Tuesday night was Amy's first big-time concert that she wanted to go to. And it doesn't get any bigger (right now) than Taylor Swift – I really hope it will become one of Amy's fond memories of her childhood.I picked her up from the Girl Scout camp bus and we headed to the Metro and into the city to Nationals Park. It was a last minute decision to go to the show so we paid a premium to get tickets someone was reselling online – we ended up with great seats and an all-around terrific experience. It was second night Taylor was playing there, so I was able to get some intel from friends who'd gone the first night - travel tips and general info. We stood in a looooong line to take this picture (and really, couldn't they have chosen a more fitting picture to take these fake selfies with?)...
...then we got some dinner and headed to our seats. Detouring first to sit in the wrong seats before being redirected. Live and learn! We listened to the first and second opening acts and then headed out to the restroom and stand in the super slow line to get some ice cream. We knew there was plenty of time before Taylor came on, since she didn't start until 9:30 p.m. the night before (don't these people realize that I need to sleep???). To our delighted surprised, we hadn't been back in our seats for maybe two minutes before Taylor came on, and hour early. Score!! Apparently there was some potentially bad weather coming, so they shortened the two opening acts, dropped the third act entirely, and got right down to business. Show was done at 10:30 p.m. rather than 11:30 p.m., and we got on the super crowded Metro and headed home, making it there at 12:15 a.m., even with a quick stop at the McDonald's drive through for a couple of drinks. Logistically, it couldn't have been better!
And the show was really fun – Taylor is quite an entertainer. As you entered the stadium, each person got a bracelet thingy with instructions not to pull the battery tag until the show started. These bracelets lit up in time with certain parts of the music, and there were different set-ups so the bracelet of the person beside you might be on a totally different set-up than yours. It was really a cool effect and honestly I bet it makes Taylor's concert-giving experience a lot cooler to watch – she must love looking out and seeing all the cool fireflies changing color with the beat! I guess it doesn't take a lot to impress me, because I really loved that.
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| Doesn't do it justice! |
Throughout the night, another thing that was on my mind was that if my Mom were still alive, she would most definitely have been at that show. She may have even taken all three granddaughters by herself!
Taylor played mostly her newer stuff, not much from her "country" days...Amy was sad she didn't play "Fifteen," but I think overall she was happy with the song choices. There were several outfit changes, including a pink light-up outfit which was adorable.
And the special guest....each stop of her tour, she brings out a special surprise guest to do a song of their own. The night before it'd been Lorde (who sings "Royals" and if she has another hit, I don't think I've heard it!). We totally lucked out and got Jason Derulo, who has one of the hits of the summer, "Want to Want Me" – super fun!
Overall I give it two thumbs up, and I think Amy would too. Hopefully she will always remember her first big concert!
But I can't forget to mention that the whole fam-damily went to the sold out Weird Al Yankovic show last month. That was quite an experience! Reed has been a big fan of Weird Al ever since he first heard his Star Wars parody songs - "The Saga Begins" (to the tune of Don McLean's "American Pie") and "Yoda" (to the tune of the Kinks' "Lola"). For quite some time, a couple of Weird Al songs were on rotation as Reed's going-to-bed music. He listened to them hundreds of times.You really can't deny Weird Al's likability. Nonetheless we were a little surprised to see his show at Wolf Trap was a sellout (over 7,000 tickets!). We grabbed dinner from KFC and headed to Wolf Trap for a tail gate. We had seats in the pavilion, and it was quite a thrill as we watched as Weird Al opened the show by walking from his trailer, through the backstage area, behind the building, and then out to the crowd RIGHT NEXT TO US. And believe me, he's every bit as pretty in person.
He and his band put on a really fun show. The entire group does costume changes between every song (!!!). While they're off stage, they showed some video footage and other fun things. It was a really good time and I think the smile hardly left Reed's face the entire time. I still am a little surprised to think we spent $285 for our family to see Weird Al. Money well spent!
Music was such an important part of my growing up. I remember the nights in our townhouse before Mom and Jim got married, when Mom would put the kids to bed and then go downstairs and do whatever it was she did (cleaned? drank wine? both?), with the music always blasting. Emmylou Harris, Al Green, Jimmy Buffett, the Eagles, Bob Seeger, John Denver, the Temptations, the Doobie Brothers, the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever. Some of those songs are so ingrained in my brain, I can't even tell you. And I still love most all of that music to this day.
As I got older and was able to choose my own music, my first favorites were groups like Loverboy (I was the only one I knew who loved them! this is a recurring theme for me) and Duran Duran, then Def Leppard, Ratt and Motley Crue. This was the beginning of the music video age...and I must mention that we didn't have cable TV so the only time I could see videos was on "Friday Night Videos" and "Headbangers Ball", VERY late at night. But I played my records over and over and over, and if the jacket sleeve didn't include the lyrics, I'd record the song on my tape recorder and write the lyrics down myself, tediously going back and listening again, trying to get it right. I had a big binder of song lyrics, in fact!
