closer...

is my favorite album by Josh Groban. If you haven't heard it, you're probably not a fan, because it came out six years ago. (Just saying.) But if you like his stuff at all and want a little taste, listen to this song (Remember When it Rained) to prepare yourself for the rest of our night recorded here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfxqW9QwOSI

As a side note, the first time I ever heard "Remember When it Rained" I didn't know that the song didn't end (at 3:50 if you are watching it above) when he pauses for two seconds after the piano solo. Then-- boom!! The drums crash, the lights flash bright white on the audience, and it was one of the two times that I have ever felt the music of heaven descend and seem to rest, if ever so briefly, on the earth. The other was at a Salvation Army in Riemersburg, Pennsylvania-- a totally different 'choir,' but the same effect. (I'll tell that story sometime later.)

Anyway, 'closer' is also a good description for where we sat-- one row off the floor.

But really, closer is what we were surprised by... or who we were surprised by!

Yup, that's right!!! They finally turned the lights off (like THIRTY minutes after the opener was done) and there was a little bustle in front of us off to the left. So Rachel and I were keeping our attention and eyes peeled about a hundred feet away watching to see if he was going to come out of the side doors instead of coming up from the stage the way he had last tour and then BAM! The spotlight came down about ten feet to our RIGHT (not left) and there he was! Honestly, I think we behaved like little girls. Rach started snapping with the camera, I started clapping and hollering, and the lame people in front of us didn't move at all. I don't think they even knew whose concert they were at, because they talked through most of it. Anyways, we enjoyed it a lot. (We also enjoyed the chance to talk for more than twenty seconds without being told, "Dad, come in living room now!" ... but you know, we missed it by the end of the night-- or not.)

So that was last year's combined birthday/ Christmas for the both of us-- we'll have to start thinking of what this year's is going to be! More concert highlights over the next few days too....