Front Row Ain't Always Where You Want To Be

A couple of years back JT was doing the One Man Band Tour and he played several shows around New England. Of course I was at many of them and at one in Vermont I had a front row center seat. As a JT fan, and as someone who loves JT's style of guitar playing, I hit the jackpot with that show! Up close I could see his subtle way of playing and it was a treat. (A dream would be to get a one on one guitar lesson from JT so front row center is about as close as one can get without the actual lesson!)

Prior to the show I had obtained a large promo poster...much like you see at bus stops...it is about 3' x 5' and printed on a fabric like material. It has a huge photo of JT and some dates from a previous tour. Anyways, I have this enormous poster rolled up in a giant cardboard tube and it's so big I can't fit it anywhere under my seat so I lean it up next to the seat.

JT comes out and he's playing a song or two and he keeps looking down at me and this stupid tube! After a song he starts asking "What do you have in there? A fishing pole? A gun? A flag?" In that moment I kinda wish I didn't have a front row center seat! ;)

I explain it's a promo poster and he goes back to singing. At the intermission he comes over and signs it for me.

Soon after I was at both of the Colonial Theater shows where he recorded the One Man Band CD/DVD and at the end of night one he is signing items for fans and I have a small promo poster of the Colonial show and as he's signing it I mention it's much smaller than the other poster. James laughs and says that other poster is vast!

A great time indeed...being put on the spot and all was just a part of it.

I've found that a JT show is so much more than a concert. Getting up to JT to talk guitar playing, or whatever, and without a doubt, meeting other fans...that is a HUGE part of the overall experience. I've been lucky to meet several fans and have seen some of them at many shows. It's a treat to see some of them year after year.