My very most favorite band of all time (well, the teenager edition of me) was Triumph. No one else I knew liked them, preferring that other Canadian power trio instead (Rush). Triumph's music was so important to teenage me. I can't even stop myself from including all of the lyrics to my all-time favorite song, "Magic Power":
Something's at the edge of your mind
You don't know what it is
Something you were hoping to find
But you're not sure what it is
Then you hear the music
And it all comes crystal clear
The music does the talking
Says the things you want to hear
I'm young, I'm wild and I'm free
Got the magic power of the music in me
I'm young, I'm wild and I'm free
Got the magic power of the music in me
She climbs into bed
She pulls the covers overhead
And she turns her little radio on
She's had a rotten day
So she hopes the DJ's
Gonna play her favorite song
Makes her feel much better
Brings her closer to her dreams
A little magic power
Makes it better that it seems
She's young now, she's wild now, she wants to be free
She gets the magic power of the music from me
She's young now, she's wild now, she wants to be free
She gets the magic power of the music from me
You're thinking it over
But you just can't sort it out
Do you want someone to tell you
What they think it's all about
Are you the one and only
Who's sad and lonely
You're reaching for the top
Well, the music keeps you going
And it's never gonna stop
It's never gonna stop
It's never gonna, never gonna, never gonna, never gonna stop
The world is full of compromise
And infinite red tape
But the music's got the magic
It's your one chance for escape
Turn me on, turn me up
It's your turn to dream
A little magic power
Makes it better than it seems
I'm young now, I'm wild now, I want to be free
Got the magic power of the music in me
I'm young now, I'm wild and I'm free
Got the magic power of the music
I got the music in me
I got the power
I got the magic
She's got the power
She's got the magic
She's got the power
She's got the magic
She's got the power
She's got the magic
You know I'm not sure exactly what troubles I thought I needed to escape from (was there really a lot of red tape in my life?) – normal teenage angst, I guess, but this song touched my heart. I just love the idea of the restorative power of music, and how good it is for your soul. If there's a way to include this song at my funeral, I think I'd love that. Rik Emmett's voice always slayed me – the heights he could reach! And he always did some great acoustic instrumentals on most Triumph records too, and from that I learned that music can be beautiful without being loud ("Midsummer's Daydream"...google it). And honestly I thought he was adorable too (those tight white satin pants!)...ahh, the 80s!
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| Photo from the internet...I only WISH I'd been this close to Rik! (and that's him on the left, in case there was any doubt) |
Then there's "Fight the Good Fight"...
Days grow shorter and the nights are getting long
Feels like we're running out of time
Every day it seems much harder tellin' right from wrong
You got to read between the lines
Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid, we can
Make it through another day
Make it worth the price we pay
The Good Book says it's better to give than to receive
I do my best to do my part
Nothin' in my pockets I got nothin' up my sleeve
I keep my magic in my heart
Keep up your spirit, keep up your faith, baby
I am counting on you
You know what you've got to do
Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
It's your only way
All your life you've been waiting for your chance
Where you'll fit into the plan
But you're the master of your own destiny
So give and take the best that you can
You think a little more money can buy your soul some rest
You'd better think of something else instead
You're so afraid of being honest with yourself
You'd better take a look inside your head
Nothing is easy, nothing good is free on earth
But I can tell you where to start
Take a look inside your heart
There's an answer in your heart
Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
Make it worth the price we pay
Every moment of your lifetime
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
Make it worth the price we pay
Their music was just so positive and reassuring. "Let the Light (Shine on Me)" and "Follow Your Heart" and "Somebody's Out There". I can't even imagine how many times I played these records and sang along. It still makes me happy every time one of their songs pops up on my iPod!
I went to a few concerts as a kid – the Oak Ridge Boys, KISS (I was SEVEN!) and Jimmy Buffett are shows that I remember, I know there were probably more. But my favorite, by far, was getting to see Triumph, I think it was at the Baltimore Civic Center or somewhere awful like that, and it was either the Stages tour or the Thunder Seven tour (I wish I hadn't gotten rid of all my old concert t-shirts!). My Dad took me. It was so glorious to actually see those three guys standing in front of me (far away, but still...we were IN THE SAME ROOM) playing the music I loved so much, and sounding every bit as good as the records. And they had a great laser light show...I was so happy!
Not too long ago, I thanked my Dad for taking me to that show. Who knows if I acted grateful at the time (seems unlikely), I hope I was. But I was glad to be able to say to him "That meant a lot to me and I am so thankful that you took me." Maybe one day Amy and Reed will say something similar to us, possibly about one of these shows.
It's amazing and wonderful how much the music of your youth sticks with you.
Always remember the great words of Triumph...
Just never die....
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