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The Quest for John Williams - Live!
General Discussions » The Quest for John Williams - Live! (Posts 1 to 9 of 9)
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- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeApr 29th 2011
This will be somewhat of a soapbox post, but bear with me.
Living in Norway - a corner of the world - does not make it easy to attend film music-related events. I've never seen Williams live, for example, as I was too young and without the means to see him when he was in Europe last, back in the late 90's. So you can imagine how envious I am of all you Americans who have seen him multiple times over the years.
I've now realized that I have maybe 2-3 more years, and some 5-6 more chances before he probably retires from concerts altogether, and I've also realized he's not coming back to Europe, so I have to make the trip across the pond. And if I have to do that, I have to make a holiday out of it...it's too far and expensive just for a concert.
So here's the deal: These days, he seems mostly to do concerts in LA (Hollywood Bowl), New York and Boston. Which would you recommend of these?
* Los Angeles has the advantage of meeting up with fellow FSMers at the gatherings that tend to be organized around Williams' Bowl concerts, but I've heard that the city itself isn't very exciting for tourists once you've seen the film-related buildings and stuff? 16-18 hours flights, about $1200 air fare plus concert ticket & hotel.
* New York has the advantage of....well, being friggin' NEW YORK, the "Big Apple"! I'm guessing I can spend a week there and still not see everything. But it's an expensive city. 10-12 hours flights, about $760 air fare plus concert ticket (about $150) & hotel.
* Boston...well, I don't know much about that, other than the Cheers pub and the history of the Boston Tea Party. Is it really that exciting for tourism compared to the other two? Is it worth a Europe-to-US trip beyond the Williams concert? 12-13 hours of flights, about $760 air fare plus concert ticket (abut $100) & hotel.
So any recommendations?I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorSouthall
- CommentTimeApr 29th 2011
I'd love to see Williams one last time, though I was lucky enough to see him (three times) on his last UK appearance. I love New York and maybe I'll be able to schedule a trip for next year. I was hoping that my potential Californian trip later this year (September) would coincide with him doing a concert, but it doesn't look like it.
Boston is supposed to be a lovely city, by the way, Thor... -
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeApr 29th 2011
Strange to post this on a European-heavy board, perhaps, but I could also use the opportunity to ask how many of the members here would be willing to go on such a long trip?
This is currently on top of my Film Music Event list, even before stuff like Ubeda, Ghent, Krakow, Cardiff, Tenerife etc.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeApr 29th 2011
Southall wrote
I'd love to see Williams one last time, though I was lucky enough to see him (three times) on his last UK appearance. I love New York and maybe I'll be able to schedule a trip for next year. I was hoping that my potential Californian trip later this year (September) would coincide with him doing a concert, but it doesn't look like it.
Boston is supposed to be a lovely city, by the way, Thor...
Ah....you're JUST missing the LA/Williams concerts at the end of August, then. Still, you could always meet up with FSM'ers over there.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorSouthall
- CommentTimeApr 29th 2011 edited
Thor wrote
Southall wrote
I'd love to see Williams one last time, though I was lucky enough to see him (three times) on his last UK appearance. I love New York and maybe I'll be able to schedule a trip for next year. I was hoping that my potential Californian trip later this year (September) would coincide with him doing a concert, but it doesn't look like it.
Boston is supposed to be a lovely city, by the way, Thor...
Ah....you're JUST missing the LA/Williams concerts at the end of August, then. Still, you could always meet up with FSM'ers over there.
I'm hoping to meet up with a few people over there (though my wife will be with me and it wouldn't be fair to take up too much of our holiday with anything film music-related). -
- CommentAuthorSouthall
- CommentTimeApr 29th 2011
Thor wrote
Strange to post this on a European-heavy board, perhaps, but I could also use the opportunity to ask how many of the members here would be willing to go on such a long trip?
If I'd never got to see Williams, then I certainly would, like you. (I still might, next year!) Same with Morricone. I've been lucky enough to see both (in fact I did go to Italy just to see Morricone - that was in 2000 and I believe he had never done any concerts in the UK to that point, so I thought it was the only way I'd ever see him).
I don't think there's anyone else left that I'd do it for, though. -
- CommentAuthorSouthall
- CommentTimeApr 29th 2011 edited
I don't intend to hijack the thread, so apologies (perhaps I should start a different one), but this has got me all nostalgic about a fantastic period spanning the late 1990s and early 2000s when I saw countless wonderful film music concerts in the UK. Saw John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, Ennio Morricone, John Barry and Jerry Goldsmith multiple times each, and also a great Michael Kamen concert in London (half-conducted by him and half by Leonard Slatkin). Williams and Morricone still do a lot of them, but not in the UK. No other film composers do them regularly at all, anywhere in the world (unless I'm forgetting someone) - I wonder whether that's because they're not commercial enough, or just that they don't want to. Surely Horner or Zimmer could sell enough tickets. I don't think Horner's ever done a concert and Zimmer's only ever done one. A pity. -
- CommentAuthorChaquan
- CommentTimeApr 29th 2011
I have been fortunate to see two (actually I did not go to Italy just to see Morricone - that in 2000, I believe he has not done any concerts in England to this point, so I think this is the only way I've seen him).[url="http://www.zyy.com/gold/Runescape-gold.html"]Buy RS Gold[/url],[url="http://www.storeingame.com/gold/Runescape-gold.html"]Runescape Gold[/url],[url="http://www.storeingame.com/gold/Runescape-gold.html"]Buy Runescape Gold[/url] -
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2021 edited
Just a year after making this thread, I managed to see Williams live at the Hollywood Bowl, but it was a terrible experience for a lot of reasons. Earlier in the day, I had "lost" both my cell phone and my camera. At least so I thought. The next day, I managed to retrieve both (the cell phone I had left in the computer room at the hotel, the camera I had left at a restaurant -- but both were given to the owners and not stolen!). So I already came into the concert feeling terrible. Furthermore, our seats were way in the back, and Williams was so far away. A little bit of tingle when he walked on-stage, as it was HIM -- right there and in the flesh, some 200 meters away. But still too far away to get any kind of contact.
That was remedied in 2014, when I saw him live in Boston. My seat was just some 5 meters away from the stage, a bit to the side in Boston Symphony Hall. After the concert, when he turned to the audience, I gave him a thumbs up while everyone else was "just" applauding, and he gave me a thumbs up back while locking eyes with me. That's the closest I'll ever get to any kind of "interaction" with him.
I wanted desperately to see him in Vienna last year (I even had a ticket - a cheap "standing" ticket), but had to cancel because I had another work-related engagement (ironically, as host for a local John Williams concert just outside Oslo).
I still dream of seeing him live one more time, and getting an interview. Or at the very least a selfie. But it won't happen, I've come to terms with that now. He's friggin' 90 next year.I am extremely serious.
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