Cleveland-July 1st 2025

I was a bit sad dropping Laura and Nicky off at the airport the next morning after Detroit as it meant heading to Cleveland on my own after doing the past 5 shows with Laura and others.😞 BUT…also happy to have a free day to do some nature walks…or that was the plan until I got basically ATTACKED by flying monsters! OMG, first place I went, despite me putting bug spray on, found me getting swarmed by massive flys (think a mix between a fly and a huge moth), mosquitoes etc. It got to a point where my last 10 minutes of walking towards the car (because I gave up on doing a longer trail walk after about 15 minutes) was me doing a constant flailing of my arms over my head in an attempt to keep them away. UGH! Tried  the next place (which was my original destination but saw a different place 2 miles prior) and it was just as bad. I mean seriously, they were flying into my car and smacking into my windshield even, it was INSANE!😯😯😠 Didn’t want to give up all hope so found one more place to try closer to my hotel…it was a LITTLE better in that it was MOSTLY mosquitos but also annoying as whenever I’d stop to take a picture, I’d get bit so…yeah, about 30 minutes there and I was done. Ah well.🙄😞

It was supposed to be another hot day but luckily quick pass holders were being told to go inside the restaurant and wait in the back so…yay for air conditioning LOL. Some friends were already in line when I arrived (I got there 2.5 hours early of doors) including Kim, Bill, Jennifer and Bert and Elizabeth. A couple girls in between them and me so it was hard to chat but then a girl got behind me so she and I started talking. Turns out she was the girl who gave Laura her fast pass at the Detroit show 2 nights ago!😯 Small world!😀 The time went fast and before we knew it, we were being let in. I grabbed a spot on Mr. H.s side as the other side was filling up faster (we came in on Mr. C.s side so people just started grabbing the rail spots closest). I spread for Heather (new friend) and then Elizabeth ended up coming by us too plus I had Bill on my other side….yay, front row perfection.😀👍

As I looked around, this was a smaller House of Blues (only 1300 people sold out…which it was) so it was a bit strange to have the balcony and  back of room so close LOL. But, unlike the Detroit show, this place was VERY generous with their air conditioning…to the point where it was almost too cold LOL. But I knew we’d be thrilled for that once we started moving around for OMD…and we were!😂😉 Big cheers when they hit the stage and once Anthropocene was done, Mr. M. looked out and said “who’s seen us before?” Lots of cheers so he laughed and said “you must have traveled.”😂 He then asked if we brought our dancing shoes and said “you’re going to get your butts kicked by a bunch of old men playing synthesizers.”😂

I had to still record TG so it was a bit hard not yelling the echo, especially being right in front of Mr. H. but ah well.😂🤪 Kleptocracy and HoM found many bopping around and I saw a guy smack in the middle second row with a smile as big as mine and totally bouncing….yay!😀👍. Once over, Mr. M. turned to Mr. H. and said “Paul, why does it smell like weed over there? Are you smoking again?” (Mind you, I didn’t smell it like I did the other nights…until 2-3 songs later, THEN I did, YUCK!🤮). Mr. H. laughed and said “I don’t know but it’s not me”. Mr. M. said “come on down here, I’ll go over there and try smoking it.” When Mr. H. came down, he wished Jennifer a happy birthday before starting the song…aww, bless.🤗 Lots of cheers when FLaD was done which prompted Mr. M. to say “I think they love you more than me.” Mr. H. laughed and said “naaaahhh”. Mr. M. then said “well, I’ll see you that song…and I’ll RAISE you a John Hughes movie song.” 😂 Everyone seemed to love Mr. M. too because the cheers were super loud when the song was over. He laughed, looked at Mr. H. and said “I can’t believe they fit 3,000 people in here.” Mr. H. laughed and said “are you sure you have your math right?” and Mr. M. said “well they SOUND like 3,000.”😂😉

The A&M trio was great and I couldn’t help but think how this was 1 of 2 left for me to see on this tour.😞 They are always so super special to me!❤️ When it was over and the cheers settled, Mr. M. joked saying “we haven’t been here in a LONG time…but the dancing hasn’t gotten any better.”😂🤗 Veruschka gave everyone a break but then it was “mindless dancing” and a great sing along to DG. When over, Mr. M. joked and said “sounds like 6,000 now. They’re BREEDING! Stop breeding…at least in public.”😂 The bopping around and cheers continued and I also kept hearing loud grunts and, er, hard to explain noises LOL. But in a GOOD way.😂 Before Locomotion when Mr. M. asked if we were tired, he got loud cheers in return. “Good…I mean we do this for a living so…but if you’re tired, I don’t care.”😂 During the goofing part, Mr. M. made the weed smoking motion again to Mr. H. and kind of crimpled his body as if to act like he was totally high. Mr. H. just laughed and shook his head.😂🤪

Stuart got his “ready Stuart?” pointing for him to start the drums for SotSS and when Mr. M. did his fist bump with Mr. C. after Mr. C.s keyboard jam, he walked away shaking his fist and mouthing “ow” as he laughed. Ooops.😂 Then it was time for EG. Bill looked over to me and said “it goes so fast!” YUP, sadly it does.😞 When it was done, the guys came down and Mr. H. thanked us saying “you’ve made it really special to play for you tonight.”  Mr. M. did the introductions and jokingly said “on puff and keyboards…Paul Humphreys”. 😯😂Mr. H. laughed but this time just said Mr. M.s normal name, no nickname back. Lots of waves and heart hands before the guys went off stage. I heard the, er, grunts again (for lack of better word) while we were waiting for the guys to come back and once they were all on stage again, Mr. M. said “I read on the internet…and I believe what I read on the internet…that it’d been 35 years since we headlined a show in Cleveland.” big cheers to which he said “Amazing, thank you! This next one is all for you.” LaYN had everyone swaying and at one point Mr. M. looked right at the crowd and enunciated the “Look at You Now” extra to sing it to all of us.😀🤗

Bill was hoping to get Secret recorded since when he recorded in Orlando, that was the night Mr. H. goofed the words (a treasure I think, I’d personally just keep that one and be thrilled LOL) so he recorded and Mr. H. performed it perfectly (with many people yelling “Secret” when Mr. M. said it was a song that never got released but we’d know it.). Before our final song of Electricity Mr. M. joked saying “you’ve been the best 9,000 people to play to.” 😂 Final bouncing with a girl I had let up to the front mid Secret (she was super into it bopping around…and short…so I figured come on up.😂) who ended up being a great bouncing partner and then it was over. Dang, that means only 1 left for me.😞

I had to get my usual post gig picture so a bunch of us gathered around, including new friend Heather and then I said goodbye to everyone as I wasn’t going to wait around for the guys since my great luck in Detroit. Heather and I walked to her garage area and then since mine wasn’t too far, I declined her offer to drive me to my rental. Glad I did as Cleveland is really beautiful at night! Lots of colorful lights on various buildings, I thoroughly enjoyed the walk.😀

So…highlight of the night. Well, I’m going to say making a new friend because not only did we have a blast together at this show but ironically Heather has a friend in a suburb about an hour from me that she kept saying I really reminded her of, AND she has a spare front row ticket to a HoJo gig in that suburb that her  friend is going to also so I think I’m going to buy that spare ticket…we’ll get to hang out again in a few months.😀👍