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Post by Q3 on Sept 19, 2018 0:34:45 GMT -5
QAL Las Vegas #8
Venue: Park Theater, Park MGM Time: 8:00pm PDT, 11:00pm EDT Livestreams: mixlr.com/ysailor/mixlr.com/milkywayfairy/mixlr.com/tlivin/Probable Setlist1. We Will Rock You (fast version) 2. Tie Your Mother Down 3. Somebody To Love 4. Fat Bottom Girls 5. Killer Queen 6. Don’t Stop Me Now 7. Bicycle Race 8. I’m In Love With My Car 9. Another One Bites The Dust 10. I Want It All 11. Love Of My Life 12. Heartbreak Hotel 13. Crazy Little Thing Called Love 14. Drum Battle (short version) 15. Under Pressure 16. (Take My Breath Away intro – instrumental) 17. Who Wants To Live Forever 18. Guitar Solo 19. The Show Must Go On 20. Radio Ga Ga 21. Bohemian Rhapsody Encore: 22. AYO’s 23. We Will Rock You 24. We Are The Champions QAL Las Vegas Concert Schedule1 September 2018
2 September 2018 5 September 2018 7 September 20188 September 201814 September 2018 15 September 201819 September 2018 21 September 2018 22 September 2018
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Post by pi on Sept 19, 2018 0:51:07 GMT -5
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Post by DancyGeorgia on Sept 19, 2018 1:16:22 GMT -5
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Post by skaschep on Sept 19, 2018 1:20:54 GMT -5
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Post by skaschep on Sept 19, 2018 1:21:39 GMT -5
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Post by skaschep on Sept 19, 2018 1:22:06 GMT -5
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Post by skaschep on Sept 19, 2018 1:22:52 GMT -5
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happy
Member
Posts: 3,359
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Post by happy on Sept 19, 2018 1:23:26 GMT -5
I started working on this recap and it went poof. Hah! I will try again while the memories are fresh. It may be long, so be warned. I haven't even caught up with the threads I missed while I was away. This recap has now disappeared twice – I am definitely techie challenged!!
Mszue. fiercelier and I had a great time in Las Vegas, They had been there before, but not me - it's not really my kind of place to travel to, so anyone I know looks at me with a slightly startled expression when I mention my trip! When I was growing up, my Dad loved to call it the "City of Lost Wages" and Vegas was then considered a cheap holiday where they gave you free meals and booze as long as you kept gambling. Things have changed!
The weather has not changed. It is a crazy place to build a city -- right in the middle of a desert! Flying overhead, all I could see for miles and miles was different shades of grey soil and interesting rock formations. How in the world did the Natives and early settlers survive there? The first evening. we walked out of the air-conditioned airport, took two steps and felt like we were walking past a hot air vent - and then realized, no, that is the hot dry wind that is Vegas.
M and I travelled together and the plan was to meet F at the airport as she was flying on a different carrier. That plan fell apart quickly as our first flight was delayed. I haven't travelled in a while and I am a bit of a Luddite and not used to this self service world. We were now faced with self service US customs machines - never seen those before! What seemed to be the right way to scan my passport was wrong and standing on tiptoes to have my photo taken was wrong because you could pull the camera down. Trial and error! Meanwhile, we were in a hurry to possibly get our connection but it was not to be. I had a really good BLT at the Seattle airport Wolfgang Puck instead of the three of us dining together in Las Vegas. Good thing we hadn't booked any tickets for that evening!
We caught a taxi to the Park MGM and discovered there were two fares depending if you were paying cash or credit card. The taxi drops you off at the back door which looked like a tradesman's entrance; the doors did not automatically swish open, you had to pull two sets of doors open and then wrestle your luggage through; the lobby is quite dark and the bell desk attendant did not look interested in us; closed restaurants; no sign of smiling. welcoming check in people. By this time we were in the middle of the lobby under a big tree root and stumbling onto the self check in machines with one lone smiling attendant trying to help many confused guests. That done, we found our elevator bay which was either half finished or under repair with dirty drywall where the black marble tile should be. We also encountered the whiff of stale smoke – I guess there are no no smoking laws in Vegas. We were beginning to wonder what we were in for, but the elevator whisked us up to the 27th floor and our room was great. F was already there and she and I set off to do some reconnaissance.
