Savage Garden Concert Reviews

Boston - By Amanda



Despite CY and I still thinking that the Radio City concert was just a day ago, we somehow managed to get ourselves on the bus to get to Boston on the 28th. I remember going to bed at 1am that day because my best friend and I were on the phone until then, and then the next thing I knew, it was 7am and I had to get dressed. The bus ride, despite the unexpected traffic jam, was uneventful. CY gawked at the doubles I made for her of my own pictures of Radio City, and we fell asleep for most of the ride. I refrained from listening to Affirmation because I didn't want to overdo on the SG (haha, it's like a drug) and I knew that I would start hyperventilating because listening to the album would bring back memories of the Radio City concert. I had made a poster, a small dinky one because I didn't have any big pieces of cardboard left at home, to get pulled up onstage for Hold Me. In truth, I had never wanted to be the "Hold Me girl" because I have a small stage fright, but I was bummed about not getting a picture with Darren at Radio City that I decided to let go of my fear and try for Hold Me. So my sign was short and sweet - "Hold Me Tonight!". (excuse the lack of creativity- I actually forgot to make the sign until an hour before I went to bed)

We got Boston at 1:30 and shopped around for an hour and so before we finally checked into our hotel. The concert was scheduled to begin at 7:30, and we thought if we left at 6, we would be able to walk to the venue rather than taking a cab like some silly tourists. When we walked to the harbor, we asked for directions for Harborlights. After a man told us something about walking under a highway and crossing a bridge, we figured we needed to take a cab no matter what. A few cabs passed us but none of the drivers knew where the Pavilion was. We finally found one who took us, and he was very nice. He said he had never heard of Savage Garden, and thought they were a heavy metal band which made us laugh. We got to the Pavilion probably at 6:45/7pm. On Lori's word that there was no way to see the tourbuses or the guys from outside the venue, we went in early. When we got to our seats, which were 3rd row, center section about 6 seats from the aisle, we were disappointed. There was a space between the stage and the barracade, and a space between the barracades and the front row of seats. Our third row seats were more like 6 rows back from Radio City.

We didn't see Donna and her family, or Lori and her family, so we wandered back to the concession stands where I was trying to decide whether or not the SG baseball tee-shirt was worth $30. We ran into Michelle and Leslie whom we had met at Carla's dinner 3 weeks ago, so we stayed with them and talked for awhile. Kina was taking the stage with her first song, and we decided to get water and head to our seats. By the time we got there, Donna & her sister and Lori & her family were already seated. We had introductions, and then we listened to Kina. When it was over, Kina's male back up told us to "Prepare for THE GARDEN!" and I added "the SAVAGE GARDEN!" It was cheesy, but funny. I saw Lindsey taping up the setlists, so I went to the barracades and called to him. I asked if he remembered me and he said he did, and I asked him if I could have a setlist after the show, and he said I could.

The wait was supposed to be 15 minutes before the beginning of Savage Garden's set, but it seemed like forever. They were playing an acoustic version of "Torn" on the speakers... and then it went onto songs I didn't know, and then it was Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", and then it was the original mix of whatever is now the background music for the I KNew I Loved You remix. We recognized it and started bopping and clapping along, Michelle and Leslie were a row and a seat from us, so we started singing along together. From experience at Radio City, I knew that Savage Garden takes the stage right after the end of the mix, so I started getting ready with my camera. Before the curtains were about to be pulled, Leonie peaked out at the audience right in front of us. We yelled out her name and waved, and she waved back.

What stands out the most in my memory has to be the beginning of the set, because its existence marked the realization that as soon as the set started, it would soon be over and this will probably be the last time I will see Savage Garden for at least several months. The stage crew was opening the curtains when the curtain on our side, the right side, wouldn't pull. The crew was panicking, trying to yank it off because the white shades had to be pulled up in order for the concert to start, but the curtain wasn't pulling. Finally, the stage hand tugged hard, the curtain fell down and Lori and I shot our arms up in the air and screamed "YEAAAAAH!" Then the white shades were up, the stage was dark except for the strobe lights that were coming on to the beat of the intro music, and we could see Darren and Daniel in the dark at the center of the stage. Daniel started bopping and playing the intro to "The Best Thing" with Darren tapping his foot next to him in rhythm, and Darren burst out "...Never want to fly...", the lights were in, and the crowd went insane.

Lori predicted that the crowd at the Pavilion would be rowdier than Radio City and she was right. It was an outdoor venue, under a tent, and there were no balconies or mezzanines. It was very open, and the roof of the tent was low enough so that sound from the audience wasn't delayed like it was at Radio City because of RC's high ceiling. Therefore, Darren and Daniel could immediately tell how loud the crowd was, and they fed off the energy. Lori said that they were on fire, and they were. The band was jamming and Darren was ad-libbing and going off as if he had no restraint. Darren even commented on the audience, saying after The Best Thing that "Omigod, you're such a great crowd!" I remember how incredible Break Me ShaKe Me was. They went across the stage in their mock fight style, Darren and Daniel were so into the show.

