Glass Harp -
Strings Attached
Rob Whitehurst
Well, everyone, I made it home. And I'm dead tired so this won't be long (yea, crowd cheers....).
In lieu of the already great reviews posted of the evening, I'll try to avoid any repetition of comments, but that may be hard. You just want to say "WOW" over and over again!!!
I arrived around noontime on Saturday following a flight from Tampa to Pittsburgh and a short hop to Y-Town.
After picking up my rental car, I found my motel and checked in. I called Neal and we talked for a long time, swapping information on the next days event. I had a message waiting for me from some guy named Rick Anderson and after talking for awhile, we decided to meet at the Hall. Following a short drive into downtown Youngstown, and getting lost a couple of times (forget Mapquest), I managed to find Powers Auditorium, but being early, I decided to drive around for awhile to try to get my bearings.
Back at the hall, I was talking to my wife on my cell phone when this guy with a really big smile walks up to the car. I felt a little vulnerable since I didn't have my pepper spray with me. But then this guy mouths, "Are you Rob" and I mouth back, "you must be Rick" (remember I'm inside the car with the windows up)and I felt a little easier.
Anywho, Rick and his wife Regina, had driven about 50 minutes up to Youngstown to meet with me and I thought that was very nice of them. Rick and I spent the next 90 minutes jawing in front of Powers Aud, much to the chagrin of Regina, who was very patient with Rick and one of his imaginary friends. I did manage to get her out of the car for awhile and the three of us had a nice time dodging the pigeons as they were busy bombing the sidewalk where we stood.
After I left Rick and Regina, I made my way back to the motel, past some beautiful buildings, parks and nice neighborhoods. I imagine Phil went by those very places many times growing up there. It looked like Youngstown had been a cozy place to live back in the 60's and early 70's.
I needed some supplies so I found my way to the local Walmart and when I got back, I had a message from a couple of dudes on my voice mail. Shortly after, I got a call from some guy named Marc, and there was a guy named Neil on the line too, and soon to join us was my new friend Potterick (I found out where that name came from but Rick has sworn me to secrecy).
We all had a nice chat on the conference call and Neil gave us some personal insight into what Phil and the guys were thinking about the next evening's event. The guys also were online at the PKZ chatroom while we were talking and we were trying to figure out how to patch our conversation into the chat. No luck there.
So after a long, informative conversation, we said goodnight. I watched a little television and finally was able to fall asleep.
Sunday morning, I got up in time to eat the continental breakfast at the Comfort Inn and after spending some time prepping my photo gear for the evening, called John Sferra. If you ever get to meet John, you will find that he is one of the nicest human beings on the planet. We had a nice conversation and I kept trying to get off of the phone, knowing he had a big day ahead, but he kept talking and wanting to know about everything. I'm not much of a phone person but it was fun talking with him. We were trying to figure out how to meet that evening and he solved the problem by asking what I was doing that afternoon. I told him I had no plans yet until that night and he invited me to come to the hall after 2, since he would be there then to set up his drums.
I arrived at the hall around 2:45pm and went to the door he had said to, and upond entering the hallway to the stage, instantly recognized the strains to Inseparable drifting through the rafters of this beautiful old classic hall.
There was activity everywhere. Stage hands were busily rushing back and forth, working against the clock to get everything done before that night. I had to move occasionally so as not to get hit in the head with the lighting grids, being lowered in order for the lighting instruments to be aimed.
As Phil, Dan and John stopped and started the song, working out parts and Phil coaching Chris [Queen] on the wonderful B-3 style organ parts and other keyboards he added, the symphony members started to drift in and get their instruments ready, adding to the backstage buzz. Instead of the orchestra being hidden down in the pit like they normally are for a stage show, they were up on risers directly behind Phil, Dan and John, who were set up in the traditional GH stage setting, Phil stage left, John dead center and Dan to his right. Chris was behind Dan, stage right and and gifted guitarist Teddy Pantelas to one side of the orchestra, stage left.
You could feel the excitement in the air as everyone worked toward that 8pm call. Not wanting to be a distraction, I hung back behind the curtains stage right, still getting in the grip and electrics ways and having to keep apologizing to everyone. But all were very polite and I finally found a place behind a side fill cabinet to stand and watch.
I can't tell you what it was like. Words just don't work here. Now, I've seen Phil many, many times in the last 26 years, solo, duo and in various ensembles, and he was great in all. But here they were, where it all started for me. Where I was first introduced to his music.
