Hip to be Square

About 3 years ago (maybe more...I don't know), if someone was to ask me what my dream-concert was, I would without doubt have said Huey Lewis & the News.  I grew up listening to their music.  Cheesy?  Yes, I know.  But it reminded me of my youth, and my Mom, who enjoyed them as well.  Let's just say that I was getting pretty desperate to see them and would have paid up to like $200 for a ticket around this time.  They are constantly on tour, but for one reason or another, I always missed them.  So, on July 4th weekend in 2009, my best friend from Virginia, Ashley, decided to make a last minute trip to Ohio to see me for the weekend.  I was really thrilled to get to see her but wasn't sure what we would do for the weekend.  I started looking around for festivals or decent fireworks shows when I came across a huge festival in Mason, Ohio...pretty close to where I lived.  Not really paying attention to what was going to happen at this festival, I just decided we were going to go and make the best of it.

And then I saw it:  A friend's stalkbook status.  A status that brought to my attention that there was a concert happening at this shindig.  And not just any concert.  A free concert.  And the performers??  Huey Lewis & the News.  I am pretty sure I stopped breathing when I saw this.  After recovering, I had to check the websites and newspapers again to ensure that it was in fact, correct information.  She was not lying.

Basically more excited than I've ever been, we headed to this festival in Mason where there were beyond thousands of people walking around and eating food and huddled around a gigantic stage.  I mean THOUSANDS.  Back in the day I would have weaseled my way close to the stage and not really cared about much else, but I was a bit timid this day and as claustrophobic as ever.  Thank goodness Ashley wasn't.

She dragged me up to the stage area to a guard who was protecting a private area of maybe 20 seats directly in front of the stage and whispered something to him and he let us through to those 20 seats.  I was terrified to hear what she was told him, but apparently it was a reserved section for US military veterans (that was not advertised or anything which I guess would have filled it up quickly).  She explained to him that I was an Air Force veteran (I really am) and he let us in for the show of our lives. 

After the loads of concerts I have been to, and paid for, I think this is undoubtedly my favorite experience ever.  And I am SO glad I got to spend it with one of the friends who means to most to me.

What is the best concert you have ever been to and why??