Sandy Supposes....

Concert Smiles

Talk Tuesday! Is there a band or artist you regret not being able to see in concert (because you once maybe had an opportunity but now they're no longer able to tour; not because they stopped touring before you were born)? If, for some reason, there isn't one, what's your favorite concert memory?

         

         

         

         

         

         Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to see a comedian perform live. It coincided with an equally recent knee surgery, so I was somewhat ambulatory with a limp and a cane. To say I moved with difficulty was an understatement. I paid good money for the expensive ticket, and I wanted/needed a few laughs.

         Preceding the show, I travelled four hours via car. At the venue, I was dropped outside the vicinity of the main doors. I just had to hobble across six incredibly busy lanes of a major city's traffic. Once inside, I only had to traverse a mile or so of a lobby and a corridor, ducking around scores of people. Then I faced an arduous climb up a steep flight of concrete steps with no hand railing. Luckily, I was spared the indignity of squishing awkwardly past seated patrons, but those same fans pushed their way over me ensconced in my chair.

         The comedy was as I anticipated. Jeff Dunham is clever and hilarious. Somehow, he combines stand-up with ventriloquism. I remember laughing at several of his stories, and seeing tears in my daughters' eyes as they guffawed along with me. It was a shared moment. Usually, we laugh at each other, but this night we found the humour elsewhere.

         A few years ago, I travelled that same four hours to that same major city, to treat my teenage granddaughter to a Maroon 5 concert. Who am I kidding? I like their music too, and yes, I find Adam to be attractive. There were times while I searched for a parking spot that I feared we'd miss the show. This always serves to remind me why I do not live in a city. The vehicle traffic is insane. Congested doesn't begin to describe it. At one point, I believe I'd have paid any monetary amount just to be able to leave my car some where, anywhere. After I'd finally squeezed into a slip of a spot, we raced across country to arrive breathless at the outdoor concert site. We actually made it before Adam appeared.

         Of course, there were no empty seats, and we were forced to stand for the entire show. This wasn't really a problem 'cause we danced and sang anyway. I recall a security guard who would patrol the section we were in, and every time he passed, he'd make a point of directing people to move back behind an imaginary line he'd drawn in the dirt. He could not abide even an errant toe over that line.

         This happened to be Sydney's first music concert and she seemed to have stars in her eyes. Her grin was the biggest I've ever witnessed. For that magical evening, she was a happy camper. It did not matter where she lived, or what she wore. She was an entertained fan. Adam sang to her.