I heard they were coming to town, but alas, my single mom budget couldn't justify the ticket purchase.
But nothin' stops a Train. ;) I happened to win two free tickets from a radio station via Facebook.
I have a friend whose been a long time Train fan and has seen them once before- he wanted to go with me....so we hit the mainline for Raleigh. The show started at 7:30.
We got to our seats....and Mat Kearney (the opening act) started playing....and ZAP!!!! Lightening started coming down in bolts. The sky was dark. The wind was picking up. He played three songs and was cut off in the middle of his hit song (the title escapes me) by a huge bolt of lightening.
Did you happen to catch the part about lightening???
ZAP! SNAP! SIZZLE!!! BANG!!!
Under the tarp
Some nice ladies sitting behind Troy and I offered us to climb under their tarp...and so we did. Seven adults under there. Seven strangers very close. The rain was pouring- almost felt like hail. The wind was picking up our makeshift tent in huge huffs and puffs....and the lightening kept coming. Our butts were soaked. Our feet (sticking out from under the tarp) were soaked.
Security came screaming at us in the rain and wind, "YOU MUST LEAVE AT ONCE!!! ALL OF YOU!"
Troy, being the man he is said,"NO!!! WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE OUR SEATS!!!"
Talk about a die hard fan.
Security came back, " LEAVE!! YOU MUST LEAVE!!" Their screams were carried off by the wind.
The arcs of light kept diving towards the earth in spectacular Zeus like bolts.
I was beginning to question my fanship....er, sanity. I'm not a fan of lightening storm...especially, when I'm a sitting duck in the middle of an evacuated amphitheater...with strangers.
Um....the seats aren't THAT important. Right?
Then the police came...holding their billy stick."LEAVE THE PREMISES!!!!"
I think my desire to be hit by a billystick at a Train concert is as high on my "wish list" as being struck by lightening!
So, we ran through the puddles, through the rain, instinctively ducking each time the lightening cracked through the atmosphere. It was NUTS!!!
The show was delayed until 9:45.
The Sunset was awesome! See the bands of rain?? I wanted to see the band TRAIN!
We mingled. A lot. Made friends. Made small talk. Pulled up the radar until our batteries went dead.
Eventually, we sold our tickets to the show.
Yes, we did. And decided to watch the show from the parking deck, IF the show were to happen.
The rain never stopped. But the show resumed.
The rain never stopped. But the show resumed.
My fave picture from the night!
See the rain???
The show was phenomenal. They hit the stage with all the energy you'd expect from Pat Monahan & TRAIN. The set list was par-none. New stuff, old stuff, cover songs....kids invited to the stage, a woman was asked to come up and sing "Bruises", a marriage was performed on stage. The couples first dance was to an acoustic version of "Marry Me"....it was sweet.
Due to the rain- there were a number of concert goers up on the level 3 parking deck with us. Dancing. Cheering. Singing along to all the lyrics. One particularly enthusiastic professional air guitarist stands out in my memory. We had a blast!! During Save Me San Francisco....we sang loud enough that the traffic police were looking up at us through the rain.....we got a thumbs up...and sang louder. :)
Due to the rain- there were a number of concert goers up on the level 3 parking deck with us. Dancing. Cheering. Singing along to all the lyrics. One particularly enthusiastic professional air guitarist stands out in my memory. We had a blast!! During Save Me San Francisco....we sang loud enough that the traffic police were looking up at us through the rain.....we got a thumbs up...and sang louder. :)
Due to time restraints there was no encore- so Soul Sister, Drive By and a cover of We are Young were done at the end....I hated to leave. The "vibes" were awesome. The music wrapped around us, echoed off the cement walls of the parking deck and embraced us in a surreal way.
Maybe it was the rain, the rolling thunder, the threats of the police officer, the loud music...the drive home...or just the happiness of "just being"....but it was so hard to fall asleep last night.
And just as hard to wake up today. :)
I will forever remember my first Train concert....because it was also my first threat from a police officer with a billy stick. LOL. :)
you are a great story teller! i can feel your enthusiasm from here! and what a storm.
ReplyDeletei remember SoMeboDy i know thinking that the mention of "train" was about transportation. who could be THAT out of touch with coolness like THIS?!