Thursday 5/18/00 Atlanta, GA
 

Hello everyone.  I have never done anything like this before but I plan on posting a "journal entry" after each show I attend, which WILL be a review of sorts, but also includes thoughts about our trip  if anyone cares to read.
Hope you don't find it too lengthy....I'm leaving the "real reviews" up to Craig and everyone else who contributes.
We begin with Atlanta, Georgia.......

We boarded the plane in New Orleans at 8AM, tired, but looking forward to the day ahead of us.  I don't
particularly like flying so I was extremely nervous at this point.  I have to share this with you...
Before take off, I looked over to my left and noticed a man reading USA Today.  What was actually interesting
about this, was that there was a headline on the page that read: "Cure urged for 'Disintegration'".  (This was
actually an article about President Clinton calling for stronger measures against terrorists and the 'forces' of
disintegration, but what a headline for today!) Hmmm...coincidence?  I wondered, but took it as a good sign to
relax for the flight.  I also flipped through the in-flight magazine which had within it a review about a book called
"Plainsong"!  Ok...maybe I was looking for signs at this point, but it was all too weird.  We arrived in Atlanta an
hour later, rented a car, had some fun at the local K-Mart to kill time, had lunch at Taco Bell, then went to the
hotel.

After getting ready a bit later...we headed over to Lakewood around 4:30.  Soundcheck had started sometime
before we arrived, but we were able to hear quite a bit of it from a distance.  It was like a hazy, dreamy sound
echoing over towards us, bouncing off the lawn that we could see way beyond the fence.  What a perfect way to
get you excited for the show you are about to see.  People were gathering...the excitement was building....
ahhhhggg.... it felt like hours waiting for the gate to open!  But then the time finally arrived.

We headed straight for the merchandise booth to get our first glimpse of all that the Dream Tour will offer.  We
picked up a necklace and dog tags (for now).  I think there are a few new shirts I didn't hear about from the
European tour, but who knows.  We will have to describe them later, as we plan on getting them at another show.
I'm sure someone will send a picture or description if we don't get to it first!

Finally we get to our seats, and begin to wait again.  I was getting worried because the lawn was filling up
great...but it seemed to take forever for people to get seated down front.  I will take this opportunity to tell
everyone for the future that the show starts at 8!!  Lets do it right, get there on time!

Well...this will lead me into a rant about the crowd which I wanted to stay away from so this review won't sound so
negative...but it must be said....the crowd was very casual and unconcerned at many points during this show.  How
can I describe it???  Is beer and socializing more important at this moment?  NO, not in my opinion...but I am that rare breed of person (haha....I know there's more of you out there) that actually goes to a show to see the band
play, and give back just as much as they are giving me.

On a side note...I think it must be the bad luck I have with the House of Blues...anyone in New Orleans relate?
I guess they own Lakewood...and the atmosphere I recognize from shows at HOB New Orleans was definitely
present tonight.  Of course I can only speak for the section I was located in....but we were in the front section!
Come on people...get with it!  Let's just say it takes a good pop single or two to get their attention.
Ahhh...I've ranted enough...on to the music.

I really enjoyed this show.  I got to hear many songs I have never heard live for the first time and that's great in
itself.  I am definitely not a writer, so I lack confidence in trying to explain every song, but I want to try to give
some impressions.

First thing that comes to mind is Roger playing the guitar on Open.  I was looking forward to that simply because
not too many people mentioned it from the other shows.  I want a picture of this!  : )  I think they did a great job on
this...it's one of my favorite songs...it was very powerful, and fun to sing along with because I'm amazed I can
remember all the words.  I feel like I'm living this song every time I hear it...and I don't even know why?  Great job
on drums Jason...I don't play the drums...but I find myself always "playing" along in my head, and I enjoyed it.
That reminds me to mention that he did a great job on Prayers for Rain as well...that just really stuck out in my
mind.

I heard Sinking live for the first time tonight, and how perfect could it have been?  It was wonderful!  And to add to
the emotion of that first experience...I just loved the camera on Robert's microphone.  The image was projected
behind him...it was a great close up with watery images all around.  I felt like I was watching the Sinking video that
never was, while at the same time, glancing down and getting sucked back into the live moment.  Too add to that,
the music was PERFECT.  One of my favorite moments for sure.

Yet another highlight was One Hundred Years.  To start, it is one of the greatest live songs...I put it up there with
FTEOTDGS, Disintegration, A Forest....you know...very powerful.  The light show was just amazing at this point.  I
really get into this song enough already...but the lights and images just put you into some sort of trance.  It really
takes you there...where ever "there" is I suppose.  It must be different for everyone, but it kind of brought my own
imagined reality of the experience of this song right out in front of me...it was a bit overwhelming at times!

Shake Dog Shake was another live first for me.  This was also performed wonderfully.  I had a great time dancing
to this one.  It was funny because although it did fair well with crowd participation, when Robert sang
"wake up...wake up...WAKE UP" (you know the part), I couldn't help but laugh to myself imagining him really
saying this to the crowd after witnessing the people around me sitting down during other songs.

This was NO sit down concert to me!  This WAS a dream come true.  They are playing songs I would have never
imagined hearing!  I heard All Cats Are Gray tonight for god's sake!  Can it get any better than this?  : )

Other highlights:

FTEOTDGS "Put your hands in the sky" moment that I won't explain because you know it!  : )

Roger and Perry playing keys on Trust, with great additions by Roger which let me imagine how it would have
been if he had performed it on Wish possibly....

Robert slamming Roger's keys at the end of All Cats with a smile and a nudge...which produces a lovely smile
on Roger's face.

The absolutely wonderful performance of The Kiss by everyone because it just rocked...

Hearing Plainsong and imagining what it might have been like to witness the Prayer Tour.  When you hear the
wind chimes it sends such a shiver through your soul that you know part of you MUST have been there somehow!

The Loudest Sound because it's just got that "cure" sound that takes me back to Disintegration.
I love it on Bloodflowers, and it's just as great live...glad I could hear it.

Out of This World and Bloodflowers for personal reasons because it will always remind me of my wonderful time in
New York for Hard Rock Live.  I always envied the ones on the Play Out video at the club show that got to hear
songs like The Big Hand and Cut before anyone else.  Not just for that reason, but to witness the band's emotion
presenting it to a crowd of fans for the first time.  To also hear it for the first time yourself and realize it is THAT
GOOD.  I think of that time in New York and I was just "dizzy".  It's the only way I can describe it.  I get that
same feeling now every time I hear these two songs.

To sum it all up....crowd could have been much better....but for me personally...the music was great.

Well...I am still high from it all...I guess I'll wrap it up for now....have you had enough?  I can't believe you actually
read all of this!  : )  Well, we are here in the hotel again after gardenburgers at Denny's...we will return to New
Orleans in a few days (staying here for NIN) to see "our" 2 shows, and believe me, I can't wait!

Good-bye for now everyone.
Nadine

Monday 5/22/00 New Orleans, LA

To begin, I'd just like to thank everyone who wrote in with words of encouragement about my writing.  From my side of things, I just can't imagine anyone wanting to read this!  : )

Well, we are just back from the first New Orleans show, and what a night!!  I don't even know where to begin.  It seems strange for me to write this in the same style as my last entry since I am home!  No plane trips, no car rentals to get us there...we are already here!  Some of you were confused about my journal, and I'll just want to say now that this will only include the shows we attend.  We didn't make it to West Palm, so I guess you thought I gave up on it when you didn't see another review.  Well, starting tonight we will be at every show through Vegas, which will sadly be our last.  Unless maybe we hit it big while we're there...then we could afford to continue!  : )
I have NO luck gambling, so I may not even attempt it.

The day started out pretty normal, although it felt strange not going to work today.  I took my long overdue vacation for this trip.  We passed away the day updating the site, relaxing, trying not to get too anxious, until it came time to head down to the Saenger for the show.  Now this is where I felt like I stepped back into the world of "being on tour".  First of all, I never drive down to the French Quarter due to the hell of finding a place to park.  We needed our car today, so this was our first adventure.  Let's just say that the Saenger is not in the best area of town.  Even the parking garages are uncomfortable for me to park in.  Anyway, this is when I feel like a tourist in my own town.  Well, we parked in a questionable lot right behind the Saenger eventually, got out, and began to wait.  The band arrived around 5:25, not too many people were there at that time.

We were lucky enough to attend the soundcheck  which was very special.  Craig has already posted the songs that were performed.  I really liked having this opportunity, because I really love the technical side of a concert.  Before I moved here to N.O., I almost went to school to learn audio, with hopes of maybe being an engineer.  This is why I love the soundcheck...being able to see the interaction between the crew and the band.  There is probably so much to say about it, but the special highlight for me was hearing Same Deep Water as You (Can you believe it???), Like Cockatoos, and Jupiter Crash which just so happens to be my favorite songs off of each album they appear on.  Are they reading my mind???  It all lasted from about 5:30 to 6:40.

