I will never get tired of this view during a Carbon Leaf concert at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. If you saw yesterday's post, you have been introduced to my love for this band. I took a little trip down memory lane yesterday with photos from concerts over the years starting in 2009 and ending in 2019. I first saw Carbon Leaf live in 2007, and it was the first time I ever went to World Cafe Live. Little did I know this amazing venue was going to take on such a special significance for me. Carbon Leaf plays there every year the first Friday or Saturday night in December. It is usually the kick off concert to a string of holiday shows they do regularly leading up to Christmas. This venue has a really cool mezzanine level which lends itself well to private parties. I took advantage of this starting in 2011. I rented out the mezzanine and hosted a private party for anywhere from 50-90 people every year. It became the most amazing tradition, and I have had many friends and co-workers come back to the party year after year. My daughters started coming to the party in 2014, and it became a very special night for them too. As they got older they would each bring a friend and it was a night they would look forward to. I was thrilled that they were always so excited about it. In 2018, my older daughter was a freshman in college in Boston. She had been home for Thanksgiving the weekend before the concert. She went back to Boston for the week and then flew back literally 5 days later to come to this party...that's dedication!!
The band was always kind enough to come up to the party for a little while before the show and mingle with my guests. They would give us a nice "shout out" during the concert as well. This year would have been the 10th annual party on the mezzanine, but sadly, like so many other events over the past several months, it could not happen. I am very hopeful we can celebrate the 10th year of the party in a big way in 2021!!🥂
The World Cafe Live event definitely evolved into something super special, but I think there is nothing more special than having Carbon Leaf come play a concert at our home. We have been lucky enough to have this happen three times! I am hoping it will happen again in the future. The first house party/concert was in 2015. The plan was for a gathering of about 20 people in early June. We have a great outdoor space so we got a tent and a caterer and spent the whole week leading up to the party preparing. The day before it was all hands on deck with my family getting our yard and patio area perfectly manicured and ready for the big event. The morning of the party the skies opened up and it poured down rain all day and night. I was devastated. Luckily we have a finished basement which ended up being the perfect indoor space for this intimate concert. The band was so great and assured me it would be a really cool vibe for this small acoustic show. They were right and an amazing time was had by all! The girls also had guitar lessons earlier in the day. So special!🥰
We had such an amazing time, we knew we wanted to do it again. We made plans for May of 2016. The same preparation took place...and the rain came AGAIN!! I was less upset this time because I knew how well it turned out the year before. This year the rain did taper off near the end of the concert, so we actually all went out on the patio for the last couple of songs, and it was a really cool way to end the show. Another special treat this year was my younger daughter actually joining in with the band for a song on the guitar. So proud!!👏🏻
Last summer we had the third house party/concert in June. Third time was the charm with regard to the weather! We went for it again with high hopes of finally doing it outside and it happened. The guest list was bigger this year so it was the perfect time for the weather to cooperate! Every party, concert and experience with this band has been amazing, but June 1, 2019 was definitely one of the most special times we have ever had. It was an incredible day from start to finish filled with great friends, great music and so much fun. You may have noticed in the pictures above, we usually have a special cake for the parties (or cupcakes at World Cafe Live), and I would have to say the bakery I use outdid themselves with the cake for this party as you will see below!🎸
So there is a very full Fun Friday post!! Everyone in my family loves music and enjoys concerts so much. Carbon Leaf has a very special place in our lives and in our hearts. We have had so much fun for many years thanks to this amazing band! This post is dedicated with much love and appreciation to Barry, Terry, Carter, Jon, Jason (& now Jesse too)🧡