Notes From Neptune

Oh MAN.

That was an awesome show. The photo above is my merch score, a nice T-shirt to replace (or augment, whichever) my old ratty one from the “Never Die Young” tour in 1988. I stole it from my grandma, and it’s developing holes in all sorts of interesting places. This one is nice and tough. I think it can take the wear, even if it’s another 20 years before I get its replacement.

So, these were our seats:

Please note that my camera is attached to my phone. It is incapable of zoom. That is really how close we were. For anyone familiar with the Jones Beach Theater, we were on the first row of the second orchestra section, just behind the private boxes and on the stage right side of the audience. They were terrific seats: accessible, spacious, and a nice view and angle.

For those of you not familiar with Jones Beach Theater, the name does not lie. Jones Beach is a park on Long Island, a long strip of land that faces right out onto the Atlantic. And that stage is built right out over the water:

That’s the view to our right, the big projection screen (showing The Man himself), our fellow patrons, and the gentle ocean. The proximity to open sea did make for a chilly evening, but the breeze ruffled the curtains along the back “wall” of the stage and made them catch the light in a most lovely way, and the sound and smell of the ocean really added to the experience (at least for me). Best of all, the rain and thunderstorms that had been forecast decided not to show, which made for a very happy crowd.

And the guy who made it all happen, you ask?

There he be. The Boy. My honey, who’s wanted to take me to see James Taylor for three years, got me the tickets for my birthday. And despite the three month’s lapse between then and now, insisted that the full birthday experience was to be enjoyed, and would not let me pay for my train fare out or back, or my shirt (which, being official merchandise, was priced in the “highway robbery” range). He is really the most fantastical honey that has ever walked the earth. I love him and appreciate him tremendously, and hope I have been able to express just how much last night (and his part in it) really meant to me.

I love you, Neimah. Thanks for a wonderful night!