Just to let you know I scribbled down some notes on the way back from Arco Arena to Redding (it's about 2:15-2:30 drive...)...I kept the notes entirely Katharine-centric...and I have EIGHT friggin' pages of notes...and I could have kept going if I had included my thoughts on everyone else...

OK, this will be an entirely Katharine only review and maybe I'll get to the rest some other time...maybe in my San Jose review...I don't know.

All I'll say about the "others" is that I was pretty impressed really.  I thought everyone did well...some better than others but I wasn't disappointed in anyone really.

Alright onto the show...

I didn't know that Mandisa was from the Sacramento area (Citrus Heights)...I had no clue...her Idol bio said she was from Tennessee so...well, I was surprised when she started talking about this being her "hometown" show and how her mom was there and all of those things...

Taylor did the same thing for Mandisa during "LIA" that he did for Katharine in Los Angeles...the whole special re-introduction at the end...

Alright, onto the Katharine stuff...just some quick highlights of her performances and then my thoughts & feelings about seeing her live...

BLACK HORSE AND THE CHERRY TREE

She did it pretty much how we've seen lately...nothing too different from the videos I saw down in Southern California.  Oh, the one difference was that she did the "Here we go!" a little bit earlier than usual...usually that's when she starts down the ramp but this time she kind of faked me out...I thought she was going to go down the ramp to her LEFT...instead of the usual going to her RIGHT...because she started to the left and then flipped around and went in the usual direction...

So it was as good as expected...the one interesting thing was that the crowd did a pretty good job singing along with her in the "No No No" part...better than most I've seen in the videos...I still think the crowd in D.C. was the best with that and they got the first shot...I think it spoiled Katharine...she probably thought all the crowds were going to get into it with her that way...

THINK

Katharine intro'd the song by saying, "ladies if you are with your man tell him this..." and then went into the song.  We got the head turn at the beginning, the hair toss...all the good stuff.

Got some of the fantastic looks at messy hair Katharine...I love when that hair hangs in front of her face...so, so hot...and she gets her "sexy face" on when she does "Think"...such a great addition to her "set"....because it really livens everything up.  Not sure exactly what it is about "Black Horse" but it doesn't quite do the trick for the neutrals in the audience...

Oh, she didn't leave the stage this time...maybe she decided that it wasn't a good idea after she almost tripped on her dress in Anaheim...

I thought this was the best vocal performance of "Think" I've seen on the Tour (I've only seen SD, LA and Sac but...of the three...).  She sang the whole thing, correctly (unlike LA), and did so very energetically...just lots of fun all around...

One other thing...she gave the keyboard player a little tease during "Think"...it was nice to see...that box drum guy during "Black Horse" has gotten enough attention from Katharine...spread the love around Kat...

SPEECH GOING INTO SOTR...

Katharine said she was just happy to be in California since it seemed like it took forever to get here.  She mentioned that she had someone "special" in the crowd watching her tonight...And then she did her usual "dreams coming true" transition into SOTR...

SOTR

Not much to say because we've said everything about it before...she did her usual fantastic job on it...She did the "power" version as I like to call it...I thought she did a "quiet" version in San Diego...I got chills as usual...

LIVING IN AMERICA

Katharine wore something I hadn't seen previously...she had on a white skirt (tight one, not frilly)...with a white top that sorta looked like her Idol SOTR one, just white.

Anyway, fun moment near the end when Katharine & Kellie were walking back up the ramp to do the first "exit" (the one before the come back to take a bow)...I think Kellie was making fun of how Katharine used to struggle up the ramp but...Kellie faked like she needed help so Katharine mocked pulling Kellie up the ramp with a fake rope...it was quite funny...I hope there's video of it somewhere.

MY OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

It was really, really weird to actually have Katharine right there in front of me...my seats weren't super close so I couldn't actually reach out and grab her or anything but...after all this time it was just like, "Wow, she's a real person...look at her up there."  Kind of a surreal experience.

