☆I know how Lucky, Lucky can be☆
On August 15th, 2004, in Houston, TX, one of my biggest dreams came true, I got to see Melissa Etheridge live in concert! We drove 9 hours (from Fort Smith, AR) to see her, our car was decked out with paint saying things like "We're getting Lucky with Melissa!" Here is my story of that amazing night, I'm so happy I got to share it with my fiance' (Amy), and now all of you! Oh, and you should know that we had shirts made for this. They were green, in blue across the chest it reads "Secret Agent," on the back in gray is "All the boys wanna know If she's got something to hide. All the girls are relieved She's working for the other side." It's my theme song. Now on to the story, I hope you enjoy it and that it brings to life what this woman is like live!
Best 3 hours of my life...
Amy and I got to the arena about 4:00, a little later than I wanted, but oh well. Amy kept me busy in the room until around 3:00 ;) I was too excited too sit around the hotel room any longer anyway! We got a great parking place and saw the tour busses parked already. I shot pictures of them, purple and silver, so pretty. We seemed to be the 1st fans there which was pretty cool. Chatted with the venders (really cool people) and went up to get our tickets. I handed the girl my M.E.I.N. card, signed what I had to, then called Amy over when the ticket lady was going to show us where we were sitting. Now, I paid for seats between the 4th and 7th rows. She looked at the tickets and said "OK, you're section E, row AA." As she pointed to the little map, I almost passed out. In disbelief I said "We're sitting on the front row?" She said yup, and then the tears came. I couldn't believe we were going to be on the FRONT ROW!! Amy had to help we walk outside so I could call my folks, it was all a blur. After we called everyone we knew, we wandered around inside the arena, and got to know more fans, and security people. I told Amy "You know in the music videos, the people in the front row screaming...that's going to be us!!" It was all still very surreal, I had dreamed about this day for so many years. We had to pee, and the only bathrooms were inside the seating part of the arena. After having the doors unlocked for us, we walked in and there was the band on stage! (Philip Sayce: guitar, David Sutton: bass, & Kenny Aronoff: drums.) No Melissa, just the guys, but it was too cool. It was becoming a little more real. After that, more waiting. Met more fans, I love doing that. It's always awesome to chat with fellow fans and share stories. Some of them I had been chatting on-line with for months or years, everyone was so nice. Amy and I bought a bunch of concert stuff (my favorite was the teddy bear) and put it back in the car before the show started. We were told no cameras. Well, they "checked" my bag (AKA looked in the very top, camera was on the bottom) & never checked Amy's pockets. Amy shot a roll & a 1/2 without so much as a warning. I was to blown away and busy dancing to take pictures, thank God for my Girl! (Link below will hook you up w/ them! They actually make us look like we were farther away then we were.)
So finally, at around 6:30, they let us in. I was thinking "OK, front row, will make it easier to rush the stage." Little did I know that from my seat, I could put my feet on the stage! It was circular, and rotated, pretty cool I thought. The lower level of it was what I could prop my feet on, the upper I could lean over and touch. OK, so everything beyond this point is a 3 hour blur, I'm putting together what I can. At exactly 7:15, the lights dimmed & the band came down an isle (across from us) and took the stage one by one. Then I hear Amy yell "OMG there she is!" I see that blond head just barely (she's so short!), making it's way down the isle wrapped in a black cape. OK, crying for the 2nd time now, sobbing like a baby. Melissa took the stage as the familiar cords to "Lucky" filled the room. She was in a tight black top w/ a khaki button up over it, blue jeans & black sneakers. An awesome star belt & buckle tied it all together. That whole song I sang through tears, I was just so overwhelmed, that she was RIGHT THERE!!! Her nose is smaller in person. I held my sign in front of me ("We Dove 9 Hours To Get Lucky!") and sang my heart out to her. After the song she came over and said "You drove 9 hours to get lucky, well I drove 10! OK, they drove me, but whatever..." She said I won for best poster, & the ladies next to me came in 2nd. She crowned Section E The Poster Section. The next set of songs we're great! She sounds just amazing live, better than on CD. While she was singing "This Moment" I sat down next to Amy & rested my head on her sholder/neck. Amy told me later that Melissa saw us & smiled, almost like she was saying "Aww, aren't ya'll just the cutest." I didn't notice because I had my eyes closed then, just enjoying That Moment. When she sang "If I Wanted To" she had the whole crowd singing the intro "Ahahohoh...ahahohoh..." We did it for quite awhile. Melissa turned to the drums, to take a drink of water (therefore stopping singing the intro) & the rest of us just kept going LoL. She turned back around & looked at us with this "daym, ya'll are good" expression on her face. I'll never forget that, I love her facial expressions SO much! When she started to play "Mercy" I flipped over my sign. It now read "Mercy! There's nothing like your 1st Melissa concert!" She read it and gave me this face like "aww, that's too sweet." She's just too cute! When getting ready for the piano solo, she handed her guitar to one of the guys (who switches them out) saying "this is for you," then turned, with the guitar pick she had been using the whole time, holding it between her index and middle finger, walked right to me (her hand going under the others that were held out beside mine) and said "and this is for you." She smiled, and placed it in my palm!! I almost died, started crying again! Time stood still for that second, as she held my eyes for what seemed like an eternity. I will never in my life forget how I felt in that moment, staring into the honey brown eyes of my hero. That was one of two she gave out that night, she is very choosy about who gets them. What an honor! I'll never forget what it felt like cutting into my palm, I was squeezing it so tight, as if to make sure it was real. I snapped too and looked at the priceless gem she had just given me. It's black, has her signature on one side, and the little astronaut on the other. Put that baby in my pocket as soon as I could feel my hand again, nothing was going to part me from it! I don't know why she picked me, I would love to. (I got to ask her about a year later, see the chat log.) Maybe it's because she knew it was my 1st concert, maybe the shirt, or maybe just b/c I she could tell how excited & blown away I really was. That is the most amazing gift I have ever received. It's not just a piece of plastic, it's so much more that I could never put in to words. Then she started "The Weakness In Me" & I was crying again, over that gift. As the stage rotated around, the girls in the front row in the section to my right screamed "Sing it to her, she's crying!" pointing at me. I smiled, it really touched me that these people wanted to be part of my experience. Some fans were so happy for me, others seemed pissed, but oh well!
The rest of the show I felt like she was playing right to me, she kept making eye contact, winking and smiling at me. I'm so shocked I didn't pass out! During "Secret Agent" she pointed out my shirt, and played a lot of the song right in front of me, it was beyond my wildest dream. Right as it opened, I looked right at her & SCREAMED! I don't even know why LoL, I just did! I'm guessing it was just pure excitement. She answered in the funniest way possible, she looked right back at me & SCREAMED BACK! We both cracked up then, it was one of those awesome moments where you feel on equal ground with your hero. She really did understand my excitement, & was feeding off it. I love that I could give her that. When she sang the line "professional fingertips" she stood right in front of me, stop playing her guitar for long enough to wiggle her fingers (the last 3, because she held her pick with her thumb & first) and wink at me! So now, every time I play that song, I have to do that move. She left the stage, then came back for one last song, "Giant." That's when I handed her the Lucky Care Bear. She grinned so big, hugged it and said "Aww, Lucky bear, I love him!" I sure hope she reads my letter I tied to him. When she came around and took everyone's hand, she took one of mine, and rustled my hair with her other hand, and gave me a wink! I was on cloud 10!! She liked me! Melissa liked me!! I felt so special, like I mattered to her. After she and her band had cleared the stage, I noticed a set list an arms length away from me. So yup, I nabbed it! I immediately handed it back to Amy who stuck it in her pocket, didn't want it getting away! Then the girl next to me took a towel that was sitting there and the security made her put it back! I have no clue why, it was a towel for crying out loud. After that we walked out to where the busses were, and all these people kept walking up to me telling me how lucky I was, like I didn't already know! Some gave me dirty looks though, jealousy is so ugly. We waited with other fans for her and the band to come out. The band members gladly signed stuff, but Melissa was surrounded by security. She said "sorry guys" and just waved at us. Yeah, I cried again. But looking back I know there must have been a good reason she didn't stop, and I know I'll meet her one day. All-in-all it was, simply stated, the best night I have ever had in my life. Thank you Melissa, thank you. I will see you the next time around, I promise.