We were on Daniel's side of the stage really, and CY & I waved to get Daniel's attention but his eyes were roving over the crowd in back of us. After awhile, he finally saw us waving and looked at us, and then he ducked his head a little lower as if he was taking a closer look. Then he recognized us and flashed us the biggest smile. It was fabulous. When the acoustic set started, Lori and I left our row and went right to barracade, and stayed there. After Santa Monica (and "they'll knock your ass down"), Darren turned to Daniel and the audience and said "You know, no one knows this, Daniel doesn't even know this, I haven't told anyone but I wrote half of the first song we just played [I Don't Know You Anymore] right here, in a hotel in Boston." He smiled and shrugged at Daniel, Daniel smiled and shrugged back, kind of like "Oh, Okay", and Darren turned to the audience and shrugged too. During this acoustic set, Darren didn't dedicate You Can Still Be Free to JFK Jr., but he did dedicate it to "anyone who has ever lost anyone they've ever loved." Once again, Darren tricked the crowd into singing the "oooh oooh oooh ooooh" part in Imagine and Darren & Daniel had a good laugh at our cooing (which was better than Radio City), and told us that we were beautiful.

After the set was over, and the drum started kicking in for The Animal Song, Darren told the crowd to get up because he wanted to see us DANCE. With the lights back on and Daniel back in his place, he looked into the crowd and saw me right at the barracades by him, and gave me a smile and look like "Oh, wow, you're THERE now!" TAS was such a blast to sing and dance to, but when it was over, a guard told us we had to go back to our seats because we weren't front row. Lori wasn't too happy about that, but I quickly went back because I didn't want that bastard of a guard to ruin my good feelings.

When Hold Me started, I was back at my seat, and so was Donna, and unfortunately, we only had CY between us, and Donna had a sign because she wanted to get pulled up onstage too. In the center section, there were 2 girls in the 2nd row who also had "Hold Me" signs, but really there were just 4 of us who wanted it that badly. I remember Daniel definitely saw and read my sign, and I put it up whenever Darren came by and he read both of our signs. By the second verse chorus, he and Daniel still hadn't picked a girl, and finally Darren pointed at someone in front at the barracades, and pulled up a tiny little girl who looked about 7. She was so cute because she looked positively shocked that she stood onstage staring at her dad by the barracade with her mouth hanging open. Darren was singing to her on his knees, and she was just shaking and couldn't even look at Darren. Finally when he sang "...That's why you gotta hold me...", he stretched his arms wide for a hug, basically enveloped her because she wasn't moving at all, she was still standing with her mouth open. Then Darren started gesturing around for a camera, and he posed with her for a picture, and then he pointed to his cheek for a kiss. She was still in shock but finally pecked him on the cheek, and he laughed and let her go back to her dad. Everyone was cheering and going "Awwwwww" because it was SO cute. I would have been mad if he had chosen some of the girls by the barracades that were just vying for his attention, but he chose that little girl and probably made her year. For Gunning Down Romance, I definitely remember there was ad-libbing, because Darren was singing, and he kind of sang/announced "Oh She [Angi] smells so GOOOOOOD". He didn't feel her up as much as he did at Radio City, probably because there were some youngins up at the front near the barracades.

Crash and Burn gave me shivers as usual, and this time he didn't rush to put down his mike to do the sign language which, though a little fast, was done all the way through unlike at Radio City when he didn't sign "You're not alone". Truly Madly Deeply was stellar as usual. This time, he pulled down Elisa and Angi individually before pulling them both down eventually. Instead of the two lines that Darren asked the audience to sing at Radio City, he let us sing the entire chorus to him and Daniel. Then he thanked us for being such an incredible crowd, and thanked us, and left the stage.

