Yesterday the Home Free family hit the beautiful city of Prague in Czech Republic and as you know I was there. This was the second standing Home Free concert I have attended and just as in Stockholm, Sweden it rocked. Home Free rocked, Jeffrey East rocked, the crowd rocked!
While waiting for the show to start there was music playing and it seems as if it has become a tradition for this tour that the audience has a sing-along to John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads and the Prague audience didn't disappoint. We were simply just standing there in front of the stage, or wherever you were standing, singing along with all that we had. And it was awesome. The feeling of it was that of expectation, because those who have been to one of the previous shows, or if you have seen Jeffrey East's live stream of his act earlier this week, know that it's the last song before Jeffrey comes on. And we were ready. We were so ready!
Just as in Stockholm I was second line up front right in the middle of the stage, but the stage in Prague was smaller and lower so we were very close to first Jeffrey, then Home Free, and it gave the concert a feeling of intimacy. Well deserved intimacy in an artist - fan kind of way. Why well deserved you might ask? Because any crowd that is so engaged as this crowd was from beginning to end deserves it. It is important to remember though that the relationship is that between an artist/s and their fans. They give us their all and we give them our all. They give us their skills and we give our skills. They give us their music and we give our joy of enjoying their music. That's what it's all about.
This was the 3d time seeing Jeffrey East and you all know I loved him from the get-go. It hasn't changed. At the first show in Oslo he didn't know what to expect and he was blown away by the response he got. In Stockholm he might have started to understand that we might actually really like him. Yesterday he knew, and it showed. The audience showed their love for him and he showed his love for us. One of Jeffrey's strong sides is to get the crowd to sing-along to his songs. He doesn't even have to ask us anymore, as he pointed out. Last night he played one of his songs he hadn't played before here in Europe, but we still knew it and could sing along to it. He loved it, and we loved giving it to him! I really hope those of you that are in the States get the chance to see him live, because he is already becoming the second music act I would travel Europe to see. I have already gone from going on a Home Free tour to going on a Home Free and Jeffrey East tour. So here's the opening act becoming just as important as the main act. Well done Home Free for picking Jeffrey East to support you on this tour, and in case any of you read this; you guys are a perfect fit! A match made in heaven. Thank you! And I'm looking forward to any type of collaboration between you, and I really hope that Tim was telling us the future last night when he said there will be a Jeffrey East song on the next Home Free album. Can't wait!
Being so up close to a stage as low as it was last night brings, as mentioned, a very intimate feeling, and it also gives the opportunity to read the guys' facial expressions and looks in their eyes. In Stockholm they were surprised and amazed by the response they got from the crowd, in Prague they expected it, but they were still amazed. The joy and love they showed when looking out over the audience was so visible you could almost touch it. This show was my 10th Home Free concert and to me it has been obvious for a long time that even though the set list might be the same for every show, the expression from the guys are slightly different for each of them. I believe that the reason for that is that they feed off the energy of the audience. I haven't been to a show in the States, but for this tour in Europe we give them our all. We sing every word, we clap along and we dance. We engage fully and completely from beginning to end and we feed the guys a whole lot of energy to give back to us. We give them all our heart and soul and we're all loving it! It's a win - win. Yes, our feet and our backs hurt afterwards and we might lose our voices, but I can't think of anything I would rather do in a concert than feeling all the love and joy and I have inside of coming out to be shared with everyone around me. This is why I travel all over Europe to see them. It makes me feel truly alive, it brings out the best feelings in me, it gives me inspiration to live my life to the fullest and it is making me amazing friends for life.
I understand that standing shows isn't for everyone, but I hope the rest of the world will get to experience them too if you choose to try it out. I can promise you that it is worth it for most people. Unless you are there only to hear beautiful harmonies. But if you're in it for the guys, then you are in for a treat, for sure.
What else can I say about last night's show? We surprised Adam by not shouting back 3, but doing the beat boxing part instead. That was fun! We waved flags from around the world during the encore Love Train, the bass literally moved back a step when Tim or Adam hit those lows and my chest rumbled more than ever before. It felt like an earth quake going on inside it! Amazing! Freaking amazing! It was hot, but not as hot as Stockholm.
I am currently 11 hours into a bus ride from Prague to Cologne, Germany for tomorrow's show. I'm looking forward to a day off from traveling tomorrow and a bit of a sleep-in before doing the touristy thing.
Look for my next post on Tuesday, where I will keep you updated on the the difference on going to a seated show after 2 standing shows.
Love/
Carina
Showing posts with label European Tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label European Tour. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 September 2018
Saturday, 8 September 2018
Trip 2 - Prague and Cologne
And it's tour time again!!
I am at the airport, killing time waiting for my flight to Prague, Czech Republic this evening. The time is 4:45 AM and my flight leaves at 7:00 AM. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how excited I am.
So far Home Free and Jeffrey East seem to be enjoying this tour a lot. In show after show both they and the audience are singing, dancing and clapping for all they are worth, and I am positive tonight's show will keep adding to the list of shows that are mind-blowing, heart warming and joyful.
I will be meeting up with a lot of friends in Prague, lovely people I've gotten to know through Home Free. My sister I've known her whole life, another friend I've known close to 30 years, some I've met several times before in several countries over the past 2,5 years since the first time Home Free came to Europe, some I've shared a room with before, some I've met once and some I will meet for the first time. We come from all over Europe; Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic and of course Spain (that's me).
This show is a standing show, just as Stockholm was last week and just as Vienna was last night. I know Stockholm was epic, and I have heard that Vienna was even better so there is no doubt in my mind that Prague will be even more epic and better than those shows. I know all of us will do our best to make it so.
Tomorrow morning I will get on a bus, together with another Swede and 2 Finns, from Prague to Cologne, Germany for the show on Monday. I am looking forward to seeing the scenery along the way, and to get some rest. I've had a busy week and so far I've only slept 45 minutes tonight. I'm not a great plane sleeper, but I will do my best to get at least an hour of it on my 3 hour flight.
Some of us are landing at more or less the same time so we'll kick everything off at the airport already. I see a lot of laughter and hugs in my near future.
On the bus tomorrow I will write a blog to tell you all about tonight's show, and of course there will be one about the Cologne show on Tuesday. I'm so excited to write them!
But now I will have my airport breakfast of champions - a banana, salt and vinegar crisps (chips for you US folks out there), black coffee and water - and watch a film. I've got another hour to kill before my gate is announced.
I wish you a fantastic day, I know mine will be. Have fun, love a lot, laugh much!
Love/
Carina
Friday, 31 August 2018
Home Free in Oslo, Norway
Right now I'm in Stockholm, Sweden, in our hotel lobby getting some well deserved rest after a very long day yesterday and an early morning today. Tonight is the second concert of the European leg of the Timeless World Tour, but I will tell you all about that tomorrow. Today's post is all about yesterday's concert in Oslo, Norway - my 8th Home Free show so far.
It was the first time for the Guys to perform in Norway and they loved it there. Not surprised. And let me tell you that Norway LOVED them! A lot!
The venue was a 1000 seated venue with 4 bars, as Tim kept telling us, and I believe we managed to get the best seats of the house on row 10 with the 9 rows in front of us being 2 steps below our floor level. Perfect view and perfect sound!
The guys are traveling with an opening act this tour so before we got to see and hear the brilliance of Home Free we were treated with the brilliance of singer-songwriter Jeffrey East. Let me tell ya'; if you ever get a chance to go see him live - Take it!! As Home Free fans we are used to their special connection with the fans during the show - Jeffrey East got that part down too, so funny!
