I had a while to rest at home between getting back from Houston at almost noon Saturday and the doors at The Parish Room on 6th Street opening at 8 p.m. that night here in Austin, Texas. I would be looking for daisukielliott and her husband - an E-Trainer that I become aware of just a day or two before the concert. I would be flying solo tonight as my dh had told me some time back that one night of revelry in a row was his limit. He let me out on 6th Street at the Roux restaurant about 7:15 and I talked to people in line while we waited to be let in. I decided to look for daisukielliott and her husband once I was inside. There were only eleven people in front of me. Once again, no marquee. Once again I climbed stairs to a club. Once inside I made a bee-line for the stage and never budged. I looked around for my fellow E-Trainer and hubby and just about then a nice young man next to me at the stage said “Are you Paulette?” I had told them I would be wearing a red top! I said “Yes”. It was them and we began to talk and they had already made friends with a couple of guys in line who were big The Last Goodnight fans. The five of us hung out for the whole show and daisukielliott and hubby were the nicest young people you would ever want to meet. Daisukielliott was nervous and sooooooo excited about seeing Elliott. I told her she would definitely get to meet him at the merchandise table and she was thrilled. Since everything that could happen between Elliott and I had already transpired (I thought) I just relaxed and enjoyed the entire show while trying to get a decent picture. I could not believe how tiny the crowd was. This HAS to be one of the tiniest venues on this tour and there couldn’t have been more than 100 people in that room. There were so few people that when Josh came out he said “Did you all come in one car?” That is how few people were there. It was so intimate that for “Ain’t No Sunshine” he took his chair and guitarist and came down onto the floor and did the song. When The Last Goodnight was performing the lead singer got right down on his knees at the edge of the tiny stage and got really close to people. The room got more enthusiastic when Elliott came on stage. The small crowd loved him but I felt early on that something wasn’t right that night. After a couple of songs he had already drunk one bottled water and it seemed that he slammed it down on the stage instead of dropping it. During the third song he was strolling across the stage with the microphone and he saw me and I saw the moment of recognition and he smiled and waved at me! Not the hand back and forth wave but the fingers curling up and down wave and I smiled and returned the wave. That was very special to me!!! Daisukielliott’s husband whipped his head around to look at me and had his mouth open and I just said “Yes, he remembers me from last night.” He said “Boy, that’s cool!” Elliott announced that he was sorry but that he was losing his voice. He continued to sing but, I don’t know, maybe I’m very wrong but it seemed to me that something more than him losing his voice was wrong. I don’t want to start any controversy but he just didn’t look happy. I enjoyed the show immensely but after he sang “Movin On” he thanked everyone for coming and told us goodnight. I realized that he had not sung “Little Ghetto Boy” and even though everyone clapped, stomped and chanted “Ell-i-ott” over and over again he never came back out to sing “A Song For You” and then a guy came out to start clearing the stage of equipment. He didn’t even mention coming to the merchandise table. I called my husband on our cell to tell him to come to get me but hung around for a while. I said goodbye to daisukielliott and her husband - they were both so sweet! I told her to stay and hopefully he would come out and talk to people but as I walked out to the top of the stairs (which was still inside the building) I really began to wonder if he would. Eventually I walked outside and around the corner. I crossed at the intersection and turned around and that is when I saw the huge, black tour bus with the black trailer behind it parked on the side street. As I was looking at it I saw a little guy come out with curly hair and sneakers on. He got on the bus. It had to be Elliott. When I saw our car coming, before I got in, I waved vigorously at that bus knowing full well that of all the hundreds of people on 6th street and in the vicinity, he would never see me. It just made me feel better. Except for worrying about what might have been wrong Saturday night, I had had a perfect “Elliott weekend”. My dogs were barking because I had been standing on them for 5 ½ hours - but it was worth every second!!! I’m still wondering what might have been wrong. I haven’t gotten in touch with daisukielliott to ask if he ever came out to the merchandise table after the show but if that was him getting on the bus there is no way he could have had time. My other life kept me from posting this until now so I have not read anything on the forum all day. Here are some pictures I took - they’re not very good but they were the best I could do!:


http://members.rennlist.com/cnalljr/mini-10-21-2007-01.jpg
http://members.rennlist.com/cnalljr/mini-10-21-2007-14.jpg
http://members.rennlist.com/cnalljr/mini-10-21-2007-04.jpg
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http://members.rennlist.com/cnalljr/mini-10-21-2007-22.jpg

Hmmm....this doesn't sound like E. I know there's been a buzz about the show and so few being there, thus the "street team" initiation. It's a shame so few were at the show, cuz E is an amazing performer that deserves a packed crowd everynight. I'm sure it was a combo of him maybe not feeling well and being disappointed in the crowd size. I don't know....JMO. I'm so happy you had a good time tho! Thanks for the recap and pics!