We exited, and then re-entered since the doors opened soon after.  We went straight to our seats and began to wait for the show.  I'm pretty sure the show sold out tonight, which was wonderful, and as I expected.  The Saenger is a beautiful theatre I must say.  It's designed to look sort of like an old Roman amphitheater, with statues, soft lighting, the illusion of night up above you....everything to make up the perfect setting for the wonderful setlist we were about to hear.  I was in Pornography and Disintegration heaven tonight...I just have to say it.  I don't know how any other set will top what we heard tonight.  There are of course still some other songs I'm hoping to hear by Vegas....but tonight covered many of them.

The intro starts, and we know it's time.....they take the stage!  I didn't know what to expect from this New Orleans crowd tonight.  This was my first Cure show in this town, since I moved here from Florida right after The Swing Tour.  And I mean RIGHT after.  I actually postponed that move so I wouldn't miss that tour.  Anyway, I'm leading into saying that I wish the crowd would have been a little bit more alive.  Maybe my expectations are too high??  At times I wanted to kick some people out of their seats...but what can you do??  I really can't compare the crowd to Atlanta in any way however....because this was more of a respectful calm among them it seemed...but you should always be on your feet...that's what I say!  : )  Ahhh well.  I do want to say thanks to the guy up front who turned around and stood on his seat waving his arms to the crowd between encores...good effort!!  I think it really helped actually because people seemed to respond to him.  But there's nothing to complain about really...the band seemed to be enjoying themselves, and we got a phenomenal set!

Back to the show.  It started off with the usual...I'll go ahead and pick out some highlights, I can't comment on every song...I'm getting tired, but here it goes:

Fascination Street:  Robert....you didn't give us our "Bourbon Street" tonight!  Maybe tomorrow...but hey, I really don't care because I don't actually care for the real Bourbon St.....sorry!  : )  I think Simon dropped his bass at the start of this...I could be wrong.  Well, something happened that I missed, but they recovered it well.

Open:  Once again...great....did I mention I love this song?  : )  At this point Craig and I decided it was time to "upgrade" our seating arrangements after eyeing a few empty seats during the past 4 songs.  (It became a little bit easier on my vision with these damn contact lenses after that!)

Snakepit:  Lovely, and dreamy, and wonderful...I loved it!  I don't know how to express it, another live first for me.

If Only Tonight...:  Well this is just a wonderful song, my second time hearing it...but it felt like the first.  I was on a magic carpet...I have a great imagination...but I think it was the images on screen that triggered it.  I've never been "there" before listening to this on my own...so it's just one of those great live memories I'll take with me.

Siamese Twins:  Now I can really go mad!  I knew I'd probably hear this....but it was still an exciting bonus as it happened.  I'm at a loss to express this emotion...it's just personal you know.  I thought of all the times I've listened to it, usually alone, and here it was to be experienced in front of everyone.  My only thought is to say I wanted to be alone at this moment, but how can I say it so that you'll understand?  This feeling would return for upcoming songs....it's just so emotional.  I think that's as close as I can get to realizing how emotional it must be for Robert to sing these words for us.  When that hits you...it just sucks you in, and you are feeling something that you would never feel if you really were "alone".

Prayers For Rain:  We got a very long "Raaaiiin" this time!  The crowd responded well.

One Hundred Years:  I must mention again....it is such a great live song!!!

Plainsong:  I didn't talk about this from Atlanta...but it was just as good here.  Robert gave some lucky fans attention during the intro...it seems to be a regular thing...that he walks over to the sides and greets everyone.
Perry and Simon seem to take a look at everyone during this as well....as they did in Atlanta.

AHHHHHHHGGGGGGGG...................
Same Deep Water as You:  Nothing can top this moment!!!!!!!!  I'd like to think Craig and I had a big influence on this song being played...it was however the MAIN reason for our recent poll if you couldn't figure that out!  We can have our fantasies (hehe).  Seriously...this was a "dream come true" moment.  It's Craig's favorite song (I would say it's mine...but I can't really pin that down among all Cure songs....but it's CLOSE)  I would like to say thank you to the band for playing this because it meant so much to us.  The tears actually fell when at the end Robert said "you and me together" instead of "we shall be together".  Very emotional.  We did expect it obviously since we heard it in soundcheck (which was somehow even more personal you can imagine).

Cold:  Ok.....did we die?  Did we go to heaven?  Haha.  I think this must be Craig's other favorite song...and one of mine.  Just beautiful.  I'm starting to wonder how many Cure songs I'm going to hear live for the first time in this short span of time!  It sounded so wonderful...very true to the recording.

Figurehead:  Ok....we are still alive aren't we?  I did get to hear this for the first time in Dallas last Feb., but the feeling will never end no matter how many times I hear it.  It has to be almost my favorite song.  (You would have to know me better to understand why I can't say it's my absolute favorite...but know that when I give a song the "almost" status...it's my favorite song right there...at that moment.  I just can't seem to choose! This drives Craig crazy by the way!)  It does mean a hell of alot to me.  It's just one of "my" songs.  There's that same "alone" moment creeping back.....

Pornography:  What an encore we are experiencing....Cold...Figurehead...and now Pornography!!!!!!  I must say I wondered how this would sound live...I just couldn't imagine it at this point in The Cure's line-up....but it was performed so wonderfully!  It sounded so perfect to me.  Now I felt transported back in time....look forward to hearing this...it's great!

M:  Now we've moved into the last encore, and what a surprise.  I know they are playing this at many shows...but I guess I didn't expect all these great songs to be in the same set!  I loved hearing this....just so much fun.

Then we ended with Play For Today which is always fun...then A Forest which I always love.  The crowd really got
in to this one...and it was a great ending.

THIS WAS A GREAT SHOW!!!!!!!!!  : )

Ok, I know I skipped talking about some songs....but it's late, I can't believe I stayed up this long typing.  It was fun to re-live it with you.  We are looking forward to the possible addition of Jupiter Crash and Like Cockatoos tomorrow...and I'm sure many others we didn't hear tonight.  We might get a poppier set...who knows.  I'll enjoy it no matter what.

How about At Night?????  I think it's been rehearsed previously...hint hint...    : )
We can pray for Lament or 2 Late possibly maybe since those were rehearsed as well.  In any case...I'm looking forward to tomorrow....and it's also a bit sad because it seems to be moving along so quickly for us!

Goodnight All....Nadine - if only tonight I could sleep.....  : )

Tuesday 5/23/00 New Orleans, LA

Hello again....just got back home.  Whew, what a night everyone!  I wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know that we just saw another GREAT show.  It's hard to compare to last night's show in many ways.  We got another great setlist with many songs we didn't hear last night.  ( I personally preferred the setlist last night...so it seems the better show for me.)  The crowd was definitely better tonight in my opinion...or maybe we were finally in a good section....but there just seemed to be be much more energy tonight.  Or it could have been my state of mind since something really wonderful happened for us today.....more on that later.

Anyway...I really have no time to write tonight!  I want to give you a proper review.  I am SO tired after these 2 shows...I don't know how I'll make it!  : )  We have to leave for Houston VERY early tomorrow...so I really must try and get some sleep.  We are driving this time in case you are wondering.  Here's my idea....I am the driver...Craig is the passenger...so I'm going to do the review on the road and let him type on the laptop for me...that way I can post when we get to Houston perhaps.  It may have to wait until after that show, since we may not have much time once we arrive.  Just know that it was a wonderful show with many great highlights, and a night when dreams came true!

See you in Houston - Nadine

Part 2

We're on the road, on I-10 traveling through Lake Charles, LA....I am so tired right now I can't think.  I'm just going to review last night's show, and we'll tell you about our trip today in Houston's entry.  I'll get right to it, here are some highlights:

Fascination St.:  Robert did mention Bourbon St. at the end of the song, which always gets a rise out of the crowd.

A Strange Day:  We were so happy to hear this one.  We have now heard every song the band is performing off of Pornography.  Hearing this song was just as good as you might imagine.

Last Day of Summer: This is a beautiful song.  Like I mentioned before, it takes me back to hearing it for the first time in New York.  This was our first time hearing it on the Dream Tour.  I believe the image projected on the screens was an out of focus shot of branches with leaves.

Pictures of You:  Another first for us on the Dream Tour.  I thought it was performed beautifully.  I thought of my friend who was there somewhere in the crowd and what it means to her.  I hope she enjoyed it since she didn't get to hear Same Deep Water as You the night before.  Sorry I didn't see you!

Where The Birds Always Sing:  I've been looking forward to hearing this live ever since I heard it on the album.  I knew it would be a great live song, it was performed just as I imagined.

The Kiss:  I know you realize by now how great this song is live, but I do want to mention that Robert switched the words this time from "Push my guts all inside out" to "Fuck my guts all inside out"!!!!  That took me a little off guard...it added more emotion I guess you could say   : )  Add to that the fact that he played the guitar with so much emotion tonight.  It made me think about what a great guitar player he is....not just focusing on the singing.

