four seasons in one day.

This past Saturday, around 2 PM I was lounging on a plastic Adirondack chair hosting a tag sale. I had made a solid $5.30, but at least the weather was beautiful and the bloody marys that Brian kept serving had that perfect balance of citrus and spice. Philip calls to say that we have just been invited to open for Crowded House that evening at the Calvin Theater! We would do a duo opener, replacing Neil Finn’s son who wasn’t feeling well. I’ve been a Crowded House fan for years. “Fall at Your Feet” and “Four Seasons in one Day” are songs that pop into my head frequently, leaving me no choice but to sing them passionately and at a very high volume.

Fast forward to 5:45 and we’re at the venue, noting two huge semis and a tour bus. We walk backstage and are greeted by the band’s tour manager who thanked us for coming out on such short notice and let us know when our sound check would begin. I immediately noticed how friendly everyone in their crew is and my nervousness fades. Philip and I concur that there is something overtly great about New Zealanders.

The lights on stage at the Calvin were literally the brightest and hottest I have ever experienced. I felt like every pore was exposed which was a hard thing to forget about in front of 1000+people. I don’t think I felt at ease until “Broken Arm” which was about 4 songs into our set, but after that I settled in and was able to enjoy the fact that I was singing in such a beautiful theater to a lovely and appreciative crowd. Afterwards, Neil Finn and Mark Hart made a point to say that they enjoyed our set with was pretty amazing. Most headliners don’t pay much attention to their openers so it meant a lot. Did you know that Mark Hart used to play with Supertramp?!

We watched most of the show and I was surprised at how many songs I recognized. I had forgotten that the radio station I listened to in high school played a lot of Crowded House. It was a great show- the stage design and change overs were exciting to watch and the sound was big and dynamic without being slick. Neil was in great voice and there was much singing along from the crowd. It was a wonderfully unexpected show to be a part of. Thanks to Brendan for thinking of us.