~ Train's Picasso at the Wheel Summer Tour 2015 rolled through San Diego

VIA EXAMINER.com

The crowd was jumping around and dancing with excitement long before Train’s whistle blew kicking off night 3 of the 40+ dates of Train’s Picasso at the Wheel Summer Tour at Sleep Train Amphitheater in Chula Vista, California on May 23, 2015.

The crowd was bouncing up and down to House of Pain’s song Jump Around as the house lights dimmed and the Train whistle blew causing the already enthusiastic crowd to be even more animated and loud.

Red stage lights and a single backlit spot highlighted guitarist, Jimmy Stafford playing one of his two Ukuleles. Front man, Pat Monahan, made his way into the spotlight kicking off the night with “Just a Memory.” Picking up the pace a bit, “Angel in Blue Jeans” was next, this song is the lead single off their new Album Bulltetproof Picasso released in late summer 2014. Most of the front section was seen singing and swaying along to the song.

After a few more hits, 50 ways to say Goodbye, If it’s Love, Meet Virginia, and Free Pat took a short break allowing the backup singers to fill in for him on vocals. It however wasn’t much of a break, as he jumped on the drums and provided the beat. Pat has some drum skills, but fans prefer him on vocals. The drum interlude was short lived and Monahan found his way back into the main spotlight.

He dedicated the next couple songs to the armed services, Look up to the Sky and Calling all Angels. Calling All Angels became an amazing 15,000+ person sing along with hands raised high in the sky.

Then the young Mermaids and Trainette’s came on stage for their couple minute dance party with Monahan. (You can tell Pat is a parent himself by his interaction with the kids on stage – it’s so adorable.) As the kids exited the stage, he was asking for a little help from his friends. Matt Nathanson, who opened the evening came on stage and sang the cover “With a little help from my Friends.”

Train’s new song “Give it all” is incredible to see live. Not only is Pat giving it his all - you can feel the emotion in his voice. But the lighting director and designer should be given kudos for the design. The lighting to this song encapsulated the mood perfectly. The flickering straight beams of light and the quick blue burst of light in the background is just perfect. Well Done!

"Marry Me" was a bit of a downer. Long time fans are use to having Pat come out into the audience during this song, Most fans have seen impromptu proposals during the song, the lyrics help lead to the proposals. Pat, however, did jump down into the front row barricade and sang from there. It just wasn’t the same.

The night and the hits went on and on for just over 90 minutes. Bulletproof Picasso, an amazing cover of Aerosmith’s Dream On, and their Grammy Award winning Drops of Jupiter finished the evening. The setlist was spot on. The show overall was great – as always. But the energy seemed to slow down by the encore, but that may have been due to the misty rain shower that covered the audience off and on during the night.

Can’t wait to see the next Train show in Southern California. (Kaaboo Festival in September)

For more images from this show www.mismarissa.com/train2015

For more Picasso at the Wheel Summer tour dates

~ New Kids on the Block The Main Event Tour with TLC and Nelly at SDSU's Veijas Arena

VIA EXAMINER.com

Many inner 1990s high school girl hearts were a fluttering, swooning over their celebrity crush. No matter what year you graduated from high school - 1990s or early 2000s - there was a little something for everyone. The Main Event tour brought five “New” Kids that aren’t so kid-like anymore, but more - Hot Damn!!

The New Kids on the Block The Main Event tour rolled through San Diego State University Viejas Arena on Monday May 11,2015. The Main Event Tour included 2 special guest artists, TLC and Nelly. They were the perfect complement to their 1990s pop icon headliner New Kids on the Block.

The three part musical event began with the hot ring girl cruising the stage smiling and laughing with a placard saying “Round 1”. The house lights went down and strobe lights danced through the venue.

The St. Louis rapper Nelly got the audience more than warmed up dancing and swaying to his songs. Some of the audience were seen drooling and looked flush from the heat coming off the stage. As he rapped “Shimmy Shimmy Coco Puff, listen to it loud,” listening proved difficult at times while staring at those arm guns.

Round 2 the ring girl again grabbed the audience attention before the lights dimmed to welcome pop duo T-Boz and Chilli otherwise known as the Grammy winning artists TLC. Under the cover of three huge canopy fans held by back up dancers, the DJ started the first beat while the dancers slowly unveiled the group and a few more back up dancers.

What about your Friends, Ain’t 2 proud 2 Beg, and Baby,Baby,Baby were the first three songs and continued hit after hit for about 45 minutes. The awe struck moment –goose bump moment of the night was one of the last songs, Waterfall. The in the round main event audience was painted in a blue light and nearly everyone in the audience raised their cell phone for a somber lighter moment. At that point the fans and the group were missing the middle of the group, the glue, the “L”, Lisa Lopes - Left Eye.

Round 3, the ring girl proudly strutted her thing, however the audience was anticipating that first glimpse of their school age infatuation. The lights went down and a few white lights shined on the stage. The Main Event - Let’s get ready to rumble announcer introduced the guys. Each walked to the stage under the shield of a black fight robe. Lights flicked off and on then a set of white lights peered down on each before unveiling themselves starting the night.

The New Kids on the Block have aged liked a fine wine – very well. Aye aye yai! As the guys were stripping off the robes the lightweight tight t-shirt showed some amazing washboard abs under there. Jordan ripped his t-shirt off mid show during his solo performance making some of the 40 somethings’ get in a tizzy and their heart flutter even faster. The guy’s performance was outstanding everything the inner high school crazed fans would ask for, to now grow into a sensible adult fan.

The square stage mechanics were amazing offering multi-level Olympic podium risers lifting each member as they sang. The side stages seemed to be rotating while they danced. Although a little over board at some times, the confetti and billowing smoke added another dimension to the show.