Inbetween Days:  Someone started a beach ball bouncing through the crowd (this would have been more understandable in an amphitheater...kind of strange in the Saenger)....it eventually found it's way on the stage.  At the end of the song, a crew member ran out to retrieve it, and Robert mentioned "he's been waiting all week to do that!".

Sinking:  They are doing such a wonderful job on this song!  Everyone should look forward to hearing this on the tour....it's just so perfect!  This time the video from the camera on Robert's mic wasn't as visible as in Atlanta.

Shiver and Shake:  Another first for me...I think I'm too happy at this point, I enjoyed getting into this, dancing and singing along...it's a great stress reliever.

All Cats:  You should have been in Atlanta to appreciate what happened at the end, but Roger gave Robert a funny look at the end relating to what happened before.

The Drowning Man:  Ahhhh...I'm so glad they did this.  There were images of rippling water up above them, the music was hypnotizing...it was done just as well as Sinking.

Faith:  Anyone can imagine what a treat it is to hear this.  I feel that tonight, Robert sang with so much emotion...I felt so connected to it.  I couldn't help but look around at the beautiful theatre around me...it was perfect for this song...and really anything from that time.  I like the way Robert ends the song ..."with nothing left...." and the music fades until Jason hits the last beat.

Now we are at the last encore...and as expected we did get the pop set.  I have no complaints about this.  We were lucky enough in New Orleans to hear just about every song they have been performing so far.  Ending it like this was great...the crowd had so much fun.  Craig and I were in a good section tonight, and surrounded by many enthusiastic fans.  I remember Roger making a paper airplane out of the setlist...it didn't make it further than the front row when he threw it.

To summarize, this was a wonderful show.  The crowd seemed better tonight in many ways.  Regardless of that fact, I still feel the 1st night was the best.  I suppose it was the set that gives me that impression....but when I look back on it...I enjoyed the second show just as much.  I would like to think of both of them as one!  An unforgettable experience.

I mentioned before that something wonderful happened for me and Craig on this day.  Yes....we did meet Robert at the soundcheck.  He was very nice, and I'd like to thank him for taking the time to speak with us.  It did mean a great deal to us.  I would also like to thank the other members of the band that we met these past few days.  You have made it very special.
(They are all just as nice as can be, and it's an honor to meet them.)

I will also take this time to thank the fans we met at these shows...we are so shy!  It was nice to hear that you like COF so much.

We only got two hours of sleep that night....then it was on to Houston........

Nadine

Wednesday 5/24/00 Houston, TX

We left to pick up our rental car around 8.....didn't get out of town till about 8:30....we were on our way!
I like the car they gave us this time...it has a sunroof (oooh I feel cool...haha), the color is close to our 'Chain Of Flowers Red' as we like to call it.  Anyway...it was a tough drive.  It's not that it was too far...I was just so tired.  I haven't made a road trip in awhile....my foot aches from holding down the gas pedal!  Craig started to type my NOLA 2 review for me...but it wasn't working out...I kept going blank...and he types totally different than I do.  So I finished that right before this....and I really have no time to write a long review...just some notes.  I am in my hotel in Dallas at the moment...just about to get ready to go to that show.  Send in your reviews of Houston...I can't do one!  I'll review Dallas tonight if I can...if not, I'll type it up when we arrive in Las Vegas tomorrow.

We arrived at the show, and went to see if the band arrived for soundcheck.  They were late!  We met some nice people while waiting.  I remember slowly becoming more and more miserable as the heat rose.  This didn't help as I was still tired from the night before.  The gates opened after soundcheck around 6:30.  Houston was a "regular" setlist compared to the others we've been to.  They came on stage 20 minutes late...we didn't get in there until the middle of Fascination St.  (long story)  We watched this show from the lawn.  Quite a different perspective!  It's like attending a pic nick up there!  I liked watching the clouds drift by during many songs.  The surroundings are actually very beautiful if you've been in the city too long.  The mosquitos had a good feast last night as well!!!  As I said, I'm not elaborating on the show...no time.

We went back to the hotel afterwards and I think I actually passed out.  How did I get so tired?
Now we're in Dallas...so I will pick up the story tonight after the show.  Enjoy if you go!
Nadine

Thursday 5/25/00, Dallas, TX

Hello again everyone.....we are in Las Vegas!!!  Yesterday we left Houston around 10 and headed on our way to Dallas.  It was an easy drive...I think we arrived around 2 or so, and checked in to our hotel.  We decided to take it easy today, and didn't go over to the starplex until about 7.  Once inside we caught a glimpse of the second stage band...picked up some more merchandise for someone, and decided to wait awhile before getting seated.

As some of you may have noticed...Simon and Perry came out to see the band I assume, and we saw many people talking to them....getting autographs and such.  It was pretty cool, no one seemed to bother them too much.  We finally decided to head to our seats, as it was getting close to 8.  We were in about the 7th row tonight off to the side by Perry...very nice view!

The tribal like music continued....and since we've heard it so much, we could tell the time was close.  There is one particular track that has such a build up...it will drive you to a frenzy!  Finally Adagio started, and many people jumped from their seats.  I hoped this was a good sign of the crowds enthusiasm.  The band finally took the stage about 8:15.

I felt alot of energy from the crowd.  I had high expectations from them after such a wonderful promo show back in February.  (Everyone at that show sang every single word...very loud during Want...and that was enough to tell me we had a crowd full of fans.)  I wondered if tonight would have a similar feeling.  During many songs, I could hear the crowd singing along, so it made me feel great.  People were still sitting down at different times...but I didn't care.  I was having such a great time.  Tonight was hotter than any other show I attended.  I completely broke a sweat, soaking my clothes.  I couldn't stop dancing.  Shake Dog Shake really got me going tonight.

I'll try to pick out some memories:

Perry had a guitar problem during Maybe Someday....he lifted it up, looked at it, then shook his head....Simon also did alot of dancing during this song.  If I haven't mentioned it before...Robert sings the words"Maybe Someday" a bit different than on the album.  He's been doing that ever since the promo shows, and hasn't stopped.

Something I haven't mentioned before....but the past few shows Robert had switched the words on End from "Please stop loving me...I am none of these things" to "She stopped loving me...I was none of those things" which gave the song a completely different emotional dynamic.  Well tonight...he went back to the original lyric.

The video on Sinking was much more visible tonight...and like I said, you will love this when you see it.

We had possibly the longest "Raaaaiiinnn" on PFR so far tonight....it was very emotional and intense.

Robert and Perry exchanging glances while playing the harmonizing guitar parts on Bloodflowers.
I like seeing this kind of interaction among the members of the band...it's like a secret language.

My memory of the main set fades now, but it was very good.  Reason being that we went down to the front of the stage right before the encores with an hour to go, and this changed the whole perspective for me...being able to see their faces more clearly.  Here's a tip...the security have been letting people move down during encores...so this may happen at your show!  I'm not trying to start a riot.....but if you want to get closer, you may get the chance....just keep your cool, and respect the others around you that rightfully belong in the front rows....you wouldn't want to lose this chance if it gets out of hand.

I want to focus on the encores which were filled with so much emotion!  It is very nice to be that close and see all the interaction between them.  I enjoyed being able to actually see their fingers on the strings.  Simon is so enjoyable to watch, not only the technical apect, but he seems to really enjoy himself up there.  We have been talking alot lately about what a great bass player he is!  Of course they are all enjoyable to watch!  Robert's emotion was very plain to see....especially during Siamese Twins!  It built up during Cold....but was very apparent in ST which was the next song.  I can't explain...he just felt so much when saying "you're nothing...I don't need you
anymore...you're nothing"...his whole body seemed to somehow jerk in a way after releasing that line...and the look on his face!  Intense.  That left the biggest impression on me.

A cute moment was when Simon took a seat on the drum riser during Cold until he began to play.  The image for this song is an ultrasound pic of a fetus in the womb.  Pornography was very intense tonight.  You are just going to love getting the whole 'pornography' encore at future shows...so much emotion...it's a great experience.

We had the first 4 encore show tonight...they came back and did Faith at the end.  I felt the crowd was really with them tonight...at least from my perspective at that point....I just feel this was one of the best shows so far...right next to the New Orleans shows for me.  I'm going to leave everything else up to anyone submitting a review!

Back on the personal side...we went straight back to the hotel to get some sleep....we had an early flight today.  True story...right before falling asleep...Craig set the alarm, turned on the radio for a minute...and just what happened to be playing on the classical station??  Yes...Adagio For Strings...it was a good way to slip into a dream.

Nadine

Friday 5/26/00 Craig and Nadine in Las Vegas

Just wanted to type some notes about our first day in Vegas.  We left Dallas at 10 Central...and arrived here at 11 Pacific time...so we gained 2 hours.  I only felt a little strange when it wasn't getting dark as soon as I seemed to expect it.  We are staying very close to the Hard Rock...so we spent some time there today....had lunch at some place in the hotel...and also enjoyed looking at all the memorabilia.  I was surprised to see alot of Depeche Mode and NIN stuff around.  It's a very nice place...it seems strange to look at all the clothes the rock stars wore.  I played a South Park pinball machine in the arcade which was entertaining.  It seemed to have every character somewhere on it....but I didn't see Robert / Smithra (haha).  We took some photos for those of you wondering what it's like here.  There is a huge Cure billboard outside, and their name appears randomly on the huge signs surrounding the area, advertising the show.  It's very exciting to be here today!  We are looking forward to the show tomorrow...and seeing Vegas for the first time.

