Faithfully

Michelle and I LOVE the Minnesota State Fair. Of the twelve days the fair runs each summer – from the last week of August through Labor Day – we usually make it there five or six times. While we enjoy the full experience (food, beer, animals, walking the grounds, people watching, etc.), the last several years we’ve also included a concert or two at the fair’s grandstand. We’ve been rained on a couple times, but the weather that time of the year in Minnesota is usually perfect. And there’s nothing like an outdoor concert on a beautiful evening.

This was definitely the case back on September 1st, 2012. It was the Saturday of Labor Day weekend – typically the busiest day of the fair. And it was a perfect day – mid 80’s for a temp and blue skies everywhere. The crowds were out in full force when we arrived shortly after mid-day. We left home earlier than usual because we planned on seeing Journey in concert that night, but didn’t have tickets yet. There weren’t any tickets available all summer. But that never discouraged us – we were determined to succeed. And, of course, we did. Just a couple hours before the show started, we scored 2nd row center tickets. While this happens to us a lot, we’re still thrilled and amazed every single time.

A Beautiful Night

The opening band, Loverboy, hit the stage right at 7pm. The next performer, Pat Benatar, went on at 8. This put Journey on the stage just as a beautiful sunset lit up the western horizon. It was still about 80 degrees, with a clear evening sky. After the first few songs, a bright moon appeared overhead.

It was picture-perfect.

 
We had seen Journey in concert before, but something about this night seemed different. It was one of those times where it felt like magic was in the air. We’ve kept in touch with others who were also there that night, and they all agree. The musicians all seemed to be on the same wavelength, too. It was a special night.

About five songs in, Journey started played Who’s Cryin’ Now, which just happens to include my all-time favorite guitar solo. I have no idea why that particular solo appeals to me so much. It just does. I love it.

Just before the solo started, Neal Schon came over to our part of the stage, stopping right in front of us, only a few feet away. I couldn’t believe it. He played the entire solo right above us, looking in our direction almost the whole time. And he really nailed the solo that night, too.

 
As the song ended, I was in concert heaven. The show could have ended right there and I would have had my money’s worth. But we still had a long way to go. And I was in a zone now, completely experiencing the music rather than just listening and watching.

The opening piano for the next song began, and I instantly recognized it as Faithfully, one of the band’s great love songs from the early 80’s. I immediately thought of the video for the song, which revealed behind-the-scenes footage from “life on the road” recorded during Journey’s previous tours. Along with the song, this video was a big hit back in 1983. It got me thinking about my life back then, at age 16.

When I’m “in the zone” during a concert, time seems to bend its rules, allowing me to effortlessly connect with random times in my past. As long as the song that’s currently being performed is somehow related to the memory, my entire past is fair game.

On this night, hearing Faithfully transported me back to an experience 29 years earlier. One that I hadn’t thought about for at least 28 years. It wasn’t just a memory, though. It felt like I had one foot in two different realities. Part of me was actually there…at a high school dance in 1983.

The Dance

My first high school dance was in the fall of ‘83. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought it might be just like another day at school, where everyone hung out with their own “kind”. I was pleasantly surprised to find more of an even playing field that night, a camaraderie of sorts. Everyone was relaxed, ready to have a good time. There was also an underlying vibe of nerves and self-consciousness present, which was definitely true for me.

On this night I was playing the third wheel, along with my buddy and his girlfriend. I had agreed to this arrangement because, while it appeared awkward on the surface, it would also leave me free to scope out a potential girl of my own. That was my buddy’s sales pitch, anyhow. And I fell for it.

Deep down, though, I knew that the arrangement would be mostly just awkward. Scoping, I was pretty good at. Taking the next step, I was not. Realistically, finding a girl of my own on that night was nothing more than a fantasy.

But in the end, I actually came close…sort of.

The Scene

It felt a bit surreal to see our school cafeteria turned into a night club. There was a big stage for the band on one end, leaving plenty of space for dancing, mingling, and hanging out. Special lighting provided a nice atmosphere, and decorations were hanging from the ceiling.

The music playing that night was a nice surprise, too. It was a hired band, and they were pretty good. At some point in the night, they played all three recent ZZ Top hits– Sharp Dressed Man, Under Pressure and Gimme all Your Lovin’. They did an okay version of Billy Idol’s Mony Mony (fortunately for our teachers and chaperones, the vulgar “audience participation” part for this song wasn’t yet widely known). I remember hearing Sammy Hagar’s Your Love is Driving me Crazy, and I remember dancing my butt off to the Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go. The band was playing only rock music, but they balanced things out nicely during their breaks by piping in some other hits through their sound system. This gave us songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Hall and Oates, and, of course, our local boy Prince.

