited for it to begin. As we waited the people in the seats next to us arrived and a woman in her forties that smelled like she just came from a Legion somewhere topped with musky perfume ask me if I was ready to rock out with her. I said "Sure! I have no idea what to expect tonight!"


Well I listened to the music, she rocked out, and I got most of my entertainment that evening from watching her from the corner of my eye! The concert was enjoyable, a bit quirky and hard not to think that Mannheim Steamroller was a bit of wannabe TSO! [Largely in part oof their dated videos & effects!]


It was nice to have just a ten-minute drive home including waiting for the silly train versus the nearing 2-hour drive the previous night! Even nicer was to come home to all of our dishes being washed! You may have heard the saying, "All means all and that's all all means." Well in our case, all our dishes means a whole heck of a lot of dirty dishes! Thanks Dad and Momma-cita! You're the best! Even if you hadn't done the dishes!


So all in all, we had two different, but enjoyable experiences! We decided if the opportunity was there again, see them both if we won tickets to Mannheim Steamroller and we'd pay to see Trans Siberian Orchestra just not at the Nutter Center!