The heat here is strange for us.  The lack of humidity actually makes you feel strange.  It's just so dry.  The sun seems to beat down on you harder.  It has finally darkened here...we are going out later.  We wanted the heat to subside a bit!  So we're in the hotel...and about to update finally!!!  We have heard from some of you about the lack of updates....but understand we are on the road...only dialing in a few times...it's just more costly....and heh! we are on vacation!!!  We will get your reviews up when we can!

Well....safe traveling to everyone on their way here...see you tomorrow!

Saturday 5/27/00 Las Vegas, NV

(Written on 6/1/00)

I put off writing this for a long time....didn't I?  : )
I guess it's not that I couldn't make the time....I think it's more about the fact that putting a final entry in my journal makes this pretty final, doesn't it?  I never wanted it to end!  As some of you know...we are trying to make it to a few more shows.  That has a good possibility of happening I suppose...so I do have a bit more to look forward to.  It's so strange reading e-mail from all of you in different positions on the tour.  It's over for many of you....and only beginning for some!  I wish I could witness it all!  I feel so removed from it all right now.

This has much to do with my review of Las Vegas.  At that time...I went into that moment thinking....this is it!  This is your last Cure concert.  It has shifted my perspective possibly, because I wanted it to be PERFECT.  I really can't say that it was!  This has nothing to do with their performance, and all to do with the location, and the crowd.  Why did I expect so much from the crowd?  I guess it was the idea of such an intimate setting.  It might have been all the talk of the many fans that traveled so far to be there.  I have no doubt there were many loyal fans in attendance....but it has to be said that the crowd was unusually unresponsive.  Ok....it didn't become that noticeable until the encores.  What happened in there???  I actually screamed to the crowd to start clapping!  It's no wonder we got the "pop" encore!  I wouldn't have wanted to come back on stage if I was in the band!  I couldn't believe it.  I expected such a loud roar in that small place...it was pitiful!  Now, don't worry....the actual performance was wonderful.  This couldn't change my view of that.  I just wanted something more.  I expect too much!

Well....to fill you in, we took it pretty easy the day of the show.  It was damn hot outside!  We debated waiting in the line with everyone else, but I don't think I could have made it.  So, we wandered over there and had something to eat at Mr. Lucky's.  We went back to the hotel (Alexis Park if you're wondering) after checking everything out, and didn't head back over until 5.  By that time the line was just at the street.  It was great to walk by there and catch a little of that excitement that had been building all day for everyone.  We went inside and were lucky enough to get in for part of the soundcheck.  I was happy to get an idea of what the place would be like before it filled up.  It was a bit bigger than I imagined, and it seemed that it was going to be great.  We got kicked out by some guy who worked there, he said they had to "get the place ready".  All they had to do was put up the barricade in the front....we must have really been in the way! (jerk)  : ) haha

Well, we chatted with people in front of the doors, met met up with our friend Laura (we had no idea you would be there!), and began the wait.  Fast forward...we get in, and it turns out, not waiting in line didn't hurt us that much.  We ended up in the front first "level" if you can call it that, closer to the back of that part.....and finally on Roger's side of the stage for once!  : )  The place slowly filled up....and we knew it was close!

The show starts..........the main set was an intense experience for me.  Out of This World affected me so powerfully tonight.  I want each and every one of you to really listen to those words when you get to your FINAL show.  It will really mean something to you if you feel like I do.  I shouldn't have to explain.  It was also like coming full circle in many ways.  I know I've mentioned going to New York many times....well here's the connection.  That was Hard Rock....this was Hard Rock, Laura was there just as she was the first time we met her in NY.....that was the first time I heard OOTW live.....this was possibly the last time live.....AHHHGGGG....the emotion!

This experience set me up for the whole show.  I don't want to talk about it song by song at this point...because now, it all runs together in my memory.  I'll first mention some things I haven't noticed others reporting.

During Maybe Someday someone set off one of those confetti popper things...it exploded in the air right in front of Robert....and he did the cutest thing.  He turned his head to the side, stuck out his tongue....and the only way to describe it is to picture the image of a little boy trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue...adorable!  Some of it caught in his hair and remained for a few songs until a nice crew member removed it for him, as he had no idea it was there.

I remember someone holding up a stuffed animal creature (teddy bear monkey thing)....we couldn't figure out what the hell it was....and when Roger finally took notice...he made the strangest face, and mouthed "what the fuck!", or something to that effect....it was very funny at that point because we had been thinking the same thing all along.

During Prayers For Rain, Robert changed the words rather than singing the long "Raaaaiiiiinnnnn", which threw something off towards the end, Roger signaled to Simon shaking his head....Simon started shaking his head at Jason....and the only thing we could gather from this was that Jason might have been trying to end the song too early.  It was strange.

Sound problems came up during the show as well.  We noticed Robert signaling many times for adjustments...I thought everything sounded great...but I wasn't concentrating on the technical tonight...I was somewhere else.  At one point Robert stepped away from the mic and mouthed "FUCK".  I don't know what that was about!

I know there were many other moments....but they all escape me now!  That's what I get for waiting this long to write.  A memory I will keep, as I did after every show, is Robert walking off the stage.  Others have mentioned this in their reviews...it's just a moment you have to see for yourself...if you're close enough.  It's the look in his eyes, and the way he grabs his mouth...it really is goodbye, and he loves you all!  You'll strain your eyes to get that last glimpse of him as he disappears in the shadows .  GOODBYE!

"I'll never see you this way again.....I captured it so perfectly as if I knew you'd disappear away"

I honestly enjoyed the performance...I felt myself listening with all my emotion!  I was hanging on every word, wishing I had a photographic memory.

I left feeling emotionally drained, aching from the position I had to stand in with limited room for dancing, thirsty as hell, tired, and wishing for MORE!  We are really trying hard to go once more.  I just don't feel that ending it in Vegas was all I had hoped for.   It was a strange feeling walking out of there....like I was walking away from everything I waited so long for.  It was over!  My vacation...my Cure experience....I found myself thinking about "real life" at that moment.  It's probably harder for me...I get this way after many concerts.  I always dreamed of being on tour, as a musician, or sound person.  I really love observing it all....It's such a feeling of longing, like dreams never realized.  So I think of my real life, and what I'm NOT doing....and it's just a little sad I suppose.  I really envy Robert, Roger, Simon, Perry and Jason.  They are living a dream come true (at least in my eyes), and sharing it with us.  I admire them even more after this entire experience.

We were all herded (Moooo anyone?) out the doors straight into the Casino.  That's where Hard Rock really makes their money!  We returned to our hotel almost immediately, said goodbye to Laura, rushed for the bottled water once in the room, updated the setlist.....and slowly found our way to bed.  It had been a long journey, and we were exhausted!

That's it for the review part....but I'll tell you a bit about the next day and the journey home.  You can break off here if you think you'll find it boring!  : )

We awoke the next day to realize we had seen almost nothing of Vegas...and it was our last day!  We avoided it Friday and Saturday due to the heat....but we had no choice Sunday.  And just you guess how hot it was outside???
110 degrees!!!!!!!!!!!!  I knew we were getting ready to BURN! haha  So we've spent lots of money at this point...and we are so thrifty....why don't we just walk up to the strip?  It's not that far....we don't need a cab!  BIG MISTAKE!  I can honestly say I thought I was going to die that day.  I am not kidding.  It was only a couple of blocks, but these are "Vegas" blocks...not "New Orleans" blocks.  It was more like 10!  We also didn't realize we were headed up-hill.  We were making our way towards the MGM Grand....which seemed to never arrive.  We finally found a Denny's next to it...and at this point I feel like I'm in one of those cartoons, crawling through the desert gasping "water....water...water".  Well I won't bore you with more details beyond that....IT WAS HOT!

We were able to visit all the casinos in that area...they were really beautiful.  My faves were the Luxor and Excalibur.  I couldn't choose between them.  I love everything Egyptian (Luxor) and Medieval (Excal.)  It was like stepping into different worlds.  I am proud to say I only gambled $30 total....lost it all.  I just can't justify the money spent on gambling in my mind.  It seems like wasted money.  I had no indication of any luck after hitting the $30 mark...so I quit!  That's ok though...we didn't go to gamble.  We spent ALL day out there walking around, took many pictures...I found myself taking Roger inspired photos....but then felt strange about copying him!  I did it more for fun...but no one will see them, so who cares.  : )

We finally returned to the hotel around 11 that night...packed like the wind and took off for the airport for our 2am flight.  Yes... 2AM!  Hey it was cheaper, and didn't seem so bad at the time we booked it.  When we were falling asleep in the terminal waiting for the plane...that's when we felt stupid.  So we flew home...it was cool to see the strip all lit up from the plane.  We slept off and on...3 hours later we were home.  And guess what was waiting for us at home after a day of suffering heat in Vegas?  A broken air conditioner!  What a treat! : )  This might have a bit to do with my putting off my last entry...I was too tired, too hot, and I actually had to go back to work this week.  What a bummer!  (We finally got the air back today...so things are almost back to normal.....)

