Thursday, September 6, 2007

TT #29 - 13 Best ShapeShifter Concerts

Something a little different for you all this week...




If you still don't know what ShapeShifter is all about, get on over to West of Mars and get in on this international phenomena! Quick! You don't really want to be the very last one to know, do you?!?

I'm a live music kind of girl with fairly eclectic tastes - everything from classic rock to folk to blues to good ole rock'n'roll. I can be equally happy with a tiny smoky club venue as with a huge stadium show. If it live and it's GOOD, bring it on!

When it comes to metal, no one, and I mean no one, can beat
Trevor and the boys for pure electricity, I admit, I'm a groupie through and through and I've been spendthrift lucky enough to have the chance to see them in concert many times. So, when it came time to choose a subject for this week's Thursday Thirteen, what better than the 13 hottest ShapeShifter performances ever. I've been following these guys since the early days, so some of these go way back.

1. The Back Door Club,
Riverview, way back in the dark ages: I was out in Riverview visiting a friend who'd found herself at the city's Art Academy (no, she didn't study with Kerri) when she suggested we go check out this hot new band that had started making the rounds of the college hangouts. One show and I was hooked.

2.
The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ: this was ShapeShifter's first east coast tour and let me tell you they were SMOKING. I think by now they'd gotten a hint that something big was brewing.

3. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ: a few days after the Stone Pony show I found out they were hitting my very own home away from home of the time and dragged half my dorm off to the show. Many new fans were created at that show, and the "artificial enthusiasm" we'd imbibed before heading over certainly didn't hurt. Bonnie even ended up throwing her bra up onto the stage, but I think the roadies got it. (Note from the band: Nope, it's in our wall of fame, along with Rhian's.)

4. Roseland Ballroom, NYC: OMG, ShapeShifter's got a gig in a real NYC venue - and I had tickets!

5. After that they were back to the West Coast again for a while, so I had to make do with recordings, but oh baby, that live show in LA that I recorded off the radio - priceless! I swear I'm gonna find a way to meet them some day, just to tell them how much that show rocked, even through my crappy "just out of college and can't afford any better" speakers.

6. By the time ShapeShifter hit the East Coast again it was opening for that big metal band, you know the one I mean, at Madison Square Garden. The Garden people! The epicenter of rock band success!! My boys are hitting the big time. Holy crap! Susan just reminded me - it was Rises the Night. They're a bit more rock than ShapeShifter, more like the Chili Peppers, but it was a great tour.

7 & 8. I went to two more shows on that tour, just to hear Mitchell's golden voice singing straight to me. Ok, I admit it, to hear Mitchell's voice and to daydream about what I would do to Trevor if I ever got him alone. (This was back at the Meadowlands, back when it was still called the Meadowlands, and somewhere up in Connecticutt. That was was quite an adventure - we got lost for damn near 3 hours and nearly missed the show!).

9-12. I was off working in Europe for a while and almost peed my pants when I found out that ShapeShifter was coming over for a European tour of their very own! You KNOW I took time off that summer and just followed them from country to country. I think Paris was the highlight, but Prague was a very close second.

13. The last ShapeShifter show I caught was back on my own home turf - Madison Square Garden - headlining their own show this time, and what a show it was. They
nearly blew the roof off the Garden!

Sadly for my future as a groupie I'm now married with two kids and living in Israel, so I had to stop blowing all my money trailing the band around, but I still live in hope that someday soon they'll come on over here to play the
Sultan's Pool - and I promise, I'll be right there in the front row. Hell, if that happens I might even throw my own bra. (Note from the band: Put your name on it so we can thank you properly later, since we know how to reach you. Reply from Robin: damn straight I will, with an invite like that! I'm too old and too married for a fling, but I can sure as hell still party with the band.)





Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



36 comments:

Tink said...

Great list! When are they coming to The Netherlands?
My TT shares Thirteen (quotes from) lyrics by Robbie Williams.

Anonymous said...

LOL! Too funny! I did my groupie thing a few weeks ago.

I love Susan and the band.

Anonymous said...

Um...... I don't get it.

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Can I kiss Nancy?? *grin*

And you, too! This rocks! And I love the comments!

Trevor's excited to party with you. Mitchell says you should bring Jay so he and Kerri aren't the only marrieds in the room. Plenty of fun can be had with couples, you know!

