Photos of André Rieu's California Concerts!

Good Friends and Andre's Concerts!

John, Bobbie, Sonja, Ruth, Mary Ann, Betty and myself just spent a few wonderful days going to Andre's concerts in Ontario and San Diego. I have added a few of the pictures we took for now. I will add more pictures in a couple of days.

John has some AWESOME pictures as he always does of the concerts with some really great close ups of Carla, Mirusia and Andre!

For me, the highlight was the San Diego Concert ... WOW! It was just amazing!!! And we had our "Meet and Greet" with Franco, Bela and Gary!!! Then there was the after parties in our hotel rooms talking about the concerts and just being with good friends, laughing and having so much fun. It really did end all too soon, but we know we'll all be seeing each other again in just a couple of weeks in Maastricht! ►Below is John's rendition of our wonderful weekend!

Click on Link Below for "NEW PICTURES" added now!!
►Photos of Fresno, Ontario and San Diego

WHAT A WEEKEND THAT WAS, WOW!!!!!!!!

Our weekend started out a little bit earlier than planned. Although we had not planned on a concert in Oakland, we managed to obtain a few tickets at the last minute, so off we went to Oakland for our first 2009 West Coast concert on the 16th of June. We met with Kay Berman and her daughter Jennifer for a late lunch, and then left for the venue. Since it was early when we arrived, the venue gates were still closed. We were first in line and after the gates opened were able to park close to Andre's busses. We made our way into the venue, where we met Julie Spengler, whom we had not seen in a long time. After a nice chat with her it was on to enjoying Andre and the JSO's music. We had a wonderful time, and according to some of the JSO members we spoke with after the concert, the best audience participation so far. (No need to go into details, since Kay has already written a wonderful report on this concert). We arrived back home rather early in the morning, but still on our Andre cloud.

The following day, Sonja and Ruth joined us, as we prepared for a short drive to Fresno on Thursday. There we were met by Kay, her husband Howard, and Jennifer. Joan, her friend Thelma and Joanne also joined us for a very early dinner, before going on to the Save Mart Center. A few of the ladies did not have a ride to the venue, so we all piled into one car. You should have heard the cackling!!!! Every one was having a super time already, and spirits were high in anticipation of what was to come. But first, a Meet and Greet organized by the Fresno PBS station. Lynn, Hanneke and Nicole were the JSO members attending. The Fresno concert was again, just like Oakland, fantastic. Although it is the same music, every concert is a little different. The audience's participation, little things that you missed at a previous concert and so on. We had a great time again, but like always the ending came too soon.

Next day, off to Ontario. After an uneventful day's drive, other than missing a rest stop where Andre and the JSO were taking a break, we arrived in Ontario. First things first. Off to Sue's house where we were first met by Sue's pets, Sassy and Honey, and then off to dinner and reminiscing.

The next morning we did have some time to visit the Ontario Mills shopping center, before leaving for the concert. The venue in Ontario, the Citizens Bank Arena, is fairly new, and a wonderful place for yet another super Andre concert. There we met, Joan Levitt, Nino and Elke Freitag from Germany (wonderful to see them again) and also Jorge and Marisol Orihueta from Argentina, whom we had met last year in Atlantic City. (Nice to see them again too) And yet, another fantastic concert, a great audience, but it too came to an end too soon.

Then on to San Diego where Betty and MaryAnn joined us for sight seeing and our last West Coast concert. The weather was with us. Beautiful sunshiny days and pleasant temperatures. Lots to see and do, but not really enough time to take it all in.

On to the concert in Chula Vista, which was to be Andre's second outdoor concert in the US. Houston, TX being his first. And what a concert it turned out to be. It was by far the best of the West Coast concerts we've attended. Great music, a fantastic audience that did not want to let Andre go, with lots of encores. But, alas, that too had to come to an end, and left us with wonderful memories of a few fantastic concerts and a wonderful time we all spend with our dear Andre friends. ~ John