Josh Gates of Expedition Unknown in Dallas

In March I surprised the Kid with tickets to see Josh Gates at the
Winspear Opera House. That day finally arrived last week and it was a blast!

It's very hard to get me to drive back into Dallas now that I've experienced the quiet living of our small town out in East Texas. I hope that Mr. Gates realizes how much we love him to put ourselves through the driving on highways and downtown Dallas traffic. Needless to say, it paled in comparison to the fun that we had at the event.

The Kid is such a big fan of the show and Josh that I thought I would surprise her with tickets. The day couldn't come fast enough for her and I have to admit, I was ready for it too. I splurged on valet parking and tickets to a catered buffet before curtain time that way we didn't have to worry about eating beforehand or trying to find a parking spot. I'm all about convenience as I get older. The only thing we missed out on was a meet and greet before the show. I'm assuming that it was something that donors or members of the AT&T Performing Arts Center were privy to because I couldn't find a single link to it on Josh's website. Oh, well. Maybe next time. We arrived a little before six and had to wait a few minutes before they would let us in, and I think that was because of the said meet and greet. No worries, we waited it out in the little coffee shop in the plaza and listened to a local jazz group. It wasn't overbearingly hot and they had large fans to move the air around. 

Once we were let in, we went up to the Skyline Terrace for the buffet. Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin, Beef and Veggie Kabobs, Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad, and a few other items with a Creme Brulee bread pudding to finish it off. They offered a fixed-price dinner, but we liked the variety of the buffet as one of our party can be a picky eater.

As they called for seating in the theater, we made our way to our seats. We were just to the left of the stage and about nine rows back on the aisle. In this theater though, there really isn't a bad seat. The lighting was beautiful and I was entranced with the centerpiece or "chandelier." It was really a collection of lights that hung down and then were retracted into the ceiling before the show. The retracting was a sight, also. Music was played that was composed and performed by students from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts.

Before the raising of the chandelier, images projected onto the back of the stage kept everyone amused with quotes from movies and witty warnings about such things as "no flash photography . . . unless you see Bigfoot. Then go for it!"

Josh Gates took the stage to thunderous applause and for almost two hours we were entranced with stories about how he became who he is and how the many shows that he has helmed came about. For those that aren't aware of who he is, well, I hope you've stuck with me so far. Josh got his start with a show called Destination Truth. My late wife and I were hooked on it and loved how Josh doesn't take himself too seriously while mixing science with urban legends. He's kept that same formula with all of his other shows including Expedition Unknown which just started its eleventh season on May 24th, 2023.

He rounded out the evening with a Q&A and I have to admit the audience, with a good number of kids, did not disappoint with the questions. Everything from what's your favorite episode, your worst episode, your most embarrassing moment on camera, to like Indiana Jones' fear of snakes, what was his biggest fear. All answers were delivered with self-deprecation, humbleness, and a wink and sly grin. The only question that no one asked and that I really wanted to was "Has Steven Speilberg called about donning the hat and whip?"

Check out the Facebook page for all of the photos from our trip.