When they came back again for the Chained To You routine, this time Karl didn't trip as he danced across the stage ;) Hehe. The routine was funny as heck, by this time, Lori and I went back to the barracades so that we were between Darren and Daniel. There was not as much crotch grabbing and pelvic thrusts, or even butt grabbing as Radio City but Darren did tell Elisa to "back that thang up". He showed off his diamond belt loop thing and then Angi and Elisa paired up with Ben and Lee, and Daniel with the keyboardist which was when I realized that they had another new keyboardist for this show. The keyboardist for Boston looked Asian and was pretty. When Daniel came back down for I Want You, he saw me again and gave me a look like "Oh you went THERE now" and smiled. The girls in front of Daniel and me started jumping along at the beginning so I started jumping too - it was fun, like I was in a mosh pit. Darren did that Vogue thing that I just love, and then the shoulder shrug which I subconsciously started doing in time. We began jumping too at the end, and Daniel was bopping heavily and Darren was right next to him in front of us jumping up and down too. I Knew I Loved You started, and I remember watching Daniel sing along to it, and he saw me singing along (why do I always get noticed when I'm singing along to this PARTICULAR SONG?!) and he grinned at me again. Then the remix started and I started going a bit wild because I love the remix live so much. I don't remember if this was when Lori grabbed me and pulled me up and said "Is this a great way to end it or what?!" but all I could say back was "HELL YEAAAAAAAAH!!!!" And this time, Lori caught the band introduction. This keyboardist's name was Kathleen, Darren didn't mention her last name. I remember turning around and Leslie was next to me and we were singing along to the "...music sounds better with you, baby..." which we had been singing to at the intermission. Leslie, Michelle and I all agreed that this show was better than Radio City. Daniel was smiling and he met my eyes and we were smiling, and he reached down and tossed his guitar pick in front of me. There was a girl in front of me and next to Lori who were both trying to catch it, but I figured that I had already had one, so I just smiled at Daniel and he smiled back again. Before I knew it, they were done with the remix, both waved good bye and Darren thanked us, and they were gone. People started leaving, like the girl in front of me who was next to Lori, but Lori grabbed her and told her they were coming back with Affirmation. A guard came by and told us to go because the show was over, but I told him that he was wrong, that there was one more song left.

When they came back to the insane applause, Darren announced "Boston, this is your last chance to DAAAAAANCE!" and Affirmation started, the girls and I started jumping again, Daniel had a huge grin on his face, and Darren started making us do the hand signs. The girls in front of him at the barracades weren't doing them, they were too busy trying to reach out and grab him, but the majority of the center section was doing it. I love doing those signs, they're a great way of getting the audience involved. Darren kept insisting that we do it with him, and then he stopped so we stopped which was sad because it meant Affirmation was nearly over. Then all of a sudden, it was, and everyone came down for their bow, this time with Darren and Daniel at the center next to each other. I was out of film by then so I couldn't get a good shot. Then they went offstage.

Some of the people at the barracades stayed at the barracades, trying to convince the event staff to get stuff on the stage for them. A girl wanted Darren's setlist, so one Pavilion staff came over to Lindsay who was packing up Daniel's stuff. I was right in front of Lindsey to get Daniel's setlist, and Lindsay was okaying the staff to take Darren's setlist as he slowly ripped Daniel's off for me. I thanked him and told him he was great and that the show rocked, and then suddenly everyone was in front of me asking Linday for guitar picks. Lori wanted one so I asked him for one, and he looked around the stage and found one and tossed it to Lori. To her dismay, it wasn't a printed one like the one I have, but hers was actually USED and DROPPED by Daniel! I would have been happy knowing that I have a pick that helped create the incredible music I heard tonight.

Then we had to say our byes which was so depressing. CY and I waited for Michelle and Leslie because we were going to hang out together after the show since we had nothing to do but go to our hotels. We went to the truck entrance at the side of the venue where there were about 20 other people, and hung around there for an hour, talking to Donna and her family, and discussing the show. Leslie and I had the part of the IKILY remix stuck in our heads, so we were singing it over... "it feels like... the music sounds better with you, baby..." Donna's mom who is soooo sweet wanted to drive us back to our hotel instead of us taking a cab, but Michelle and Leslie wanted to go back to their hotel because we wanted to catch the Disney 2HourTour with Savage Garden, while Donna's family wanted to wait a little longer outside. So we said our goodbyes and hugged, and then we went to the hotel that Michelle & Leslie were staying which was really NICE. We watched Disney and right before they had the 2HourTour on, the IKILY video was on, so we turned it up and gawked. Then the 2HourTour was on and we tried to look for Leslie on TV because she was at that show. Then we ordered pizza and talked, ate pizza (which came lightning fast), and CY & I decided to go back to our hotel because it was 1:15am.

It was a very Savage Garden day, and we felt lucky. An amazing concert, and then watching a SG music video on TV, and catching the 2HourTour which incidentally premiered the very same day... all in the same night. It was such a pleasure to meet and see all the Savage Garden fans, it makes me feel happy to know all these people in person and to know that we all share something so fantastic.

Writing this review isn't easy because it forces me to realize that I'm writing about something that has passed, and is now officially over. Boston was Michelle and my last concert of the Affirmation World Tour, and it's hard to think about that because the US tour is really just beginning. Savage Garden's show is the kind of show that you can't see just once... you have to go see it as many times as you possibly can because there are so many different things to watch. I'm incredibly happy to know that I got to see the Boston performance as my last show of the tour. It was amazing to end on, and it leaves me happy because I was very close to the stage, I was acknowledged by Daniel and Elisa, and I had an absolute blast. I can't wait until the next time I see Darren and Daniel again, so I can tell them how fantastic the shows were, and that I wan't wait for the new album and the next world tour. For now, this is closure and the end of my 2000 Savage Garden tour. After being able to see Darren and Darren so many times in one year, I feel incredibly spoiled and grateful for what I've gotten.

Darren and Daniel - music does sound better with you. It feels like heaven.


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