Rockford, baby!!!

Couldn't be "Vegas, baby", because I wasn't there. :( But I really didn't care, because I got to go to Rockford!!!! On with my review...I don't really know what to write, because it was just so amazing. I feel like a traitor saying it was the best night of my life, because Chicago was when I fell in love with him, and Milwaukee was just so special. But it really was pretty darn close. And it wasn't just the concert, either.

As my last entry attested, I didn't find out I was going until Monday night. So after going all Col. Brandon for two days (the part where Marianne is sick and he's going "Give me an occupation or surely I will go mad" thing...hot scene in the movie...moving on...) it was finally Wednesday. But even then I didn't have the tickets until five thirty that night, which caused me to hyperventillate almost all afternoon.Whatever. Once we had our tickets I calmed down a little bit, and we drove over to the center to pick up my mom's ticket at the box office. I was tired and cramped from driving for so many hours, so I decided to go in with here. So we're standing in the box office thingy and she's buying her ticket, and all of a sudden I hear "Per Te". I almsot passed out. I just stood there against this window wall thingy (sorry about the prints, people!!) and listened to Josh rehearse until this woman comes in and very casually says "oh, you can see him if you go around the side". So I tore out of there so fast and ended up almost breaking my ankle, but we found this little door that you could look down through and see the stage---and Josh!!! He was doing part of RWIR and the drum solo on Canto (*thud*). And he was wearing these cute little glasses and hoodie!!! *squee* It wasn't a fantastic view, because we were outside, but I did get to him rehearse the drums---I can die now...

The concert was absolutely breathtaking. He hit every single note- there wasn't one that I could tell he was even a little bit shaky on. Oceano was perfect, as was Per Te, and Mi Mancherai (one of my favorites). I first saw him in Chicago last summer, and, while he was adorable and quite funny (I know I wouldn't be that good onstage), he was still kind of shy. Then in Milwaukee, the change was dramatic- he was way more sure of himself and everything. I think the fact that he was so nervous in Milwaukee kind of made him more shy. But last night he was absolutely hilarious! I don't remember exactly what he was saying, but I know I was laughing a lot. He "mooned" a camera in the front row and then started singing the eBay song, and somebody gave him a bunny that said "Some-bunny loves you", which he held up to the microphone and replied "Somebody loves you too. And somebody loves the chocolate you have on your back. Someobody will be eating that later." He said it in this really cute voice. A woman ran up to the stage for a hug, and after he hugged her, he pretended to slick back his hair, which was adorable. Two girls asked him to come to the prom, and then he got down on one knee and hugged them before asking the date and time-I want to go to the prom with Josh!!! He said something like "Well, the tour ends tomorrow night, so, you know, we're looking for things- like proms- to do! I'll fuel the jet" I did kind of seem like he had to be reminded that he was supposed to be singing, which was probably why the show lasted over two hours. Hey, I'll sit and listen to him talk for days!!! Canto was beautiful, he played the drums so well! I'm so glad he does that- it really makes the concert that much more fun! He totally rocked My December, and Mi Morena (I love how he just sits there and sings) and Vincent. He was really funny introducing Caruso, saying something like "I didn't know what it meant then- because it was really fast, and in Italian, and I was four...". He sang it really well, too. RWIR was perfect- that's my all-time favorite song---it was so moving *tear* YRMU was gorgeous and moving as always, the choir was fantastic and Josh hit every single note. And he did both encores, which was great. Never Let Go is another one of my favorites (mainly because he sang it to me in Chicago. Well, not really sang, but pointed at me during it. Okay, and it was like me and the hundred people around me, but whatever. Let me dream, okay???) America was simple and perfect, as always.

Oh, and he did Broken Vow, which I'd never seen him perform live before. Again, he was really funny before hand, telling all the people who were there with someone special ("Spouses? Lovers? Friends with benefits? I don't know what you kids do today...") to chill out for a minute or make out or something and dedicated the song to everybody who was alone. It was beautiful.I'm trying to think what else happened. A couple of girls threw a thong up on stage, which he kind of blushed at and gave to Zachery and was really cute about. Oh, and I think he's really a California boy at heart, because he kept talking about how cold it was and how that makes you never want to shave, ever. (I guess that accounts for the cute little scruff he was sporting so amazingly!!!)

And the aboslute perfect end to the evening was that we were able to stand out by the baricade, and I was two feet away from him as he was signing autographs, and I saw the texture of the curls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *thud* I can die now... I didn't get an autograph, because he was almost done by the time I could get a pen, and the security guard was right in front of me, but it was still so cool!!! And he had the glasses. Loving the glasses. It was a great night. I had fifth row tickets slightly to the left- perfect, really. I'm not delusional enough to think that he was looking at me, but there were a couple of times that he did look in my general direction, I think there was eye contact once...*thud* he's got great eyes... The clothes were good---including the jeans that my mother made me promise not to say anything inappropriate about. hehehe...didn't get any good pics during the concert, but Imladris got a really good one from afterwards as he was signing autographs. She probably has it on her blog. All in all---a perfect night. Well, no, that's not entirely true, because Josh didn't meet me and fall madly in love or anything. And we couldn't sit with my mom, but it was still pretty good. Great end to the Closer tour!!!!