Okaaaay.

Kathy and I got down to the Orpheum theater in time to have a cocktail before the show. We had a drink to steady our nerves.  We were both as excited as fourteen year olds about to see Donny Osmond.  We squeaked when we talked.  Our seats were great; near the front, center of the balcony.  The stage was maybe thirty feet from us.  Kathy brought binoculars but we didn't need them. 

First surprise of the night was the crowd.  There weren't many young people. All my nieces love Buble but I guess it was pretty pricey for the summer job crowd.  I was also surprised at how many guys were there.  I don't know why, as I know lots of guys who are fans.  I'm just glad my brother isn't, or I wouldn't have gotten a ticket.

Second surprise of the night was the opening act.  First of all, the tickets gave no indication that there would be a warm up and when the lights went down, the crowd roared.  Then the announcer said "Ladies and Gentlemen, Jann Arden!"  the crowd went "YAAAAAA--hunh?"  First, the poor girl apologized for prolonging the agony.  "I know you all love Michael Buble and I promise not to play for too long."  Then she played and she was really good. 

A few years ago, Jay and I went to see a show at the Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater.  Delbert McClinton was playing and his warm up was a gal we'd never heard of.  Marcia Ball put on a fantastic show.  She was so good that when the skies opened up and rained Delbert out after only two songs, we didn't feel cheated at all.  The amphitheater at the zoo is almost a mile from the parking lots and we all had to run through the pouring rain to get back to our cars.  Jay and I were soaked to the skin.  Fortunately, he had his gym bag in the car and we were able to change into dry clothes.  The kids gave us funny looks when we showed up at home, Jay wearing only a pair of compression shorts and me in his gym shorts and t-shirt.

"Shut up," we said to them, "We can do whatever we want on a date; we're married!"

At another Delbert concert, we discovered the band Cowboy Mouth.  They put on a heck of a show.  Jay now has three of their cds.  So, I've actually been pretty lucky regarding warm up acts.  Jann Arden was as good as any of them.

The third surprise of the night was Buble himself.  Kathy and I had both seen him on tv and in magazines lately and as I said before, I watched the "making of" dvd that came with his latest cd.  He looked like he gained thirty pounds while recording it.  We had agreed earlier in the night that we loved him no matter how fat he was.  Well, when the spotlight hit him, my jaw hit my knees and my tongue rolled down the aisle.  He was thin as a pencil in his sharp black suit and looked so good I nearly fainted. 

Then he started to sing.

Good God, Almighty.

I've seen a lot of concerts in my day.  I've been to a lot of plays, dramas, musicals, operas, etc. 

I've never seen anyone who could entertain like that poor Canadiano.

Mathematically, it goes like this; (the best concert I've ever seen + the best play I've ever seen)x5.

Why was it so good?  Well, let's see....he has a fabulous voice, singing the greatest songs ever written, arranged in a style that can best be described as contemporary classic.  He looks like an adorable kid, but when he starts singing you realize he's the hottest guy you've ever been in the same room with.  He's funny and has more charm, personality and charisma than anyone I've ever seen in public, he's as comfortable on stage as if he'd been born there and best of all, he gives the impression that he's having more fun than anyone else in the building. 

They did some shtick where he made fun of his band, some where the band made fun of him, some where he made fun of himself...I assume every word of it was scripted and rehearsed but I bought it all.  Everyone did.  You couldn't help yourself.  He sold every bit, making it seem spontaneous and effortless.

During one number, he sat on a stool beside the piano to sing a love song. Since he wasn't bouncing around, I borrowed Kathy's binoculars just so I could really see his face.  He was so close anyway, through the glasses it was like we were face to face.  I know how a theater works.  I know that from the stage it's practically impossible to see the audience at all.  Maybe the binoculars reflected something that caught his eye, I don't know.  All I know is that he looked right in the other end of those lenses and sang that song to me.

Have you ever had a dream where some artist you like shows up and does a concert just for you in your living room?  I've dreamed that Paul McCartney was playing the piano in my basement, one that George Strait was playing his guitar in my kitchen, and another where I was sailing around the Caribbean on Jimmy Buffett's boat. It was just like that.  Only it was real!

By the time the show was over, I felt like I'd had an affair.

And I know that every other woman in the place felt the same way.

That's entertainment.

 

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