Lori said...

LOL....Yep, I knew Susan would love this. Nice tribute. Happy TT.

Julia Phillips Smith said...

This is great! I've popped over from Susan's link to your blog. I liked #9-12, the European tour days.

Yuriko said...

Never heard of Shapeshifter... but I'll check it out :)

Karen said...

What a nice tribute to Susan -- I know she loved it! You must be a ShapeShifter groupie!! (as are we all!!)
great, fun TT

L^2 said...

LOL! Great list. I showed off my ShapeShifter groupienesss a couple of weeks ago too.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous :) Just...fabulous :)

Anonymous said...

Ahhh, talk about a great fan. I'm not even Susan and I'm all happy and warm and fuzzy about the groupie-hood. *grin*.

I want groupies for my world too!

Great list. :)

~X

Jo said...

Okay no idea what this is all about. I need to get savvy.

Robin said...

Go follow the links in the beginning of the post, Jo ;-).

Rhian said...

oh ye gods! my bra is making its way across the blogworld! (Jumping up and down trying to get it back from Trevor who dangles it just out of reach)

Great post Robin!!

Robin said...

I heard that story and just knew it had to be worked in somehow. Damn Trevor for being that tall. Maybe if you wore heels while jumping?

Tilly Greene said...

Once a groupie of ShapeShifter, always a groupie - the husband and kids will just have to go to the concert that comes to your area :-)

Seriously, what fun!

Jenny McB said...

LOL, you realize of course that there are going to be people reading this and saying "Hey, I must be living under a rock!"

So glad that you got to see them way back when, to have that to brag about. I missed out on seeing them, must have been popular when I was busy having babies.

Robin said...

That's the whole idea Jen, then they'll hopefully follow the links and discover WoM for themselves. The more buzz, the better for Susan.

Lori aka A Cowboy's Wife said...

Can you be a groupie of QVC? 'Cause if so, I am!

Red Garnier said...

LOL!!! I love Susan and the band, too. Great TT. =)

Darla said...

Oh, this is great! Boy, do I wish I could see them in concert.

Moondancer said...

I can't wait to learn more, sounds like a blast. Happy TT

http://moondancerdrake.livejournal.com

Ann said...

Great list. Too funny.

Denise Patrick said...

Interesting list. I'm not much of a concert fan (have hearing problems), and I've never heard of this band, but they sound interesting.

Thanks for visiting my TT!

tanabata said...

Thanks for stopping by my TT. I've never heard of ShapeShifter but I'll go check it out. :)

Anonymous said...

I don't get over to West of Mars nearly enough :o( I'll have to change that. I bet she loved this though. Great idea for a TT!

Anonymous said...

Very entertaining list. Happy TT.

erin said...

I've never heard of Shapeshifter, but I'm going to head to the links you recommended. :) Happy TT.

Nicole said...

Nope. Don't want to be the last to know. Following the linky now... :)

Happy TT!

Janet said...

LOL you guys crack me up with this!

Qtpies7 said...

I'm just way to old to even have a clue, lol. I don't follow any band ever, and I DID go to a concert one time for my absolute favorite singer, and hated it. I much prefer listening to a recording, and my OWN comfort level.

Eimi said...

Yep, I am one of those that has never heard of it. See Nicholas' comment. :p

DoubleDeckerBusGuy said...

Egads! Proof that it's been over a decade since my last "live act"... at least, my last intentional "Let's go to a show!" thing!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by my 13 comments educators wish they could use. This ShapeShifter thing is quixotic.

Fourier Analyst said...

Missed their first European tour (old married Mom that I am, some things just slip by me...), but am definitely up for their next! Hope it is in Rotterdam as the acoustics in Amsterdam are just baaaaaad! But beggars can't be choosers. Will take 'em anywhere, anyhow. May be I can meet up with Tink and we can party together. Not sure about throwing up my bra though. Afraid it would take up too much space on the wall!! I think Mitchell is my favorite, but this could be because it's my last name. Will let you know after I see them live!

BTW, I owe you a meme, but am in the midst of back-to-school-itis. Hope to catch up soon!

WebbieLady said...

The discussion here were all in 2007? So bad, I am quite late in getting here to see what's goin on.