A whole night where I am reminded that I can't dance (and lessons on how to fake it 'til you make it)

There is this band called Needtobreathe that I kinda sorta like and loosely keep tabs on.

Sike.

I am an obsessed super fan who pays actual money (in a world where money usually buys things like, I don't know, food and diapers) to belong to their fan club and have first dibs on ticket sales and insider news.  It is totally worth it.  Dinner is overrated.

I have been planning to see Needtobreathe on their Drive All Night Tour since before I knew it existed.  I didn't start making concrete plans (like what I was going to wear) until the dates had been announced.  I got tickets immediately because I know people pre-order them.  

Friday night was the big night.  I prepared by barely sleeping and then painting my toenails.

A lovely shade called "What are you - fifteen?!" (I read something on the internet about the shape of your toes revealing your heritage.) (According to the internet - which never lies - I'm totally Egyptian.) (Which explains why every time I participate in a dance off I end up walking like one.) (#80'skid)
(Raise your hand if you read that hashtag with the word skid in it.)
(You are a true 80's kid if you read "skid" and thought of pants.)
(You are normal if you read "skid" and thought of poop.)
(If you read "skid" and thought of tire marks, you are probably a bad driver.)

Brian came home early and I scurried to get dressed.  This caused a minor panic because the outfit I had been planning on wearing for months was no longer appropriate for the weather. I thought I could pull it off anyway but it was almost 80 degrees in Michigan in May. (WTHeck, weather?  Didn't you get the memo that Needtobreathe was coming and I needed to wear that super cute dress with my brown jacket and boots?)  I threw together an outfit just to get out the door on time.  Traffic is no joke on that side of town (I can hear my California readers laughing already, "Bless her heart, she has no idea what traffic is really like, how cute...") and I was going to meet Lauren for dinner before the show.

Aside from a ridiculous amount of gawker delay (for real - who hasn't seen an abandoned car with no tire chilling out on the shoulder before?) and a moment where I almost wet my pants because I pee when I am nervous/stressed/excited the ride was uneventful.  I parked my car and walked past the venue to go to eat and the line was already around the block and down the street.  I was weirdly proud (I mean, these have been my boys for years)(way before anyone else ever heard of them)(*pushes up nerd glasses, adjusts ironic t-shirt, and takes instagram picture of an iced coffee and bagel belt*) and I was not freaking out about the line because I had Special Insider Priority Access.

Lauren and I ate the most disappointing dinner ever at a crepe place ("What, Kel? A crepe dinner in suburban Detroit was not up to par?" Shocking, I know.)(Don't worry, we totally made up for it with a 2:00 a.m. McDonald's run.)  At the theater we got in our Special Insider Priority Access line at about 7:15 p.m.  We were about fourth in line for 8:00 doors. I felt slightly bad for the people that showed up at noon for front row that did not have Priority Access, but not enough to give up my spot. Don't hate the player ...

This picture was stolen borrowed from NTB's facebook page.  It was taken by @niklpro on Instagram. The fancy work in Paint was done by yours truly. Don't be too jealous. 

Proof.
Proof I'm up front and proof I don't know how to use my camera.

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors opened the show at 9:00. (This is how I know I am getting old: around 8:30 I started thinking about how long the night was going to be.  I started doing squats to relieve the pressure on my lower back from standing for so long.  I calculated hours of sleep based on estimated time of arrival in bed. I started wondering why venues didn't offer collapsible stools for patrons who pay good money to wait in the front row. I started resenting the bouncer for getting to rest his tush on the edge of the stage. I wondered if I could ever get a job as a bouncer. I realized I'm a stay at home mom jealous of a bouncer for sitting down.  Aaaannnd = age fully realized.)

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors - Rich, Ellie, Drew, and Nathan

We saw Drew Holcomb at the last NTB show.  Drew Holcomb was solo then, because he was filling in last minute and the rest of his band was back in Tennessee.  Lauren bought me three of their cd's and I really like them.  I was looking forward to seeing the whole band perform. They did not disappoint.  The guitarist, Nathan Dugger, is sick talented, and looks like Jim from The Office.  He also plays keyboards and the boy knows music. Ellie is Drew's wife and they are lovely together.  They did a duet and shared one mic and it was poignant.  I would see them headline.

Needtobreathe went on around 10:00.  They opened semi-acoustically, with a bass drum and a few percussion instruments, an upright bass, and a few guitars.  It was different, because usually they open big with one of their anthem-like songs.  It worked though, and three songs in when the curtain behind them dropped and revealed the rest of the stage everyone freaked the heck out and rocked out with them.

Photo courtesy of Josh Drake Photography because all my pics are terrible.

They played a ton of my favorites. I danced and sang my heart out. (Confession = whenever I am singing and catch one of the band member's eyes, I become totally focused on singing the correct words and always mess them up. Every.single.time. So now, as a preventative, if I catch their eye I fake sneeze or itch my nose, effectively hiding my mouth.)(I'm pretty sure NTB thinks I have the worst allergies ever.)

(*Also, a confession for fun = since I was a music major in college, I am pretty in tune (*giggle*) with my own voice. So I know that I absolutely can not "WOOOOO!" at all.  It doesn't matter if it's a sporting event I'm cheering on, a concert I am celebrating ... my "WOOO!" is thin and pathetic. But in the spirit of The Articulation of Excitement, I totally lip sync a "WOOOO!" whenever other people are screaming it.)(The secret is in the commitment to the "WOOOO!" facial expression.)(So if you suck at "WOOOO!"-ing, feel free to use my trick.)(Nobody ever knows you're faking it.)(You're welcome.)

Needtobreathe played for a good two hours. It was a fantastic show; maybe even their best so far.  How does a frequently touring band keep their music and live show so fresh? They are just amazing.

And after the show this happened.

I'd like to be all, "I'm not really that short in real life," but um, I'm totally that short in real life.

Lauren, ROCK LEGEND Bear Rinehart, and me.