You're welcome! Yeah, bigEfan, I was more worried before I read about all of them visiting Amanda - Elliott looks like he feels fine! I really did enjoy both concerts - Houston and Austin - just really wish tons more people had turned out. I'll bet, though, that the E-Train can do some things to help - I've had time now to read of some of the plans! Wish I could help, too!

Thanks for posting your recap. Knowing everything we know about Elliott, I can't help but believe that he was feeling poorly, (sore throat, blood sugar). IMO he would never be angry because of a small crowd. He gives his all to whoever is there. I'm so glad you had a great weekend.

I have read than when blood sugar gets extremely low, people sometimes exhibit uncharacteristic emotions. Just a thought. Also, excessive drinking is a signal as well, true?

I hope he is okay.

Yes, I kept thinking maybe I was imagining that something was wrong. I just felt like if he had just dropped the bottle he would have picked it up because he would have known it could be a hazard laying on the stage. I thought, maybe, that he was bummed about the small crowd but that's NOT like Elliott - he gave his all until the show was abruptly over. So, then I worried that he really felt bad. I don't know - I know he and Jaime are fine so maybe he did feel bad but by the time they got to Memphis he felt better - that's what I'm hoping! The blood sugar can make you feel awful - I know 'cause I've been diabetic before because of taking a medication - then I'm perfectly fine when I get off the medication - mine is drug-induced diabetes. Don't know about excessive drinking. Glad you enjoyed the recap!

Just to clarify, there is a big difference between disappointment and anger. Just saying. He's human as we all know. I know he gives his all during his concerts. No question about that. Like I said, JMO.

Oh, you're right! I agree.

I would imagine it's a combination of factors, as life usually is. I think this schedule is crazy given the fact that E is living with diabetes. Also, the tour has seen some low attendance numbers, and who knows what's happening behind the scenes with management, venue operators, etc. It also seems like he's been having difficulty keeping his voice healthy, and skipping the encore which features his voice more than any other song on the tour, is clearly a sign of this. For someone who's success is intimately connected to his strong, warm tones, I imagine this could be incredibly disturbing. I've been thinking for a while, that a vocal coach would be a good idea. I hope he finds a way to take care of himself and find a way to protect his voice better.
I'm glad you shared this. Thank you.

Movin, all of the things you named went through my mind. I thought, oh, for a wonderful singer losing your voice must just be the worst thing that can happen. I couldn't really tell that there was anything wrong but I knew he could. Two people came up to me that I had talked to in line and were unhappy that he didn't do an encore and I told them that he probably would rather not perform the song than to sound crappy (to him, anyway). I also thought "I wonder if the way things went at this club ticked him off?" Which I could totally understand. All my worry about the way the evening ended was FOR Elliott and his feelings. I just felt awful for him and worried about him because I have no way to know what was wrong. But, you are very probably right - it was a combination of things. I wasn't disappointed IN him at all - I was just so disappointed FOR him! I was a little worried about even posting how the show ended but all I'm doing is telling the truth - so thanks for supporting me!

And, my husband and I talked about what a hectic schedule he is having to keep! My husband is just amazed! And, Elliott's already been sick during this leg of the tour.

Well, I for one appreciate an honest interpretation. Thanks for sharing. :awe:

Thanks, bigEfan - you're welcome and I appreciate that you valued my account of the Austin show!

exactly what I was trying to convey......I understand that you were not disappointed in him, more for him and worried for him.

maybe anger was a poor choice of words.....I think maybe frustrated would better convey my thoughts, either way, my point was, imo he would never give nothing less that his all for a small crowd unless something was wrong.

And I am also grateful for your honest interpretation of the evening A1TexasGal. It was very obviously written with love :)

he's had some great numbers at other venues. Healthy Chicago, Indy, Cincy numbers if I recall. Isn't there an upcoming concert with only 42 seats left?
You are going to have this happen from time to time.

still, he didn't sing ASFY? WTF? No explanation? that's disturbing.

I certainly hope he's feeling ok. I know we are all concerned when we think something may be wrong.

As for the small crowds, that frustrates me, I would have to think it would frustrate Elliott and the rest of the gang even more. I had voiced my concern over the small crowd in Tulsa and only got met w/ responses like...you should be happy you got to see him in a small crowd and his management plans some venues w/ small crowds, etc.... That frustated me as well be cause I was more concerned w/ his bottom dollar and ability to break even after paying for travel, venue, band, etc... rather than if I got a chance to meet him, etc...

Anyway, I hope he is in good health. I also hope that the rest of his tour has capacity crowds. Even if management does plan for some small crowds it seems like he's had more than he should. In Tulsa, I don't think people knew about his concert. The hotel clerk where we stayed loves Elliott and was bummed she didn't know he was in town.