Will we go to Chicago and Detroit?  It's close to a yes tonight...just have to ask the boss for one more day off.  They all think I'm INSANE!  Hey, I can blame it on my birthday next Thursday!  A b-day weekend...how can they say no?
: )

So we shall talk again.  Thanks for reading, thanks to everyone who wrote in, it means very much to me.
Nadine

Friday 6/9/00 Chicago, IL
(this is longer than I wanted it to be....sorry!)

When I was in Las Vegas 2 weeks ago, I placed a quarter in a fortune telling machine....and guess what it said?
"Watch out, everything goes faster the second time around!"  At the time, I couldn't see how it was relevant....I thought my trip was about over...I was gambling....I was expecting something like...."You'll strike it rich!"  Well now it couldn't be more true.  Here I am, back at my journal after an INCREDIBLE show here in Chicago, and the trip is now half finished.  One more time tomorrow in Detroit.  Tonight was such an emotional experience.  Much of what I want to say...I really don't know how to say.  I can't make sense of it all.  I would like to start by saying a little about our journey here.

We departed from New Orleans At 7:30 today after little sleep last night.  We had to unexpectedly switch planes in Nashville...I don't want to know why, but they didn't tell us anyway....and then arrived at Chicago Midway about 10:30.  (What a strange airport, it seems old perhaps.)  We rented a car that we had brought plenty of tapes for since we are driving over to Detroit in the morning.  Ha!  To our surprise it has a CD player rather than a tape deck.  I'm pissed because I need music on a drive like this!  Of course, we didn't bring cd's.  Looks like we might have to make a stop at Wal-Mart to get a few cheap cd's or something (but what am I going to find there?...haha).  I absolutely hate listening to the radio....if it's called End or Edge, etc....forget it!!  There is actually an all 80's station here in Chicago you lucky bastards.  At least that is tolerable.  We have crap for radio in New Orleans.  Unless you're in a jazz mood, then some stations will suffice.  I'm off track......

Anyway, we made it to our hotel to check in around 2 or so....staying at the Baymont Inn, very close to the theatre.  Hey, I know some of you are here!  There are so many Cure license plates out there in the lot.  Anyway, we relaxed as best we could...got ready, and headed over around 5.  We had no idea what to expect, never been here before.  Now I have to mention the fact that I think we are cursed, and the heat followed us here.  I never expected
it to be so hot.  What is going on?  It's actually cooler back home at the moment, and we're in some kind of heat
wave...in the North.  Ahhhh...but what do I know?

We waited...the band arrived around 6:30, too late for a sound check I suppose.  We ended up going to our seats around 7:30.  Before this, we met Jerry and Priscilla (I hope I heard their names correctly!) from Mexico City whom we had met in Houston previously.  I guess they had the same impulse as we did, and had to see more shows!  They are very nice, and they ended up sitting just behind us tonight.

Upon entering, I was comforted to hear the familiar pre-show music.  It really pushed the reality of this in my face...here I am at another show, I never expected to be here!  : )  Soon, Adaigo starts, and we can see the crowd projected on the middle screen from the camera behind Jason's drums.  We had GREAT seats tonight...perfect view.  We were dead center about 20 rows back.  I was so excited because the light show is just amazing from this point of view...you really have to be right in the middle of it to feel it's full effects!  And then they took the stage.  Of course it was still very light outside, and perhaps even more so because there are huge sections on each side of the stage that are open to the sky...it really shines in your face, unlike other amphitheaters we've been in.  It took 4 or 5 songs to get dark.  I think I'll take it song by song from here to help me remember........

OOTW:  I found myself listening to my own advice here, and really concentrating on the words.  It really gets the emotion going for me.  It was a strange feeling, I know I'll hear it again tomorrow, but I'm savoring the moment because I always think it's the last time!  I thought about everyone that could not be here tonight, and I must have chanelled some of you, because I felt it for the first and last time....does that make sense?

Watching Me Fall:  I don't think I have commented on this before....but I just want to say that this song has totally grown on me, as a live performance.  It's much more powerful than on the album.  You can really get lost in the drum pattern, and especially Simon on the bass!  Hope it doesn't sound corny, but it grooves!

Want:  Another one I keep forgetting.  Well tonight, I made a note to remember.  I already love this song to begin with.  If you are in the right emotional place, you can really feel this song, and enjoy the hell out of it.  I can totally identify with this feeling, wanting everything, never being satisfied, the impatience and maybe even greed, but at the same time (for me anyway...) feeling a little hopeless because you usually never get what you want, and are you really trying hard enough to get what you want?, you're getting older, times running out (the hourglass image on screen is perfect), and I don't even know what I want really....it's just a crazy feeling...hopeless!!!!!

Fascination Street:  Happiness and dancing....what a great song, I never tire of it.

Open:  Oh how many times can I review this song....it's just such a personal favorite, I enjoy it every time.

Loudest Sound:  It makes me afraid, it's very sad, listening to the words, and watching the images of the two people on screen.  Very emotional, and the music is beautiful.

Maybe Someday:  I think of Robert wanting and not wanting to continue...you can apply it to your own life easily.  At this point I start to realize I've been selfish worrying about the end of the tour, and wishing I could see every show.  It's drawing to a close for the band as well....and it's plain to see how hard it is for Robert.  After having this thought...I start to pick up on different things as the show continues.....

Like Cockatoos:  This is my moment totally.  It was my birthday wish (one of them anyway)....and it came true!  Thank You so so much!  I couldn't have been happier!  Roger plays such beautiful keys on this.  Robert sang it with much emotion, as he did EVERY song tonight.  It was a lovely performance.

FTEOTDGS:  My throat begins to hurt during this song because I'm singing so loud.  You couldn't help it tonight, Robert was giving so much....you had to sing it with him.  I can hear others around me as well, as I did all night.  We had a great crowd, and it really added to my enjoyment of this evening.

Inbetween Days:  If anyone was still trying to loosen up or might have been sitting down...this really got things going.  You can't help but love hearing this, it's full of energy.

Emotion will build continuously from this point on.

Sinking:  This is one of the best moments in the set.  You have already heard the descriptions....I couldn't help but stare at Robert on the screen even though I could see him pretty well from where I was standing.  He really knows how to play up to the camera during this.  He stares right at the camera in the end....and you'll swear he looked at you.  If you feel any connection to the song, it's a powerful moment, to share that feeling with him.  Everyone around seemed to be singing along....I was so emotional during this....looking at the image, and the water, that I felt I was floating above myself, and all the people were inside my head, singing with different voices...it was some sort of schizophrenia!  That is what this music, and powerful performance can induce!  I am insane at this point...hahaha

The Kiss:  I was still recovering from Sinking when Robert announced that this is a song that "takes a lot out of me".  And then it began, and it was all screaming and yelling around us.  Every instrument is perfect at this moment...they perform this so wonderfully.  Robert puts so much into the guitar playing during this, and it builds and builds....you never want it to stop...then "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" we're all screaming!  "....So swollen, like poison......." he switches the lyric, then he seems to loose it here and shouts "Fuck my brains out" as he trails off, WOW.....we are all thinking!  It is a totally powerful song, and it couldn't get any better.

100 Years:  You know the lighting is GREAT on this.  It's one of my favorite songs...I get so emotional...my eyes can't stay focused, and the lights are churning, and the images are shifting...it literally puts you in a trance that you cannot escape.  It's such a strong performance.

End:  "She stopped loving me" again.  I love the black and white spiraling image behind the band combined with the colored lights...interesting effect.  Robert's emotions are continuing to build.........

39:  Continues the emotional theme......

Bloodflowers:  They performed this well tonight, again...I love the guitars harmonizing together.  I identify with the song so much, I can't escape these emotions tonight....you want to cry....

They exit the stage, and I will mention again, the crowd was great....all clapping and screaming and cheering...come back they demand!  : )  At this point, as with each show, I wonder about the encore...it could be anything .....

Plainsong:  Ahhhhhh...yes!  I'm anticipating what could follow this already.   Before the song started, Robert mentioned they had done some debating.  Good choice!  What a great song, it does take you back.  I can't mention enough how emotional this is all becoming....we feel we are going to burst......

And then we do!...........

Same Deep Water As You:  I feel so incredible at this moment, to hear it once again.  My favorite on this album.  It means so much to me.....I'm swept away!  Thank you Robert!

