vienna waits
08-02-2004, 12:58 AM
I don't think I could have asked for a better concert experience. I arrived at the venue with my mom at about 4:30. We mostly just sat around in the lobby until first Jasmine's dad Rudy came out. Everybody went up to him was getting their picture taken. I didn't get my picture taken because I thought that that might be a little weird but I did walk to see him up close.. he's very little! I then sat back down and eventually Diana's mom Brenda came out. I went over to her and asked her if I could get a picture taken with her and my poster but she was like, "No, I'd rather take it and have Diana sign it for you!" That, of course, was fine by me! She was so nice and very friendly. Once they let us on the floor, she was waiting out by the stage with the stuff she had gotten signed. When she was giving me my poster back, she realized that Diana had forgot to put to Jeff so she volunteered to take it back to her. This time, it had that and a little message! I felt sooo happy and starstruck. Then it was time for the concert. I screamed my head off and was standing up almost the entire time. Everybody did really good. JPL sounds so different in person. Diana was of course amaaazingg.. I waved and waved my poster hoping that she'd see me.. it's hard to say though since the lights are bright I'm sure. She sang Dreams and River Deep Mountain High (or somethign along those lines). The second solo was one she hadn't been doing in the previous shows because her injury. Hmm what else.. after that Tasia sang Summertime (sounded just like the show) and then it was intermission. After the intermission, Diana introduced Tamyra. She starts out on the floor in the middle (where everybody is sitting.. not the floor on the stage) and then runs down the aisles to the stage. The security people are trailing her both ways and a lot of people were getting shoved out of the way. She did dance kind of slutty and did a little pole dancing with the mic stand. Not too bad but it did reek of desperateness. After that it was all group numbers. Despite the fact that Brenda said she was going to be in the whole show, Di was still absent from many group numbers. She still managed to sing I heard it through the grapevine with the boys and did a little yelling contest. She had one of the last performances when she soloed on Eye of the Sparrow which eventually led into a group number. Fantasia sang I Believe either before or after that (I think before) and I was surprisingly screaming and yelling and singing and waving my arms the entire time. At the end of the performance she was bawling. The final song of the night was the Aint No Mountain group number which was fun. Afterwards I went back to thank Brenda again for getting Di to sign my poster. When I was walking away after doing so, she called me back and asked me if I was in Johnny's email group and I was like "YEAH!" She then started saying how she herself didn't have any tickets to the meet and greet afterwards but her cousin (who was standing right by) might have some available and that I should ask him. I asked him and he said he didn't have any more. I was little upset but I'm stil THRILLED just with the autograph. I am so amazed at how nice and down to earth Di's mom is. She cares so much about her daughter and her daughter's fans. Nobody else's parents or family members were out there trying to get autographs for fans. It's no wonder why Diana was so poised, mature, and gratious on the show after seeing where she comes from. Overall, the concert was a FABULOUS experience. The moral of my story for all of you who are going to future concerts, is to get there EARLY, hang around the main lobby of the arena, and look for Brenda!
Here's a pic of my signed poster (soon to be framed!).
Here's a pic of my signed poster (soon to be framed!).