It’s no secret that I’m pretty critical about the show. But who cares about that. The concert was GREAT! It was 80 minutes of infectious, gleeful FUN.

Evidence of my attendance.

I took photos during the concert but our nosebleed seats combined with the point and shoot I was using didn’t translate into good shots. But I’m going to post some of them anyway.

Opening number was “Don’t Stop Believing”. This was my favorite song of the concert. You could totally feel the anticipation of the audience when the first few bars of the music started playing. Then the cast came out and the excitement was palpable. Awesome.

What I loved most of all was that the concert really showcased everyone. Like you’d expect, Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Amber Riley had solos but most of the cast did too. Heather Morris performed “Slave 4 U” and while I’m pretty sure she was lip-syncing, I think she out-Britney’d Britney. Her dancing was fan-freaking-tastic. Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, Cory Monteith and Kevin McHale had their own moments in the spotlight as well.

Ok, I’m biased. I love Darren Criss and I love The Warblers. So I was overjoyed when I found out they would be on the tour! They sang a mini-set of 3 songs and were terrific.

… And it was all over so soon. They closed the show with “Somebody to Love”.

I’m seriously amazed at how much time this cast puts in to their work — probably more than any other TV cast out there. During the season, not only do they film the show, they also have to lay down the tracks and practice for the musical numbers. And now when they should be on hiatus, they’re performing in this multi-city arena tour. Amazing.

Posting the set list for reference because I like this kind of stuff…

Rob and I had a birthday dinner to attend so we got to the Staples Center an hour late and missed B.O.B, Iyaz, and Adam Lambert. That’s ok, though. I was really only there to see the headliners — Ludacris, Usher. And YES FINE OK, Justin Bieber.

Our seats were pretty good! We were on the right side of the stage.

I noticed right away that I AM FREAKING OLD. There were groups of teenagers sitting in front of us. And between artists they all sat down, pulled out their phones, and sent text messages, posted on Facebook, etc. I admit I posted a Twitter update during a break but that was when Rob left to go to the bathroom and I didn’t have anyone to talk to!

ALSO. During the next set of artists, the teenagers knew ALL THE LYRICS to each song. And I knew… NONE. I guess Ke$ha, David Guetta/Kelly Rowland, and Akon are popular with that age group? I don’t know.

Anyway. Ke$ha was kerrazy and fun. Akon was diiiirrrrttyy. I felt dirty just watching him. And poor Kelly Rowland’s mic was messed up so you couldn’t hear her at all.

Introducing each artist were random “celebrities” like the casts of The City, The Hills, Twilight (I only recognized Ashley Greene and Nikki Reed), and freaking DAVID HASSELHOFF. Hilarious. But my favorite presenter was Derek Fisher from the Lakers!

That’s him. I swear.

The Lakers championship banners.

Ok. Back to the music. The last group of artists to perform were the ones I was most looking forward to. First up was JUSTIN BIEBER!!! I can’t help it. I like him. I cannot even explain why. It’s not that I think he’s cute (he’s too young). Or that he has an amazing voice. He just seems like a good kid, I guess. Or maybe I’ve just been infected with Bieber Fever. BWAHAHA.

Entirely possible.

He had a short set (only 6 songs) that included my favorites One Less Lonely Girl, One Time and Baby. SQUEE.

Next was Ludacris who seriously sounds EXACTLY the way he does on his records. No auto-tuning here (or whatever they do to artists to make them sound perfect). He was incredibly high energy and was even able to get ROB OUT OF HIS SEAT. That’s some amazing stuff. Sadly, I didn’t get a non-blurry picture of him.

And finally, closing the night was Usher!!! He had the longest set by far (30 minutes) and not only did he perform his new singles (Daddy’s Home, OMG), he also sang many of his older songs too (Nice and Slow, Confessions, Yeah, U Got it Bad, My Boo, Caught Up). He was great! YAY.