Disintegration:  This was the absolute best I have ever heard this song performed.  You just had to be there!  If we thought Robert was giving himself to us before...we had NO IDEA!  He seemed to struggle with his voice a bit, but it added something magical to the delivery.  The words seemed to come from a different place tonight...it was deeper, completely aggressive....almost hot with the emotion.  He grabs the mic and clutches it in both hands, you think he will bite it off as he gets through the verse, he swings it over his shoulder....attacks the strings for the solo, jerks the mic back down for the last bit......"....always...always....always.....always......".....we are all screaming and this time you think HE will burst..."Is!!!!!!"  He has to turn away from us, it's too much!  I thought he would cry (and I'll bet he did).  He regains control, and then faces us again to say thank you, and then hastily exits as he's been doing so much.  (Ahhhhhhgggggg.....I felt it, I really really did, and it was too much!)

And now we are reeling.......what will come next?  By now many people in front of us decide to leave, so we hop about 5 or 6 rows to get ourself closer to this growing intensity, I feel so drawn........

All Cats Are Grey:  Yes!  You have to understand...when I hear this, I just die!  Before the European tour started, Craig and I listed a few songs for fun that we would love to hear on the tour, but seriously thought they would never play.  This made my list (as well as Open, Sinking, and others) so it just amazes me each time I hear it.  (Great job Roger...I wish I could play as you do!)  It sounds so beautiful.  Robert actually did a little dance facing Jason after singing the lyric.  He danced earlier as well, but I can't remember what song.  (He "acted" out every song so well tonight....he was giving us everything.)

Drowning Man:  We begin to realize that this show is rivaling New Orleans in our minds...it's just amazing.  Robert leaves these words in my mind..."Dreaming like the drowning man".....

Faith:  I am seriously connecting to Robert's emotions tonight....he's so open and vulnerable and honest...he's not hiding anything from us tonight.  This was a seriously wonderful performance of this song tonight.  Robert can take you from one place to a completely different one with the switch of just ONE WORD.  "With nothing left but Faith" becomes "with nothing left but LOVE" and I can't explain to anyone how I'm feeling now.  He also added many words in the usual place, and I was struggling so hard to understand them all.  What I did hear, I feel like I want to keep for myself because it felt like I was witnessing a private moment.  I'll leave it at that.

And now we have reached the final encore.....anticipation is high.  They paused so long after coming back out, I had no idea what was about to happen........

Jupiter Crash:  Ok......My moment #2.  I have never been so happy.  (Why can't that be an everlasting experience?)  I'm absolutely floating.....thank you thank you thank you!  It is my favorite WMS song.  I love this story.  For me, it represents one of my inner feelings, much like I explained with Want.  This feeling can be about more than love perhaps....but really it's just about the unbelievable feeling of a fateful moment, wanting it to last, it eventually ends (like always)....and the empty confused feeling that remains.  I loved hearing this live and swimming in those feelings.  It is such a beautiful song....especially the accoustic guitar.

Lovesong:  Just plain emotion!  Wonderful!  A highlight was when Robert said "You make me feel like I am me
again".

Just Like Heaven:  Don't mind hearing this because it's interesting to see the other half of the crowd come alive!  You've got to love these poor fools....they are honestly ENJOYING this song even though they didn't know any of the other ones! hahaha  I'm telling jokes, but really, I just love to watch the crowd, and observe the band observing the crowd.  : )

A Forest:  Ahhhh the end.  : (  A good performance by Simon....he really slammed the bass at the end.  I enjoyed this, but it was sad as I knew it was the last song.

They exited, and I must say, I think the crowd did a great job trying to get just a bit more.  They were so loud.  It just felt so good to have such a great show, a participating and deserving audience, and an overwhelmingly emotional ride.  I put this show right up there next to my personal favorites; Dallas and NO 1.

We left immediately after saying goodbye to Jerry? and Priscilla?.  They were so much fun to share part of the experience with....we were all screaming the words so loud together at times...and we traveled so far to be there.

We had a bite to eat among many Cure concert goers at Steak and Shake down the road...headed back here to the room...and you know the rest......now it's way past time for bed!

I look forward to tomorrow (but not the drive!).  Talk to you once again.......
Nadine

Saturday 6/10/00 Detroit, MI

We are sitting in the airport in Chicago, waiting to catch our flight home in about an hour from now, so I thought I would get this ready for posting when we get there.  It's Sunday, around 3pm now.  I'll quickly fill you in starting with yesterday's trip to Detroit.  We left the hotel on our way there around 9AM....I noticed many "cure cars" still in the lot when we left....I guess you all were still sleeping.  We wanted to get an early start.  It's about a 5 hour drive, but it took us longer since we stopped in Benton Harbor, MI at the Wal-Mart like I said we would.  We were in search of bargain bin cd's for the remainder of the drive there, and the drive back today.  We ended up getting some 80's stuff....you can always count on finding something like that!

I really enjoyed the drive over....it was beautiful.  We didn't go through Detroit...we took 69 to 75 to hopefully bypass traffic.....it ended up that when we arrived, there was a huge area right before Sashabaw Rd. where they were merging all lanes in to one, and it literally took us a 1/2 hour to get through it!  After that we went straight to our hotel in Auburn Hills....I think it was called Extended Stay or something like that.  It's much like the place we stayed at in Houston, Crossland.  It's like economy suites....too bad we were only there for a few hours!  We quickly got ready since it was almost 5, then headed over to Pine Knob.  I was thankful that there were many trees there compared to Tinley Park.  We needed shade!  So we waited awhile, and then headed in to get to our seats.

Tonight, I must tell you, we had amazing seats again!  We were in the left section right next to center...in the front row!  This would be our first front row experience of the tour.  As soon as Adaigo started we got up and stood at the barricade.  My god, I couldn't believe we were so close!  Soon after, the band arrived on stage and OOTW began.  This was so strange!  Being that close, you can turn around and get almost the same perspective as the band.  You can see the whole crowd....and let me tell you, this place was packed!  I was glad so many people showed up on time.  It was sold out.  The theatre was a bit smaller than I imagined....it reminded me of a medium Lakewood Amphitheatre (Atlanta) if that makes any sense.  It was during this moment, checking out the crowd, that I saw the 2 girls with the Figurehead sign way in the back.  That paid off for you guys later!

I wanted to share my feelings about being in the front row, if you have never experienced it.  I love it.  Craig feels a bit differently, he likes to be at least 10 rows back.  I share that feeling as well, because it's good to get a broader perspective....but if you are able to see more than one show....front row is definitely a great experience.  I suppose everyone would like that opportunity for different reasons...but for me, it's getting the chance to witness the band's interaction with each other while performing.  It's the way they glance at each other with knowing stares.  I mentioned this before.  The only problem with being up there is the fact that we are so shy!  When you're back lost in the crowd, you can dance around, make any face you want....there's bit more freedom.  In the front....I felt shy, because they can see you too!  I didn't want to get caught looking like some sort of dancing fool, but at the same time, I didn't care because I was just so happy to hear the music.  It just takes awhile to loosen up.  I think it's the same for the band on stage....you will notice them relaxing as they get further into the set.

I won't review song by song this time.....I'd just like to point out highlights I remember.  The first thing that comes to mind is the Shake Dog Shake/Maybe Someday mix-up.  Jason started SDS when he was actually supposed to start MS.  It was funny...I've never seen them move so quick!  Robert had to switch guitars....Roger didn't have the keyboard ready for it....they scrambled....Simon had the craziest look on his face, and of course he started laughing...but they caught up and pulled it off!  Before starting MS next Robert went to the mic and said something like "any suggestions as to what we should do next.....Maybe Someday???", directing this towards Jason.  This got a laugh from everyone in the band.

To continue with what I mentioned before about The Figurehead, early on in the set, Roger gave the thumbs down sign to them...I wonder if they could see....and of course he meant that there would be no Figurehead.  Ahhh...I was hoping to hear it one more time!  Things would change......

After Snakepit....Robert  referring to his recorder/flute said, "that has to be my best instrument...it's right up there with Roger's tambourine".  : )

If Only Tonight...: I enjoyed watching Roger play on this...as well as many other songs.  He makes the strangest faces, and it makes you wonder what he's thinking.  I wish his keys were louder on this, because I enjoy his style.  I'm glad I could get a clear view of him finally....but this is because I play the keyboard as well (extremely amateur!).  I wish I could see this as well as you can see Robert playing the guitar.  Roger gets to hide up there a little.  Anyway...he is fantastic!  : )

Another thing I would like to mention is that I think Perry was playing very well tonight.  I like the way he watches Robert playing solos.  And sometimes he's over there in his own world.  I noticed this during 100 Years....during the solo, they were each concentrating so hard on their individual part, and they were playing so well.  They really have this song mastered.

Another memory....Roger was the first to come back on stage for the first encore....but everyone was a bit behind him.  They finally arrived and he held his arms up at them...like a where are you, get out here motion....they laughed and Robert went to the mic to say "Roger is preparing for his post-cure solo career!"

It was great to see Perry and Roger play on Trust.  Roger made strange faces like he wasn't happy with the sound or something.  I thought it sounded beautiful...good job!