Anyway, here's a little story about what was going through me during the show...

So when the guys started singing "Patience" I got light-headed...I knew what was coming next and I just stared at that spot on the stage where I knew Katharine would be appearing shortly...I really couldn't tell you anything about the guys' performance of "Patience"...I think I blacked out and what snapped me out of my trance was "2, 3, 4..." and this vision of a woman in a silky black dress...oh my!

So I actually managed pretty well during Katharine's performances...I just sang along with her happily (I don't think I messed up any of the words either...which is rare for me...) and clapped for her at every turn...it just all seemed so fast...it seemed like everyone else was up there forever and Katharine was there and gone so quick...

Alright, the one thing I noticed is how the arena reacts to "SOTR"...it is the only time during the concert where I think everyone focuses on what's happening on the stage...the place goes silent (with the exception of a few "I love you Katharine" and "Go Katharine!" yells) and Katharine just sings beautifully.  The rest of the concert is so loud that it's like everyone just takes a break to listen to our beautiful girl and appreciate the whole thing.  There's an odd sense of reverence toward her...others get louder reactions (Chris & Taylor...possibly even Ace if you count the squealing young girl factor) but I sense that everyone in the building understands what a talent they are watching when Katharine's up there.

I think that about covers it...just a quick, quick synopsis of the crowd...

I now see how Taylor won Idol...he absolutely owns the "older" crowd...not that I didn't know this but to see it in action was a little eye-opening...or at least he owns that section of the crowd in Sacramento...I'll report back tomorrow after I see the action in San Jose...

Quick review on the "others"...here's how I rank them just by my overall feel for how they did...I'm leaving Katharine out because you know where I'd put her...I can't fairly compare her to the rest...

1. Chris (in that setting...he's really good...if you don't like his style then you might like it so much but he was my second favorite on the show so...)

2. Lisa (I really, really enjoyed Lisa's set...she showed good energy on "Signed, Sealed..." and the two songs on the keyboard were really good).

3. Mandisa (It's a shame she was eliminated so early because she can really, really sing...plus she's got a great presence on stage...commands your attention well).

4. Elliott (He did better than I anticipated...especially when he sang with Chris on "Savin' Me...I didn't think he'd be very good at that...and he showed much more command of the crowd than I thought he would).

5. Paris (Didn't really care for her duet with Lisa but...her solos were fantastic...you can't help but enjoy all of her crazy dancing while doing "Crazy In Love").

6. Taylor (The guy can entertain a crowd...I'll give him that.  You can't help but watch him...I just don't like his singing all that much).
 
7. Ace (He was actually better than I expected...did well in the duet with Mandisa...liked "Father Figure"...didn't like "Harder To Breathe" so much).

8. Kellie (I liked Kellie's duet with Bucky and she did fine on her songs but her voice isn't super powerful and in an arena like that...)

9. Bucky (I just don't really care for Bucky so...and I don't think he has a real stage presence either...)

That enough?  I think so...I need to go to bed so I can get ready for my second trip tomorrow...later to you all....

It's great to read all these reviews even when you pretty much know whats coming. So, thanks SJ. I dont think they are allowed to vary much. You managed to remember quite a bit while being in the trance, nice job.

Thank Q... Your take "on verall impressions" was fun and as usual, thank Q for making the concert come to life for me....

Thanks for sharing....loved hearing about it....

That was a great review. I love that Kat is now rubbing on the keyboard player as well. The box drum player shouldn't get to have all the fun!

great recap, thanks

That was great--really enjoyed it! Thanks!

