Something happening fellow Black Circle folks should know about ?

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#84164
Aremagod wrote:What would be a spoiler?
The exact set list and order, the content of the background visuals/stage show, details of any extras or encores, as well as photos and video clips. No joke, I have had more than one person tell me not to spoil anything about this show, and some of that is due to the UK not getting to see a show until October.
#84313
bpwlogan wrote:I might make my way over to MIlwaukee in July if I can get the time off work to catch it. I guess the Chicago show is already sold out.
Do it, BPW! Dooo iiitttt!!
#84325
Hatter asked about merch and while I am, somewhat surprisingly, not a big merch guy, I will give a brief rundown of what I saw and expect Deaf to pick up the baton here in a bit. There was a tour poster available (nude or signed), but to my shame I cannot remember if it was a date specific poster like the one Deaf posted or if it was just a standard tour poster (I think it was the latter); it featured red heavily and was of a similar style of the Lost Themes albums. There were both Lost Themes albums in the blue and red smoky swirl variants and I believe that they both had an option for a signed copy as well in the $40-50 range. I didn't see the new 12"s for sale, but I did see a few folks carrying them around for what it's worth. Then there was the gear. There were loads of shirts for sale and most of them, to my eye, featured new or tweaked graphics for his classic films. They were all pretty cool and the graphics for the They Live hoodie really stood out to me as the strongest of the lot on first blush. And of course a tour shirt. That's about all I can remember form a quick look 'round. Suffice to say, if you're looking for something to buy, JC has you covered.
#84330
oh man....I usually restrict myself to a tour shirt if its well designed...but a tour poster, even if it just a generic one, would be fantastic.
#84341
bpwlogan wrote:I'm going to try my hardest Mateo. It might be a once in a lifetime kind of deal.
For folks like us, it kind of is. Mrs Mateo is a normal-sized JC fan, which is to say that there are some "classic" flicks she hasn't seen (Prince of Darkness) and some that she reveres (BTILC), and she was cheering as loud as anyone at the show. Everyone enjoys a John Carpenter show. The State demands it.
#84342
Sounds like a great time Mateo. I need to find out soon if I can get the day off for the Milwaukee show. I'm thinking with the Chicago show already sold out the Milwaukee show will sell out too. I think there's going to be a few Chicagoland folk making the drive up I-94 to see the show. I'll know early next week if I can pull this off.
#84370
Spoilers ahead, fair warning, @ScoJo!

Not your average Wednesday night out in Portland:
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But the outing started much earlier in the day to catch the Meet & Greet:
Image^John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies were all there, and were also signing Lost Themes items if you brought one. I brought two!

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Some of the M&G swag:
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My significant other really wanted to go to this show (and she rarely, if ever, wants to attend anything else I'm interested in). The power of John Carpenter! Since you had to buy seats together to attend the M&G, we ended up getting two more things signed:
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There was a very large amount of merchandise for sale (smart guys...), including lots of new shirt designs from various JC films. I also remember a They Live hooded sweatershirt which featured the cartoony alien designs. Plenty of vinyl of all the recent material from the group, and also these ridiculous shades:
Image^Not exactly RayBan replicas, lol, but I still bought them and some stickers. As @Mateo mentioned, lots of cool merch though, including a signed tour poster similar in design to the M&G t-shirt. I did not get a good photo of all the merch, but there are some on IG. After a small break in the action for the band to get ready, there was some time for conversation and whiskey. ;)

Now, on to the show!
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The Arlene Schnitzer concert hall seats 2,776 people:
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It was a decent turnout, although not a full house. JC and family took to the stage:

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...and proceeded to melt minds for almost two hours:
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JC looked very comfortable on stage, and had some great interaction with the crowd. From the start, he was very much into the performance, and the crowd ate up the basslines and drum breaks on both EFNY and Assault on Precinct 13 to get things started. JC was even bopping around on the lead synth really enjoying the sound in the hall. The other band members were working the mix rather well, and it was enjoyable to see them all having a good time and rocking out. I am not going to spoil the entire set list and order, but all the classic themes were performed, even Morricone's THE THING!
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It was fantastic to hear an updated version of this classic theme (definitely one of my favorites from Morricone), and really sets the tone for Carpenter's film. Full credit was given to Morricone by Carpenter before they started it, and I believe he named him the greatest composer of all-time. The band added a great 4/4 kickdrum to the second half of the track which nicely kept the tempo up and the tune engaging. I really hope this gets released on vinyl!
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The backdrop featured a 5-way multi-projection that gave it a subtle 3D effect that worked well. Some clever video editing showed great scenes from the film for each theme:
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Halloween, of course, sounds incredible. I heard a sneak peek of this on the Primavera live stream, and already knew I would love it. A very fast tempo, and they killed it. JC gave a special shout-out to Cody Carpenter for performing the majority of the synth work on this track. Hope it sounds as good on the Sacred Bones vinyl.

Highlight of the night was JC speaking of his love for horror films, and ending with a resounding proclamation of, "Horror films will live forever!" Huge cheer for this one.

Several tracks from both Lost Themes I and II were performed, and it was great to see the different elements of the band (Daniel Davies on guitar, Cody Carpenter on synth/keys, JC on lead synths) working together to create the sound. The track Night really features Davies guitar work at the lead voice of the track. Excellent music, of course, and sounded quite good in a live atmosphere.

What better finale could you ask for than the theme from Christine?!
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What an absolutely amazing night out to see the Carpenter family perform. Cheers to JC for going out on tour with his sons. Happy Father's Day:
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After Goblin in 2013, Fabio Frizzi in 2015, and now this show, I feel I could die happy with the majority of my bucket list shows now checked off the list. Ah wait, Alessandroni, Morricone, and Edda Dell'Orso...
Last edited by deafmetal on Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:32 pm, edited 18 times in total.
#84372
If that poster is available at the nyc show, especially if it's got the venue and date on it, define buy!
#84396
Thanks for posting the photos deaf and taking the time to write about the event. What a cool poster. I'll pick one up if I can make the Milwaukee show. This is pretty amazing that Carpenter is doing a tour. The Arlean Schnitzer concert hall in Portland looks like a great venue to see a show like this. I hope I can make the concert next month!
#84410
deaf thanks for sharing...great to see these photos.

It sent me looking for some of the live stage footage on youtube. It is not only inspiring but heartwarming to see. Having had past work experience on several of his films and seeing many interviews on carpenter he seems to honestly have a pretty pessimistic view about things. Many of his films end in that dark, hopeless manner....part of why we like them. After seeing some of the stage footage I really get the sense that the old spark has been lit again in Carpenter and he is secretly loving this. The music has never sounded better and the enhancements and collaborations with his sons makes it all the more wonderful. What a wonderful time for John and his family. No doubt about it, a very special evening.
#84441
monsterworship wrote:what items did the VIP include?
The VIP included this t-shirt (you pick the size), vinyl tote bag, holographic laminate, and a signed They Live print:
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I believe the shirt, tote bag, and the print are all exclusive to the VIP. The standard tour poster, other shirts, and different tote bag were available at the merch booth. Another shot from JC's instagram:
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