P.S. If anyone reads the chat board on M.E.I.N. you might know me as LuckyLauren. Hi to all the awesome boardies I met there, ya'll we're too sweet for words! Thanks for the kind words & for sharing my enthusiasm!
Get Lucky Tonight Tour set list, Houston TX:
Lucky
All American Girl
Breathe
If I Wanted To
Angels Would Fall
This Moment
Mercy
Come To My Window
Medley: Silent Legacy/Scarecrow/Tuesday Morning
Solo (Royal Station 4/16)
Piano Solo (The Weakness In Me)
Kiss Me
Secret Agent
Bring Me Some Water
I'm The Only One
-encore break-
Giant
:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:
I Have Fans Too!
I love the Melissa Etheridge Information Network (M.E.I.N.) Boardies! These are people who post on the board there, we are a community all our own. Please, come join us! Here are some great comments they left me after I posted my story:
"WONDERFUL! I'm SOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU to have had such an excellent Melissa experience for your first! That is what I absolutely love about the woman...the ability to make you feel like it's all about you! Let me know if I could post your story on my site...I would love to!!!"
"Wow! What a fantastic experience -- thanks for sharing. Don't pay attention to the jealous people - cherish the memory of the fact that Melissa decided to make a fuss of you."
"I loveddddd reading this review and am always happy to read other fan's excitement. I can see and read the excitement in your stories and I hope you keep writing with this excitement more concert reviews!!!"
"I so enjoyed reading your review - and I'm very happy for you. (I have that same pick, got it at the Biloxi show, but I had to walk up to the stage to get it. Tight security kept us in our damn seats, aargh...)"
"I'm sure you're still on a 'Melissa high' and thoughts of the concert are replaying through your head - it's a night you'll never forget. What a special woman she is, she has an uncanny ability to just know who the real fans are and I'm glad she picked you out."
"Ah, yes...the Melissa high...no wonder we keep coming back and coming back and coming back!"
"It is that eye contact-few performers really do that from the stage! They look over the crowd, they don't spot you and acknowledge you are there. But Melissa doesn't just look you in the eye, she sees you."
"And those eyes can be mesmerizing! Ah yes...the Melissa high..."
"You would have to be there to understand. I sat right behind her and the whole time you could feel her emotion. I think that maybe why Melissa was drawn to her. Maybe..."It was a Need she can't explain" but she did spend a lot of time with her."
"Just remember being young and meeting someone you've admired from a far and have that person be drawn to you for some weird reason. I was so excited for her."
"It is definitely the energy that people give off that draws Melissa to them!! Melissa is always aware of her audience, always watching and playing to them and with them, and never at them...Melissa picks up on that energy that people give off (some more than others!!), and then she gives it back to us even more powerfully!!! Someone here on the board once said it's like mainlining...and I think that is true!! It's that connection she makes with her audience members that makes her concerts so outstanding and unforgettable...Melissa is out there to make that connection, and everyone wins! (((LuckyLauren)))!!! I can feel your happiness! I am very glad that you had such a memorable experience! I hope that the future holds many more in store for you!"
"See, I knew you'd be blown away."
"((((Lauren)))) I am SO happy for you! You have some of the best energy (and that's just over the internet)...I am sure Melissa was drawn to your joy. If it comes across this strong online, I'm sure it's ten times as strong in person. I am the first person to enjoy sarcasm and bickering on this board but lately I have been enjoying your posts. Keep posting!!!"
