08/15/08 San Mateo, CA: San Mateo Fair

[mybologna]

did he have to shorten the set-list at all? If so, could someone please post the set-list?

[kaffy©]

well I know he didn't do
CBNC
no WBUL
a couple of videos were left out
and no I'll Sue Ya

[Kristine]

My day started bright and early to catch a plane from Orange County to San Jose. My boyfriend, Gavin, picked me up at the airport. We went back to his parents’ house in San Jose to hang out until it was time to leave for the show. We ended up going out to lunch at Mings (Dim Sum) with his mom and brother. Finally, around 3pm, it was time to head up to San Mateo. We got there, parked, and headed to the fairgrounds gate. I asked about Will Call, and the woman at the booth said we had to go to the other gate. So, we walked around to what we thought was the front, but got the same response. Grrr. Finally, third time’s the charm, we found the main gate and had no problems getting our tickets and passes. I’m sorry, but this fair has nothing on the OC Fair. It was tiny, kinda dirty, and honestly pretty boring. I guess I’m spoiled down in So Cal. We didn’t walk around very much. We went straight to where everyone was lining up for GA. I was surprised to find that the stage would be indoors! You’d think a fair would be outdoors, but there’s this huge warehouse on the property. So, we find the line since I didn’t have the premium seats (sold out- no comps left) and, to our surprise, we spot some of Gavin’s friends! We stood in line with them. While we were in line, right about the time they were supposed to open the doors, Jim calls my cell. Apparently, the band arrived a bit later than they expected and they were just now eating and doing sound check stuff. We had to wait outside just a little longer. Meanwhile, these two guys in ‘cowboy riding a horse’ costumes came by to entertain. It’s fun to mess with actors that are supposed to remain in character, so I told one of them that his horse was an unnatural color. To my surprise, the guy actually knew what he was talking about. After that, they finally opened the doors and we power walked in. Wow- that place was HUGE! Gavin and his friends found pretty good seats right by the light/sound boards in the center. I had my photo pass so I went up near the stage so I could take pictures. I said hi to a few people, and I talked to the security guard in front of the stage. I thought I saw Fred up in the stands, but wasn’t totally sure so I didn’t wave or anything. She ended up coming down and introducing herself. Finally, Fun Zone came on and I found a spot on the cold, hard concrete. I should have brought knee pads like I did in San Diego. Ow. The show was awesome- the crowd seemed pretty upbeat (for a GA fair crowd). There weren’t any tech issues and everyone sounded great. Al’s voice seemed a little un-rested during some of the higher songs, but nothing significant. I got some great pictures! I prefer shooting at the larger venues- the fog machine doesn’t get out of control. You can’t really shoot through fog- you just get a grey, flat mess in the image. During the concert, I switched back and forth between Steve’s side and Jim’s side aisle. While I was on Jim’s side, later in the concert, the security guard that I hadn’t talked to came up to me in an attempt to shoo me away. I pointed to the pass and he apologized and went back to where he was standing. A couple minutes later, someone that seemed higher up than the previous guy said approached me. Again, I showed the pass, but he wasn’t 100% convinced I was allowed to sit in the aisle, pass or not. He said he’d go check, and came back a minute later and said I was good. I know it sounds like a hassle, but I really don’t mind because they’re just trying to do their job and they should be checking everyone. The rest of the concert was great. I went back and sat with Gavin and his friends during the encore. Cell phones looked awesome with such a large crowd. I felt a little bad for Gavin because there were two pretty drunk guys sitting behind them. He didn’t seem to mind, though. He had a blast at the concert, and he was happy to be able to catch up with his friends a bit. After the show, we waited around for the aftershow stuff. They let in family first, and a few minutes later let in everyone else. We walked back and said hi to Jim. His wife and a few other family members were there, so he went to talk to them. Gavin and I got in line to meet Al. This was Gavin’s first Al concert, and he had never met a celebrity before. He was very excited. Ruben was hanging out around the line, so we talked to him for awhile. Ruben thought I had colored my hair since I last saw him… I guess it looked different to him. But, I’ve never colored my hair- it naturally gets highlights during the summer, and last time I saw him it was well into fall. We caught up a bit and talked about my school year and such. I took out my camera and was going to have Gavin take one of me and Ruben, but he ended up stealing my camera and taking one of me and Gavin. Then he proceeded to take one of himself… very close up, I might add. He was in one of his playful moods. We waited in line a bit longer, and finally it was our turn to meet Al. I introduced Gavin, and he got his pass signed and I took their picture. I handed the camera to Gavin, and he took one of me and Al. Al said it was nice to see me again, and Gavin told him how great the concert was and that he was a big fan. I enjoyed seeing the smile on Gavin’s face as he talked to Al. Once our turn was over, we went back and talked to Jim for a bit, and then went over and said hi to Jon. Steve wasn’t around. We stayed until the band was leaving. We got home no problem, and we both had a great time at the concert. Yay!

[like_im_27again]

That's funny- I also assumed you had lightened your hair. That's pretty cool to have "color changing" hair! It was nice to see you, and nice to meet Gavin. He's a nice guy!
Vikki

[algonacchick]

Thanks for the detailed review, Kristine. Sounds like it was a fun show, and how great for your boyfriend to have such a nice first concert experience!