Monday, August 8, 2011

The J. Geils Band Concert and Magic Dick

What an AWESOME weekend!! If you have been tuning in lately, then you know, I was hired by Magic Dick from the legendary J. Geils Band, and wife, Susan to design and create a custom leather jacket for him to wear at the J. Geils Homecoming Concert in Boston this past Saturday. With only a week to do it (a custom jacket, from start to finish can take over 3 months), there were many long days and sleepless nights - but I did it!

Susan picked up his jacket Saturday morning. She loved it! But the true test would be Dick because as a performer, his needs are different than the average person. Function is as important, if not more, than fashion. I had to alter the pattern and the design to allow for comfort and mobility on stage. And without the necessary time for the proper amount of fittings, I had to go with my gut and trust my instincts. Saturday afternoon I received word in the form of a text that read, "Dick LOVES his jacket! Thank You!!!!!!". Yay!!!....that was obviously what I wanted to hear. Now I was even more excited about going to see Dick, and the Geils Band perform that evening.

We arrived in town around 7:00, picked up our tickets and VIP passes at the door (Thank you, Susan!), and walked toward the concession stand to fill our tummies. We ate and found our seats. Brent, the person who came into my life at the perfect time and gave me the courage to follow my dream, got the best seat for viewing. I sat between my two boys, the two most important people in my life, therefore, the best seat in the house. In fact, it was my oldest, who when times were at the toughest, came into my office, threw his leg around the arm of the chair, and with the deepest sincerity said, "Mom, no matter what...never give up on Sexy Skins". So much wisdom from a 13 year old because it was those words which gave me the incredible power to continue on my journey.

Finally, the J. Geils band took center stage and the show began! There he was, Magic Dick, wearing his new jacket, looking sexy as hell!! What an AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME, concert!!! The J. Geils Band rocks!!! The music was fantastic! And, boys shared their first concert experience with me, reaping some of the rewards too like going back stage to meet the band and spend some time with Dick in his dressing room. Dick is a very special and talented human being. I'm so grateful for this experience in more ways than the obvious. Simply, AWESOME...:-)

Photographs by Nancy Nutile-McMenemy, http://www.photosbynanci.com/