"Congrats Lauren on your very LUCKY experience! And believe me...the excitement never diminishes no matter how many of her concerts you go to!!"
"I have been waiting for your post. I AM SO THRILLED for you that you had an awesome time. Now that you've seen her live you'll be addicted for life. I LOVE the idea of the 9 hour sign. When I drove to Chicago, I should have had a "I drove 18 hours straight through" sign. Of course, I rocked so hard on night one, I went to nights 2 and 3 in a wheel chair. But even that couldn't take away from the magical Melissa. I also love the "Lucky Bear" part. Only you would have thought of that one. Good job! Great post. We'll talk soon."
"Lauren - Congrats to you, my dear!! I kept looking for your review (I forgot you had a long drive to get through first). I knew you would have a good time, but damn!! Good thing you didn't expect any of this would happen or your countdown would have been torturous, huh? I am thrilled for you!!!"
"Thanks Lauren for posting your review! It was fun watching you count down the days to your first concert and it sounds like it was definitely worth it! We told ya she was amazing!"
"Lauren, I'm so glad you had a great experience. I totally know what you're talking about when your emotions are so into the concert that you find yourself crying. I don't think you're a crybaby at all...I think you were just IN the experience. Thanks so much for sharing -- I was hoping it would be something more phenomenal than you could ever imagine!!! Wait till the next one!"
"Hey Lauren- great concert...talked to you for a few minutes before the concert...(loved your shirts). I had almost as much fun watching you at your first MLE concert as I did watching her perform. LOL! I'm so glad your first MLE experience was such a tremendous one. I know those memories will stay with you for the rest of your life. I think Melissa enjoyed your reaction almost as much as you enjoyed the experience. Glad to see you made it home OK. (did you drive or did you just float home on cloud 10? LOL) You two take care!"
"Lauren, Thanks for your review. I am glad that you had a great time. I was a MLE Concert Virgin, too, until I saw her in Atlanta this past May. I think you are awesome for even ATTEMPTING to convey in words what the experience was like; for me, THERE ARE NO WORDS. I am glad that you and Amy shared this wonderful experience. Thank you for taking the time to share with fellow boardies how incredible it was for you. MELISSA ROCKS!!!!!!! (Oh yeah, wasn't that handshake the BEST? I got one of those, too, but I envy you that she rustled your hair!)"
"Lauren, I am so happy for you. This is an awesome post and I am glad you cried and were emotionally swept away. You felt her power! I am glad for that you that she personally handed you her pick! I am glad she sang to you. I know how you feel."
"You will remember that experience for the rest of your life. Melissa sang to me in the front row at one of my first shows 3 or 4 years ago. She handed me her pick too. I remember that sheer joy as if it were yesterday! 'Every once in a while...when I am having a tough time with life in general, I fade back to that moment. Holding on to the pick as it stabbed in my hand as I held it for dear life. I remember how wonderful it felt to be in her presence. It makes the tough time a little easier to bare.' Thank you for reminding me how it felt."
"OK, yes everyone, I cried like a baby 3 times in the course of the concert. And know what, I am not one bit ashamed!! I was THAT taken back & amazed by Melissa, by the fact that the woman I listen to every day, & wake up to see her poster every morning was RIGHT in front of me. If some people can't understand that deep of emotion, then I feel sorry for them. Melissa played to be b/c she felt my excitement & love for her, not b/c she felt sorry for me! Nothing anyone says can diminish one single moment I had that night, it was beyond my wildest dream. So, thank you everyone who understands why I wept, I feel that you have been there too."
~Me (there was a bordie saying crying at a show was silly & childish, all these people sure stood up for me!)
Here are the pictures we took that night.
