Sorry about the delayed posting on the concerts, I came back to work only to find that someone had messed with my computer, my hard drive was totally wiped out and I lost everything on it. It took a couple of days, but I think things are slowly getting back on track again, "slowly" being the operative word here, since the computer's still running on a Pentium I chip (yes, there are still those around, believe it or not).
Amagansett is a small town, just a few hours away from Manhattan by train. I was with my friend Agnes, and we arrived late in the afternoon, which gave us plenty of time to just wander around and get our bearings right. We located the Stephen Talkhouse quite easily, and from the outside, we could hear Suzanne singing lines from "Harbor Song". It was totally enthralling, and I couldn't believe that I was actually in the same town that she's in, and that I will be seeing her perform live in just a few hours.
We went inside the Stephen Talkhouse a little after 7 pm, and there were already quite a number of people who have settled in and were nursing their drinks. It's a really cosy place, very intimate, with tables and seats pushed right up to the front of the stage. Where I was sitting, I had a great view of Suzanne.
The show started a little later than scheduled, around 8.30 pm. Suzanne looked terrific, dressed all in black - lacy blouse, black pants, long black jacket, and leather boots. Her skin is like porcelain, and she positively glowed. She addressed the audience and bantered with them, asking how many people had also attended the Stephen Talkhouse gig at the start of the tour, and how they had spent their summer. She also told an amused crowd about how she considers this her last performance on this tour, even though there was going to be another performance at Hartford the following night, "but that doesn't really count". It got everyone applauding and cheering.
The atmosphere was laid back and casual, even though everyone was aware of the filming that was going on throughout the show. Some of the crowd favorites were "Caramel", "Gypsy", and "Left of Center". Everyone loved the story of "Gypsy", and there was a very excited member of the audience who engaged in a short conversation with Suzanne. She said she was a journalist from CNN.
The sound was fantatstic, and crystal clear. I loved the cathedral effect on "Tom's Diner", and it was hilarious watching Mike goofing around on "Solitaire". He cracked everybody up, including Suzanne herself. The bass on "Left of Center" was simply amazing, and the band rocked!
For the encore, Suzanne sang "Priscilla" and ended the set fittingly with "Rosemary". I'm sure everyone there will remember that night for a long time to come.
I didn't get to meet any Towies there, but there was a nice chap who presented Suzanne with flowers. After the show, I went up to say hello to Glynn, who is the most delightful human being on earth. I couldn't stay for long because we had to catch the last train back to Manhattan, but I could very well have just floated all the way back. What a great night.