Robert was quite emotional on Disintegration just as the night before....but it can't compare.  Overall, the emotional level would be hard to match.  Chicago was just so intense!  It was nice to see the expressions on his face so clearly tonight.  If you relate to the words he's singing, you will agree that every word is written on his face.  He is so dynamic and inspiring to watch.  You should also pay close attention to his guitar playing.  He is one of the best in my opinion, he delivers so much emotion through this as well....so combined, it's amazing.

Well....as for the next encore....as they came out...Simon pointed out The Figurehead sign to Robert....he came to the mic and said something about reading the signs and actually responding (I can't remember the exact quote)....and then we were blessed with hearing it.  I was very happy to hear it one more time, and it was a nice surprise....thanks to the people with the sign!

On a side note, we got an e-mail from someone asking if we were the ones with the Chain Of Flowers sign....and no, it wasn't us.  We're too shy to draw that much attention!  I didn't see it however, wish I could have.  People are going to think we're paying for advertising! haha

Back to the encore....after Figurehead....Pornography!!!  I swear it is so good.  I like the way the red/white lights twirl with the music as it builds....not as overwhelming as 100 Years....but very good.  Great drums during this as well.  While I'm mentioning that, Jason is also adding a drum fill in 100 Years that I like very much.  I kept forgetting to mention it previously.  I really can't explain it...you would just have to listen for it.  If you know the drum track well....you can't miss it, it stands out.

And then the third encore....when Roger grabs the tambourine, you know what to expect.  They really didn't have time for anything else.  It was fun....although I prefer more emotional rare songs, I can't help but being taken in by the crowds response to this.  Killing An Arab was great tonight.  I like the "feel the steel butt jump" part...it just explodes!

Overall, this was a very good show.  I had trouble judging the crowds reactions tonight....but I'd say it wasn't bad.  Not as good as in Chicago the night before, but still very good.  It's all about where you are located in the crowd.  We get so many different points of view in the reviews, it's great that we have the opportunity to share with each other, and remember what we might forget.

I'll wrap up the review by saying I was very happy to have this opportunity.  I love to observe, and sharing that space for 3 hours so close was an experience I won't forget.  They each have their unique personalities, and it's good to see them together doing what they do best.  With the emotion of Chicago, and the fun and excitement in Detroit....combined, this weekend was incredible.

We would like to give a special thank you to Roger for making this night so special for us.  He was nice enough to give us the setlist during Boys Don't Cry (rather than making his paper airplane!) and we really appreciated it.  A good addition to our collection of memories!  : )

And now to end our story....I am home again, it's after midnight....this has been a long exhausting journey home.  I typed up half of this in Chicago, but had to board the plane....ran out of battery power as well.  We had a nice drive from Detroit to Chicago today.  To fill you in on our stress, as we checked in for the flight, they told us it might be cancelled due to weather in Texas.  We had a connecting flight in Houston to catch.  Well we made it there, past the rain but our connection was delayed coming from Dallas....so we sat in the airport for quite awhile.  Let me just say that we finally arrived here at our door at 11:30pm!!  We are trying to get all the reviews up now...sorry for the delay everyone...we just had no time.  It sounds like everyone had a great time.

We had a blast....it was so great that we are having a hard time accepting that this would be our last show!  Hmmmmmmm...............   : )

I really must go now....have to be up for work early in the morning.  I hope everyone enjoys the shows this week...I miss it all so much.  Thanks again for reading.
Nadine

Saturday 6/17/00 Columbia, MD

I must say, I really didn't think I would be experiencing this again!  Here I am in our hotel room, in Maryland, after another wonderful Cure show.  I will begin with our journey.....

We caught a flight today around 11:30 to Baltimore...it was delayed an hour....we are having strange luck with our flights lately!  I really didn't like this flight today...it was extremely bumpy, and the plane was smaller than I expected it to be.  Well, we arrived, rented a car, and came straight to our hotel.  We seem to be in some kind of strip/outlet mall area...it reminds me of parts of Orlando.  I have also noticed that the weather followed us again.  What is going on?  It's extremely humid, and it was quite hot today.  Something strange is happening...it doesn't seem fair!  haha

We arrived later than we expected so we had just enough time to get ready and head over to the show.  It's very beautiful here....I love all the trees.  It may sound funny to some people but I've just been in the city too long!  That's one thing I can thank The Cure for...I have been able to travel to some nice places I wouldn't have gone to until I was old traveling around in an RV or something!  I have realized that even though this is all very tiring if you're not used to it....I love to travel.  Everything about it.  The hotels, the airports, the rental cars, it's so exciting to me, such an escape.  Blending that with going to all the shows is truly magical to me, something I always wanted to do, but couldn't do for any other band but The Cure!

We headed over around 6:30 and when we arrived to park, I noticed it was quite muddy, it had been raining, but just stopped.  I really felt for the people that would be on the lawn tonight.  It may sound bad however....but I think it would have been cool if it had continued to rain.  It didn't however....but it remained so humid, I felt as if I were back in the swamp.  (I don't actually live in a swamp...but living in New Orleans, and coming from Florida...I know humidity when I feel it!)

As beautiful as the surroundings were tonight...this place was strange.  It was a smaller amphitheatre....and my first impression was that I was attending a performance at a state fair....or some kind of circus tent.  Does that sound crazy?  It was just so different than what I've seen everywhere else.  We were sitting about 20 rows back tonight on the right side facing the stage.  Not a bad view....but I wanted to be closer.  I think I'm spoiled after Detroit!  On the plus side, the sound is much better when you're further back...it sounded great tonight.

We had about an hour to wait after we were seated, so we just passed the time wondering about the setlist, people-watching, realizing we are in Maryland (who would have thought?), and then finally it was time.  They came on right after 8 tonight....and it was OOTW.  I'm getting my first impressions of the crowd at this point....it was filling up nicely....and was eventually packed.  Not a bad crowd.  I really wasn't too concerned with it tonight for some reason.  I wanted to concentrate on the show.  I found myself trying to notice things I may have missed at the other shows.  I thought about writing this journal entry, and what I would talk about.

It is really hard to write this review tonight.  I thought the show was extremely well performed.  I have talked about the songs so many times by now, I'll want to just point out things I remember for you.

I remember Robert getting hung up on his guitar after setting it down at one point, and Roger and others coming to help him.  He made it to the mic finally, and said "Thank You!"  Really cute.

Before Prayers For Rain Robert said... "I can appreciate the irony of this next song" (referring to the threat of rain again tonight) ....and then as it started he said something like "don't pray too loud!".

I felt that Roger and Simon's performance on Sinking really stood out tonight....just as it has at every show....I think I just noticed it more tonight.  This song just has the greatest bass line.  Don't forget the keys....Roger does so well on this...you can really get lost in it.

FTEOTDGS:  Robert added extra lyrics towards the end....dropping the "just as I'm breaking free" bit and adding something like "I know it's the last time I'll take you here" etc....it was hard to make out....not an exact quote.

All Cats:  Robert announced, "This is a song we don't play very often but I wish that we did..."  Beautiful as always...can't get enough of it!  A song I can't believe I'm hearing every time it's played.

Faith: During the extra lyric spot all I could make out was "Everything I have, (would or will?) be gone, Everything I am, will be gone..."  He also said "love" rather than "faith" at the end.  It was a very good version....but it felt strange with its placement in the show.

Like I said...no song by song tonight.  They were video taping this show tonight...and there were no displays...so I wonder what it will be used for.  I know my thoughts seem random at this point, but I am very tired, and I feel so strange tonight.  I think I will have more to say about tomorrow's show.  I don't want to give the wrong impression because it was a great show...but there were no big surprises for me...and I had pretty much predicted this set earlier in the day.  I didn't see how anything better could follow such a wonderful set last night in Holmdel.  I really wish we could have made it to that show!  So tonight we expected the pop set...but still had hope! haha

I was a bit dissapointed that they ended 15 minutes before 11 tonight!  I felt we deserved a longer main set perhaps.  I really thought we would get The Kiss or The Snakepit at least!  It just seemed too short.  So at the end of the show....everyone was screaming....the third encore had just ended...we still have time....and they did leave the lights down so much longer than they ever have at the end....Robert didn't even say goodnight...I thought for sure they would come back out for a fourth....but no!  : (

If they were debating on a song to come back out with...I think Wrong Number could have worked!  At least one more song...that's what tonight needed.  But that's ok...it was still a great show.  I had a great time.  It was hard tonight because I had to realize some of the songs I was hearing....they won't do tomorrow, so it was the last time I would hear them.  Open, Sinking, Drowning Man, All Cats...maybe more...it was hard.  I don't want to bum anyone out...but it's sad!  And somehow, even though I know tomorrow is our last show...for real this time...I can't help but think that I will see them again.  It may be wishful thinking....but I think they have a good thing going here!

Well....it's time for bed, we have a short drive to Camden tomorrow....actually we're staying in Philly (I'm excited, another new place) so I must get some rest.  I want to save all my emotion, every memory I can record, everything for tomorrow.

