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| Dave Hause & The Mermaid playing on board the Cosmo (June 2018) |
I planned for my journey to take double the travel time to get there, but it ended up taking triple time thanks to early July 4th NYC Friday Summer traffic. Thankfully I boarded on time, though I had only 13 minutes to spare before the Cosmo left shore. I also loaded up on Benadryl to keep my nerves settled in the event of rough waters. So with those concerns out of the way, I was free to enjoy the sights and sounds of the evening.
Since the music from the downstairs lounge where the bands played was being pumped out through speakers upstairs, I opted to stay on the top deck of the Cosmo and enjoy the amazing view of our magnificent city skyline. My fellow fans and I chatted and enjoyed food & drink as we floated by the city, listening to opening act Restorations fill our ears. However, once Dave Hause & The Mermaid started getting ready to play, I made my way down the stairs, figuring any impressive scenery could be viewed through the windows during the show.
There were definite pros and cons to this entire experience. The pros were that I knew I was in for a good show (Dave & Co. never let me down in the past), and I would have the ability to take in the skyline at a leisurely pace instead of trying to appreciate its majesty while avoiding a car accident on the FDR. It was nice not having to fear for my life as I watched the band play with the sunset behind them, as the skyline transitioned from dull buildings to towers of twinkling lights.
The cons were that it was a much bouncier ride than I expected and the heat we had to endure in the performance area was nearly unbearable. It's not entirely the Cosmo's fault because this was an unusually hot day; my car told me it was 97 degrees when I pulled into the parking garage. There was air conditioning, but due to the fact a Hause crowd isn't shy about crowding the stage and each other to become one with the music, it was still a major hotbox. A few windows were opened, but only a few inches due to safety features preventing full on cross ventilation from happening. As a result, some people grabbed a cold beverage from the back bar and left for the sweet breeze of the upstairs open-air lounge for much of the set. Those that remained embraced the heat and soldiered through it as they sweat bullets.
The last negative point I'll mention was that even if it were a more comfortable temperature that night, there is no raised stage. So, if you're not of a certain height, you have no chance of seeing the action. But if you lucked out and got a spot in the front row, you had the joy of singing face to face on the same level with Dave and his cohorts. And in some cases, the same microphone.
In hindsight, I would say I'm glad I got over my fears to enjoy this unique show. However, I'm not sure if I would do it again. At least not on a sweltering Friday night in New York City! But over time, though the heat and boat wobbles were a chore to get through, what I will remember most is that we were all in this together. Dave's fans grabbing on to the ceiling for balance as they screamed along to "With You" will be something I never forget.
Clip of "With You", camera flying upwards as I grabbed on to the wall for balance included!
Here are some photos from my night out:
