Rockapella!!

Friday night, Hubby and I went to the first Rockapella concert I've been able to attend in over three years, and it was everything I hoped for and more! The evening got off to a perfect start when I ran into Scott Leonard (the high tenor - blonde guy in the middle above) outside the theater. He was running in to ask where he should park the rented Toyota Sienna, and I almost bumped into him. I said, "Scott!" And he said, "Hey, how are you?" or something like that. And he gave me a great big bear hug. So right away, I was flying high. We went to a little cafe next to theater for coffee before the theater doors opened, chatting happily the whole time about some of our favorite Rockapella memories. Finally, concert time arrived!

They did several songs up front that I had never heard before. I love it when they do new stuff because it means that a new album can't be too far in the future. It was only my second time seeing the group with bass singer George Baldi, and the first time I ever saw John Brown, their new baritone. I totally love their new sound. Scott, of course, continues to be the powerhouse of the group, with vocals that give me goosebumps. Kevin Wright, who has now been with the group ten years, is amazing as well, shining in his solos, and creating perfect background accompaniments the rest of the time. And of course, Jeff Thacher cements his position as the world's best vocal percussionist with every performance.
Some of the new covers they performed were "Under the Boardwalk," "My Girl," and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." They were all brilliantly arranged and flawlessly performed. The new original "California Sad-Eyed Girl" was a beautiful ballad. My favorite new addition to the song lineup was "Ain't Too Proud To Beg," which replaced "Pretty Woman" as their pull-a-girl-out-of-the-audience song. This is one of my favorite songs of all time, and just happened to be #1 on my list of songs I hoped Rockapella would cover one day. I was practically jumping out of my seat I was so excited! And of course, they completely recreated the song into a new masterpiece.
There was lots of amusing banter between the guys onstage. George, with his deep bass voice, kept referring to the other guys as "the girls." At one point, Kevin yelled out, "Chambersburg's got it going on!" and there was very little response from the audience. So he said, "You're all looking at each other like, 'We do?'" Too funny.

After the show, I caught Scott on his way to the meet & greet and told him briefly about the weight loss challenge between Blest and me. I told him I lost 40 pounds so far, and he gave me another hug and said congratulations! I asked about his kids, and he asked about my oldest son by name. Then he said, "He's not your only child, is he?" I said, "No, I have four boys." You should have seen the look on his face. He looked over at me like I was kidding. Then he realized I wasn't. "Four boys? Really?" It was priceless!

So after he got done signing autographs, I went over to ask him for a picture. The first thing he said was, "Wow, 40 pounds!" And he looked me up and down. I don't know if he was impressed, or if he was thinking I must have really been a cow before, but whatever! He put his arm around me and Hubby snapped a picture. And then he asked how I lost the weight. What was my brilliant answer? "Um, I ate less food."

After the pics, he said to Hubby, "Four boys, huh?" Obviously, he was impressed by this. Either that, or frightened by the thought. Then he said, "So, it's been a long time since we've seen you." I said, "Three years," inwardly very pleased that he realized it's been a long time. "I've had a baby since then," I said. And then I said THE stupidest thing. I mean, any time I talk to these guys I end up saying something stupid, but this was like, really embarrassing. I said something to the effect of, "The last two kids I had, I had after seeing a Rockapella concert." Scott looked at me, looked at Hubby, and then he said to Hubby, "Stay back!" Then to me he said, "It's those smooth harmonies." I didn't mean I had kids BECAUSE of the concerts, but I guess that's the way it came out. So then I had a Jerry Maguire moment, you know, where you're not embarrassed now, but you sense tomorrow's embarrassment?
There's me with my mouth open, babbling, and Scott grinning patiently. Fortunately for me, Scott never remembers the stupid things I say. Plus he's one of the most gracious people I've ever met.

And, like every addict, I am now jonesing for my next Rockapella concert. They get better every time. Thanks, guys, and especially Scott, for an awesome evening!