Please make it good tonight........Nadine

Sunday 6/18/00 Camden, NJ

Ahhh....here it is, my final Dream Tour journal entry....(sniff sniff).....
Our day before the show:  We finally got some sleep for once yesterday since the drive to Philly wasn't too long.  We did some shopping in Maryland, had lunch...and then it was off to PA/NJ.  One thing I'll mention is that I think Maryland is absolutely beautiful!  It's been a long time since I've felt drawn to a place that I've visited.  (Last time was New Orleans...and look what happened....I moved here.)  It may be that I haven't been to enough states up North....but I just loved the scenery!  I know when I get older I will want to move North, not just for the trees...but hopefully for cooler weather....which you all know by now we missed this time.  Like I said...we brought the weather with us!

We finally got to our hotel in downtown Philadelphia around 4:30, after having fun with the one way streets and lack of parking.  So the routine continued...we rushed to get ourselves ready....and it begins to storm outside.  I like a good thunderstorm...but I didn't like getting soaked running through the streets trying to get to the parking garage when we were headed over to NJ.  I'd also like to now mention that we have never paid more than we did on this part of our trip in tolls and parking!  It was ridiculous!  The rain stopped just as we arrived at the E-Centre so we headed straight in.  We had about an hour till 8 at this point.  We were delighted to realize we had great seats for our final show.  (There's that word again....final.)  We were about 20 rows back I think....center.

Before the show, we were happy to meet Flor and German (Pink Pig), whom we've corresponded with frequently in the past.  It was good to talk about the completion of the project, their experience getting the sets to the band, and all their hard work.  We are looking forward to receiving our copy soon, and we'll let you all know what we think.  After chatting with them for a bit...it was about time for the show to begin.  And here it was again...Adaigo.  Much more emotional for me this time...the last time I will hear it like this I was thinking.  Soon the band took the stage, and my heart soared.

OOTW:  I thought I experienced this so intensly in Vegas when I actually thought that was my last show.  I never imagined how it would ache inside me.  It was really the last time, and it meant so much at that moment.

Watching Me Fall:  Simon plays his gold bass on this.  Once again...I enjoyed it so much more than previous shows, it got better for me as the tour continued.  I think they really do well on this... so much intensity from Robert.

Want:  "I'll never really get more hope, or anymore time."  My favorite line...I was feeling this so much.

Fascination Street:  You could feel the crowd waking up a bit.  They always do a great job on this...it's the kind of song you can never get tired of hearing...live or otherwise.  While I'm mentioning the crowd...it wasn't THE greatest of crowds...but I really didn't care..I tuned everyone else out anyway.

The Last Day of Summer:  Robert seemed more emotional on this one.  When he introduced the song, he said "This is called The Last Day of Summer, and I hope it isn't."  Very beautiful to hear once more.

Where the Birds Always Sing:  The images on the screen really affected me towards the end...they follow the lyrics, and I'm guessing here, but you see what I believe are tarot card images...the lovers, the sun, and finally the fool..."where nothing ever dies".  Can't explain what that means to me...but it brought tears to my eyes.

Maybe Someday:  I couldn't help but think that today is my "maybe someday".  Maybe someday is the last time, or maybe someday is the end, or  maybe someday is when it all stops....or maybe someday always comes again!  I can only hope so...because I think that this was a great tour, so many great shows, so many fond memories.  But if it's the end....it was PERFECT.

Strange Day:  Great surprise.  Robert said something like "I (don't know-or how) did this creep in here."  I can't ever really remember his exact words...sorry!  But anyway....I was so happy to hear this one final time.  It was also refreshing after last night's predictable set in Columbia.

FTEOTDGS:  Perry's guitar solo actually made me cry.  I have no idea why at this point.  This has always been one of my favorite live songs.  I was having many personal thoughts I can't explain, and also thinking about a reoccurring theme in many of these songs...about things ending, people leaving, many other things.  I guess it all hit me at that moment...and I was also realizing how lucky I have been to experience all of this.  So many emotions at once, it just took something over inside of me.

Inbetween Days:  Not much to say about it....it was hard to get into after my feelings on the previous song...it was like switching gears.  I actually couldn't get this song out of my head the night before.  By the end, it cheered me up.  : )  Ok....who went balloon crazy in here tonight?  : )

Snakepit:  Robert mentioned that he would get to play his favorite instrument!  This was quite an experience.  I don't think I had paid enough attention to the images and the lights before.  There's slithery creatures, and blurry colors...and I could have sworn I saw fingernails or toenails in there somewhere!  I really enjoyed the twirling green lights that get right in your face...such a great song.  Everything on Kiss Me is great live.

Shake Dog Shake:  Hah!  Didn't think we'd get to hear it again!  I love it!  Robert likes to drag out the "shhshhhshhssh shake" at the end.  He also did the "hah hah hah" in the beginning.

Shiver and Shake:  YES!  KISS ME KISS ME KISS ME!  I was just so excited.  I think I hurt myself jumping around when I realized what it was.  I just love these intense moments.  I love to feel love...but I love to feel the anger in a song like this.  What that means is...I like to release that emotion as well...and you really can during this song obviously.

100 Years:  Great.  Absolutely great.  These 4 songs back to back really worked well.  I thought it was a bit too slow...or maybe it was just me trying to freeze time again!  I enjoyed it regardless.

39:  One of the best performances of this song in my opinion.  It's really missing that one guitar part that I wish was there....but it actually lets you concentrate on Simon's bass.

Bloodflowers:  Emotional, beautiful, moving.  Robert lets the "flowers" fall from his hand at the end.  I was having a rough time during this...the end of the main set was very sad.  I looked forward to the encores...but it's closer to the end you know.

Cold:  Ok...here we go....I was so excited!  Such an emotional ride for me.  Give me anything from Pornography and I will be happy!  : )

Figurehead:  What did I say last night?  It was perfect.  I want to say it's my favorite song...that's so hard, but I can't stop thinking that.  It means something I can't explain.

Pornography:  Love the drums...it's tribal.  Perfect encore in my mind.  I never thought I would enjoy this song so much.  They really perform this well...have I said it before?  : )

Jupiter Crash:  You know I love this.  Beautiful images, absolutely wonderful accoustic guitar, I can't say enough about Roger's keys....and Simon's bass line!  Ahhhgggg heaven!

M:  You can't help but love seeing that GIANT M on the screen...what does it mean? hahaha

Play For Today:  Ok....I know it's not mandatory to sing along with Roger....but I did it anyway.  It's too much fun.

Just Like Heaven:  The same thing happens for me at every show during this.  I can't help but watch the insane crowd.  (What were you all doing during the main set? hehe)  This also makes me realize how I hate to conform....I'll go crazy during every song half the crowd doesn't know, and I love thinking "Hahaha, this is MY song, not yours!  ...but the popular songs quiet me down.  I'm all too aware at how goofy we all look at this point, and it makes me laugh....then I give in and join them, because it's just such a great song, you can't resist having fun during this.  Sorry if that sounds confusing.

A Forest:  Robert dragged it out a bit longer than usual this time....and I enjoy Simon's moment at the end.  He seems to beat his bass harder with every show.
(I had a personal memory of my favorite ex-club in Orlando (Visage....does anyone remember?) and going there with my best friend.  You could always bet on hearing great Cure songs there.  They would play this and put on these green lights that would shine up in your face from beneath the stage.  I was taken back there for just a moment tonight.)

I also started thinking....how are they going to end this show?  There's still one more encore.  I really had thought it would end with this tonight....so I think I knew at this point what to expect...........

Boys Don't Cry:  I enjoyed it, but really didn't think they would end with the same encore at 2 shows only hours apart.  I think Robert is saving it all up for Tuesday night.  I envy all of you that will be there....it should be very emotional.  You will definitely get some great Disintegration songs since we missed them this weekend.

10:15:  Robert said "Sunday night" in the opening lyric.  I do enjoy this song...it feels good to hear it....but I was lightening up....an my personality calls for a sad ending!

Killing An Arab:  You know they are having a great time tonight.  As much as I say I don't prefer the pop encore....I do love hearing this song.  It's just one of those cool moments.  Maybe it's a good thing that I didn't get too sad at my last show............it went out with a bang.

To sum it all up...........It was a great show.  I just can't believe it's over.  And that is really true this time.  If we all ever get the chance again, I'm sure it won't be like this.  It's very hard to find the right words to put this all in its place.  I may be writing this all down, but I'm still lost in it all....remembering things here and there, re-living certain moments.  I'm trying not to let it all fade.  Watching that webcast today brought it all back.  I really hope they captured this well enough for some kind of official release.

I had the time of my life this past month.  I've never done anything like this before, and I probably never will again.  (Until All About Eve gets enough money to tour over here!)  We experienced so many things that will not be forgotten.  Thank you Robert, Roger, Simon, Perry and Jason.  Thank you for making this all so good.

And goodbye to everyone, thanks for sticking with this....it's been fun for me to share.
It's good to be home, extrememly happy from it all, and totally inspired in so many different ways.

Nadine