They went over several songs, having a great time with each other. You could see that they are close; joking, goofing, playing off each other the way old friends do, and all the time, working out the songs for the last time before the show.
The members of the orchestra had all arrived and were ready to do their rehearsal, so the guys decided to take a break while the string section tuned. John walked over and when he saw me (I had described myself to him as a mix between Danny Bonaducci and Chuck Norris), he broke into a big smile as we shook hands. I tell ya, not a nicer guy on the planet (except for Phil, maybe). We talked for a long time and I asked him how it was going. He said he was a little nervous about the night and I told him not to worry, that they were going to perform for 2400 friends and family and that they will love anything he does. He smiled even wider and thanked me for the encouragement (such a nice guy!!!).
We talked some more and this long haired guy with a big smile (everyone was smiling) came over and joined the conversation. He said his name was Chris and I asked him what he did. He said he was John's drum tech and he introduced me to his aid, Nick. We all talked for awhile and John left and came back with what is now a prized possession, my back stage pass.
As I was telling Chris about jumping out of Police cars and dodging bullets, a young man in a beret comes over and stands next to me and joins the conversation. Yes, it is Phil and he is in a good mood and great form. We talk about remembering dates and not remembering names. I told him it was happening to all of us his age and he smiled and took notice. I introduced myself and gave him a hint to remembering my name (red and Rob, both three letter words that start with "R"). He liked that but from then on called me Red Rob! Oh well. We spoke and joked briefly and he continued on toward his break. You could tell he was looking forward to the concert. We all were.
In a short while, the guys were back, ready to rehearse with the orchestra. John came back over and I asked if it was okay to take some pictures and he said yes so I started to photograph the rehearsal. They began to run through the songs with the strings and horns and I couldn't believe what it sounded like. I walked around backstage and all around the hall, stopping to listen, snapping pictures, listening some more, more pictures, but I couldn't keep from just sitting there and watching the musical magic that was being created on stage.
John came out in the audience as the strings worked on a part and wanted to know how it sounded. I tried not to sound stupid but I had to tell him it sounded great! He said he was still a little nervous because they hadn't played for a hometown crowd in 28 years. Dan came out and sat behind us. Now here's another really nice guy (have I said that enough) and as a bass player, I'm usually pretty tough on guys who play the bottom. But as I sat and listened to this guy, the mountains of grove that came from this brother were a shear pleasure to experience. Man, he makes the air move!
It was getting close to 6:30pm and I had promised to meet with Marc McCune and Neil out front. As I rounded the corner, I spotted a guy that had to be Marc. He saw me coming and we exchanged greetings.
As Marc has described already, I walked by a guy who I suspected to be Neil after I overheard him say to one in his company something about how great the band had sounded Friday. Knowing that Neil had spent the day with the boys, I thought that it was him, so after Marc and I had talked some, I walked over and stood behind him but did not say anything yet. Neil was reading the article in the Youngstown paper on Glass Harp and I just listened until he was finished. Now here's another nice guy, (man, they were everywhere). He introduced me to his lovely wife, Shelby, and then to his party. I told him Marc was here and signaled Marc to join us. We all talked for awhile and then it was time to go inside. There was to be an informal gathering before the concert out in the lobby where you could get refreshments but everyone was crowed around the tables of goodies for sale. I managed to snag a "WSA" (With Strings Attached) t-shirt before they were all gone and Marc got a cd.
List lurker Jeff Mason found us just as Rick showed up and we all gathered once again before heading into our seats. The air was electric with anticipation and there wasn't an empty seat (except for the 8 without a view) in the hall.
Actually there were a few empty seats. Outside, there were several people who had extra tickets from family and friends that couldn't make it at the last moment or who were sick, so if you live in the area, you could have come and gotten in, but who knew?
The evening from here on has been described in detail so I'll not try to rewrite it. I'll do that for the review I've been asked to write for Christian Musician Magazine. ( http://www.christianmusician.com/home.html )
But I will say this, it was unbelievable!!! Better than I anticipated. I had never been able to see Glass Harp before they split up and had always regretted it, being that their music was so important to this once very young Christian who had been saved off of the street, out of bar bands, and wanting to do something with that gift that had been entrusted to me. There were many dark days during which I wondered if I would even make it, and was lifted out of the mire through the music made by these three men. Songs like The Answer, David & Goliath, Do Lord, Can You See Me, etc. I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss this opportunity, not knowing if I would ever get it again.