yeah, yeah - I have a few things to apologise for:
1) taking a billion years to post a new blog...
2) not sending out self-inquiry questions to a few friends who were nice enough to request them from my last post (still no telling when they'll happen!), and
3) stealing Jason Mraz' creativity to title tonight's episode of my world!
Please forgive me.
And now on to last night's adventure... I know that writing this out is not nearly as cool as actually telling the story, but my throat still hurts from last night, so this may be for the best anyway... this will be a long one, so get comfortable...:
OKAY!
Sooooo... as most of you know, I was psyched to attend the Jason Mraz concert last night!!! I mean, seriously, I planned my move from Calgary to the Carolinas 3 weeks earlier than I needed to for this show. I bought my tickets to the concert BEFORE I bought my flight home. The only thing most important than going to the show (with a tiny hope of meeting & potentially making out with Jason - 'cause he & I are tight and we're on a first name basis, apparently) was sharing the experience with my sister. It had been 6yrs since she and I had taken time out of our busy schedules (and international boundaries) to spend sister-time together. To be fair, Jen does not care one whit about Jason, but she knew this concert was important to me, so she agreed to go...
she seriously did not know what she was getting into.
It began as a normal concert experience - the venue just opened a couple months ago, so we were unfamiliar with the directions, parking, regulations, etc... but the biggest stressor for me was the storm clouds I could see gathering later in the afternoon. I kept trying to explain Stephanie's Law to my sister, and she was trying to counter my negative thoughts with positive ones all afternoon... the Law won.
We arrive safely, Jen bought a $5 poncho from a vendor on the sidewalk as we were parking - just in case - and parking was a breeze. Then we walked the 1/4mile to the amphitheatre.
Did I mention that this venue is outdoors, and there is no covered seating? Or that the tickets said "rain or shine"? How about the fact that they did not allow umbrellas, chairs or blankets into the venue? no? okay, well, now you know.
So we get to the line, they search our bags, we have to take the lids off our water bottles and take the open containers into the seating (huh?), have our tickets scanned, pass by the "gratitude cafe tent", and find our seats. It's a pretty neat space - we were 24th row, but it didn't seem to be too far away from the stage. I was okay - I mean, we weren't on the lawn and we did have reserved seats.
The concert had already begun with the opening act (K'naan, I think?) I was not impressed, but my sis liked him okay, so I was happy! We found our seats, put our water bottles in the holders*, I handed my sister her poncho and opened my anorak as we sat down. And before we had the protective coverings on, the sky opened into TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR. I am not joking. Between putting one arm in my sleeve while completely dry and putting the other arm in its sleeve, my entire body was drenched. It was like I stepped into the shower. I figure, at least this is warm rain - not that crazy frigid-cold stuff that fell from the sky in Ireland... right?!
So Jen got her poncho on and I zipped my coat and we stood up for a minute and did a "rain dance" (we were encouraged by the singer on the stage, fyi)... and then he cut off mid-song and said something like "umm... so I have been told that lightning has been sighted, so we're going to have to cut off the power here on the stage..." and Jen & I sat down and waited. In the rain.
The place was starting to empty out, except for a few rows of fans who had crowded under the eave of the stage, so we set out to join them (in hopes of getting a decent seat once the show resumed, of course). And about the time we arrived, they make an announcement telling everyone that we have to leave the amphitheatre and return to our cars until the electrical storm passes - that we will be informed when the concert resumes. RIGHT.
Well, our little crowd were the only ones left (or so it appeared), and everyone was turning to leave, when the HAIL rained upon us. WHAT??? The hailstones weren't giant, but man, could they sting! I got hit right by my eye and thought "well, if I start bleeding, at least I'll have a scar to remind me of this night..." and Jen was in front of me doing what looking like a fire-walk, jumping around trying to avoid the stings of flying iceballs. We're making our way down the stairs when some guy walks toward us yelling "EVERYBODY OUT!!!!" at the top of his lungs... because, obviously, walking toward the exit wasn't enough indication of us leaving...
Jen started walking barefoot because she was sliding in her flipflops, and we took cover under the eave of the will call/ticket office with about 20 other people to ride out the storm. I didn't want to go to the car and risk missing the concert because of slacker event staff, so we stood. In the rain. In an electrical storm. In more than an inch of water. Barefoot (well, one of us at this point). For 45mins. With more and more people arriving - I'd say hundreds more cars.
The storm moved on and the rain slowed from a downpour to just plain rainfall. So we left the shelter and returned to the entrance of the amphitheatre in order to be at the front of the throng. Remember Stephanie's Law**? Anyway! We waited and waited. I started to sing "I'm Yours" and a couple people hummed along. Then all of a sudden, Martha Chinnis shows up with her boyfriend (Erick) and we talked for another 20-30mins or so.
And then THEY showed up. The DRY PEOPLE. They would come out from inside the amphitheatre and would wave down from the other side of the fence at us lowly wet folk. At first, it was a couple people at a time.Then, at around 9:30 (the concert began at 7pm), event staff returned... only to start breaking down tables and removing garbage cans. And when we asked them what was happening, they only answered "I don't know". So I sang some more songs. This time Erick and Martha joined me.
I knew Jason had done midnight shows before, so I was hopeful, but more as an obsessive fan than a realistic citizen. I had decided that I didn't want to leave until someone (from the event staff) told me I had to. My sister supported me.
I think Jen was okay with the drama*** until the DRY PEOPLE started coming down the stairs without saying a word. Beer-in-hand, stone-faced DRY PEOPLE walked out of the amphitheatre - by the HUNDREDS. I stopped one lady and asked where she had been and her reply was something like, "well, I was in the amphitheatre!" and I was like, but the place was empty when I left and she answered, "no, it was nearly full!" WHAT??? (again).
