Checking out the venue
We got up to Gilford early, so we headed over to the venue to see what was up, and to pick up Judi's ticket. When we got out of the car, I looked over at the pavilion. They have been doing a lot of work on this venue since I was here last year. All the seats used to be uncovered, but there is now a roof over the reserved seating sections, so it's a smaller version of the huge outdoor pavilion/amphitheatre venues. All the seats are new and the lawn has been reconstructed. I just wish they had lowered that six-foot high stage! But they've done a great job!
While we were standing there, suddenly we heard over the sound system, "My God - it's full of stars." That's the sound clip that plays when the lights go out and the Styx show is about to start. Of course at the moment, it was several hours before the show, and they were just testing the playback. But I was shocked that I had such an immediate and intense reaction. Muscles in my back and shoulders, that I hadn't even realized were knotted up, relaxed so suddenly that I was stunned. It was like an involuntary response to a post-hypnotic suggestion - I hear those words, and everything is cool. It was a very zen moment. I'm glad these guys use their powers for good!
We looked around, and sure enough, there was Casey, setting up the merchandise booth! It seems no matter how early I get to a venue, Casey is already there, hard at work. He told us to come around through the barricade, so we talked with him for a while and caught up with everyone's latest news.