I am currently sitting in Ohare Airport, gate C11 awaiting the boarding call for my flight to Seattle, the 1st half of my trip to Alaska. So far I’ve not had any real problems getting through security or anything. I did once again forget to remove my cellphone before heading throught the metal detector… Oh well, these things happen.
General
going home
We are currently about mid flight on the flight home. What a wonderful trip.
Now at five hours into the flight Jon pointed out the window. I looked down and the cloud cover had parted and below us was a frozen landscape unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Greenland. Despite the desolation the ice revealed hills and valleys and windswept patters that from this distance just seemed so beautiful.
Just over two hours to go. Except it may be longer or worse. Just a few moments ago the flight attendants asked if there was a Dr on the plane. Seconds later a man passed is with two stewardesses. As I was writing this another stewardess ran past with the AED… This could get interesting. They just announced that they are distributing the customs forms. I suspect we may divert to newark… If that’s the case, this will be the second time I’m visiting Newark with Bounding Main. A member of the flight crew itself headed to the rear of the plane, presumably to assess the situation. Currently our heading is still on track for Chicago so we may still end at our correct destination.
Nope, 1:52 remaining and we have been informed we will be diverting to Toronto. After taking care of the sick passenger we will take off again and continue to Chicago.
It is now 7:04 chicago time and we have arrived in Toronto. We are taxiing into position to allow EMS to retrieve our sick passenger. After that the flight computer is projecting about a 40 minute flight to chicago.
stary port
I’m now at the final bounding main concert in poland this trip. The show is going well. Maggie even got cake from fans, despite asking for a cat! Christie got a coke… Somehow it doesn’t seem quite balanced 🙂 awesome audience though.
We had a guy next to me that picked up on the chorus to “Toss and Roll”, David’s original song and began to sing it in broken english. He just had a look of joy on his face, when I saw that I joined in and he smiled ear to ear. Way to cool!
After “rolling up rolling down” the whole bar errupted into the polish version! Bounding main is definitly a hit!
As I write this line they are on the second encore!
The First was: Health to the Company
Second is Saltpeter Shanty
Third encore! Wow! Farewell to Tarwathee
Now after the show a shanty sing broke out! I have to thank Bounding Main for insisting that I come out from behind the camera and lead one! Holy crap was the the coolest moment ever! I lead, “Long time ago”. Bounding Main quickly joined in, and then before very long so did the whole room full of poles. It was quite cool!
whoops!
So I just fell down the highest viewpoint in krakow. I’m fine aside from being covered in mud. Now on our way to the salt mine!
night show
Opened with toss and roll, the jokes and humor worked well, the audience loved it.
The audience is really receptive to them, lots of laughter and cheering.
Second song is Dean’s solo, “call of the sea”. The audience seems to be trying to find a beat to clap to in it but I see a lot of swaying along so that’s probably good. Audience cheered but not as loud. Honestly it didn’t sound as clear as it should have.
Next up, “hezigon ciscele”. Croud is really clapping along to it, and I swear I hear a lot of them singing along! Cool! Looking down from the balconey I see a LOT of folks singing alon! Oh no! This just in! The weakest link has been used! Christie flubbed a verse!
For not knowing the language they are definity engaging the audiencr very well!
Next up is “green eyed girl” and again the audience is clapping in time and even adding in some complex rhythems in with the clapping?!? Wow!
“Barbershop shantyl” is up now, let’s see how this goes. :-). They gang sounds at the top of their game, the crowd is mostly quiet. I see some folks dancing though… Good amount of applause though.
“Northwest Passage”, let’s see if this is as well received as in germany. The couple in front of me just cuddled in closer to each other. I see again that some folks are singing along. I just had shivers down my spine, I hear the crowd singing along!!! And they just burst into clapping in time and the place is ringing with voices singing along in polish and english! Holy Crap! Wow! Crowd Just broke into northwest passage in polish for Bounding main after the song was over!!!!!!!
“Marching Inland” as a closing encore! 🙂 As expected there are also folks singing along to it. Jons comedy verse is jetting applause with each hammy moment. They don’t know that if they keep it up Jon may never leave the stage 🙂
All costumed performes just took the stage for a group photo op :-).
“Bounding Main was a very pleasure for us”
sunday afternoon show
I’m now at the afternoon traditional shanty show and loving every minute of it.
Tom Lewis just did Marching Inland…
And the wreck of the nancy lee, followed by last shanty. |bn
oh dear…
This could be bad…
The show tonight is supposed to be modern shanties…
Uh… Well Bounding Main prepared their more modern shanties…
The opening act dressed in pirate garb, just started out with a cover of a Green Day song…
They are very rock oriented… Yikes… This could break bad for our troup of Shanty singers…
Next troup is up, and they too are playing rock songs… Yikes!!!
I really fear this is not going to be what this audience is expecting to hear… Rut Ro…
On a side note, I really have got to just fully trust my instincts… As I was leaving the hotel room I found myself drawn to a pair of earplugs I left on the table. I felt the need to bring them and I ignored it. As loud as this is getting, I should have brought them… As a dear friend who is also a pilot is fond of saying: “nothing is so useless as fuel on the ground”. Seems to apply here…
Group number three is now taking the stage and I see an electric bass, accordion. And two accoustic gutairs. I fear they won’t be much different…
Well its not quite full rock, its like country-rock. Oy. Hey song two by this group is actually shanty like! Woooohooo even includes a “Wey Hey” song three by this group is “when Johnny comes marching home again”, Bounding Main may be more fitting if they are up after these guys…
Phew Bounding Main is up now! Massive cheer as they took the stage! Wish em luck!
polish Irish music
The band currently playing is playing irish tunes in polish! I LOVED their version of “Star of the County Down”, they also did a version of Donnegal danny I believe.
saturdays early show
I’m currently at the Saturday earlyer show. Its not a shanty show per say, but rather seems to be a showcase of music that has influenced the people. It was very cool to have heard “St. James Infirmary” done in a mixture of polish and english! Love the song anyway but its so cool to see how music is truly universal. The band started the first few notes and there was a wave of excited murmering from all over the audience, my self included. Here I am 1000s of miles away from home and am able to share the excitement and joy of a great song with a group of strangers who speak a foreign language.
Music, the universal language of the soul.
P.S. Just heard “when the saints go marching in” in polish. Way cool!
Tourists
Today we all met up around 10am local time to have breakfast in the hotel resturaunt. While there we met up with our friend Powel and then later we were joined by the legendary Tom Lewis. After breakfast the group reassembled to do some touring of the city center.
After touring and shopping we returned to the hotel so bounding Main could rehearse for tonights concert at 10 pm.
John's Musings 