I copied/pasted my review to the Old-ways forum on here so bear with any inconsistencies to this forum.

As those of you who have been onlist awhile know, I have been waiting patiently nine years to see Loreena come back to perform in Chicago.
When I saw her in 1998, I had two goals for the next tour. #1. Get better seats. #2. Meet her. Going in tonight, I knew #1 was met. The
only unfortunate bit is that I should've taken first row, but I digress. In some ways I am glad I had second row, as the orchestra pit
of the Civic Opera House was not closed, and had I first row I probably would've been leery of falling in. Not that it would've
happened, but visually, it was a striking distance and leap to see Loreena on stage. Loreena herself joked during one of her talking bits that she and the band were trying to figure out quite how to utilize the space during sound check - fill it up with water and practice
diving in it, she suggested. It took me four songs to stop feeling like I was going to freak out. After a mediocre day I had been doing ok til I saw my seat. Then I was a ball of nerves because today had finally come, and for the first two songs I had to really work on breathing. I was ok the rest of the first set as long as I didn't think, and then the second set I started
to relax a little more. It was all just so much to take in, and after so many years and being in second row with Loreena right dead center
in front of me on harp - what a night. Later during the sets I ended up with a silly smile so it all ended ok. The set list is basically the same of what everyone else has posted.
Loreena really started to get into the swing of things about Bonny Portmore, or song #4 of the first set. Since this time around I have
every lyric memorized down pat, I didn't have to quite concentrate so hard on lyric thoughts, so I let my mind wander a bit. I do remember
her coverage of that song was spot on. I was disappointed that the people next to me shuffled in right at the mood-setting first notes of
She Moved Through the Fair. If you are on this forum and you were next to me, I'm sorry, but the ushers should've waited. I am glad to report
though that there were only two camera flashes - once before the band was ever on stage during that mill-time when the venue is still being
seated, and another during an encore where I noticed security on it stat out of the corner of my eye. Otherwise it was a pretty polite
audience - people clapped tremendously between songs and some during intros of songs, and sometimes when Loreena was trying to talk, but
she did a good job of waiting for the cheers to die down before she started up again. There were wishes of Happy Beltane, and I would like
to think that the version of Huron Beltane Fire Dance was more spirited than usual due to it being Beltane/May Day and all.
Hugh Marsh - amazing note hold-outs of Highwayman (man how I love that song) and Dante's Prayer - though I was sad that Loreena did not hush
into the final Please Remember Me parts of the end. Tal Bergman - he is a hoot! He had a screen in front of the drum kit that took me a
song to take a liking to being in the set and all, but his personality is hilarious and I can totally see how well he jells with Rick and the
bass player, everyone in the band really.
Beneath a Prygian Sky - much like the Gordion remix which is what I was thinking it would be - sometimes Loreena's voice got drowned out
by the musical cacophany surrounding her during parts of that song - and Bob maybe you noticed too that the second set seemed a little
louder? Anyway, Lady of Shalott was also spot on which is super great to me since I love the version in LiPaT where she hits the first verse
notes just beautifully.
Just a beautiful concert - wonderful backdrop (reminded me of Islamic calligraphy), the arch seemed a holdover from BoS Tour but still nice,
and lighting ... so nice during the Highwayman, Dante's Prayer and Beneath a Phrygian Sky with the clouds flowing by. Sound was crisp,
and Loreena complimented the hall - she said it was perfect dimensions.

So on to part #2 of Dreams Do Come True.
I Met Loreena! She was very sweet, we had a micro conversation about how I appreciated her coming back to Chicago (Christine Sutherland was
saying how the band looked forward to visiting Chicago very much), and she said it had been too long. I hope she comes again soon.

The rest is all a blur.

More concert notes tomorrow when I actually come down from the ceiling. I'm sure Bob can help fill in the gaps, and I can do a song
play by play.

Angie
PS. Nice to meet you DJ

all i can say is...Im more of a Loreenatic that ever with the awesome show last night. Ultra unfortunately I couldnt have stayed as my 2 children were with a sitter so I could go check Loreena out, but I bet it must have been just as great to meet her as the concert was.
On stage she was just perfect, and got it going with the audience really fast. 100% empathy right away. She was giggling, laughing and joking with the audience and it created a super nice atmosphere.
The band was just perfect, the only thing I thought could have been different was the drums. Bergman's drums were a bit too loud at times I thought, but nothing that made their performance less magical.
Great concert, I wish Loreena would come every year to Chicago, I could have a night like lasts every month for all I know!!!