We admired the large QAL video sign and sauntered down the long wide corridor. Las Vegas certainly bombards the senses with sights and sounds – interesting artwork, floral arrangements, water displays, floors, carpets, wallpaper, wall hangings, chandeliers, light fixtures, views – lots of colour and patterns – and always piped in music. Every hotel has a noisy, darkened casino filled with bright slot machines – but not a whole lot of people gambling it seems. No wonder the hotels are bringing in the shows to attract the crowds.
Friday morning we looked out our window and discovered the Arena was right below us. There was a Hennessey tent in the square and people lining up under the hot sun and someone waving a big Mexican flag. We found out later that there was to be a big boxing match the next evening. It seemed like such a contrast to QAL!
It is a bit of a walk to get to the next hotel, Aria, but well worth it for the excellent buffet brunch. We thought it was really good value – even when we took the currency exchange into account. We took the tram to the Crystals Mall and window shopped the high end shops there. Tram to the Bellagio Hotel which has beautiful Italian features and much more natural light. We saw the chocolate fountain; watched them set up the fall flower extravaganza in the conservatory; admired the Chiluly glass ceiling artwork in the lobby; and stared at both the self check in machines and the enormous check in lineup. We ventured out into the heat, sat in shade beside the fountain, and decided it was too hot and sunny to stick around for the fountain show.
Back at the hotel, we checked out the QAL merchandise as the store was open. The Cher merchandise was already encroaching on the QAL space and the Bruno Mars stuff was at the back. There was a really cool gold sequinned jacket that was extremely heavy. M coveted it. We bought shirts because that is what you do!
M&F had a lay down. I went swimming in the three pools and discovered that I could not find a peaceful spot away from the music. At least, our room and the hallway outside was quiet!
M had organized an Atop dinner at Bavette’s and 14 people showed up (some were add ons). Once my eyes got used to the dark in the restaurant, it was lots of fun meeting people who I have sort of known for nine years! It was a real privilege to meet Q3 in person and what a lovely person she is!!
Concert time! There was some angsting about e tickets and Ticketmaster, but we got in! I do love a real paper ticket, but I guess that world has gone. We had three wonderful seats right at the end of the thrust, but sadly security was only giving out wristbands to the first two seats of each row. Since M and F had gone to all the trouble of buying the tickets, it seemed only fair that they got the wristbands. Security said the concert was sold out. The two seats in front of us were empty, but he said those seats had been sold and I could not take their place at the barrier. M and F took their spots at the barrier and I chatted with the husband and wife in front -- big Adam fans from Austen, Texas who have travelled to many concerts and have never heard of Adamtopia. I told her to check it out.
I decided to make the best of it and had a wonderful time dancing, fist pumping and flailing in front of the first seat. I was very glad I had my Etymotics thanks to Dancy Georgia’s suggestion. I have only seen Adam twice farther back in an arena with QAL. Now there was only ten feet or so separating us! It was amazing to see him so close – to see his vocal technique; to admire his clothes and really see the textures (love the new red suit, the shiny black ensemble and the Elvis jacket is a marvel); to check out his shoes (three pairs are the same but different colours – green, black, red, all with silver toes); to look at his hair (curtains that night); to see the effort to please the crowd; to see the frustration of dealing with the sound guy and instantly switching the showman back on; to see him interacting with Brian and Roger; to see the joy and intensity with which he performs.
It was fun to watch Brian too when he came to the end of the thrust. He kept shaking out his left hand and that made me wonder how much longer he would be doing this. He gives off a lovely vibe and really did seemed wrapped up in the memory of Freddie during “Love of my Life.” The selfie stick is fun and I’m so glad someone posted that. Proof that I was there!!
It was also fun to watch the goings on with the QAL stagehands – putting things here and there and being in strategic spots at the right time. Also interesting to watch the Israeli bodyguard whose name I have forgotten pace around within the barrier like a tiger, following Adam and Brian as if they were his prey.
A couple of people tried to sneak into a barrier position, but were instantly rebuffed by security, so I was very good staying in my spot. However, there was no way I was going to pass up on the Radio Gaga opportunity. The time came and a security guard pounced from behind on the Austen fan and I snuck in behind and touched Adam’s arm and thanked him as he went by. Victory!
