| Great Big Sea Long Island Maritime Museum July 13,2001 |
| After a week’s hiatus from the Internet, I really needed this Long Island Show to get a Chatters’ fix as well as a GBS fix. A million (well, I might be exaggerating a little) chatters were supposed to be there at the 2nd USA show of the summer. And it’s been a LONG 9 months since we’ve seen GBS in these parts. Story begins the day before. Moe arrives in NYC from Ontario and we don’t get to hook up with each other because of conflicting schedules, but she says she’ll be my wake-up call the next day. Fast forward to Friday. Andi calls me at 7 AM. “Hello? Who is this? Moe?” Andi came up and we finally metafter months of internet chatting. Just as nice in person as online. I had to go to class but she sacked out on the bed and we meet up again at 3PM when Victor and Karen pick me up from Columbia University. We went back to the hotel and picked up Andi and took off for the wilds of Long Island. Andi and Karen entertained the car by role-playing the role of siblings in the back seat – “She looked at me! She stuck her tongue out at me! She’s pointing at me! She’s breathing on me!” Made me feel like the “good old days” of family roadtrips. :-P I got real tired of seeing the “traffic congestion ahead” signs that greeted us at every turn of the Long Island Expressway. I think half the population of New York City was on the road with us. Three hours into a trip that Mapquest promised would be 1 hour 15 minutes, we were just approaching the exit for West Sayville. Missed our turn and took a scenic detour. We thought we had missed our chance to see the b’ys up close and personal and wondered if there would be any food left. |
| We needn’t have worried. The b’ys hadn’t arrived – probably caught in the same traffic jam as we were. And there was plenty of food left! Met the great Doug Shaw. Thanks to him for setting up the event. It was fantastic! Immediately saw Jenny and Caroline. What a pleasure to see Jenny again! It has been almost a year since we visited her “Couch and Snack” in Lawn. Caroline was looking lovely as usual. Vic donned his BJMoose hat and we entered the venue. The view was breathtaking and I loved seeing Doug’s Boat – OHMEOHMY. We met a bunch of chatters. I apologize up front to those whose names I have forgotten. There were sooooo many people from the OKP there! Nick and Sarah, DaveC, Dave and Holly, Alison and Jacquie, Andi, Karen, Moe, Jennifer, Fran and Bob, Howard and Cheryl, Gordon, Marcia, …uh oh. I can’t remember the others! Argh! The food for the clambake was good – lobster, clams, salad, chicken, baked potatoes, and corn. Nick’s Mrs. Murphy’s Whiskey label looked great in person, as did his altered Newfoundland flag on his T-shirt. Karen was the first to notice Alan. In retrospect, we think he was trying to sneak past to grab something to eat before he chatted. But we didn’t know this at the time and Karen squealed “Hi Alan!” He smiled and seemed to wince a little and then all Hell broke loose. Fans were around him immediately and that was that. Karen didn’t get to talk to him. Darrell was also the Man of the Hour as he came in. He was surrounded, too, much to his surprise. He seemed pleased and shocked that so many people were excited to see him. When I offered my congratulations he said “Gee thanks! That’s very nice of you!” Some people had brought gifts for baby Ben and he was touched that the fans thought of him. |
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| Tony spent a good few minutes trying to get them to leave and was tugging at Alan. Alan seemed somewhat annoyed but went with him. Not before Moe planted a few big ones on him though. “She’s kissin’ my face off, fer Pete’s sake!” Alan was heard to say. Tony, Alan and Doug stood in Doug’s boat for a few minutes while Darrel was still trying to tear himself away from his well-wishers. He finally left at Tony’s insistence and they went back to prepare for the show. We felt bad they didn’t get any dinner, but I guess they stuffed themselves afterwards. |
| We had a nice chat with Danny and took a picture. Told him he has his fans too! He asked me about my digital camera and he talked about how it would be nice to have one on the road so he could send pictures back home to his kid(s). Not sure if it was one kid or more. He’s a nice guy, that Danny! Must be hard on the road so much. By then it was Showtime and we grabbed our very cool GBS/LI Maritime Museum shirts and waited in eager anticipation. It has been nine long months! Karen and Andi planted themselves stage Alan and I stage Bob – what a surprise! Vic was somewhere off in the crowd. Doug came and asked Jennifer and Moe to introduce the band. It was a total surprise for the two of them! LOL! After some hemming and hawing, Jennifer finally introduced them and we watched them running out to the stage from the museum. |
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| Jenny |