OK, my take on events in Ft. Wayne. As you all know, it was something of a reunion event. Ft. Wayne is a special place in Petra history as the place where they got their start. On this night, the people who were part of that start helped to celebrate what Petra has been over the years. There were many Petheads in attendance. As always, it was nice to meet a few new friends, and to renew acquaintances with old friends. Sue and Bridget, thank you for taking care of Teri and me while we were there. Apologies for not calling you this morning, but we were up and out of the hotel a little early, and didn�t think you would want us to disturb you at that hour.
Those of us who purchased the artists circle seats were treated to a special event prior to the concert. Not only did the ticket price include a decent dinner, we got to hear some of the stories of the history of the band from those who lived that history. Bob, John, Greg Hough, and a couple of folks who were instrumental in helping Petra get their start shared a few thoughts, stories, and pictures. Greg had several photos in a slide show format of Petra in the early days. I tried to take pics of the display, and will post them along with the rest of my pics later on. I really enjoyed hearing the stories. There were some amazing tales shared, and the sentiment in the room was palpable. John, in particular, is an excellent speaker, and seemed to get a little emotional talking about what Petra has meant to him over the years, and in paying tribute to his �mentor�, Bob. I was a little disappointed that Bob�s talk was restricted to about three minutes, on the premise that we had to take our seats for the concert, and then they brought up another speaker. He was good, though, and told of how he was saved at a Petra concert. I ran into John as I was heading up for the buffet line, and he was returning to his table with his dinner. Not wishing to delay him from his meal, I simply suggested that we recreate the infamous picture from Head East�s Flat as a Pancake album, where John was trying to stuff a stack of pancakes the size of his head into his mouth. His reply, �That�s just not nice!�
After dinner, we were herded into the auditorium to take our seats. One of the disadvantages of having a table close to the head table for dinner was that it was harder to get the best seats for the concert. Still, we wound up only four rows back, and just to what would be John�s left. We wound up sitting next to Greg Hough�s father and grandkids. I had no idea who he was, but learned about it as we struck up a conversation after a minor dispute about reserved seating. I was ready to give up my seat for them, but it turned out there was room for us all. He is quite the proud parent. I also got a kick out of seeing the little ones getting all excited about seeing grandpa playing some rock-n-roll guitar. We spoke with him afterwards, and he really enjoyed the concert, and was justifiably proud of his son.
Now, on with the show. There are two opening acts for Petra. Bread of Stone is a group of younglings who seem to have some potential. Farewell June was a fairly entertaining group who has some talented musicians, and a couple of people who really know how to play to the crowd. I liked their blues number. During the break before Petra, their manager came out with a story and a video of Petra�s visit to Peru, and a request for folks to sign up to support poor families in that part of the world. John would later reinforce that message indicating how some of the simple things that we take for granted make such a huge difference in lives.
Given the nature of the Petra event, I wasn�t sure how they were going to work it. They started off with the current lineup. I will leave it to others to share the set list. Suffice it for me to say that the boys put on a wonderful, high energy show. The place was packed, and it was rockin�! As you might expect, it would be difficult to match the energy of the DVD taping in Franklin, and I don�t think they did, but a great time was had by all. John seemed to struggle a little bit with his voice. Whether due to the long hard touring schedule or, as someone indicated, he had a cold, I�m not sure. Regardless, John is a pro, and knows how to compensate without compromising the energy or quality of the show. He did a great job! All the other guys did a fine job, as well. Bob is clearly a master on guitar, and I enjoyed watching him play. He seemed to be into this show, big time, and I think I got a couple of great pics of him. He also was pretty funny at times. I continue to be impressed with Paul and Greg. Paul played two sets last night � with Bread of Stone, and Petra. I was initially impressed with how well he did with BoS, but took it back when he told me he was helping them out on a regular basis. Seriously, I complimented him on his performance on both sets. Greg is always solid on bass, and plays a mean cello, as well.
After the ballad medley, they trotted out the originals for a few songs. They started out with the one and only �Lucas McGraw�. I had never heard this song. I have heard many people asking for it, and Bob commented on how they asked to play this song all over the world, and how they ignored all these requests. Until last night. Frankly, I don�t understand the fuss. It will not become one of my favorites, but they certainly did make it entertaining. I much preferred the remainder of their set, and was favorably impressed with their efforts. The current lineup came back for the big finish. Of course, there was a standing ovation. Most everyone was standing all night, anyway. Of course, they came back for an encore. Bob also said a few words at the end, and did their altar call.
The entire cast of Petra for the evening, current and original lineups, was at the autograph table to meet & greet the fans. Almost everyone in attendance seemed to have stood in line to get autographs and say hello. Our little group waited until the end to go through the line. While waiting, I went back out to the souvenir table. They did a fantastic business on this night. Many of the T-shirt designs they had were sold out! They had a few farewell Ts left, and just a few others. All the CDs were gone! The line finally ended, and I had a chance to tell everybody how I enjoyed the performance, and had a brief chat with John.
It was well after midnight by this point. The Pethead traditional post concert meal was scheduled for the local IHOP. Teri & I opted not to attend this time, as she was terribly tired, and looked it. I was tired too, and Bridget was gracious enough to drop us off at the hotel rather than watch us go headfirst into our omelets. Maybe one of the folks who were there will fill us in on the happenings there.
Next up for us will be the Petra US finale. Well, it�s being advertised as the US finale, anyway. We will be in both Dawsonville, Ga. and Murphy, NC. Hard to believe that it is only a few weeks away, isn�t it?
I�ll be working on getting my pics posted. Meanwhile, if anyone was planning to copy any of my shots from Franklin, you should do that now, as they will likely be coming down, unless I have plenty of space remaining for more pictures. That web address again, is
http://home.comcast.net/~pethead/franklin/index.html. I�ll post the new link when available.
Tom
