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U.S. Tour '99

Atlantic City, New Jersey
September 4, 1999
Tropicana

Hey Primos!

Just got back from AC. The show was fantastic. What else did you expect? Annie, Gammie, and I drove there and got to AC at about 3 pm. We roamed the casino at the Tropicana for about 30 minutes, and ran into Tonino, Canut, and Paco. I just said hi to Tonino and left the others alone (didn't want to seem like a payo bimbo).

The concert started at about 8:10 pm. The Tropicana show room is quite small. Before the show, I met Cathy (Ole, chica!), Juliet (Aloha prima!), and "Cuddly Bear" Lydia. Saw Olga and Bill but only from a distance. That's all from the list. I thought there would be more people, but I guess that we really didn't set a time or place for all of us to meet.

The sound was excellent, but the band seemed tired. We had front row seats in front of Paco and Patchai. I loved the new intro! The crowd was made up of a lot of uptight people in fancy clothes and suits. The paya bimbo factor was heavy, but they all must have been bused in from the local senior citizen's home. :^)

The band only played for about 70 minutes, and we were told at the end of the show that it was the Tropicana's policy to allow only one set, so the show was over by 9:30 pm! I was surprised it was over so soon, since the tickets were $75 each!

The play list was pretty much the same as in the other venues. One of the new songs that sticks out in my mind was sung by Patchai towards the end, where he says "Su cara tan bonita, su cuerpo me fascina." Of all the new songs, that is the one I liked the best.

On Paya Bimbo got up on stage during the last song. I don't know how she was able to hop off her wheel chair and onto the stage. :^)

The wimpy "security" guard was no good. He came out and followed her, tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention, but she just ignored him and proceeded to make her way across the stage, touching all of the guys. She then walked back to center stage and got off the stage.

Overall, it was a wonderful show, but the crowd enthusiasm wasn't really there. I looked back a few times when I was on my feet, to see that only about 1/3 of the room was up and dancing, which was a pretty pathetic sight.

Now I'm looking forward to hearing the ENTIRE song list at Wolf Trap Tuesday and Wednesday.

Efren


So here's the show. I've finally figured out the mystery behind Michael's voice/Georges singing in the beginning wail. Yeah, we already discussed this, but I thought I'd add it anyway. Not sure what happened in NC cuz I was too far back to see, but in A/C Georges lip synched Michael's voice, which has been sampled by Dominique. In fact, during the second go around, Georges messed up & began to "wail" a few notes after the voice came on. He gave Dominique a look like "sorry dude". Georges intrigues me... ; )

Very short concert. One long set, akin to Reno. Began at 8/p ended at 9:30/p. I'd look back during rousing Djobi Djoba and everyone sat there like, ok Gypsies, entertain us, like you're supposed to. Very polite, very gorgeous, sitting pleasantly. Poor Cathy wanted to bust out of her seat so badly ; ) [gorgeous linen extra long Beneton taupe tank-dress, btw-- yow!] So they began with Pena Penita. Ah oui! The set was similar to New York I suspect. Eventually, the old school paya bimbas who were dripping in diamonds & huge stiff hair ambled their way up. Can we say LONG IN THE TOOTH??? tryin' to flash boobies & leg [EEEK!] As I'm remembering now-I would bet any amount of money they were mob wives trying to get a little Gipsy Action. All the younger cute girls all had guys & those couples hovered around Canut while he did Montaña, bummer Andre... >; ) btw, the more I hear Patchai's song with the su cara tan bonita...chorus, the more I'm digging it-it's been a constant for both legs. Poco a Poco, right? Can't WAIT to hear the new CD! So after the 3rd song Patchai lifted his arms for everyone to stand up, which everyone did Waiting for instructions are we? Oh we can dance now! ...OK! lame mafiosos... Galaxia kicked ass, but personally I'd rather hear that outside. By the time they said good night, Patchai & Canut were done. It was all over their faces. But an encore had to be had. So eventually they came out for Bamboleo. Canut looked pissed. No smile. No emotion. At one point a paya bimo hopped up on stage & shimmied over to him. He looked at her like he was going to beat her with his guitar & she, totally unfazed by the warning look, put her hands all over his face-- oooh! he almost went buck wild on her. Pauvre Canut. She shimmied over to Patchai didn't do much to him [Paco must have saying damn, no one ever does that to me!] then to Nicolas, the consummate showman, who just accepted her & smiled. Compared to cyborgs @ NC, the security at A/C had all the force & might of my grandma after a power shake. Eventually, she was escorted off and thus ended the concert. Canut pretty much threw his guitar into the stand. After the show, a whole bunch of Dominique groupies hung out & had him sign their tix. I think I pissed him off tho, cuz I pretended to be all excited too yelling "moi aussi, moi aussi" then when he reached out & asked if I had a pen & I said, "nah, just kidding..." 8 B oops! teehee... I think I was trying to convey that he didn't need to hang around any longer, he could go back with the rest of the guys, but y'know how artists can get... So we met Elena [sorry baby, did I spelled it wrong?] who is awesome & new on the list & here's where I'll end it because "the Elena Adventure" is a WHOLE other story. 8 O ; D