:x:Melissa Live Through My Eyes:x:
Here it is, The Pick!! This is truly the most amazing gift I have ever been given. Right: You can see where her finger rubbed off some of the ink in the center, she rocked hard with this one!! Left: "...You got nowhere to run, got her phasers on stun..." ~Secret Agent
On August 15th, 2004, in Houston, TX, one of my biggest dreams came true, I got to see Melissa Etheridge live in concert! We drove 9 hours (from Fort Smith, AR) to see her, our car was decked out with paint saying things like "We're getting Lucky with Melissa!" Here is my story of that amazing night, I'm so happy I got to share it with my fiance' (Amy), and now all of you! Oh, and you should know that we had shirts made for this. They were green, in blue across the chest it reads "Secret Agent," on the back in gray is "All the boys wanna know If she's got something to hide. All the girls are relieved She's working for the other side." It's my theme song. Now on to the story, I hope you enjoy it and that it brings to life what this woman is like live!
Best 3 hours of my life...
Amy and I got to the arena about 4:00, a little later than I wanted, but oh well. Amy kept me busy in the room until around 3:00 ;) I was too excited too sit around the hotel room any longer anyway! We got a great parking place and saw the tour busses parked already. I shot pictures of them, purple and silver, so pretty. We seemed to be the 1st fans there which was pretty cool. Chatted with the venders (really cool people) and went up to get our tickets. I handed the girl my M.E.I.N. card, signed what I had to, then called Amy over when the ticket lady was going to show us where we were sitting. Now, I paid for seats between the 4th and 7th rows. She looked at the tickets and said "OK, you're section E, row AA." As she pointed to the little map, I almost passed out. In disbelief I said "We're sitting on the front row?" She said yup, and then the tears came. I couldn't believe we were going to be on the FRONT ROW!! Amy had to help we walk outside so I could call my folks, it was all a blur. After we called everyone we knew, we wandered around inside the arena, and got to know more fans, and security people. I told Amy "You know in the music videos, the people in the front row screaming...that's going to be us!!" It was all still very surreal, I had dreamed about this day for so many years. We had to pee, and the only bathrooms were inside the seating part of the arena. After having the doors unlocked for us, we walked in and there was the band on stage! (Philip Sayce: guitar, David Sutton: bass, & Kenny Aronoff: drums.) No Melissa, just the guys, but it was too cool. It was becoming a little more real. After that, more waiting. Met more fans, I love doing that. It's always awesome to chat with fellow fans and share stories. Some of them I had been chatting on-line with for months or years, everyone was so nice. Amy and I bought a bunch of concert stuff (my favorite was the teddy bear) and put it back in the car before the show started. We were told no cameras. Well, they "checked" my bag (AKA looked in the very top, camera was on the bottom) & never checked Amy's pockets. Amy shot a roll & a 1/2 without so much as a warning. I was to blown away and busy dancing to take pictures, thank God for my Girl! (Link below will hook you up w/ them! They actually make us look like we were farther away then we were.)
So finally, at around 6:30, they let us in. I was thinking "OK, front row, will make it easier to rush the stage." Little did I know that from my seat, I could put my feet on the stage! It was circular, and rotated, pretty cool I thought. The lower level of it was what I could prop my feet on, the upper I could lean over and touch. OK, so everything beyond this point is a 3 hour blur, I'm putting together what I can. At exactly 7:15, the lights dimmed & the band came down an isle (across from us) and took the stage one by one. Then I hear Amy yell "OMG there she is!" I see that blond head just barely (she's so short!), making it's way down the isle wrapped in a black cape. OK, crying for the 2nd time now, sobbing like a baby. Melissa took the stage as the familiar cords to "Lucky" filled the room. She was in a tight black top w/ a khaki button up over it, blue jeans & black sneakers. An awesome star belt & buckle tied it all together. That whole song I sang through tears, I was just so overwhelmed, that she was RIGHT THERE!!! Her nose is smaller in person. I held my sign in front of me ("We Dove 9 Hours To Get Lucky!") and sang my heart out to her. After the song she came over and said "You drove 9 hours to get lucky, well I drove 10! OK, they drove me, but whatever..." She said I won for best poster, & the ladies next to me came in 2nd. She crowned Section E The Poster Section. The next set of songs we're great! She sounds just amazing live, better than on CD. While she was singing "This Moment" I sat down next to Amy & rested my head on her sholder/neck. Amy told me later that Melissa saw us & smiled, almost like she was saying "Aww, aren't ya'll just the cutest." I didn't notice because I had my eyes closed then, just enjoying That Moment. When she sang "If I Wanted To" she had the whole crowd singing the intro "Ahahohoh...ahahohoh..." We did it for quite awhile. Melissa turned to the drums, to take a drink of water (therefore stopping singing the intro) & the rest of us just kept going LoL. She turned back around & looked at us with this "daym, ya'll are good" expression on her face. I'll never forget that, I love her facial expressions SO much! When she started to play "Mercy" I flipped over my sign. It now read "Mercy! There's nothing like your 1st Melissa concert!" She read it and gave me this face like "aww, that's too sweet." She's just too cute! When getting ready for the piano solo, she handed her guitar to one of the guys (who switches them out) saying "this is for you," then turned, with the guitar pick she had been using the whole time, holding it between her index and middle finger, walked right to me (her hand going under the others that were held out beside mine) and said "and this is for you." She smiled, and placed it in my palm!! I almost died, started crying again! Time stood still for that second, as she held my eyes for what seemed like an eternity. I will never in my life forget how I felt in that moment, staring into the honey brown eyes of my hero. That was one of two she gave out that night, she is very choosy about who gets them. What an honor! I'll never forget what it felt like cutting into my palm, I was squeezing it so tight, as if to make sure it was real. I snapped too and looked at the priceless gem she had just given me. It's black, has her signature on one side, and the little astronaut on the other. Put that baby in my pocket as soon as I could feel my hand again, nothing was going to part me from it! I don't know why she picked me, I would love to. (I got to ask her about a year later, see the chat log.) Maybe it's because she knew it was my 1st concert, maybe the shirt, or maybe just b/c I she could tell how excited & blown away I really was. That is the most amazing gift I have ever received. It's not just a piece of plastic, it's so much more that I could never put in to words. Then she started "The Weakness In Me" & I was crying again, over that gift. As the stage rotated around, the girls in the front row in the section to my right screamed "Sing it to her, she's crying!" pointing at me. I smiled, it really touched me that these people wanted to be part of my experience. Some fans were so happy for me, others seemed pissed, but oh well!
The rest of the show I felt like she was playing right to me, she kept making eye contact, winking and smiling at me. I'm so shocked I didn't pass out! During "Secret Agent" she pointed out my shirt, and played a lot of the song right in front of me, it was beyond my wildest dream. Right as it opened, I looked right at her & SCREAMED! I don't even know why LoL, I just did! I'm guessing it was just pure excitement. She answered in the funniest way possible, she looked right back at me & SCREAMED BACK! We both cracked up then, it was one of those awesome moments where you feel on equal ground with your hero. She really did understand my excitement, & was feeding off it. I love that I could give her that. When she sang the line "professional fingertips" she stood right in front of me, stop playing her guitar for long enough to wiggle her fingers (the last 3, because she held her pick with her thumb & first) and wink at me! So now, every time I play that song, I have to do that move. She left the stage, then came back for one last song, "Giant." That's when I handed her the Lucky Care Bear. She grinned so big, hugged it and said "Aww, Lucky bear, I love him!" I sure hope she reads my letter I tied to him. When she came around and took everyone's hand, she took one of mine, and rustled my hair with her other hand, and gave me a wink! I was on cloud 10!! She liked me! Melissa liked me!! I felt so special, like I mattered to her. After she and her band had cleared the stage, I noticed a set list an arms length away from me. So yup, I nabbed it! I immediately handed it back to Amy who stuck it in her pocket, didn't want it getting away! Then the girl next to me took a towel that was sitting there and the security made her put it back! I have no clue why, it was a towel for crying out loud. After that we walked out to where the busses were, and all these people kept walking up to me telling me how lucky I was, like I didn't already know! Some gave me dirty looks though, jealousy is so ugly. We waited with other fans for her and the band to come out. The band members gladly signed stuff, but Melissa was surrounded by security. She said "sorry guys" and just waved at us. Yeah, I cried again. But looking back I know there must have been a good reason she didn't stop, and I know I'll meet her one day. All-in-all it was, simply stated, the best night I have ever had in my life. Thank you Melissa, thank you. I will see you the next time around, I promise.
P.S. If anyone reads the chat board on M.E.I.N. you might know me as LuckyLauren. Hi to all the awesome boardies I met there, ya'll we're too sweet for words! Thanks for the kind words & for sharing my enthusiasm!
Get Lucky Tonight Tour set list, Houston TX:
Lucky
All American Girl
Breathe
If I Wanted To
Angels Would Fall
This Moment
Mercy
Come To My Window
Medley: Silent Legacy/Scarecrow/Tuesday Morning
Solo (Royal Station 4/16)
Piano Solo (The Weakness In Me)
Kiss Me
Secret Agent
Bring Me Some Water
I'm The Only One
-encore break-
Giant
:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:x:
I Have Fans Too!
I love the Melissa Etheridge Information Network (M.E.I.N.) Boardies! These are people who post on the board there, we are a community all our own. Please, come join us! Here are some great comments they left me after I posted my story:
"WONDERFUL! I'm SOOOOO HAPPY FOR YOU to have had such an excellent Melissa experience for your first! That is what I absolutely love about the woman...the ability to make you feel like it's all about you! Let me know if I could post your story on my site...I would love to!!!"
"Wow! What a fantastic experience -- thanks for sharing. Don't pay attention to the jealous people - cherish the memory of the fact that Melissa decided to make a fuss of you."
"I loveddddd reading this review and am always happy to read other fan's excitement. I can see and read the excitement in your stories and I hope you keep writing with this excitement more concert reviews!!!"
"I so enjoyed reading your review - and I'm very happy for you. (I have that same pick, got it at the Biloxi show, but I had to walk up to the stage to get it. Tight security kept us in our damn seats, aargh...)"
"I'm sure you're still on a 'Melissa high' and thoughts of the concert are replaying through your head - it's a night you'll never forget. What a special woman she is, she has an uncanny ability to just know who the real fans are and I'm glad she picked you out."
"Ah, yes...the Melissa high...no wonder we keep coming back and coming back and coming back!"
"It is that eye contact-few performers really do that from the stage! They look over the crowd, they don't spot you and acknowledge you are there. But Melissa doesn't just look you in the eye, she sees you."
"And those eyes can be mesmerizing! Ah yes...the Melissa high..."
"You would have to be there to understand. I sat right behind her and the whole time you could feel her emotion. I think that maybe why Melissa was drawn to her. Maybe..."It was a Need she can't explain" but she did spend a lot of time with her."
"Just remember being young and meeting someone you've admired from a far and have that person be drawn to you for some weird reason. I was so excited for her."
"It is definitely the energy that people give off that draws Melissa to them!! Melissa is always aware of her audience, always watching and playing to them and with them, and never at them...Melissa picks up on that energy that people give off (some more than others!!), and then she gives it back to us even more powerfully!!! Someone here on the board once said it's like mainlining...and I think that is true!! It's that connection she makes with her audience members that makes her concerts so outstanding and unforgettable...Melissa is out there to make that connection, and everyone wins! (((LuckyLauren)))!!! I can feel your happiness! I am very glad that you had such a memorable experience! I hope that the future holds many more in store for you!"
"See, I knew you'd be blown away."
"((((Lauren)))) I am SO happy for you! You have some of the best energy (and that's just over the internet)...I am sure Melissa was drawn to your joy. If it comes across this strong online, I'm sure it's ten times as strong in person. I am the first person to enjoy sarcasm and bickering on this board but lately I have been enjoying your posts. Keep posting!!!"