Not only that; his songs were really good, his voice as well and last, but certainly not least, he has an awesome beard! Jeffrey East - remember that name! I will share live videos of him later on, but until then check him out on YouTube and Spotify and like him on socials. Jeffrey East
I had a chance to have a chat with him after the show and he is also a very gentle, kind and polite guy who is very excited to be on tour with the guys of Home Free. I'm looking forward to seeing him opening on every show I'm going to this tour! So keep your eyes open for the name Jeffrey East!
So, what about Home Free? They were absolutely amazing, as always but more! I have stayed away from watching any live video this past year because I wanted to be surprised on this first concert and boy are they getting better and better. This was also the first time they brought their special lights with them, and they are using a tour bus to get from show to show - just as they do in the States. We were told that the bus is enormous and sleeps 14, and has at least 1 microwave in a strange place.
I'm not going to get trough all the songs they did, but they did some songs I haven't heard live before and some I have heard. Some of the banter in between was new to me and some I've heard before, and it was as funny as always. I've mentioned before that going to a Home Free show isn't just a concert, it's a stand-up comedy act as well. I stand by that after Oslo as well!
They all look great and look like they are taking really good care of themselves, which is great because we want them around for a long time still.
The biggest cheer of the evening was when Timeless went into Try Everything, a song that means a lot to me for personal reason, and the roof probably lifted the ceiling a bit. Adam Rupp got a standing ovation with applauds that went on for a long time after his beatboxing solo - a well deserved tribute indeed. The talent of that freak of nature keeps blowing my mind. I will never be able to understand the talent he's got. How one single man can sound like a complete drum set will forever remain a mystery to me.
Austin's wailing opening of When You Walk In was powerful, wonderful and dreamy. Seriously, that man got skills!
Rob's sweet and buttery voice in Go Rest High sent chills down my spine. In an extremely good way!
Chance's highs and lows with that raw, raspy and smooth voice hits home for me every single time. The choice of bringing him in is undoubtedly a great one. And yes, Tim, we are also so happy that he didn't join Pentatonix!
And then we have Tim, with his sarcasm and spot on humour, his rumbling low notes, his sweet high notes and his charm, who brings down laughter after laughter. He certainly didn't let us down this time either.
But the thing that gets to me most when it comes to Home Free are all the feelings I get within. Not only during the show, because that is to be expected with them, but that feeling when it was getting close to being our turn to do the VIP pic (we started VIP with the pics followed by signing). It's a feeling of excitement and expectations. It's butterflies in the stomach, it's rushing blood, it's brain going blank and it's love. So much love! One of the Fry sister's I'm traveling is described it as the fantastic feeling she gets before getting up on stage to perform. To me it's a feeling of going home after a long time being away.
If Home Free was a religion their live shows would be MY CHURCH!
Tonight's show is in a standing room only venue, so I'm looking forward to it for that reason, because I'm sure the energy will be very different. But I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.
Oh, and Europe finally got to meet Nate! Love him! Such a sweet and gentle guy! Home Free knows how to surround themselves with sweet people.
With that I'm going to end this post with a snippet of yesterday's My Church, because that's what I'm doing when I go to their shows. I'm going to My Church. Courtesy to my sister H for catching it on video and allowing me to share it with the world.
Love/
Carina
It was the first time for the Guys to perform in Norway and they loved it there. Not surprised. And let me tell you that Norway LOVED them! A lot!
The venue was a 1000 seated venue with 4 bars, as Tim kept telling us, and I believe we managed to get the best seats of the house on row 10 with the 9 rows in front of us being 2 steps below our floor level. Perfect view and perfect sound!
The guys are traveling with an opening act this tour so before we got to see and hear the brilliance of Home Free we were treated with the brilliance of singer-songwriter Jeffrey East. Let me tell ya'; if you ever get a chance to go see him live - Take it!! As Home Free fans we are used to their special connection with the fans during the show - Jeffrey East got that part down too, so funny!
