Well, let's see! I am going to give you EVERY detail of this concert....It was so great that you just can't leave a single moment out! If you have never been, you must go when he's near you, or even if he is not! GO!
So we walked in and we found some perfect seats....it was in the fifth row, but the first two were blocked off and not allowed to be taken...so really we were in the 3rd row! ;) We sat left of the middle right next to the speaker...PERFECT! Jo and I had to (strike that, GOT TO) deliver the HUGS for Mark. So we were supposed to look for Shawn, but we didn't know who he was! So we found a lady sitting at a table with a green jacket on showing she was working the event! We handed her the hugs as well as the cow Jo made with a sign saying that it was from his COW's (cloud of witnesses). She said Shawn was back with Mark at that time but when he came out she'd give them to Shawn. We didn't make her take an oath...I think we should have but, oh well! So we went back to our seats and noticed the big "CAUTION" signs were right in our line of sight and that just wasn't necessary and didn't need to be in all of the pictures. So the man took them down for us! After looking at us like we were crazy might I add!
Then it was time for the show to begin! He opened with "everywhere" and he was just alllll giggles and having fun! Not too far into the show, the mics and instruments went out! And he just kept on singing and we all helped him out! But it was kind of funny to watch all the sound guys scramble to fix it! Then he decided to just keep going with the concert and he started telling us the story behind the next song...Which was "back In His Arms Again". (oh they got the mics working right before the song started!) This is Jen's very personal favorite....Let's just say, it means a lot to her! So we called her and let her listen in. I was all about holding up the phone so Mark could see, but Jo didn't feel that was necessary! So she was trying to hide it and Mark looked over and must have seen! OOOPS! Bad Clouds...BAD!
At one point he asked if everyone could hear okay and everyone said NO....but me and Jo, we could hear juuuuust fine! And he said, what's wrong? A guy in the back said if he held the mic up really close to his lips it was better. So Mark did. And then a lady in the back corner behind us said that the drums were too loud, but Mark pointed out that he was the drummer for Steven Curtis Chapman and just ignored that comment! And then another person said that the cymbals were too loud and they overpowered the vocals. So the drummer got up and took the cymbals away off the stage! And Mark said "if at any point there is something else wrong, you just raise your hand and we'll stop to fix it!" And we all laughed! Then he started joking saying, "by the end of this concert it's just going to be 4 guys standing up here. Oh hey, I found this spoon out in the hall, let's try that!" haha! What a character! Then he of course apologized and said, this is just the hardest place to play! it's the most beautiful place in the world, but the hardest place to play! He said, "it's like playing in a high school gymnasium....inside of a shower....inside of a toilet" hahahaha...a church being compared to a toilet...Interesting Mark!
Then he was talking to the crowd and was talking about something and he was like hey it's like that guy over there in the corner just all relaxed. And then Mark said, "it's like he doesn't even know I�m talking to him, hey you!" and the guy looked up and Mark said "hey welcome to the show, the first 20 minutes were great!" haha! So then he told them to come up on the stage, so they did, reluctantly might I add! Turns out, it was their first date, so Mark sat them right down in the first row with two chairs in the center isle. Then he felt he needed to toss a water bottle to them just to be "a good host" Goof!
Then he sang some more songs. (you'd think it was just a hang out session, but nope, it really was a concert!) Let's see, he sang, Let's Go, He's My Son, Legend of McBride (with a little spice of his own), Letters From War, some old hymns and then for his encore he sang Child of Mine. And then at the very end, he did his own special version of "SHOUT� He was so awesome!
Then he asked what we wanted to hear! So the lady next to my mom yelled "TIME OF MY LIFE!" and someone else yelled "Remember Me". So he said, "who said Time of My Life?" And the lady raised her hand and Mark said, if you stick around after I do the signing I'll come back in here and do it for you!
That is definitely his gift from God...And I am sooo excited and so encouraged to see him using his gift. God has truly placed him in that business for a reason. And it's so inspiring to see someone doing something they really want to be doing! And you can really tell he loves what he does by his heart! He gives until you think he can give no more, and then he does!
So then he went out and signed for about an hour or so. Jo and I made sure we brought up the rear to get more time than "1, 2, 3, GO!" So we wanted to be last! so we got more time with him and he signed my shirt and he signed Jo's songbook and was just the sweetest guy! He was very happy to see some Clouds lifting him up! So then the lady next to mom said "Were you really serious about playing that song for me?" And he said of course! So he went back into the sanctuary at the piano and no mic and just jammed out for us....So now I must tell you the story behind why this lady wanted this song sung. Her son's wife left him for another man, and he heart mark's song and said "I�m going to sing that song to her" so he did, and many prayers and two months later, the two were back together. So the lady called her son and his wife on the phone and Mark got to talk to him (Mark) and then he just kept on singing! So he then sang "When You Come Home" and "Remember Me". Then he asked, "Can I do another one?" and we're like um, well, yeah, I GUESS! So then he just played for us, no singing and it was just wonderful! And he told us that his book comes out in three weeks!
All in all, it was a great night of worship and fellowship with a fellow cloud and Mark! Well, I guess he's a cloud too right? hehe so two clouds! But I had so much fun!!! How long until September concert? Let the countdown begin!!!