You know, it’s funny. I mentioned earlier that the teenagers around us were familiar with the earlier artists but when Usher started singing his older stuff, they didn’t know any of them. I really *am* old.

Usher!

After the concert, we walked to the other side of the Staples Center to check out the rest of LA Live. It’s amazing to see how developed the area is now. We also found the new Chick Hearn statue.

It was a good night. And my ears are still ringing.

Rob and I have decided to move back to Southern CA at the beginning of 2009 (we’re aiming for the end of January). It’s something we’ve talked about for years but were never quite ready to make the leap. Now that we’re married and want to put down roots it makes sense to do so closer to our families.

I’m excited for the fresh start but scared at the same time… leaving a place I’ve made my home for the past 10 years. Leaving my friends. Looking for a new job (ugh).

But those of you who know me well can probably guess that the thing I am most freaked out about is DRIVING. Seriously, it’s like my personal kryptonite. And there’s no way around it in Southern CA. I keep telling myself that I need to get over it but I just know it’s going to be easier said than done. What is wrong with me?! Wish me luck. I’m definitely going to need it.

Random. I read about Britney Spears’s concert tour next year and it was the weirdest thing to look for Southern CA tour dates. Anyone interested? I may have to drag Rob again.

It was SO CHEESY. And normally I *like* cheese! I mean, Clay’s voice was great but it was more of a musical than it was a concert (which I totally didn’t expect because I was given the tickets that day and had no idea that it was even holiday-themed). There was a cutesy story about a boy befriending a lonely old lady in his neighborhood, there was dancing (sadly, the dancers were really horrible)… it had the makings of a great show but it was just waaaayyy overdone. PLUS, Clay’s versions of most of the Christmas songs were sloooooow. I found myself yawning quite a few times. :/

There was a great joke about the little boy entering a talent show and winning second place. I totally didn’t understand why everyone was laughing so hard and then I realized the connection to Clay. HAH. I’m a little slow on the uptake.

I really wanted to enjoy the show (it’s Christmas! And you know me, I LOVE the holidays!). It’s too bad.

Anyway, I had loads of fun at the Britney concert! I’m such a Britney fangirl, hee. It was a sold out show and I was very surprised that it was a much, much older crowd than her previous tour. This time I didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Hee.

Here’s the set list and costume changes rundown, lol.

Opening — Britney came out on a moving platform wearing a skintight black leather catsuit
– Toxic
– Overprotected
– Boys
– Showdown

Lounge Club/Cabaret Themed — she changed into a racy pink underwear ensemble and black fishnet stockings
– Baby One More Time (I did not like this remix AT ALL. Too slow and jazz-y for me. Give me the pop tart version any day.)
– Oops… I Did it Again
– Crazy (YAY! An oldie but goodie!)

Jungle/Garden Themed — she wore a gorgeous blue/green/yellow dress
– Everytime (She played the piano for the first few verses!)
– The Hook Up
– I’m a Slave 4 U (probably one of my most favorite performances of the night — loved the choreography and the dancing)

Cirque de Soleil Themed — she was elevated on a swing and was wearing another gorgeous blue dress
– Shadow

Bedroom Themed — Whoa! Britney came out wearing a fluffy white bathrobe which she took off to reveal the diamond suit from the Toxic video! Guys in the audience were DYING.
– Touch of my Hand (lots of uh, touching)
– Breathe On Me (she quickly changed into another pink bra and panties set and danced intimately on a bed with one of her dancers)
– Outrageous

Closing — she wore a cute pink tank top with baggy pants
– (I Got That) Boom Boom (another audience favorite — very fun and totally high energy)

The encore was Me Against the Music which to be honest, left me a little underwhelmed. It was the same performance that I’ve seen at all the award shows and appearances that she’s done. She was even wearing the same suit and jacket outfit as her video (but it was a beautiful shade of red). Well, whatever — the rest of the concert was great fun so I can overlook the encore.

Hopefully I’ll get the chance to scan the tourbook this weekend — lots of pretty pretty pics!