Not only that; his songs were really good, his voice as well and last, but certainly not least, he has an awesome beard! Jeffrey East - remember that name! I will share live videos of him later on, but until then check him out on YouTube and Spotify and like him on socials. Jeffrey East
I had a chance to have a chat with him after the show and he is also a very gentle, kind and polite guy who is very excited to be on tour with the guys of Home Free. I'm looking forward to seeing him opening on every show I'm going to this tour! So keep your eyes open for the name Jeffrey East!
So, what about Home Free? They were absolutely amazing, as always but more! I have stayed away from watching any live video this past year because I wanted to be surprised on this first concert and boy are they getting better and better. This was also the first time they brought their special lights with them, and they are using a tour bus to get from show to show - just as they do in the States. We were told that the bus is enormous and sleeps 14, and has at least 1 microwave in a strange place.
I'm not going to get trough all the songs they did, but they did some songs I haven't heard live before and some I have heard. Some of the banter in between was new to me and some I've heard before, and it was as funny as always. I've mentioned before that going to a Home Free show isn't just a concert, it's a stand-up comedy act as well. I stand by that after Oslo as well!
They all look great and look like they are taking really good care of themselves, which is great because we want them around for a long time still.
The biggest cheer of the evening was when Timeless went into Try Everything, a song that means a lot to me for personal reason, and the roof probably lifted the ceiling a bit. Adam Rupp got a standing ovation with applauds that went on for a long time after his beatboxing solo - a well deserved tribute indeed. The talent of that freak of nature keeps blowing my mind. I will never be able to understand the talent he's got. How one single man can sound like a complete drum set will forever remain a mystery to me.
Austin's wailing opening of When You Walk In was powerful, wonderful and dreamy. Seriously, that man got skills!
Rob's sweet and buttery voice in Go Rest High sent chills down my spine. In an extremely good way!
Chance's highs and lows with that raw, raspy and smooth voice hits home for me every single time. The choice of bringing him in is undoubtedly a great one. And yes, Tim, we are also so happy that he didn't join Pentatonix!
And then we have Tim, with his sarcasm and spot on humour, his rumbling low notes, his sweet high notes and his charm, who brings down laughter after laughter. He certainly didn't let us down this time either.
But the thing that gets to me most when it comes to Home Free are all the feelings I get within. Not only during the show, because that is to be expected with them, but that feeling when it was getting close to being our turn to do the VIP pic (we started VIP with the pics followed by signing). It's a feeling of excitement and expectations. It's butterflies in the stomach, it's rushing blood, it's brain going blank and it's love. So much love! One of the Fry sister's I'm traveling is described it as the fantastic feeling she gets before getting up on stage to perform. To me it's a feeling of going home after a long time being away.
If Home Free was a religion their live shows would be MY CHURCH!
Tonight's show is in a standing room only venue, so I'm looking forward to it for that reason, because I'm sure the energy will be very different. But I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.
Oh, and Europe finally got to meet Nate! Love him! Such a sweet and gentle guy! Home Free knows how to surround themselves with sweet people.
With that I'm going to end this post with a snippet of yesterday's My Church, because that's what I'm doing when I go to their shows. I'm going to My Church. Courtesy to my sister H for catching it on video and allowing me to share it with the world.
Love/
Carina
Sunday, 24 June 2018
Join the Love Train
Hello there!
Welcome back, dear reader, and welcome back inspiration!
It's been a year since I last wrote something for this blog. Simply because I completely lost my inspiration for writing, but it's coming back to me now and what better way to celebrate my returned inspiration than with a blog post on my all-time favourite blog (ok, I'm partial, but I'm allowed to be) about my all-time favourite subject; Home Free and their return to Europe!!
Yes, they are (finally) coming back to us over here on this side of the pond! And what a glorious return it will be!
One of the reasons my inspiration was missing was because I found myself in what is commonly known, within the Home Fry community, as the Home Free Blues. It usually hits you after a Home Free show, and especially so if you don't know when you'll be seeing them again.