Thanks for the recap!

plan for small crowds? uh...NO. You always want a sell-out or close to it.
You are going to have small crowds from time to time, though. It happens.
I'm more intrigued that he didn't sing ASFY, without comment.

Does he have promotional backing this time, like LiveNation?

wasn't Dallas more well attended?

I agree, OG, that an announcement should have been made. People expect to hear the song. It's understandable that he didn't want to sing it if his voice was going, but someone could have come out and let the crowd know that it wasn't going to happen.

Hopefully all is well.

I feel bad we didn't get the ball rolling with the street team a month ago, but now we can get the word out for the remainder of the tour.

Sorry, "plan for small crowds" was a bad choice of words, someone had posted that management understands there is the possibility of having small crowds at some point along tours and weigh whether or not to cancel those shows. My point is there have been maybe more small crowds than they'd have liked to see and it may not only disappoint the artists but drain their finances more than they'd like.

absolutely. If pre-sells had been so poor for Austin, I'm surprised they didn't cancel.
Of course, then you have to pay a fee to the venue and refund tickets, so that has a cost associated with it, as well.

I thought Alien or Movin posted a list of specific venues for the E-STREET TEAM to target, because of spotty sales.

Regardless, if you perform in front of 100 or 1000 or 10,000, it's imperative that
THE SHOW MUST GO ON.

I worry myself to death about Elliott. With his grueling schedule and his health, I don't know how he does it night after night.
I'm concerned about the attendence tonight in New Orleans. There has been very little promotion here for this concert. He deserves more than minimal crowds. He works too hard for that turnout. Sorry guys, this breaks my heart. What's going on here? We've got to help Elliott.
Hope he takes care of himself.

There was a small crowd in Memphis as well last night. I too felt disappointed for him. He didn't sing ASFY but had mentioned during his set that his voice was going again. To me ASFY is a very demanding song. He however came back off the bus and signed autographs and was in good spirits.

How small, Harley? It's always perception; based on venue size.... Management will know the "X" number of tickets needed to break even or make a profit.

why is there so little promotion in these towns? It's very interesting - if disturbing - to me.

Elliott may wish to hook up as the opening act for someone else next round, if only to not have the major cost associated with touring pushed off to someone else. Time to re-think the "plan"?.

I am saying this purely out of concern. He should see a doctor and make sure his vocal chords are okay. If his voice is being compromised, aaaagggghhhhh (I can't believe I am saying this since I haven't been to my two shows yet).....he should cancel the rest of the tour, or at least part of it, to address this with a doctor and vocal coach. This is his life, not just something to do for fun. It is the essence of who he is. Breaks my heart for him.

Oh, that is bad news. I was hoping his voice would recover with a night off. I'm sure he's trying to preserve it since he's got concerts tonight and Wednesday.

It was hard to say. The venue was like an old small movie theatre. People were spread out quite a bit but still looked small. Other than not singing ASFY, Elliott and the rest of the acts gave it everything.

I'm really not trying to be Debbie Downer here.....just looked up information on problems with vocal chords..nodules and found this article. Very interesting.

http://www.blues101.org/articles/holistic.htm

Thanks so much for your recap A1!! Yeah, ASFY does take a lot from him when singing, simply because he sings with all he has (as usual) yet, only with Joonie & the keyboard. Elliott was sick in Cincy, but honest to goodness, you could NOT hear it when he sang. Sometimes, I wonder if E thinks he sounds bad when he really doesn't. Ya know, the singer hears themself a certain way & if it sounds off to them they think it sounds off to all? I dunno. Irregardless, it sounds as though everyone enjoyed the show(how couldn't they?) & that is all that matters!

well, if they are scheduling in small clubs and converted theaters, then they can't be expecting numbers out the whazoo anyway. Still, we would hope he could sell more tix. I notice he always seems to do better on the East Coast.

Keep pushing OW, give him another hit.

It is dissapointing - and I think more promotion would have been in order, but I also see a lot of acts come through Richmond with no promotion and I'm guessing they do fine. I think any artist does better in some pockets of the country than others - I guess this is part of the learning process for them. Still - I hate to see less than half full houses in more than a few locations. The street teams are a great idea - unfortunately, it seems where we need them most seems to be where very few etrainers are living - we need to reach out to the younger fans - they love to do street team work. I know my son did it in college.

I totally agree Sandy, and that was one of my comments in another thread is that Elliott and his band work their hind-ends off and deserve a larger crowd! I'm thrilled w/ the idea of a street team effort.

