concert obsession

I was sitting in the balcony, but inching toward the edge of my seat.  The concert was coming to its conclusion, and I had to figure out how to make my way down to the stage. Yes, I was a fan of James Taylor, but I was mostly being driven by my collection/obsession of obtaining concert play lists (the list of songs performed).

I can't quite remember how my collection got started.  It was probably at some Christian youth conference, where the likes of David Crowder and the Robbie Seay band were playing.  It was always easy at these events to get right down near the stage (a/k/a as the mosh or pogo pit :) and snag a play list when the concert was over.  Plus, Christians are generally really polite, and so it never took much effort to get what I wanted.  (I'm not quite as polite as you'd think. ;)

But lately, I've been at concerts where claiming my prize has been anything but a cakewalk.

In August, some tickets to see Keith Urban fell in my lap. I knew he was married to Nicole Kidman, and I'd heard a song or two of his on the radio, but beyond that, I didn't know much about him or his music.  Let me just say this:  his musical talent BLEW ME AWAY!  He mesmerized every single person in the Verizon center that night!  (The girl next to me, who I did not even know, turned to me at one point and said, "Don't you just want to squeeze his ***?"  I just smiled and said, "He is cute!"  :)  There was practically smoke coming from his fingers, his guitar playing was so hot!  That combined with his charm, humility and, yes, good looks, made for a winning time!   But I digress... :}

The point is we were at the Verizon Center, filled with hundreds, nay, thousands of fans, clamoring for any piece of Keith they could get (see above quote).  As the concert ended, I started leaving our box seats (it's a long story) and making my way down to the stage.  A security guard or two impeded my progress, until I realized that I needed to act as if I were trying to find a friend of mine (and, in truth, I did have a friend who was at the concert in a floor seat).  Mitch was trailing me, silently admiring my perseverance (at least, I think that's what he was doing!  He might have been shaking his head in dismay! :)

As I approached the stage, I breathlessly told the security guard my story.  She looked unimpressed, so I turned away.  It was then that I spotted a guy with a black t-shirt with the words "crew" on the back.  I knew what that meant!  I told him immediately that I thought they did an awesome job and launched into my story of collecting play lists.  He reached into his pocket and said, "I'll give you my personal copy."  Win! :)

At the James Taylor concert, I eventually made my way down to the stage, snapping pictures to appear like any other fan.  As James exited the stage, I excitedly extended my hand, which he came over to shake, right before departing.  I was thrilled!  With adrenaline now surging through my body, I clambered up onto the stage, barely eluding the grasp of a nearby security guard (I don't think they expected any JT fans to be as nimble as I! ;)

Once onstage, I found a play list and raised it in triumph, only to have the security guard snatch it from my hand.  "Give me that!" he scolded.  Since he was playing the "father" role, I played the kid.  "I can't have it?" I asked, pleading.  "No!" he responded firmly, explaining that they re-use the lists.  Disappointed, I made my way off the stage.  But at least I shook JT's hand, right?

Tonight, I have a concert of my own (the Praise Band is playing at the Community Center Spaghetti Dinner), followed by a concert at the Rams Head.  I'm fairly certain I will have more stories to tell in the not-too-distant future! :)