Back in May 2017 when I last saw them live, here in Spain, they told us they would be back in September of this year so I knew that much, but they also told us we'd get more information about it in September 2017. Obviously the Home Free Blues hit before September, it actually hit pretty much a year ago to be exact, but it didn't help when September came and went without a word about the tour. Early this year we were told we'd get more info come early February, but February also came and went without any more information. My Home Free Blues got deeper and deeper, so bad that listening to their music didn't even help. Now, don't get me wrong - I was still happy and content with my life as it was, the Home Fee Blues (let's call it HFB) didn't change that - but I wanted to start planning my travels, book hotels and flights, and start dreaming more detailed about the shows I would attend.
And then finally, at the end of May 2018, more than a year after finding out they are coming back in September 2018, they hit us with the announcement of a bigger tour than we could ever have imagined; 12 countries, 17 shows in 23 days! Wooaaawww! (Doing my happy dance every time I think about it!)
As a Patron of theirs I was sent the information in the middle of the night, but I was getting up to catch a flight to Sweden so I saw it only minutes after it was posted on Patreon. Let's just say my trip was not only filled with the joy and love of seeing family and friends, but it was also filled of planning which shows to attend and who should buy tickets to which shows. Yes, shows. You didn't think I would only do one show, did you?
The timing of the release of the tickets was perfect too, as I came home in the middle of the night before and I had the day off from work. Perfection!
Anyway, I am now a proud owner of tickets for 6 shows in 5 countries, 2 I've never been to before. The first 2 shows, 2 in the middle and the last 2 shows. 3 trips. The Euro Fry Family is a tight community and I'll be going to 5 of the shows with my sister H, and our two friends H and E. We've all been to Home Free shows together in the past. We will also meet up with a bunch of other Euro Fries, some that we are very close to, some that we have met once or several times before and some that we are yet to meet.
Hotels are booked, flights are next to sort out and whatever else we need to book will follow and I couldn't be more excited!!
Home Free timely released a new video in the days after ticket release and it couldn't be more perfect. It's their rendition of O'Jays "Love Train". I would be surprised if you have never heard this song before.
This version is so full of love and joy and the video reflects the message perfectly. They have already been doing this song in their live shows for a while and they asked fans all over the world to send them videos of them dancing to it. They then used those videos for their video (and I see some familiar Euro Fry faces in it), mixed in with sequences of them singing and dancing, styled as in a 70's sitcom.
Here's why this song and video is timely; the lyrics of the song encourages "people around the world" to "join hands" and "start a love train" or "join the love train". And to me that is exactly what their fans are doing all around the world. I already know I will be seeing people from at least 10 different countries at the shows I'm attending and we're all coming together because of these amazing guys and their music. We have already joined the Love Train that Home Free has started!
Now, before you watch the video below there's a couple of more things I would like to tell you; I am planning on doing a Home Free Euro Tour series here on the blog, where I will write about my experiences of the different shows. Traditionally the Home Free shows are seated shows, meaning the audience sit during the shows, but a couple of the shows I'm attending, including the one in my home country Sweden, will be standing room only. I know the guys pick up a lot of their energy on stage from the audience so it will be very interesting to see and experience the differences between a show with a standing audience and a seated audience. So stay tuned for those posts.
Now, almost lastly, if you didn't get your ticket yet you really should because they are selling out one show after the other (actually several shows already sold out and was moved to bigger venues with more tickets released), so don't wait any longer! Here's the link to their website and the tour schedule.
And, finally, here's the video! Watch it, re-watch it, share it, spread the love, start a love train, join a love train, sing with us and dance, dance, dance!
Much Love//
Carina
Welcome back, dear reader, and welcome back inspiration!
It's been a year since I last wrote something for this blog. Simply because I completely lost my inspiration for writing, but it's coming back to me now and what better way to celebrate my returned inspiration than with a blog post on my all-time favourite blog (ok, I'm partial, but I'm allowed to be) about my all-time favourite subject; Home Free and their return to Europe!!
