I had the best time on Thursday, from the time that Debbie picked me up till we got home at 2:00 AM! Just the trip up there was eventful. From slow traffic to detouring and finding our way back to the interstate, was FUN! Even when we stopped to get gas and Debbie pulls up to the wrong side of the tank to get it. She was extremely distracted and was so excited about going to the concert. The ladies at work even called her useless this week!
Of course I have to tell you that I printed off the instructions to get to the
arena. Want to take a guess - yes WRONG turn and we went away from it, but turned around to head back into the heart of Charlotte! We found a parking lot and parked, good thing to know it was down from the Police Department so we should be safe. Just before you got to the arena there was a man with a dog wearing a
fireman's hat. He was passing out
tracs.
Hmm...we didn't tell him we were preacher's wives.
People were everywhere. We go in and find out seat. We were up top but had a great view. Not everybody got to see the emblem on that stage!
The group that opened was called Dashboard Confession - they were pretty good but LOUD! They let us know that they had a new song that would be coming out in a movie this year. I just searched for it and the movie is not
noteworthy - that is all I will say!
As we were sitting and waiting Debbie got to talking to the people in front of her and it came up about the guy having a
Bon Jovi tattoo. After asking if we wanted to see, Debbie was all for it. Now we can kid Kenny (her husband) that we have found his next tattoo. I wish you could have see the look on the man's face when he found out we were preacher's wives. I let him know he would be on the blog.
Now for the concert to begin. As most of my friends were seeing on
Facebook, I was giving a play by play! This was so much fun! The
adrenaline was pumping and people were screaming like crazy. Debbie said she felt like a 16 year old getting her first kiss! Have you caught it now that she LOVES
Bon Jovi!!! Her daughter gave her the tickets for her Christmas present.
As the concert begins, the two seats beside me were empty but here come the two occupants. I noticed that they both had drinks in their hands, and I was trying to step back out of the way for them to get by. The guy (who is to sit beside me) steps on my foot. Well he proceeds to tap me on the leg and them rub on my back to tell me how sorry he is. After sitting down, I am busy taking my pictures and singing along when he grabs my knee. I thought I was going to die, and then I look at Debbie who is rolling like crazy laughing at me. Well I just blow it off and proceed to point the camera towards the stage. Somewhere along the line the couple speaks to me off and on and the girl proceeds to tell me that this is her brother. Now I start to get worried. The next tap on the leg I ask him if he was going to work tomorrow. He said yes, and I told him to make sure that he told the others how much fun he had sitting next to a preacher's wife! The look on his face was PRICELESS! That slowed him down for the next few songs.
He then looks at me as ask "Are you Southern Evangelical". "No, Southern Baptist" - again the look was priceless. I also told him that my last concert was George Strait. He then ask if we were "reformed Baptist". So that was about it from him. I made sure at the end that we went in a different direction to exit!
The music was incredible and the lighting and moving screens were something else. Not only did the screens have pictures, but they served as his stage when he walked around to the back!
I would love to know how much money has been invested in it all! But because the stage was round, he entertained all the way around the stage. Jon changed clothes 3 times that I can remember! The screens moved quite a bit and your eyes were all over the place. I really think this concert was better than when I saw him in 2006 in Atlanta. Nobody should have gone home disappointed. I think when they came back for the encore they sang four more songs!
After the concert was over we headed to get Debbie a t-shirt so she could wear to work the next day. The lines were extremely long so she said she would order online. As we were walking (and we wound up walking all the way around the arena to get back out) there was a guy in the middle selling shirts. She ask if he had a medium and he said yes. She gave him the money and he reached down and untied the shirt that was rolled up around his ankles. It was a hoot watching Debbie carry that shirt from that moment on.
Well we walked back to our car, passing the police department and got ready to head back to South Carolina. Instead of turning back to where we came we decided to go the opposite way. Well I recognized the Independence Street and we were headed home. Then I recognized that we were technically going in the wrong direction but I knew how to get us back to the interstate, eventually. Debbie didn't quite listen and we did take a few more detours. But hey, we were not stuck in traffic trying to get out! I did get to show her the two places that Amber has lived in Charlotte.
All that singing and dancing from Debbie got her worked up and she was hungry. We stopped at
McDonald's off of 49 to grab a snack. After ordering and pulling up the the window that lady lets us know that it is cash only after midnight - WHAT?? How crazy is that? We told her goodbye and went to Burger King. So about 12:30 AM we were officially on the interstate and headed back home. I do not think there was a quiet moment all the way home. I had such a good time! That's going up there on my favorite things I have done list.
Hope you all are having a great weekend and that you enjoyed the pictures.