The first few slow dance numbers for the evening left me on the sidelines, as my buddy and his girl took advantage of the opportunity. Little did I know, however, that the two had made plans for me to be involved on the next one.

I was totally unprepared.

My First Slow Dance

As the band/DJ announced Journey’s Faithfully would be the next song, I was completely shocked when my buddy stepped aside and his girl grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out to the middle of the dance floor. I was thrilled and horrified at the same time. Here was my big moment, but I didn’t know how to slow dance. Not only that, but this was my friend’s girl, too. I wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Fortunately, she knew what to do.

As the lights went dim and the song began, she gave me a big smile and put her arms around my neck. With that comforting gesture, I went from paralyzed with nervousness, to completely at ease. It felt natural. It felt right. It felt good.

What I haven’t mentioned yet, is that I really liked my friend’s girl. And I had a pretty good idea that she liked me as well. We might have even been dating, ourselves, if I had only the slightest amount of girl-skills. But my buddy was far superior at this, even if he was a year younger. So he got to her first.

I was relieved to find that slow dancing was really quite simple. Looking around, I saw everyone was doing the same as us – basically shifting their weight from one foot to the other, maybe throwing in a little rotation. It wasn’t complicated and I felt fairly confident that I wasn’t doing anything stupid. In hindsight, she was probably leading me, but at the time I wouldn’t have known the difference.

The Big Moment

A few minutes in, the intensity of the song picked up as it headed toward its dramatic finish. I remember the exact moment in the song when it happened. It was after the last verse, as the drums start kicking in extra hard.

That was when she leaned fully into me, wrapping her arms around me, and resting her head on my shoulder.

Whoa. I didn’t see that coming.

I’d never experienced anything like it before in my life. I had butterflies in my stomach, and I was suddenly subjected to intense emotions and sensations that I’d never felt before.

I didn’t know it was possible to feel so good, and so content.

I could smell her hair and feel her body against mine. I could have died right there, and considered my life complete, at age 16.

The final minutes of the song were a complete blur to me. I hardly remember anything, except that it felt like we were the only two people on the planet.

The music eventually trailed off, and she gave me a firm hug and a tender kiss on the cheek. I don’t remember exactly what I said, if anything. But I’d like to think I at least thanked her.

Then the cafeteria lights came on and the moment was gone.

I thought about (or maybe dwelled on) that first slow dance many times in the days and weeks that followed. The magic of that experience definitely propelled me a few steps forward in my growing interest toward girls. I couldn’t wait for my next opportunity. And I also thought a lot about that girl.

Back to the Fair

Whooosh. Just like that I was transformed back to the fairgrounds, with Journey approaching the dramatic and emotional ending of the song. I was almost in a state of shock after such a strong vision from my past. The memory still lingered, so I took a quick moment to reflect.

Just like other major events during my teen years, this forgotten memory must have played a huge role in my path toward adulthood. How could I forget such an experience? I thought about the girl, too. There were a few occasions in the following years where we almost developed a relationship, but it just never quite happened. The timing was always off.

But back at the concert, I had a wonderful girl of my own at my side, for which I was most grateful. And here we were, in the middle of an amazing show on a beautiful summer night. So I took advantage and gave Michelle a big hug and kiss on the cheek. She probably saw the moisture in my eyes and realized I was thoroughly “enjoying the moment,” as I so often do at concerts.

Journey took their epic ending of Faithfully to another level that night, cementing the entire experience for me with a high-energy flourish. Lead singer, Arnel Pineda, belted out the vocals with an astonishing amount of energy and emotion, while Neal wailed on his guitar, and the boys in the band all pounded away on their instruments with matching vigor. It was amazing.

 
I was still “in the zone,” and stayed there for the rest of the concert.

The zone is a great place to be. It’s a place where life is always perfect, just as it is. It reminds me of those rare moments during meditation, when I effortlessly experience peace, clarity and understanding all at the same time. And my heart swells to enormous proportions, filled with love and gratitude.

I’d love to learn how to get there any time I wish. But for now…I’ll just keep attending concerts. Live music seems to have a way of opening doors into some cool places I don’t normally visit.

The Song

I’d like to acknowledge Jonathan Cain for writing this beautiful love song. And for Journey, who together as a band turned it into something spectacular. But mostly I’d like to thank Arnel and the band for their exceptional performance of Faithfully back on that beautiful September evening, sending me out on a journey of my own. I’ll never forget that night.

Check out the official video for the song, from 1983. Maybe this will trigger a special memory of your own? I’d love to hear about it.

PS – If you’d like to hear more about this awesome concert experience, check out Michelle’s blog post from back in 2012.