I’ve been spending a lot of time home recently. You can imagine. With that in mind, when Matt Scott called a few days ago and asked if I wanted to see Darlene Love perform “Christmas, Baby Please Come Home” live on the Letterman show how could I say no!
Actually, I could. That was my gut reaction. Helaine convinced me getting out of the house would be good–and it was.
We met at the Fairfield train station and caught an express to GCT. We needed to be at the Ed Sullivan Theater by 4:30 PM. Our train opened its doors on the lower level at 4:15 PM.
We ran the 1.1 miles!
It’s been a long time since I was an Olympic track star¹, but we made it to the theater at 4:35 PM.
Uh oh. They’re strict when it comes to punctuality.
A woman who seemed in charge took mercy on us, wrote RED (with a line through it) on the back of our tickets and told us to be back at 5:10 (also, which local bar didn’t mind Late Show audience members using their bathroom)!
This was my fifth time to see David Letterman, twice at NBC and now three times at CBS. On one trip with my friend Harold I wrote how we had the worst seats in the house. Wrong! Matt and I ended up with an obstructed view in folding chairs behind the last row!
Let me pause a second. None of what I’ve written until now matters. For years I’ve raved about this particular Letterman show and how I’ve grown to love Darlene Love’s iconic performance of Phil Spector’s classic. Now I would see it live!
The show started with Jay Thomas telling his Lone Ranger story, then knocking a meatball off a Christmas tree with a football. Honest, this happens every year.
The second guest was Naomi Watts promoting her new movie, “The Impossible.” Matt and I agreed she was cold, aloof and not a very good guest.
She left, meaning it was time for Darlene’s number, but as I looked down (far down) at the studio floor there were no horns or strings or choir–all fixtures of this performance. And then, as the band played (and tape was undoubtedly stopped), stagehands set up chairs and music stands and out came the players.
Oh my God, it was magical.
I stood in the back row and sang every word with Darlene. At the point where she and the choir alternate, “please, please, please…” I threw out my pointed finger in sync with the chorus.
Whatever Darlene once had, she has retained. Her performance was magical.
The lights came up and we went to leave the theater, but before we exited Matt stopped and passed a note to Alan Kalter, who he knows. We went up to the stage and spent a few minutes chatting. He was a nice guy and quite gracious.
Matt’s two children were with the sitter, so we rushed toward Times Square in the rain, got a sandwich at GCT and caught the 8:04 express back to Fairfield.
Thank you Matt. This was among my coolest experiences ever!
Note: Darlene’s performance airs tonight (12/21/12) at 11:35 PM on CBS. Don’t miss it.
¹ – Never.
Glad you enjoyed the show, Geoff. Always good to get out!0
All the best to you and yours for a Merry Christmas and a good 2013.
Merry Christmas Geoff and welcome back. We’ve missed you. :o)
One of our favorite Christmas traditions, thanks for the heads up, I wouldn’t have thought to look for it tonight!
To me its not really Christmas until this episode is on.
I love this performance- Setting the DVR. Hope you had a great time.
Check out the Wahoo Gazette and see the synopsis of the show you saw, plus my poem. 🙂
http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/wahoo_gazette/1000209/
Two shows were taped yesterday. That was the early show. I saw the late.
Oops. I just got carried away because my poem was in it. Your show will be the next one.
Welcome back. Glad to see you’ve made it through the rain and are blogging again. We’ve missed you.
I am so happy to see you back on facebook. Next I want to be glad to see you giving us the weather.
Welcome back, Geoff! Glad to see you back on Facebook and here. It was a lonely month. Hope things are better for you, although I want to see you back on the air doing the weather. Can’t wait to see Letterman tonight! Darlene Love is such a Christmas tradition.
I’m glad you had a good time. Wish I could have been there to see you and Matt racing through the streets of Manhattan. It’s a funny visual!
Seeing you on your blog again is an early Christmas present for me. We all have missed you.
So good to see you posting again, Geoff. Couldn’t help but notice the mention of Helaine, so I hope and pray that you two have gotten through the junk and are healing. God bless you and your family and a Merry Christmas and the best New Year ever!
Glad to see you out here posting again. What a good friend Matt is to get you out
and about……
Always love the Darlene Love’s performance of Phil Spector’s classic. It is a must miss show. Glad you had a chance to see it live. Someday soon I hope to do the same.
Sounds like just what you needed! While I’ve never met Matt I do follow him on FB…he seems like the real deal, a true friend. Always interesting to see who your real friends are sometimes. Peace.
Sounds like fun – everything except the running through the crowds in NYC!
Glad to hear from you, Geoff.
I’m glad to see you post again, so welcome back, Geoff. Missed reading your posts and blogs and you of course. Glad you had a great time. Darlene is wonderful singer and has a great voice. Happy Holidays to you and your family.
My pleasure. Always.
WELCOME BACK!!!! You are missed.
Sounds like fun. Nice to see you back.
All I have to say is THANK GOOD YOU ARE BACK! Missed your blog posts.
It’s good to but I meant to say God
So glad to see you posting once more. You made my day. Thank you so much. Happy Holidays to you and your family and hope to hear from you soon. Keep those Doppler pictures coming!
So glad you’re posting. Happy holidays (even if Fox News considers the phrase part of the war on Xmas )
Hope to see some posts more often! As I said on twitter, when I saw MS post about going to see this on Facebook, I immediately thought of your annual posts about Darlene!
Hey, Get back on the air !!! Weather sucks now !! If Any of the other stations had any brains they’d be making you an offer. Your the best weatherman in Ct !!! FoxCT is a trash station anyway. Only watched cause of you.
Merry Christmas !!
Kenny – Just because I’m not there doesn’t change what they do, which was top notch.
YAY I am so happy you are posting again….WELCOME BACK! This…is a great Christmas Gift! Thanks Geoff!!!
I saw the show in person three times: 1995, 1997 and 1999. The first one was Jerry Lewis, former NJ senator Bill Bradley and music group Primus. The 1997 show had Jay Thomas (oddly enough!) and Annabella Sciorra. The 1999 show had Pierce Brosnan (plugging the remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair”), Saffron Burroughs (plugging “Deep Blue Sea”) and music group Tonic. My brother also went to his February 24, 1999 show. I believe that one featured Uma Thurman and Tom Green. Lastly…I’m 99% that Paul Shaffer does the annual Cher spoof of “O Holy Night” tonight! 🙂
It is good to see you back. I hope this day and the rest of the holidays bring you peace and joy.
Just catching the show. Is it me or does Dave seem like he’s having fun again?
Welcome back Geoff!
We missed you.
What a pleasant surprise to have you back.
Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday
and a peaceful New Year.
Geoff
First glad to have you back, have missed your blogs
Second, it appeared on tv that Darlene was not facing the audience when she was singing, but it was a great performance.
Geoff
Good to again see My First read blog is again active!
-dave