4 Days

Four days - seems like plenty of time to do everything you need to do to get ready for a week long vacation, but it'll be here before you know it, so anyone going to Milwaukee for the whole week - start packing!

We are now up to the show from May 10, 2006. This show, I think, represents what a typical show at Potawatomi should be like with Rick pulling out lots of songs that he wouldn't normally play. And I need to make a correction from earlier in the week. I mentioned Rick playing "Eight Days a Week" and made the comment he had never played it, but he did play it (on this night), I just didn't get to hear it.

Here are a few highlights from Laura's review (with a few additional details):

We decide to go to dinner at the casino bar & grill and we were all pumped up because we had front row seats for this show. We were seated by this spunky little hostess that asked if we were going to the show. We said, of course. I asked if she was a fan, and she said that she was but she looked really young. We found out that she was only 21. So I asked how she got into Rick’s music, assuming that maybe her mom was a fan. Then she goes on to tell us this story about how she worked in the Potawatomi Theater last year for all of Rick’s shows. At that time, she knew Jessie’s Girl and Don’t Talk to Strangers, but by the end of the 5 shows, she said she was singing along to every song. She then told us that this year, since she worked in the restaurant, she had to beg her old boss to let her work at least one show. You know the guy is good when you beg to go to work just so you can get a glimpse of the show.

After Beautiful You, he said he would take requests and a few people yelled out “Hooky Jo”. He said that were really sick if they wanted to hear that song.

Don’t Talk To Strangers – He accidentally kicked over a glass of wine that was on the edge of the stage and “who puts wine on the stage”. I actually saw a lot of people do it. He asked for his “only two British fans” to sing and he wanted them to sing together.
Cherry, Cherry (Neil Diamond Cover) – Only sang the first line of the chorus a couple times and said it was the only part of the song he knew. He sang this one acoustically and without the band backing up)
Me & Johnny - Again, only Rick without the band. Some one passed up a Song Lyrics book and he picked that one out saying “he hadn’t played it in a while”. It was great hearing this live. I wish the whole band would practice it and stick it on the set list for some shows.
Eden – Again, only Rick…with the lyrics book. He must not have needed the lyrics for the chorus and when he went back to the second verse, he lost his place on the page and started humming most of it. Then he said he should never take his eyes off the page if he didn’t know the words.

Rick mentioned that when they were recording SDAA that they were testing microphones and they actually had a version of Eden with Ronnie singing on it, and joked they might put that out on a special edition later.

Happy Birthday (To Derek…he was 39)

Love Somebody – Rick said this is the “song he wrote about his naked butt”. While on stage, he started walking onto our table again. The tables are actually two smaller tables pushed together and not that sturdy. I started trying to clear a bit of a path for him so he could walk out further. He noticed that we had some money sitting on the table and he bent over and picked it up and promptly shoved it down the front of his pants. Damn…if we would have been only been a little quicker, we could have saved him the trouble. He played guitar there for a minute and then threw the money back on the table. Then he played some more and was pumping his leg up and down and our two bottles of beer fell off the table. Only one broke, but I guess I learned my lesson if that ever happens again. Pick up the bottles off the table if Rick is jamming on it!

You Really Got Me – Rick played cell slide guitar for a bit and then made a call. There were a couple of really funny cell phone calls during these shows. He called “Cindy” and someone else answered. He asked if she was there and they asked who was calling. He screamed…”It’s RICK SPRINGFIELD” and the whole place goes wild. Then he says all soft…”Is she there”. He has to say who he is again another two times, each time yelling and crowd screaming. Then they must have asked who had him call and he asked the lady with the phone. He tells them that it was “Dawn” and they told him it was after 11:00 there and why was he calling so late. Then Rick says (in his all soft and innocent voice again)…”Are you ready for bed? Do you have your jammies on?”. It was hilarious.

Human Touch - Rick did go up to the balcony tonight. When he started up, the people downstairs started pointing upstairs to let them know and everyone up there started freaking out. Rick went all along the front row of the balcony, stopping for hugs, posing for pictures, and hanging over the railing….all while still singing.

Jessie’s Girl – A box of leis were brought out and Rick said the “the band was going to get laid for Derek’s birthday”. He put one on himself and passed out the rest to the band. He also threw a couple out into the audience. I heard that a fan had brought them over from Hawaii and so they were made of real flowers.

After Wasted, Rick said "Tonight we have exceeded our allotted time. We've had a great time tonight, these are always the best shows in the whole year, we love you guys. We'll do a naked show eventually, if it's not on this thing, it'll be on the cruise. I promise." (so far, a guarantee and a promise)

I have to say that I think this was the best show of the week. Maybe it felt that way because we were so close and had some interaction. I loved hearing Perfect and Wasted as I haven’t heard those in a long while. Rick seemed to have even more energy than the night before and was jamming out on his guitar more than he usually does. Rick and the band really shined this night.

Full Set List:

I'll Make You Happy
Will I?
Kristina
Alyson
Affair of the heart
I've Done Everything For You
Rock of Life
Day Tripper*
Beautiful You
Red House
Cherry Cherry*
Me and Johnny*
Eden*
Happy Birthday (Derek)
Roll Over Beethoven*
Hard Days Night*
Eight Days a Week*
Under the Milky Way*
Life in a Northern Town
Love Somebody
Jesus Saves
Wild Thing
You Really Got Me
Human Touch
Jessie's Girl
Perfect
Wasted
*some songs listed were not done in their entirity

For more pictures from the show, and Laura's full review, visit the concert section.

(photo by Laura Hoppe)