Please join!

As for the Matchbox 20 concert — Eeeeeeeee! Rob Thomas!!! His voice! Mmmmm. Eeeeeeeee!

*ahem*

So the concert started out with American Hi-Fi. I was outside getting food for most of their set so I didn’t really get to hear much of it — I did see them perform Flavor of the Weak (the only song of theirs that I know) and they were really good. Very high energy and their lead singer is so funny. Right before FotW, he said “I know all of you are thinking ‘Who are these guys?’ Well, I’ve noticed that this next song is the one that has people nudging their neighbors and saying ‘Oh! These guys!’” Heh. That’s exactly what I was thinking.

Sugar Ray was up next — I find Mark McGrath’s voice to be completely lackluster and most of their songs to be completely forgettable (Please don’t hate me!) but they totally entertained me! And wow, Mark McGrath is so cute in person. Wow. Their last song was Fly — and to my surprise, Mark McGrath ran off the stage and ran around the entire lower level of the arena. And then he stopped right in front of my section — he was seriously like 5 rows in front of me! He picked up a girl from the first row who was about 13 and asked her to sing the chorus with him. She was so cute — he was hugging her and they were singing together. That was good stuff.

Then of course Matchbox 20 — The entire time they performed, I had such a huge silly smile on my face. But how could I not?!? Rob Thomas just has one of those voices that gets to you. It’s intense and powerful and so sexy. They opened up with Disease and sang Mad Season, 3 AM, Bright Lights, All I Need, Could I Be You, You’re So Real, Unwell, Real World, Tears for Fears’s Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and a few others that I can’t think of right now. (I have a horrible memory). Between songs, Rob made some really funny comments — about midway through their set, he was like “How are you all feeling?! We got so much more show for you! So if you’re not enjoying yourself yet, then I don’t think we can do anything for you.” Hee. It really was funny! I guess you had to be there. And then later, towards the end of the show, Rob was looking at the people in the upper levels and then he said, “I don’t want to scare anyone, but there is a giant pig up there.” It turns out that someone dressed up in a pink, fuzzy pig costume. I’m talking full body costume with a huge head. So Rob asked “Can we get the pig to come on the stage? I came all the way to San Jose just to see a pig dance across this stage.” So the pig’s friends walked him/her down and for about 5 minutes, every few seconds Rob was like “What’s the status on the pig? Is it coming?” It was hilarious — the guys were just playing some random song and everyone in the arena was standing up trying to see where the pig was. When the pig finally got on stage, it danced around with Rob. Bwah, that was classic. (Apparently, the pig was handing out flyers in support of PETA). Anyway, they ended the night with Push, which was ahhhh… perfect. I’m so glad I had the chance to see them — my new roommate is a HUGE fan and he got the tickets for us. Thanks roomie!

[edited to say: Linda, I got your email -- I gotta head to bed now but I will email you, definitely. ]

Black Eyed Peas opened up with Joints and Jam. Eeeeee!!! <--- This was me. Man, this song takes me back to my college days --when I had a crush on my current boyfriend and he would play it in the car when we would go out. *sigh* And my college roommate (Shirley! *waves*) downloaded it and played it in our room sometimes. Ah, memories. Anyway, BEP played a bunch of other songs from their upcoming album and they rocked. They were so high energy and crazy, especially Taboo. What a great way to start the concert. I didn't even know they were the opening act so it was a total surprise to me and the boyfriend (he really likes them).

