Sacramento (Marysville), CA
Written by Hillary.
July 15, 2003 was the greatest day of my life to date. I had taken the train from Santa Barbara all the way to Davis the day before the concert, and it ended up taking 14 hours! After that amount of time I was beginning to think to myself "Now, I love john - but this better be worth it." And you know what? It was.I didn't think I could love him any more than I already did before the show, but it turns out I was wrong. Seeing John live was an experience far beyond what I had imagined. I don't mean to sound corny, or cheesy - but it seriously changed my life. You all probably know that john's music has a way of doing that.
Anyway, the next morning after the train ride, I woke up early and started freaking out about the concert. In the early afternoon we left Davis with RFS, Any Given Thursday and all our various john mixes and headed on the road to Sac. It was over 100 degrees and my friends car didn't have air conditioning, nor did we have a stereo (we used her laptop to listen to CD's - ghetto style!) My friend and I had problems getting there, but we finally arrived about a half hour before the concert started. Once we got in, we made it our goal to get as close as possible to the stage. We ended up probably about 20-25 feet from it! (and I got some great pictures) I waited through both Maroon 5 and Counting Crow's sets. And although they were decent, it was not what I was there to see or hear. I don't mean to be rude, but the whole time all i could think about was seeing this amazing musician.
Then finally, my moment came...John took the stage. When they announced his name, I thought I was going to have a heart attack and like my friend Marianne (see Chula Vista, CA review) I cried. He came out and opened with "Back to You." Now I'll admit that this is my LEAST favorite song on RFS, but hearing it live - I suddenly loved it! Next came 83 and 3x5...AMAZING! I can't describe what it was like to watch him sing the words and to understand that he had lived those songs and there were stories and people behind them. Then, we got a special surprise. John played "Not Myself" - I DIED!!! That song is one of my favorites and I had rarely heard of him playing it live. (I called myself and left a message on my phone and listened to it over and over later...)Next came an oldie, but goodie - My Stupid Mouth. That was a great live song and everyone in the arena sang along, because we all know that feeling of "what the hell did I just say!?" Next, he played the crowd favorite - Your Body is A Wonderland. John sat at the edge of the stage and played a nearly 5 minute guitar solo in the middle. It was GREAT! It helped prevent the song from being such an overplayed, monotonous song (not that it ever would be to me) Then, he grabbed this girls cell phone out of her hands (she was holding it up for her friend to hear) and started to sing into it! I think she probably died, and so did her friend on the other line...After "Wonderland" John, never ceasing to amaze, played "Come Back to Bed." John's buddy David Ryan Harris sat in with the guys on this one and it ROCKED! I had only heard it once online before I went to the concert because it was a relatively new song. He sang it with so much emotion that I knew he was giving it his all. I felt so moved and privileged to be part of it. That's the thing about john and his music - it's real and true and he expresses things in his lyrics that I could never put into words myself. Then came the moment all those "radio fans" had been waiting for - No Such Thing! This was his final song of the set and although I knew there was an encore, my heart sank when he said "Thank You Sacramento CA!" I cried and screamed my head off as he left the stage feeling like I could die a happy girl. But, there was still MUCH more to come.
After waiting what seemed like ages, he finally came out on stage again. The crowd was silent and then he began to play. It was a new song, "Wheel" and we were there to witness it's debut to the world! We all were silent and listened to john play this beautiful song, then about the 3rd chorus, people started to sing along. It was so awesome! I can't even describe it. This would mark the 3rd time that night that I cried. ( I think the people next to me thought I was insane, but oh well.) Next, john whipped out "Love Song for No One" with just him and the de-la.That is also a song that john rarely plays live, but I love it! I was so elated that I just yelled the words right along with him. Finally, John played his last song of the night, "Why Georgia." For so many reasons, this song is very personal to me, and I was so grateful that he played it. It was the perfect ending to the perfect night. As he played it, I realized that the concert was coming to an end. I wanted it to last all night. I knew he had dozens of songs he could play, and I wanted to hear them all and see what they meant to him. I just didn't want it to end, but it had to. As he played the last bar, and said good night I stood there absorbing what had just happened. I couldn't believe it was over. I decided that night that I had to see him live every chance I got. It's not because I'm some freakish fan (although I am, my mom says I need mental help) it's because his music does something to me and speaks to me in a way that nothing else ever has, and I doubt anything ever will. So now, whenever john tours, I go to the closest show there is because I know I have to see him and support him. I have to let him know that his music means something to me, whether I ever get to tell him in person or not. (That is why the totally insane fan Marianne and I are driving to TEXAS from Cali just to see him in November...hey, it's the closest show). It was truly a mind blowing experience.
So, thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven't seen john live, I hope you will and I hope that this review has encouraged you to. If you have, you know what I am talking about. All you jma fans out there, you rock! I seriously don't know what I would do without his music, and I look forward to all the many more john concerts and years of music I have coming to me. I will listen to him for as long as he plays, and even after.
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