Awesome review Joe! Eight pages of notes, Wow! See you tonite in SJ, I hope Maddie will knock you out of the trance before Kat comes on . . . LOL, that was too funny Joe.

hi sjwolves, nice review. i envy you already. your description is so vivid i could virtually see you in a daze. you have another night to get all the fill and the fix you need (in the words of maddie). good luck guys and enjoy the show.

my turn is in 3 days. greg's is in 2 days. too bad that AI could not get the KEY arena in seattle where i'm closer. i have to drive down to tacoma on a saturday afternoon and you know how it is with traffic down there, it's chaos almost. i could have gone to portlandt too on friday to make it 2 shows for me but the road trip is rather the object here. greg thought about going to tacoma too, in addition to the rose garden, but he said he always likes to go home after a concert and the trip is also the object. well, we'll have to do with just one concert then. it looks like it's just me and arden15 from washington who's going to tacoma --from these boards so far, and greg from oregon. i guess most of those attending don't get to log on to these boards and sites for us to really gauge it. i'm sure i'll be seeing lots of kat fans there. -----mattsie

mattsie, how are you? you will definitely enoy yourself and have a great "Kat fix." she will not disappoint you. the wait will have been well worth it. i'm looking so forward to your review, that will really be one review i don't want to miss. take care................................. maddie

Nice review

you are sssooo lucky you got to go!!! thanks for the review!!!!

Hey Again!!!

I just saw the video that Popi provided and you were right on with your review, SJ!!! Vocally, THINK was the best yet!! Kat and Kellie were cute during LIA too. The video was a great addition to your recap of the evening!!! Be sure to drop by Katsconcerts.com to see it!!!

I have another favorite SJ quote:

"We got the head turn at the beginning, the hair toss...all the good stuff.
Got some of the fantastic looks at messy hair Katharine"

Too funny!!! Thanks again!!!

Some of our descriptions are so funny... "messy hair Katharine" reminded me of something like "Malibu Barbie," like K. comes in all these different versions or something. Which I guess she does. She has so many different looks and facets, from the cute kid in the candids to this all-grown-up siren who absolutely owns the stage... oh well, you've heard it all before. I love reading the recaps and watching the vids. Next best thing to being there, I guess.

Awesome recap, sjwolves. I really liked it a lot. It's hard to keep recaps fresh after all the concerts that have come already, but you totally pulled it off. By the way, I heard that Elliott's fans were planning some kind of glowsticks tribute for Mandisa in Sacramento. Wondering if they managed to get theirs in. Did you notice?

WOW....WHAT A FANTASTIC RECAP OF THE SACRAMENTO REVIEW!
SJWOLVES YOU ARE AN INCREDIBLE REPORTER AND COULD
EASILY DO THIS FOR A LIVING!!!!! THANKS FOR TAKING THE
TIME AND DEDICATION FOR SHARING!!!!

Thanks, sj, for your outstanding reporter's eye review. It'll be interesting to see what differed in San Jose...assuming you'll write just as detailed of a review.

Because Kat makes each performance in each city stand alone--at least we'll all get different impressions to write about. I intend to give a fairly thorough review on Friday (and about as long )--though it'll only come out in length based on how many personal impressions there are. That's pretty much how I think you operate in your writing too: If a new thought comes to mind...get it down on paper before it leaves you. Or maybe it's writer's OCD, I don't know.

I had to comment in the media section on that incident during 'Black Horse' where Kat almost went stage left down that other ramp rather than the other. I insinuated it may be a sign of being a McLefty--but it most likely was just an aberration. At least it shows that the monotony of the road doesn't turn Kat into a robot who goes through the motions. Her brain is always attuned to doing something spontaneously different if she can find a way.

Speaking of different, her 'Think' just rocked the house in the media clip I saw from Popi. Would you agree that her energy on that may have been at the most intense it ever has been? I thought so on the first night she sang it--but she was almost generating white heat here. And I'm sure the crew found sweat all over the keyboard from the keyboardist who got a special visit on the stage. It may be the lucky night for the guitar player in Portland or another city.

I noticed the Kellie/Kat interplay on the ramp from the media clip of 'LiA.' The bright stage lights obscured it a little--but you can see more evidence of their great chemistry on a stage. I wonder how they'd sound singing together?