Good morning, everyone! I just read the posts since last night. When Elliott sang each song in Austin he had a smile on his face and he sounded fine to me. He was giving it his all but it was like it just wasn't working. In between songs he looked -worried, unhappy? I thought the same thing when he said his voice was going "Well, I sure can't tell it." But, I knew that it was paramount to him. The strangest thing, to me, was that the show ended so abruptly. I know how important "A Song For You" is and how difficult it is to sing so I understood his not wanting to make a mess of that. But, I swear, I don't remember him singing "Little Ghetto Boy" and he DID sing that one in Houston. Also, I didn't understand why no one said anything to the small crowd that was there to explain what was going on and why there was no announcement about his coming out to the merchandise table. Like I said, I was a little hesitant posting this worrisome turn of events but, then, decided that it is probably very important that everyone knows that something is going on. Frankly, and I really hate to say this, but I don't think he is being promoted well at all. Austin is the Music Capitol of the world and that could be a problem. When I left the club it was Saturday night in Austin on 6th street and most clubs and acts were just getting started good. The streets had been blocked off for pedestrians only - it was after midnight - and the whole area was jumping! Lots of competition. Anyway, I hope someone can get to the bottom of what is going on as a result of all of this speculation. If it is something the members of the E-Train can help with then we need to know about it. Thanks for all the kind words about my recap!

and just an observation:

he did have a better crowd turnout in Dallas, judging from the videos. 500 or so? I think TX said they were sold out or close to it or something. The next few concerts are apparently low sellers, so keep a stiff upper lip and a positive outlook as the recaps and reviews come in!

:grouphug:

You are so right about Austin. IMO, it is one of the markets that should have been promoted w/ 100% effort because it is such a mecca for all music, not just country/western.

It was such a positive ride w/ WFY and his first tour. I hope he isn't stressing about OW and the rest of his tour.

Yes, and in the mean time keep putting Elliott's CDs out front in all the stores that sell them, buy more of his CDs if you can and anyone who lives near a future venue - I think the flyers are a wonderful idea. And, REQUEST "One Word"!!! :etrain:

Yes, 6th street and the surrounding streets are practically wall to wall clubs and you can hear almost every genre of music somewhere in the area on any given night.

We'll just have to hope that most of the upcoming venues have good turn-outs.

JMO, but I think "One Word" is going to be a much bigger hit for Elliott than "Wait For You" was.

Remember, Elliott is multi-talented. He can act, his music could be used for commercials, etc. and his music writing skills might improve over time, too. But, his first love, I think, will always be singing. We've all got to really buckle down and do whatever it is that we need to/can do to help him continue to do just that!

I wouldn't expect an announcement that he's NOT coming out to the merchandise table. If he's coming out he makes that announcement himself. It's his choice of whether he will do it each night. That he does so often is wonderful, but all he owes ticketholders is his performance, and he gives them much more than their money's worth night after night.

First, I want to thank A1texasgal for her honest interpretation of what she witnessed in the Austin show versus the Houston show. I think it’s important to be real about what we experience.

Also, to wowhesgood, when you posted something about being crushed that he had such a small audience, I sure didn’t mean to jump on you in ANY way by saying that a year from now we’ll all be wishing for that intimacy. I just figured that it was one of only a few small crowds and that not every show is going to be hugely attended and that on the bright side, there was intimacy. I hope you didn’t take it like I was jumping all over you because I sure didn’t mean that. Of course from a financial perspective we all wish he was selling out arenas! Every one of us only wants the whole WORLD for Elliott.

That said, I really don’t think we should let ourselves get carried away with panic about a few off nights for Elliott. Everyone has a bad night now and then, but we forget that because it so seldom has happened where Elliott is concerned.

Naturally he’d like to have full houses, but I highly doubt his off nights have been due to him being aggravated by a small house. He’s just pushing himself so hard and its starting to catch up with him a little, would be my guess.

He’s going to be fine. Some clubs will be filled to capacity, some won’t. He’ll have stellar nights and he’ll have not so stellar nights. He has spoiled us so much from the very beginning with his perfection on stage and his overwhelming desire to please us off stage, that I think we forget – he’s just human. He has to take better care of himself and if that means he can’t muster up the energy to come out for an encore or stick around for hours afterwards to meet each one of us, well – we just have to be OK with that.

When I was really young (twenties) I remember I had a boyfriend I wanted to impress and I took his laundry home to do it for him. My Dad said, “Don’t do that again – by the third week he’ll grow to expect it.” I think we’ve grown to expect that which once was a treat for us. Just sayin.

:goodpost:

You're right, PoorMe! He gives his all all of the time. I guess since I specifically asked him Friday afternoon before the Houston show if he would be coming out to talk to people after the show and he said "Yes, I always do" that that raised my expectations. I'm not faulting him at all if he did not come out after the Austin show. If he is not up to it I definitely want him to go back and get on that bus and rest and take care of himself!