My name is Jana and I'm a Rockapellaholic

It's been one year four months since my last concert. I have to admit that I still listen to their CDs over and over and over again. I can't stop. I don't want to. And now I've learned that Rockapella will be in Bensalem, PA the same night that hubby and I were going to be near there anyway. I will be going.

I will never forget my first Rockapella concert. Hubby and I drove 12 hours from Shreveport, LA to St. Louis, MO. I had written an article about them for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The concert was an amazing musical experience, and afterward I approached one of the stage hands. "Have they seen this?" I asked, holding up my article. "Yeah," he replied. "They have it up on the wall of the dressing room." WOW. "I wrote it," I said. "Really?" he said. "Would you like to meet them?"

Hmm, let's see. Would I like to meet my musical heroes? Humm, uh, YES!

Hubby and I went to the backstage door and in a moment Phil the road manager appeared. "Are you the writer?" he asked. I nodded. "Come on back." We entered the backstage sanctum. "The guys are eating dinner right now, but Sean is coming out. He really wants to meet you." Wow.

A moment later, Sean Altman appeared. At the time, he was the group's tenor and also one of their main songwriters. "I loved your article," he gushed, reaching for my hand. "It's the best publicity we've gotten in a long time!" Whoa. All I could do was squeak, "Can I have a hug?" "Of course!" He scooped me up in a bear hug. Then he set me down again and said, "I have to sign that," pointing to the article. "Phil, get me a Sharpie."

While we waited, I introduced hubby to Sean and they shook hands. Then Sean grabbed the Sharpie and wrote across the top of my article, "Yo, Jana! You're the best! Thanks! Love, Sean." Then he asked if we were staying for the second concert. "The other guys have to meet you," he said. They have to meet me. "Hey, Phil, we can get comps, right?" he said, pointing to me and hubby. "I mean, for the press?" Phil nodded, "I'll take care of it."

So we got to attend the second performance gratis. Afterward, Phil told me not to get in the autograph line because I would get my chance to interview the guys alone later. What? Did I ask for a private interview? No. Was I gonna turn it down? No WAY! So I hung out, watching them sign autographs, watching Scott Leonard's 2 year old son run around, talking to people who said they came to the concert because of my article. Then the guys started to get up and disperse. Sean freaked.

He literally hurdled the table and ran to Phil, asking him to stop the guys and round them up so they could meet me. Phil quickly complied. And so Rockapella and I were ushered into an empty theater. They sat in the front row. I sat on the stage.

Remember, I didn't ask for nor expect this. I know I sat there and babbled at them for ten minutes, but I don't recall much of what I said. I remember Scott liked the article, and Sean liked the picture of me. They were impressed by the distance we'd driven. Then I had my picture taken with them. It was amazing.

So you can understand, after a first experience like that, why I go back to see them every chance I get. Sean has since left the group, as have Elliott Kerman and Barry Carl. But Scott is still there, and he's always been my favorite. He knows me by sight, as does Phil, and by name. I haven't had to pay for my own ticket in years. I'm not trying to brag, I just wanted to get across that I am not just an ordinary fan. Neither am I their biggest fan. But I do try to promote them whenever possible.

In closing, if you get a chance to see Rockapella, go do it! It is amazing, exciting, wonderful. And you will never be the same again.