It appears the McBoot has officially gotten the McBoot. She hasn't worn it on stage for over a week now--though I guess she throws it in the trunk of her car in case she needs it.

We're still waiting for a media clip of 'OtR' from this show. I assume Kat meant Nick was in the audience when she mentioned the special person watching in the audience...unless Peisha and the family were back to see this show.

Well, thanks.  I hope I have some ability to write since I am college-educated in that area but...I know you don't know that since you are a new name to me.

Just explaining that I'm not a total novice or anything.  If anything I was being too professional watching Katharine.  I still think I was in a trance when she was out there...just one that allowed me to remember every detail.  I think I explained this in my San Jose review but I really, really came away from that disappointed in myself.

I mean not that I didn't enjoy the whole thing because I hope that I did came out in the review but...I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have.  I was trying so hard to remember everything...it did almost feel like I was "working".

Oh and...was it Vadia?...I guess I could look...about keeping these fresh.  See that was another thing.  I tried to figure out a way to do that.  Especially going to the two shows.  Fortunately, the San Jose show took care of itself with all the craziness afterward but...I just figured that a quick review of what Katharine did on stage followed by how I felt seeing her live for the first time was the best way to go.  Because we all experience the thing differently.

I wish all of us (I mean all of us) could all go to one of these shows together.  That would be a blast.  Have a huge section of just crazy Kat fans...I'm not sure if it would be possible...but maybe an idea for Katharine's Tour (assuming it happens) would be to arrange some kind of way for as many of us as possible to all get to one show and be able to sit together and all of that good stuff (I mean you'd still go to the one in your area, gotta support Katharine!).  Just an idea for the future.

I need to watch these videos to get a better recollection of it.  I mean I noted that I thought "Think" was the best I'd seen so far but...and I'm glad I took all those notes right when I got in the car because it's a blur now.

I actually thought (although it is fuzzy) that she had even more energy in San Jose.  Because I did note that she got "sweaty" in San Jose and I didn't notice that in Sacramento.  She really, really shook it in San Jose.  Because they had this really tight shot of her face when she was doing SOTR in San Jose where you could see her makeup starting to run a little and some sweat coming off her forehead (she wasn't the only one...Mandisa, Lisa, Chris...they had the same shot of them too being all sweaty...)

Yeah, no McBoot.  Barefoot Kat both nights.  I'm thinking that she dropped going into the "pit" after finding out that her feet probably get sticky down there.  Maybe when she can wear shoes again...

Oh and the Kat/Kellie thing...you see, I was kinda paying attention to only one person (hmm, guess) during LIA so...I noticed that.

And I assumed the "special" person was Nick too.  Because she would have said my parents are here if it was them.

Maddie has the notes now.  I haven't asked if she read them.  I brought them with me and showed them to her.  Then she stole them from me!  Not that I need them anymore but...

Oh, and yeah I'm out of the trance now.

PROLONGING THE AGONY
sjwolves and maddie, thanks for a very good review. i'm so happy for you both that you got to see kat twice. i'm getting anxious, and the agony gets even prolonged for a few more hours before i could finally get to see her in person. now it makes wish that i should have gone to portland too with greg for the first dose.

i hope i could match all of your notes. i hope i could see all the details i need to see and hear all the sound i need to hear from our kat. we're on the prowl for that "katfix" and i'm afraid i'm so close to getting it finally.

seattle's temp is a little better than any of the cali venues, i suppose, at this time of the year, so i might not find a mcsweat on stage. i could almost guarantee KAT a very cool evening tomorrow, she might even want to stay over. however, i won't question it if i find myself sweating.

i'm truly excited to see her and the idols LIVE. i hope to absorb everything in my memory to be able to write a good review and/or record a few proofs with my camera  ---you know when i'm soaked up, i usually overflow.

btw, you noticed i have this habit of making the  font size just a bit larger --my specs fault, so bear with me -- have to replace them soon. thanks. --- mattsie