And I was still okay... and Jen was still supportive... and then all the other people in line in front of us U-turned and walked away... without a word. So I made my way to an event staff member and asked her the story and here's what I got (with a sad look on her face):
"Jason has agreed to play an accoustic show next door in the Fillmore. But it only seats 2000 people and the seating is first-come-first serve."
I asked directions to the Fillmore, turned around, took MY shoes off, whispered to Jen, Martha and Erick to follow me and BOLTED. Through mud, grass, bushes... I drilled my way through the throngs, with Jen hanging onto my anorak for dear life, Martha tugging on Jen's poncho and Erick clinching Martha's raincoat... and I haven't told them a word yet. Then I hit a wall of people. I whispered to the other 3 the new information and Martha yells out "WHAT'S THE FILLMORE?" (Martha, Martha, Martha!) And then I take our train on a loop around the ticket office. And then I realise...
I only have one ticket in my hand.
I had been holding onto mine & Jen's tix at the front gate. When I noticed the missing ticket, Jen offered to sit in the car if they don't let her into the Fillmore... please. Like I was going to let that happen!
So I leave the other 3 in the middle of thousands of people with instructions to keep pushing forward and I turn around and skip hundreds of people in line at the ticket office to plead my case: I explain how I moved to Charlotte from Canada 3 weeks early just for this concert and how I wanted to share it with my sister and how, in the rain and the chaos, one of my tickets was gone... and asked if they would possibly be able to reprint my 2nd ticket... and they said I'd need ID, the original credit card and the one ticket I had - which was in Jennifer's hand. So I yelled across, like, 50ppl and she passed the ticket back to me... and eventually I wound my way through the crowd back to my sister with 2 tickets for the concert in my hand! WHEW!
At this point, I notice that there was an empty space of ground right in front of us and ask Jen, Martha & Erick why they hadn't filled it in and I had about 10 people tell me that the tree in the clearing had fire ants.
(notice fire-ant tree on left and Fillmore sign in background)
I had also decided that, if I didn't make it to this concert, I was driving (or busing or whatever) to Jason's concert in Cary, NC (about 3hrs away) the next night. Jen decided she was going with me.Then the announcements started:
1) the Fillmore is only licensed for people ages 21+
2) they are letting people with reserved seating in first
3)and my favourite 3-in-1 (announced to a SILENT crowd of thousands): YOU HAVE A CHOICE: #1- you can attend tonight's accoustic concert, but Jason won't be singing, #2- Jason is planning to return to Charlotte at a later date this summer or #3- you can opt for a refund of your ticket.
Between these three announcements, Martha & Erick decided to turn back while Jen & I made it to the front, say, 600ppl.
Then the rain fell down. AGAIN! The crowd morphed into a throng - it literally pulsed. Jen & I were expecting a riot or at the very least a mosh pit. We couldn't turn around in our spots - she was holding onto my anorak again, but this time, there were 2 bodies between us. Another torrential downpour!!! It rained and flooded. Jen & I are still barefoot. My claustrophobia had kicked in about 30mins prior. And the doors opened.
HALLELUJAH! (can I say that? a little blasphemous, I know...)
There were 4 security guards posted across the sidewalk and LITERALLY just as Jen & I passed by them, the hands came down to cut the crowd off. I yanked Jen in because I saw the arm raise above me...
as I handed my tickets to the attendant, I made sure Jason would be playing (#1 of that 3rd announcement was just to weed out people, apparently - it had been passed down by word of mouth) - and actually, my exact words were "if he doesn't sing, I will come back and find you." I was promised that he would sing.
We walked in to find a bunch of DRY PEOPLE (now drunk dry people) seated around the outside of the room. And we found ourselves in a standing-only room.
And we stood approximately TEN FEET from the stage! Honestly, there were maybe 4 rows of people between me and Jason!!!!!!!!!
The rest of the story is just a letdown, I am sure. But it involved DRY DRUNK PEOPLE trying to squeeze in to the crowd, looking all perfect & pretty and my sister and I starting a barricade. There were about 10 people around us who joined in a vendetta against the DRY PEOPLE. (that's what they were called by everyone, fyi) One older man in the back would yell "elbows out!" and everyone would stand their ground while Jen & I were like "no." or "you can take another way to find your mom/child/husband/whatever." or "I guess you love going to the bathroom more than you love being close to the stage, then." or "I'm pretty sure this isn't reserved seating." I honestly had determined that I was wet enough to where, if I had to pee, I would probably have just peed standing up rather than give up my spot. Seriously. The girl in front of us offered her black-belt services, if need be. And the guy beside her was like "I'm with her!" (even though he wasn't really with her) - just to keep everyone happy... we pretty-much bonded! Glad I didn't pee and ruin the good vibes.
And yes, the concert was PHENOMENAL. It was better than I could have imagined, considering the overall outcome. And eventually (about 3/4 through Jason's set), Jen & I did give up our spots to go sit down on the floor stage left. When I wanted to stand and join the crowd, I was in the 2nd row, but with a partial view - still AWESOME! We had been standing for a solid 5.5hrs by then (the concert ended at 1am), and Jennifer had worked on her feet from 7:30am till 2:30pm. Did I mention my sister ROCKS???
We both decided we like Bushwalla, too...
she more than I, but I am grateful that Jen enjoyed the concert after that unbelievable experience... what a great sport, eh? :)*the water bottles remained in their holders at our seats, in case you were curious.
** Stephanie's Law: whatever Stephanie wants, the opposite must occur. (but only with the little things... mostly)
***you know, the drama that follows me EVERYWHERE??? :)
PS
here's a peak at the audience warmup with Jason... not much, but my internet sucks, so you only get a blip.