Christina was up first with Dirty. I used to hate this song (still despise the video) but after hearing it so many times on the radio, it’s grown on me. Perfect way for her to get the crowd (which was more on the older side than on the teeny-bopper side) up on their feet and dancing in their seats. Good times, good times. Most songs she performed were from Stripped — A Voice Within (powerful ballad), Infatuation (definite crowd-pleaser), Get Mine Get Yours, So Impossible, Can’t Hold Us Down (which she sang from a motorcycle), Walk Away (very sexual imagery with a hot guy gyrating in the background), and Fighter. As for her older material, she did updated versions of the most popular 3 — Genie in a Bottle (she came out on a huge “X” with fire shooting from the back –really cool), Come On Over (an acoustic version which I really really like), and What A Girl Wants. She also sang Lady Marmalade and Etta James’s At Last, which I surprisingly loved. Her encore was Beautiful, which she sang to no crazy lighting and wearing only jeans and a white T-shirt that read “God Sees No Color.” I like that she went for the simple ending rather than the typical flashy pyrotechnics that usually signal the end of the show. All in all, I thought she was great — she definitely showcased her tremendous vocal talent.

Justin started his set with Rock Your Body. Eeeee!!! He is really a great entertainer — he has what appears to be boundless energy and has a great rapport with the audience. Not to mention that he is definitely easy on the eyes. And I love him so much more now because Kelly Kono, only my most *favorite* dancer in the world (and former back-up dancer for Janet Jackson), is dancing with him. Hee. Anyway… Justin also sang Still On My Brain, Seniorita (one of my favorite tracks), Cry Me A River (no Britney look-alike, however, to my boyfriend’s dismay), Let’s Take A Ride, as well as more upbeat versions of 2 NSync ballads, Gone and Girlfriend. The highlight of his set was when he was beatboxing from a contraption that elevated him and moved him slowly from one side of the stage to the other — he beatboxed to Planet Rock!!! And It Takes Two!!! Mmm… Old school. So happy. And finally, his encore was of course, Like I Love You. Ah, I love you Justin.

Other entertainment during the concert included –
1) seeing so many young girls (probably around 11-13) wearing completely revealing clothing. I wanted to scream “It’s really *not* nice to have guys ogle your goods. In fact, it’s creepy! And you should cover up!” Gah.

2) an almost fight between a drunk guy (he hit the girl behind him when she asked him to be quiet and sit down) and some random guy who was annoyed with all his stupid antics

I snuck my camera in via the boyfriend so I may upload some pics… I don’t know if any of them will even look good but we’ll see.

What an eventful start to my weekend — Matchbox 20 tomorrow!

I’m so looking forward to the weekend — I’m going to 2 concerts! Whee! Friday is the Christina Aguilera/Justin Timberlake concert and then Saturday is the Matchbox 20 concert. I. Can’t. Wait.

So I was surfing the net while at work today (I am *so* productive!) and I found out that Good Charlotte/New Found Glory and Norah Jones are going to be playing in the area over the summer. Where the hell have I been?!? Why did I not know about this? Grrr. And of course, when I check to see if there are any tickets left, both shows are all sold out. Waaaahhh. I want to go! So. Bad.

Grrr. Argh.

Wow, I never thought I would say this but I really enjoyed the Grammys this year. I usually watch them for the sake of watching and not for any real desire to see who was going to win any awards. But this year there were so many great performers, I actually found myself enjoying it. I adored John Mayer — he’s so good live! And is he really only 16?!? I like to say that I’m a fan of his but I did not know that, lol. Love love loved Norah Jones. I’m so into her right now. I’ve had her CD on repeat for awhile now — her voice is just so mellow and beautiful. I’m so happy she won all the awards she did. She genuinely looked so surprised and happy. And NSync! It was so good to see them singing together again, except what the hell did JC do to his hair! Cut it off. Anyway, they really did a fabulous job with the BeeGees medley. *sigh* I also really enjoyed No Doubt, Simon & Garfunkel (my dad would be proud! lol) and Eminem (the RunDMC ending rocked). The one thing I thought was really weird was that there was no host. It kinda worked and it kinda didn’t at the same time. Oh, and Erykah Badu made herself look like a freaking idiot. Ugh.

Speaking of music — I got my Justin Timberlake concert tickets! Whee! And I had no idea he was touring with Christina Aguilera until today. Should be very interesting. Can’t wait til June.