Yes, they are (finally) coming back to us over here on this side of the pond! And what a glorious return it will be!
One of the reasons my inspiration was missing was because I found myself in what is commonly known, within the Home Fry community, as the Home Free Blues. It usually hits you after a Home Free show, and especially so if you don't know when you'll be seeing them again.
Back in May 2017 when I last saw them live, here in Spain, they told us they would be back in September of this year so I knew that much, but they also told us we'd get more information about it in September 2017. Obviously the Home Free Blues hit before September, it actually hit pretty much a year ago to be exact, but it didn't help when September came and went without a word about the tour. Early this year we were told we'd get more info come early February, but February also came and went without any more information. My Home Free Blues got deeper and deeper, so bad that listening to their music didn't even help. Now, don't get me wrong - I was still happy and content with my life as it was, the Home Fee Blues (let's call it HFB) didn't change that - but I wanted to start planning my travels, book hotels and flights, and start dreaming more detailed about the shows I would attend.
And then finally, at the end of May 2018, more than a year after finding out they are coming back in September 2018, they hit us with the announcement of a bigger tour than we could ever have imagined; 12 countries, 17 shows in 23 days! Wooaaawww! (Doing my happy dance every time I think about it!)
As a Patron of theirs I was sent the information in the middle of the night, but I was getting up to catch a flight to Sweden so I saw it only minutes after it was posted on Patreon. Let's just say my trip was not only filled with the joy and love of seeing family and friends, but it was also filled of planning which shows to attend and who should buy tickets to which shows. Yes, shows. You didn't think I would only do one show, did you?
The timing of the release of the tickets was perfect too, as I came home in the middle of the night before and I had the day off from work. Perfection!
Anyway, I am now a proud owner of tickets for 6 shows in 5 countries, 2 I've never been to before. The first 2 shows, 2 in the middle and the last 2 shows. 3 trips. The Euro Fry Family is a tight community and I'll be going to 5 of the shows with my sister H, and our two friends H and E. We've all been to Home Free shows together in the past. We will also meet up with a bunch of other Euro Fries, some that we are very close to, some that we have met once or several times before and some that we are yet to meet.
Hotels are booked, flights are next to sort out and whatever else we need to book will follow and I couldn't be more excited!!
Home Free timely released a new video in the days after ticket release and it couldn't be more perfect. It's their rendition of O'Jays "Love Train". I would be surprised if you have never heard this song before.
This version is so full of love and joy and the video reflects the message perfectly. They have already been doing this song in their live shows for a while and they asked fans all over the world to send them videos of them dancing to it. They then used those videos for their video (and I see some familiar Euro Fry faces in it), mixed in with sequences of them singing and dancing, styled as in a 70's sitcom.
Here's why this song and video is timely; the lyrics of the song encourages "people around the world" to "join hands" and "start a love train" or "join the love train". And to me that is exactly what their fans are doing all around the world. I already know I will be seeing people from at least 10 different countries at the shows I'm attending and we're all coming together because of these amazing guys and their music. We have already joined the Love Train that Home Free has started!
Now, before you watch the video below there's a couple of more things I would like to tell you; I am planning on doing a Home Free Euro Tour series here on the blog, where I will write about my experiences of the different shows. Traditionally the Home Free shows are seated shows, meaning the audience sit during the shows, but a couple of the shows I'm attending, including the one in my home country Sweden, will be standing room only. I know the guys pick up a lot of their energy on stage from the audience so it will be very interesting to see and experience the differences between a show with a standing audience and a seated audience. So stay tuned for those posts.
Now, almost lastly, if you didn't get your ticket yet you really should because they are selling out one show after the other (actually several shows already sold out and was moved to bigger venues with more tickets released), so don't wait any longer! Here's the link to their website and the tour schedule.
And, finally, here's the video! Watch it, re-watch it, share it, spread the love, start a love train, join a love train, sing with us and dance, dance, dance!
Much Love//
Carina
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