-gam


¡Hola! everyone - We made it to the Saturday night concert in Atlantic City. It was wonderful, fabulous, electrifying, better than I could have ever imagined! I can't wait to see them again. We saw three of the GK's playing the dollar slots in the Tropicana later that night. Life is good! I'm sorry that I didn't get to meet any of the other mailing list brethren on our trip, but we had to drive back to Southeastern Virginia early the next morning. To anyone who hasn't been to one of their concerts, put it on your Y2K "To Do" list! I'm already looking forward to next season and preparing to plan my time off!

hasta pronto
Elizabeth


First of all: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS! Million thanks to everybody on the list 'coz without you I wouldn't have enjoyed it the GK Fiesta so much... When I first saw a Ticketmaster flyer with "Gipsey King" printed on I knew I WAS going, but figured I'd confine myself with the cheapest balcony seat as my camera was broken anyway.. After reading your concert reviews I felt so profoundly ASHAMED at myself and decided to go for a new camera and a front row seat... It was too late tho and I got an aisle seat in the midlle section wich I was pretty happy with anyway..As for attending BOTH shows - this thought never occured to me.

I never seen GK, never been to any major concert either, for that matter. I couldn't believe I was going to see my absolutely favourite band live!! It's only music that matters, but actually seeing them playing is a totally different experience..

So, Saturday night 8:00 pm I found my seat and looked around. Geez, senior citizens, some of them in evening gowns (gammie, thanks for not mentioning MY outfit Saturday night!), couples on a date as there's nowhere else to go in Atlantic City.. But a bald man a couple of rows from me was already rumbaing, so I thought this place might not be that hopeless afterall! My neighbours were a girl that looked like a ballroom dancer (and she probably was) and her two companeros. The young men dindn't show much enthusiasm, but the girl began dancing to the guitar recording that was playing before the concert, so we understood each other at once..

The lights went off and the show began. Could you believe some people were late!! Dozens of them were staggering around looking for their seats.

The first tunes knocked me out, don't remember anything! I think it was the third song when I gained consciousness and began to breath again and realised that Ballroom Dancer beside me was yelling and clapping way up in the air. That's when we jumped out in the aisle to dance, the senior citizens staring..

Now how can you possibly sit on your butt when music like that is playing!! The chairs should have been dismounted and carried out for the occasion and the whole place turned into a big dancing hall. That would've been a blast, ain't!!

The sound, the lights! I have no words in my vocabulary to describe it all.. Suffice it to say I felt like I could faint right there each moment..

Nicholas stepped forward to sing Un Amor. The lights went off and a ray of light would slide on the audience in the most dramatic moments..Hay para ya vivir acunto ti.. BREATHTAKING! And how they strum those guitars! It's something totally impossible!

As the show went on, the senior citizens clapped more vigorously, some of them even standing. More people got on their feet and the first rows were (of course!) dancing. No Dance Nazis either(the gracious guy that helplessly tried to escort that girl off the stage doesn't count!), hm...Atlantic City not used to such enthusiasm?

Eventually we went down to the stage, the aisle was pretty crowded, but a lot of people in that 75-dollar section were still sitting, throwing hateful glances at the crowd, blocking their view. I even saw a couple leaving..Unbelievable!

GK took their guitars down and left the stage. The crowd was yelling and clapping the hell out of their hands, which is pretty understandable, and trumping their feet, which I thought was weird - give the guys a break! GK went out again and sang Bamboleo and left the stage. The time is 9:00 pm. Ballroom Dancer said something like nice-meeting-you-take-care and took off. The crowd was heading for the exit. I grew more and more confused and asked someone how long the intermission was and they said it's over. OVER!!! It's over and I just began to have real fun!! I was heartbroken.

Totally frustrated I went down to the stage and met Juliet, Lydia, Cathy and Georgia.. It's such a joy to know you guys!! You are WONDERFUL people. And so there was not much left for me to do, but get a ticket for Sunday. This time the seat didn't matter 'coz I knew I was going to be by the stage dancing ALL the time..

Elena


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