I was so excited that I was going on stage but I was going alone so when I found out that I won we found a babysitter and got my wife a ticket to the show so she could have this experience with me. We got the ticket and confirmed the spot on stage after taking a picture of the tickets and sending in an email. Then we had to wait from Tuesday afternoon until Friday night till the show (it felt soooo long)!
Now to the day of the show. I had it all planned out to buy the sunflowers to give to her, bring my Fumbling booklet and sharpie - video camera, camera, and both of our phones. I had everything ready booklet in my pocket and cameras in my wife's purse. We took a going out selfie to practice for later (lol) and then were out the door. After getting on the interstate I thought of something that panicked me, I had forgotten the sunflowers (that were wrapped with a nice yellow bow) in the vase in the kitchen! We were running a little late but decided we might have time to stop at a store on the way to the show for some more. Right after that when we changed to the next interstate there was STAND STILL TRAFFIC!! I thought there goes stopping for the flowers and hopefully we can make it in time. Not too long after the traffic started moving at a good pace.
We said if we can make it to the exit we needed to by 1 hour till the show then we can stop, and we actually wound up making it to the store with an hour till the show. It was only supposed to take 20 minutes to get there from that exit so time still to park and get our invitation from will call. The flowers were nice but the bow was not as nice as the first one (the thought that counts). We made it to the show at about a half hour till the start of the show. I felt like we got robbed when we parked though because it cost $30 but my wife said to just pay it so we could get in. We got the cool invitation and went to find our seats ( me in the orchestra and her in the balcony).Finally it is time for the show! The invitation said that there were two colored bands and she would announce the color band of the group whose time it was. The show was so awesome and she was so completely on point sounding better than the albums! After Loving You is Easy she started the first Q & A session with announcing that the quests with the yellow band can join her on the stage. She answered some questions from the hat and made her way over to the first group of six in the living room. She said "Hi I'm Sarah" and hugged everyone up there. After that she sat down and someone had a gift for her from a friend in the audience and sarah thanked that person after putting on the bracelet. Next this is a funny story (that I had to come back and add) she asked them "if anyone had any other PRESENTS for her" and then got embarrassed and said " I mean questions" and went on about how she can't believe she said that.Then again went on to see if anyone had any questions and no one said a thing
(how could no one ask her anything or ask for a picture?) so she thanked them and went to play her 3 songs while they were up there to close out the first set. Then there was a 15-20 minute intermission to stretch our legs.I was bummed I was not in the first group but then I though about it and was very happy because I could be prepared better for my time. During intermission I told my wife that I knew when we were going to be called because I figured they were following the same pattern of the Q & A right before the last 3 songs of the set. I said to start making her way to the entrance where we would make it to the stage when she started playing Witness. So that means that we had the BEST 3 songs to be up there for: Fear, Sweet Surrender, and Possession! We met and went inside the doors to the aisle where the entrance was to the stage when Witness started and were standing there when the ushers said we had to return to our seats. I told them we were about to go on the stage and they all told us we could not stand there. So when the song ended we were making our way down the aisle to be the first ones there when she announced it and some old lady usher told us we had to go back to our seats. I said she is about to tell us to go on stage and showed her our wristbands. She said no one is going on stage that is not allowed! Then she announce it was time for the blue bands and Mark the guy we were supposed to meet ushered us up. I had to get up there first to get the best seats because if you had the further back seats you would be looking at the back of her head or the guitar player would be blocking your view. We timed it perfectly (no thanks to the rude usher- but just trying to do their jobs I guess) and they brought us on stage since the others had not arrived yet. I had my wife sit in the chair at the end of the stage so she could video and take pictures (since she knows how much this means to me ). The others (all so old, I can't believe they even know what the internet is to enter the contest) made it right before Sarah came over. She made her way over introducing herself again and giving a hug and kiss to everyone! I gave Sarah the flowers and she said "those are for me - more presents" (funny since the story in the first Q & A - I have to go back and add it now) She asked if anyone had any question and one of the old lady's sitting next to me asked her who her biggest influence was growing up, of course it was Peter Gabriel. Then of course I am not going to miss my chance to ask a question. First I said that I liked the work that she did with Bob Rock on the new album and that would she like to work with him again in the future. She said that she liked working with him and that he is a lovely man and that she would like to work with him again. Next I think she signed my FTE album cover writing "To Ian Peace" and her signature (did not think I would get the autograph) Then my wife asked if we could take pictures (good wife!). So I got my phone and she patted next to her so I could come sit by her to take a selfie. As I was taking the selfie my wife was taking pictures of us and then she asked if she could get in there to take one with us. She got up and the crowd went wild cheering her on and telling her to get up there. Sarah picked up the flowers and said "lets get these in here" and then we all got in for the BEST picture! She then went and took a picture on the lap of one of the other ladies. She thanked us and then went to perform such an awesome performance of the best live song hands down, FEAR (my video came out pretty good after I stopped shaking so much from the rush of meeting my favorite female singer of all time)! My wife and I took selfies with her in the background and the audience plus videos and other good pictures. We finished our 3 songs and Sarah left the stage before the 4 song encore. We were brought off stage and I could not find my FTE booklet and I panicked. Mark the guy who brought us on stage was nice enough to go and find it for me in the couch (thank goodness!). I went back to my seat and finished the show with a great performance of Angel and then Beautiful Girl, Ice Cream, and ending like every night with The Sound that Love Makes. She stuck to the same setlist (which is pretty perfect) that she has been doing with Hold On instead of U Want Me 2.
My wife and I left that concert not able to express how AWESOME it was and how down to earth and amazing Sarah was to us. I don't think I will sleep tonight thinking back at this CRAZY and UNFORGETTABLE night! I am so grateful to Sarah for this experience and I don't think I could top this with ANY other concert.
Thanks for reading about the journey I went on!
These are the pics from my phone:
https://scontent-a-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 3067_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 823bde67c1
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 1264_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 4ad99065ad
Here is an album of my pics from my camera:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 11ad33c733
Here are the videos of the living room and performances of Fear and Sweet Surrender:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... X9hrSqBJHS
I hope you enjoyed this!
