(sorry if this is long, but a lot happened that night!)
First off I'd like to say that I LOVED it! I didn't really know what to expect because this was my first show, but it was a lot of fun! I loved the music and I loved the atmosphere that the room had. The last concert I had been to was the Monkees in Boise, ID and you certainly wouldn't have seen Peter walking casually around before the show like he was in Phoenix.
We got in the Rhythm Room without too much of a problem, the guy at the door did look in askance about my paper drivers license that I was carrying around since I hadn't gotten my new adult license yet. We got a table and waited for them to start their first set. I kept asking Callie what time it was because my 21st birthday was the next day on the 29th. While we where waiting Callie's aunt and uncle that we where staying with kept making jokes about how when midnight rolls around they are going to have Peter cut off my tag and spray me with beer. Not liking that beer thing too much, I just joked with them and tell them that I'd be happy with Peter singing happy birthday to me.
The first set starts and I find myself pleasantly surprised at the kind of music SSB plays. My foot starts tapping and then my leg goes and I start moving in my chair. See, I love to dance! Dancing has been my life since I was 5. Anyhoo! They had played a few songs and only one couple had gotten up to dance. I kept making subtle hints to Callie because I didn't want to be the first person up, but she wouldn't give in. Peter finally gets up and says, "Well, we thought we were a dancing band, until we came here." Still nobody gets up. By this time I'm practically dancing in my chair and I can't take it anymore so I stand up and just start bobbing behind Callie's chair. Peter looks over and sees me standing so he motions me forward. I hurry out to the dance floor and much to my surprise, Peter gets down off of the stage and starts dancing with me! It was a lot of fun! We both kinda dance the same way, which means we just do we
hat ever and move all over the place. At the end of the song he told me thanks for the dance and I said welcome and ran back behind Callie's chair, since there still wasn't anybody out on the floor. Callie finally gets up and we dance back behind our table, finally some brave soul motions everyone on to the dance floor and we all get out and dance.
At their first break Callie and I go outside to cool off. We meet the guy who motioned everybody on the floor so we talk a little to him. Then, who of all people should walk out but Peter! Callie said hi and he came over and asked our names. That is about as far as we got when a man called him inside to go back to work. We follow him in, he stops to talk to one of the band member and I move on to our table. When I get there I realize that Callie didn't come with, I look back to see her still talking with the 'dance guy'. I turn back to get a drink and Peter comes over and puts his hand on my back and says again thanks for the dance. I in turn smile idiotically at him. I realize I'm doing this and say just as he starts talking again, "I'm sorry I'm just excited!" If I heard correctly he was saying, "You were wild out there." He asks me why I'm excited and I tell him that it is my birthday tomorrow. He asks me how old I'll be and I tell him 21. He is then called back up to the stage for the next set. I sit down to rest a bit before they start and I see Callie's uncle go up and talk with Peter and then sit back down.
The next set starts and Callie and I become dancing maniacs, only sitting down for one song. Sometimes we where the only ones on the floor! After their last song, Peter looks at his watch and then mouthed at me, "It's=
not your birthday yet." When they guys came back form cleaning up a bit, a long line formed for Peter. I decided to wait patiently at the back because I wanted to get a picture with Peter for my birthday memories and=
I figured that it would be more likely to happen when there wasn't a lot of people still waiting for him. I ask Callie for the 10th time that night what time it is and she yells, "happy birthday! You made it by one minute." So I happily wait in line when Peter calls out, "Candace! Come here!" I got to walk through the line up to the bar where he was and he begins asking around to see if it is officially past midnight. He then gets a knife and cuts my tag off announcing to everyone that I am official ly 21. The bar manager was really nice and offered me a drink on the house. I got a round of laughs when I said that I didn't drink! Tadg tossed me one of the harmonica necklaces they where selling and said "Happy birthday, here's a present for you. Every one else has to pay for these!" John even wished me a happy birthday!
Peter was really nice and signed the cd that I had bought and then later he got pictures with Callie and me. And after the picture he got with me I looked at him and said thank you, to which he gave me one of those famous Peter hugs I keep hearing about!
On a side note I'd like to mention how impressed I was with Richard's guitar work! I was amazed at how fast his fingers flew!
That is my long story, but I'd really like to thank SSB for making my 21st birthday something special.
Callie and I are planning on going to the Nevada show. It's too bad thatit has been postponed, I was really excited to go to another concert. I hope that we still might be able to have that fan party that Bonnie was talking about! Callie tells me that we have to go to another concert now because she can't turn 21 without Peter!
Candace
Life is a journey I'm just beginning, hoping to find a way to my heart
In loving memory of George Harrison ~February 25, 1943 - November 29, 2001~