Cherish The Day

I'm not huge concert goer, skip that, I don't even really GO to concerts. Its weird because I love music but somehow going to concerts never made it on my to do list. Its killing me because I can't even remember the last concert I've been to. I'm not talking about impromptu concerts at amusement parks or a gospel/rock concert that someone invited me to on a whim but a concert by an artist I really wanted to see and that I paid a ridiculous amount of money to see. So I go into the deepest parts of my brain that I don't even use anymore trying to figure out when is the last concert I've been too.

I laugh. I close my eyes, drop my head, and I laugh. Really Sharday. I'm even embarrassed for myself. The last legitimate concert I went to was the All-That Concert...had to be in 1999ish. Remember when Nickelodeon had the teen version of SNL variety show...Keenan and Kel, Pizza Boy, The Amanda Show. Man, takes me back! Fresh out the box, STOP, look and watch, Ready yet, Get set, It's alllllll that! TLC starts in.....This is Alllllll That Oh-oooo-oooo-ohhhh, this is Alllll That. Memories.

My mom got the tickets somehow and me, my brother and cousins were headed to best concert ever and we were toooooo excited. I wanted to see Brandy, she was my idol at the time. For a minute, I thought I could sing and she was the one I imitated, the one I pretended to be. Nick Carter was there, 98 Degrees, Vitamin C and other artists who are completely irrelevant now. It was the Late 90's/early 00's, bubble gum pop at its best. I remember loving it, it gave me a high....the crazy fans, the loud music, the dancing....its an exhilarating atmosphere to be in. Somehow I must have forgotten the feeling and never remembered it again because that was pretty much the last concert I went to.

June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson dies. I always thought one day I would see him in concert. When I heard about the tour, I halfway thought I would be able to and then Michael Jackson dies. I reached enlightenment that day. Your favorite artists are not immortal...they will die. You must see your favorite artists in concert before they die.

In March 2011, a random ad runs across my peripheral of a Sade tour coming to the states. This was it! Hands down one of my favorite artist. Her voice, her lyrics, her music, all which are relentless on my heart.

She hadn't toured in the states for a decade and I thought I am going to her concert.

Getting tickets to her concert was significant in many ways. 1. I'm named after her. My mother was nine months pregnant when my mother and father saw her in concert. Maybe I was born to love her and her music. 2. When I was 12 or 13, I came across her CD and fell in love with it without the knowledge that I was named after her. 3. Soldier of Love, her new album and the title track to her first single, had just come out singing the very theme song to my life at that moment. Everything lined up like the planets in the universe so it was time to jump back on the concert band wagon and I did...spending my whole paycheck on one ticket.

I was just about done paying online before I hit the Buy button. I hesitated, wondering what the hell am I thinking, I could use that money for countless other things. More responsible things like student loans and for a second I was listening. I was even having second thoughts and then that other side of me said SCREW THAT! You only live once. I make the final click and call it a day.

Six months had come and gone. Six months of anticipation. Six months of everyone telling me how great she is live. Six months until I find out for myself if she is everything I believed her to be.

July 6, 2011 had arrived. I was going alone because I didn't expect anyone including my best friend to pay what I paid. This was a gift for myself. A gift that frankly I didn't want anyone to ruin. I was nervous before I left. Maybe partly because I was going alone, because I didn't want to be late, because I hoped she would be great, because I really wanted to have a good time and enjoy myself. All the hype was ending and soon it would be reality to have the final say. I wanted everything to be great......

......And it was. It was more than great. It was the best actually. I sandwiched myself in between two hot couples who were equally amazing. I was comfortable. I couldn't sit down during the concert. I think she got a look at me. I think she smiled. Her voice was perfect, she was ab-so-lute-ly stunning and I had glorious seats. The stage set up and the band were worth mentioning...it made the atmosphere so incredible. It wasn't quite heaven but it was definitely a jazz bar down the street from it. I was so drunk from her energy, her air, her movement, voice, the music. I didn't want it to end.

So now I'm a little addicted. For my birthday...September 30th, I bought another ticket to see another one of my favorite artist. Incubus. I will be in the pit, rocking out to my favorite band in Texas on my birthday. How sick is that.

UPDATE- Yea, it was pretty sick!