"Congrats Lauren on your very LUCKY experience! And believe me...the excitement never diminishes no matter how many of her concerts you go to!!"
"I have been waiting for your post. I AM SO THRILLED for you that you had an awesome time. Now that you've seen her live you'll be addicted for life. I LOVE the idea of the 9 hour sign. When I drove to Chicago, I should have had a "I drove 18 hours straight through" sign. Of course, I rocked so hard on night one, I went to nights 2 and 3 in a wheel chair. But even that couldn't take away from the magical Melissa. I also love the "Lucky Bear" part. Only you would have thought of that one. Good job! Great post. We'll talk soon."
"Lauren - Congrats to you, my dear!! I kept looking for your review (I forgot you had a long drive to get through first). I knew you would have a good time, but damn!! Good thing you didn't expect any of this would happen or your countdown would have been torturous, huh? I am thrilled for you!!!"
"Thanks Lauren for posting your review! It was fun watching you count down the days to your first concert and it sounds like it was definitely worth it! We told ya she was amazing!"
"Lauren, I'm so glad you had a great experience. I totally know what you're talking about when your emotions are so into the concert that you find yourself crying. I don't think you're a crybaby at all...I think you were just IN the experience. Thanks so much for sharing -- I was hoping it would be something more phenomenal than you could ever imagine!!! Wait till the next one!"
"Hey Lauren- great concert...talked to you for a few minutes before the concert...(loved your shirts). I had almost as much fun watching you at your first MLE concert as I did watching her perform. LOL! I'm so glad your first MLE experience was such a tremendous one. I know those memories will stay with you for the rest of your life. I think Melissa enjoyed your reaction almost as much as you enjoyed the experience. Glad to see you made it home OK. (did you drive or did you just float home on cloud 10? LOL) You two take care!"
"Lauren, Thanks for your review. I am glad that you had a great time. I was a MLE Concert Virgin, too, until I saw her in Atlanta this past May. I think you are awesome for even ATTEMPTING to convey in words what the experience was like; for me, THERE ARE NO WORDS. I am glad that you and Amy shared this wonderful experience. Thank you for taking the time to share with fellow boardies how incredible it was for you. MELISSA ROCKS!!!!!!! (Oh yeah, wasn't that handshake the BEST? I got one of those, too, but I envy you that she rustled your hair!)"
"Lauren, I am so happy for you. This is an awesome post and I am glad you cried and were emotionally swept away. You felt her power! I am glad for that you that she personally handed you her pick! I am glad she sang to you. I know how you feel."
"You will remember that experience for the rest of your life. Melissa sang to me in the front row at one of my first shows 3 or 4 years ago. She handed me her pick too. I remember that sheer joy as if it were yesterday! 'Every once in a while...when I am having a tough time with life in general, I fade back to that moment. Holding on to the pick as it stabbed in my hand as I held it for dear life. I remember how wonderful it felt to be in her presence. It makes the tough time a little easier to bare.' Thank you for reminding me how it felt."
"OK, yes everyone, I cried like a baby 3 times in the course of the concert. And know what, I am not one bit ashamed!! I was THAT taken back & amazed by Melissa, by the fact that the woman I listen to every day, & wake up to see her poster every morning was RIGHT in front of me. If some people can't understand that deep of emotion, then I feel sorry for them. Melissa played to be b/c she felt my excitement & love for her, not b/c she felt sorry for me! Nothing anyone says can diminish one single moment I had that night, it was beyond my wildest dream. So, thank you everyone who understands why I wept, I feel that you have been there too."
~Me (there was a bordie saying crying at a show was silly & childish, all these people sure stood up for me!)
Here are the pictures we took that night.
:x:Melissa Live Through My Eyes:x:
Here it is, The Pick!! This is truly the most amazing gift I have ever been given. Right: You can see where her finger rubbed off some of the ink in the center, she rocked hard with this one!! Left: "...You got nowhere to run, got her phasers on stun..." ~Secret Agent
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