ZO2 - Showz 13-15
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03/01/07 - Sweeney's Saloon, Philadelphia, PA
By Paulie Z
We were really looking forward to this show. Not only were we playing with two great bands, Me Talk Pretty and Powervibe, but it was also in a new venue - which is always exciting for us. And we were happily surprised by the venue because it was a great club and the sound was good.
Unfortunately, there was a torrential downpour that night so many of our fans didn't make it out. In fact it was so bad that we didn't leave for Ohio as planned after the show but ended up staying with a friend. To top that off, we were told by the promoter that a no-smoking law had just been enacted in that area and they were all a little concerned about how that would effect business. In any case, it can be a bit of a buzz-kill when a room is empty. However, to us the night was a rousing success. On top of being flattered by the loyalty and support of the fans who did brave the elements to come out that night, we also converted a handful of people who wanted to hate us. A table of rowdy college kids who heckled us in the beginning became fans and friends by the end of our set. Apparently our conviction was infectious. We just played like it was Madison Square Garden and, apparently, our passion and belief won them over.
We hope to get back to Sweeney's regularly so be sure to come on down the next time we're there and we promise to make you feel like you're in the Garden too!
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03/02/07: HiFi Concert Club, Lakewood, OH
By David Z
The second stop on a 3-show tour weekend. We played Sweeny's Saloon in PA last night and we're heading to Stingers in MD tomorrow night. We had originally planned to drive to the next city directly after each show but the deluge last night forced us to stay the night in PA. We were lucky to be able to crash at a friend's place for the night (thanks for the hospitality, Steve). And, as it turned out, we had a great night's sleep and a lot of energy for the show tonight.
One of our myspace friends asked us to play a song we hadn't played in a while, "Get Up Now". And the crowd did just that. They were rockin' like the most energized audience in the biggest arena in the world! Ohio audiences really know how to celebrate music. The only thing that broken the "mood" was when the huge cloud of smoke blew in their faces. No, it wasn't a fire. We were hot that night but even we're not THAT hot. It was a fog machine. It was the first time we used one and I wasn't sure where to position it. I thought it would look best and cover the most ground by putting it next to Joey's drum rise. The problem was that it was facing the audience and every time I hit the button to fog the stage, it also fogged the people. It's unfortunate for our friends who come to see us at the HiFi that we feel so comfortable with them that they're the ones we know will be forgiving if we test something out and it doesn't work perfectly. That's what you get for being so supportive! lol. Seriously, sorry about that. We hope it didn't spoil anyone's good time. But now we've got it down and next time rather than feeling like a night in a bog, it'll feel like an arena concert!
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03/03/07 – Stinger’s, Boonsboro, MD
By Joey C
What a great place to play. No offense to any of the other clubs, but this place has the greatest stage around! And a sound system doesn’t get better. I can’t imagine why every band, local or national, isn’t booking here. And every time we play here it gets better. We headlined the show tonight and, in spite of it being the dead of winter and being preceded by terrible weather forecasts, the turnout was great. The Maryland area has some hard core ZO2 fans (look out Ohio, you have competition).
And Paulie got his wish after the show – 2 giant birthday cakes! Just what he wanted. I think he had three pieces from both...lol. Happily, he was also in a sharing mood so everyone got to enjoy them!
We always thank everyone for coming out for the show but because of the weather, we really appreciated the effort and the enthusiasm (who really wants to leave the house at the end of winter when it’s freezing?). You made the show and Paulie's pre-birthday bash great....we'll be back soon!
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Stayed tuned for next week’s journal.
SAME Z TIME…SAME Z CHANNEL…OR LINK FOR THAT MATTER!!!