Harry Connick Jr.

New Orleans meets the Opera House. Quite a combination. You can take the boy outta the bayou, buy you can't take the bayou outta the boy.

After Andrew's reconciliation, we raced home, did the gifts, got the kids jammied up and had Debbie come over so we could go see Harry Connick Jr. at the Sydney Opera House. It was our 2^nd show there and the 1^st for mom and dad. We just squeaked in for time – left mom and Jim down at the bar to get a drink while dad and I went to grab the tickets at will call – and came back to slurp the drinks down before rushing back to the Opera House for the 9pm show. He was the only act with a brass and string band. And a grand piano of course. Our seats were dead center, but pretty far back. Still quite good. Especially for last minute booking over the weekend.

He started the set with just singing and having the band accompany him. That was good. He's a pretty funny guy when he talks and tells stories. Then he went over to the piano. His piano playing is amazing. I just don't like it when he goes off on one of his tangential riffs for ever and ever. It just goes on and on and on. Seriously dude, bring it back in. I was getting bored. His playing is great, but the riffing just gets to be a bit much.

He brought in a New Orleans trumpet player to play with him that I just loved. I like that type of nightclub sound. Then he brought out his daughter who is hardly older than Emmalee. The thought of being able to say that you sang at the Sydney Opera House when you were a pre-teen would just be amazing. And then of course I was sitting then just adding the years to Emme's age thinking of how big she would be when she got to be that age and it was just killing me!!!

The show was good, but not a Josh Groban show. I think I would have liked Harry Connick Jr. better in a smaller venue like a nightclub or a jazz club. Maybe its just me. But that is just the way I was feeling.

I do know that Mom and Dad said they enjoyed it – and 4 days into the trip they were able to stay awake for the whole show!