It was all over way too soon!! The three of us were buzzing and some of us wanted an alcoholic drink! The store in the lobby has you held hostage. There are no amenities in the room – no fridge to keep things cold, even it you did venture outside far enough to find a regular store, and no coffee maker or kettle. There was an ice bucket but I have no idea where the ice machine was. It is never good when a store does not display the prices! We asked about a bottle of wine and the cashier scanned it -- $32.00 for nothing special. The bottles of pop when scanned were $4.75 each and that is what we bought. F wanted some cookies -- $8.00! -- the cashier who was a New Yorker took pity on us Canadians with our dollarettes and gave us a deal. Cookies were free! YAY!
Saturday morning saw us take the long trek to the tram for the long trek to the patisserie at the Bellagio. We had a delicious breakfast that cost just as much as the all you could eat buffet of the day before. We perched on big chairs at a little table in the hallway overlooking the Bellgio pools and fountain. The flower display in the Conservatory was finished and over the top amazing with an extremely large sleeping fairy guarded by smaller fairies with waterfall skirts and a talking tree with moving eyes and animatronic peacocks, foxes and tigers – all in fall colours.
I made the mistake of wanting to see the art gallery. So we walked and walked through the lobby, the casino, past the shops to discover there was a $14 entrance fee because they had a well known Japanese artist in residence. We could watch him through the window doing his minimalist thing pouring pink paint onto a canvas and spreading it very thinly in one direction and then the other. I noticed he had an elbow brace and two wrist braces. Like Brian, practicing his art despite the pain!
We braved the heat and headed out the long shaded walkway to the Strip. This is where the real Vegas hustlers are trying to sell you tickets and tours in the hot sun. A hustler helped us buy city bus tickets for a tip and off we went to admire the various hotels along the way. We passed the many tourists at the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign, and hopped off at the regular folks mall. I think that Sunday was Mexican Independence Day and the mall had a Mexican quartet playing traditional music for our entertainment. With the exchange rate, the prices were not a bargain.
Back on the bus, got off at the wrong stop and discovered you don’t just walk across the street. We encountered a second broken escalator that took us to an overhead passageway. We dragged ourselves back to the Aria, dithered about dinner, ate a delicious burger beside the casino, and got ourselves back to the MGM Park to freshen up before the concert.
We were still hoping to sell our extra tickets but Ticketmaster and computers were not cooperating so forget that. We had sold one of our excellent tickets to Virgo, so F volunteered to sit farther back in a very good seat for the big overview. As we headed to the auditorium, we walked by a guy asking about tickets – but if was for the fight. Boo!
It was really nice to meet and chat with Virgo. She had bought seat 3, so it was M and I who got the wristbands. I parked myself at the barrier and waited to do it all over again! First thing I noticed was hair back. It felt like the Idol tour all over again – remember emo or Elvis! Adam was in fine form and added some embellishments to his singing. It really is extraordinary after all that singing last night, that he then outdoes himself the next day. He seemed in a much more relaxed, playful mood and really seemed to be letting the gay out. It all whizzed by, I definitely got the high five this time but did not catch his eye (oh well) and before I knew it he was there in his leopard jacket and tiara which is extremely sparkly up close. He had not tipped it last night which is a favourite moment of mine. So this time, he tipped it twice! His last strut up the thrust was a truly gay catwalk and he enjoyed a final pose. Oh Adam!! (heart eyes here)
We said goodbye to Virgo who had to get home and couldn’t stay for a drink. We headed into the casino bar which was smoky, noisy and crowded. My ears were really buzzing from the show and wanted some quiet, so we bought more expensive soft and alcoholic drinks from the lobby store and had a nice little party in our room. I thought about Adam in his luxury accommodation and was glad that I was a little part of his journey and that I had seen him up close and he almost seemed real!
Sunday we were up early, taxied to the airport, ate a Starbucks breakfast where F got the bad news that she was going to be spending a long day at the airport. M and I made it back pretty much on time in the late afternoon, but it was 2:00am before F planted her head on her pillow. What we do for Adam! My husband says I am a true fan! High praise!! lol
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Post by hrithika on Sept 19, 2018 1:31:10 GMT -5
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Post by hrithika on Sept 19, 2018 1:31:26 GMT -5
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