Stewart's MD Fest GIZMO performance

[zilboy]

Ok, here's the info. in a nutshell:

Stewart & GIZMO will be performing on Saturday September 16 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. It looks like they are scheduled to go on first, which is 1:00 PM (Remember, this is Eastern Time!!!). All of the really close seats are sold out, so make haste if you want a decent seat. Tickets are only available by phone. Go to www.moderndrummer.com and click on the Festival Weekend 2006 link for more complete info.

[sockii]

Where do you see them listed as being on first? Because I would generally assume, as the biggest name act there, that they'd probably be the final performers.

Mind you, I'd love it if they were first as then I'd know I'd have plenty of time to get back to Philly for the other concert I'm going to that evening...but I don't see an actual time schedule posted anywhere on the site.)

[zilboy]

Maybe they will be last - I don't know. They're listed at the very top of the roster for Saturday. I've never been to an MD Festival weekend before, so I have no idea how the schedule works. I'm guessing that if GIZMO wasn't up first and you didn't want to see the performers before them, you wouldn't have to. In any case, perhaps MD's webite will have more detailed info as things start to become finalized.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I'm thinking seriously of buying a plane ticket for this.

How many usually attend this thing? I had a great time at Bonnaroo this year, but the crowd was so large you couldn't get near the stage, it was standing room only, etc.

[zilboy]

Lots and lots of drummers from all parts of the globe.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

OK, I'm starting to seriously consider buying a ticket to this. It's only 90 bucks for a one-day pass; I have a free ticket on Southwest Airlines [edit: D'OH! Southwest doesn't fly to Newark...I'd have to go to LaGuardia or fly a different airline]; and it'd only be a bit over $100 for a room.

Anyone else (besides Kim, who's already spoken up) going?

(My only consideration is it's the same weekend as my family's annual reunion, and they are going to give me A LOT of grief if I leave town. But, on the other hand, we know of no other stateside Gizmo shows, right...?)

[conroy]

A bunch of us from here and AUI are going and can hopefully meet up. If it's any consolation, I'm sacrificing my mom's new house warming party (there'll probably a lot of relatives there I haven't seen in years and could never see again). There is just too much historical significance for me to not pass this event up (U.S. premiere of Gizmo and, for all we know, possible one and only U.S. appearance ever). Plus, it'll be nice to see Kim and Sockii (I met them last year when we saw Andy Summers perform at Carniege Hall) again along with some other people on AUI with whom I've chatted but never met who plan on going as well.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

VERY tempting. Are folks going to try to sit together? guess that might be a bit of a stretch. I'm on AUI also, I'll slide over there and look up details.

I just did a quick Kayak.com search and I can get a $200 plane ticket. I'm going to float a trial balloon with the fam and see if I can possibly manage not to be here that weekend. If so - Modern Drummer, here I come!!

Should I fly up Saturday and come home Sunday, or are most folks showing up Friday? Anyone know?

[conroy]

I think you might be the only one who is flying in so far. The main caveat about flying in the same day as the show is that this will still be prime hurricane season. Most people that are going live in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. I'm taking the train up from DC that leaves about 8:30 am and arrives at around 11:30 am. The venue isn't too far from there and the New Jersey light rail just opened a line that goes straight to there from the train station. I'm taking a train home that night which doesn't leave until 11:30 am just in case a bunch of us want to do dinner or meet up for drinks after the show.

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I hear you on the hurricane issue. I'm in the habit of buying trip insurance anytime I visit anyplace remotely coastal.

Right now am bugging the hubster to see if he wants to come visit his sister in Hoboken...if not I may just do a quick Saturday/Sunday trip. I've visited NY many times and am no stranger to attending shows alone when it's someone I really want to see, so no big. I realize I need to not dink around much longer on getting a ticket, hotel room, etc., tho.

Used to live in D.C. myself. Was just telling the hub that in some ways I miss it...the annual Fugazi show...seeing everyone for cheap at the Black Cat...the old 9:30 Club...not that we hurt for live music in these parts, but we sometimes don't get the big 'name' acts the East Coast sees.

[Kim]

Conroy,

Who else is going from AUI other than you, Nicole and me?

This thing is going to be FLASH!

Divemistress, ditch the hubby and hang with us!

[Divemistress of the Dark]

I'm getting major - I mean major - league guilt from my mother, who has apparently already promised my guest room to cousins arriving from out of town.

Man...I have this huge family. Sometimes it's really great, but sometimes - like now - it sort of sucks.

(WHY does it have to be THAT weekend?? whiiiiine...there's still hope, but I'm going to have to do some fancy steppin', probably...)

[conroy]

Kim,

James and his brother and Bob from NJ.

[Marshmallow Jones]

I am checking my schedule - not sure. I can actually see NJPAC from my office window, my home is only about 40 minutes north of there...

I am a (self-taught) drummer with almost no time to play my drums(that's what happens when you have young kids), I'm afraid that seeing all these pros will discourage the hell out of me

[sockii]

So, do we have an official sc.net official tally of who all is gonna be there next Saturday? I can't wait!

I managed to resolve my double-show crisis for that day, so my day is free and clear and I'm going with my mom (a fellow fan) and the boyfriend (who hasn't seen Stewart in concert since the Police were at Grendel's Lair in Philly '78--yes, he is a lucky bastard!).