Then
the lights went down - the Sopranos theme started playing - and I was STILL
STANDING THERE. I couldn't believe it. I had my bag over my shoulder with
all my important stuff in it - an opportunity like this is why I have that bag
with the really long strap that I can just loop over my head and carry along.
I had a jacket and an umbrella back at my seat, but at this point I really
couldn't have cared less if I never saw either of those items again. I was
standing at the end of my rainbow and I knew it.
I never thought JY would see me - I was so close, I was just a little face at his feet, and from any distance back from the edge of the stage, probably just eyes and a nose (I'm desperately trying to avoid a Kilroy reference here)! Never say never though - during the first verse of "Everything Is Cool," he looked down, and there I was, holding up my gloves, shining "JY" in red on yellow back up at him. He saw them and smiled and winked at me. I don’t even know what to say - "happy" is just not the word!
This
was a night I will never be able to accurately describe. Location, Location,
Location; I cannot stress this enough! Not only was I right in front of JY
while he was at his mike, but the spot I was at was also where he and the
other guys would stand during a lot of their solos, or when they left their
own appointed spots to be near center stage. I got a lot of really excellent
photos, some from pretty unusual angles, but believe it or not, I also spent a
lot of time with the camera put away, clapping, singing along, dancing, and
just staring up - always up! I also cannot accurately describe exactly how
sore my neck and shoulders were the next day - OW - but it's better now, and
it was worth it!