Two Concerts Today

I had a fantastic day off, thanks for asking. ;) Got to do a Big Time Sleep-In for one thing, til almost Noon, so I felt nice and rested. Had some coffee and listened to "Burnt Weeny Sandwich" by FZ. I had planned on going on a hike somewhere in Santa Clarita (Rice, Towsley or Whitney Canyon), because it's hard for me to get out there on work days anymore. But then at around 2pm, I was looking at Facebook and I saw a promo ad for a free concert at CSUN, at the Valley Performing Arts Center, which is now known as The Saroyan, re-named after a major donor. The concert was being billed as "Great Opera Choruses" and was to be put on by LA Opera, our opera company of note in Los Angeles, whose home base is Disney Hall downtown.

I knew about this show several weeks ago, but had put it out of my mind because I figured I'd be working on that day, which was still to come. I didn't know it would fall on my day off, so seeing the ad on FB this morning was a lucky reminder. Also, the "Great Opera Choruses" concert has been an annual event at the VPAC (Saroyan) since 2015. It has always been free to the public, and is designed as a way to win new fans and drum up support for the LA Opera company. They are one of the great opera troupes of the world, but opera, as with all classical music, is in constant need of promotion because the productions cost money and the music does not have the massive fan base of pop or rock.

So, they put on these free shows once a year, which feature a few "sing-a-longs" to well known opera choruses. That gives the audience a chance to participate, and to discover that opera is not snobby - a total misconception - but is really music for everyone. The sing-a-longs are fun, but the real draw is to hear the 32 member LA Opera Chorus themselves, as conducted by Grant Gershon, and to hear the young soloists who are up and coming in the opera company. I went to the first "Great Choruses" concert in 2015 with my sister Vicky, and we loved it. I wasn't there for the shows in 2016 and 2017, probably because I was working, but this time I had the day off, so........

At the last minute I changed my mind about the hike. "I wanna go see LA Opera instead". Now, the show is free but you've still gotta have a ticket, which you get by calling the box office in the weeks before the concert. I didn't have a ticket but I thought I'd just walk over there. The VPAC is just 15 minutes on foot from my apartment. So I walked across campus, got to the box office at 2:55pm (the concert was to start at 3), and I asked if they had any tickets left.

"We do have some donated tickets. How many do you need"?

Donated tickets were from people who couldn't attend. That meant all the rest of the free tickets had been given away.

"I just need one", I said.

The gal at the box office gave me a ticket, remarking that it was a good seat, and she was right. I was about ten rows back, dead center. Boy did I ever luck out, and I made the right decision to go to the concert instead of going to Santa Clarita, which will still be there for a hike on another day.

We saw and heard some incredible singers, including a young soprano named Liv Redpath, who is certain to become a star in the operatic world. She had such an amazing voice that even the conductor Grant Gershon was shaking his head.

The concert was a lot of fun and lasted 90 minutes. Many pieces of music were featured by various composers, most notably Giuseppe Verde (i.e Joe Green), and other great singers were heard as well.

When it ended, I walked back home and thought, "well, it's not quite 5pm....what now"?

"Hmmm, I guess I do have time for a hike up at Aliso Canyon". So after a quick stop at home for a bite to eat, I drove up to Aliso - just 2.5 miles away - and had a nice walk up the trail and back. I saw a few bunnies hopping from one hiding place to another. I always tell them, "c'mon, bunnies....you know it's just me". I think they are toying with me. So are the frogs at Aliso, who stop going "ribbitt" as soon as I walk up to the edge of the creek to try and see them. The frogs are just playin' me, too. But it's cool. :)

I got back from Aliso at 6:30, which gave me just enough time to get ready for........

The King's X concert tonight at The Canyon Club in Agoura!

Yowza. I went by myself, but when I got there, at 8:45, the place was packed with hundreds of KX fans. This was my second time seeing them since Wednesday, as you know, and I am blown away by these two shows from this week. After this tour I will dub King's X as The Heaviest Band Of All Time, no contest. I got back home at 11:20, and here I am now telling you about it.

This was a great concert week for me, beginning with Judas Priest 2.0 last Sunday, continuing with KX at The Whiskey on Wednesday, and then finishing up with the two shows today, as reported.

It is 2am right now, as I write, and I'd better get some sleep because I've gotta be in church in eight hours,  back at work with Pearl, and getting ready to sing.

But I am re-energized, thank You Lord (and Dug, Ty, Jerry, LA Opera, Judas Priest, and lead singer from Hell too....)

See you in the morning.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :) :)