a surprise concert

i love a good surprise.  well, actually i don't love surprise parties.  they are too much work, you have to deceive the ones you love and i don't think all of that work and hassle is worth the five minute surprise.  but that's just me. i do love mini surprises though; buying the kids donuts after telling them they couldn't have any, putting a love note in bobby's car (which i haven't done in a long time), and planning a little big surprise for the boys.

it all came about in a bizarre way.  we were given some awesome tickets to the clippers vs. lakers game last wednesday night.  we never go to games so this was a treat.

basketball is not big in our house, and we haven't been to a game in years, but we couldn't pass up vip seats.  it was a blow out game but we had a good time. i was more interested in watching fergie perform and seeing what the kardashians were doing courtside.  they were eating popcorn and texting in case you were wondering.

during the game, bobby got an email that the foo fighters were putting on a surprise benefit concert on saturday at the forum.  he ran out to the lobby for better reception and was able to score 4 tickets for the show.  it was then that we decided not to tell the kids.  i organized a sleep over for sofia at her friend's house - thanks debbie - and we were set.

it's hard for me to keep secrets.  i was excited for them and i wanted them to know so they could be excited too.  but i also knew that it would be cool to drive up to the forum, hand jordan his foo fighters t-shirt and tell them we were going to see them live.  i even had to act surprised when we heard the commercial on the radio about the concert.  "i thought they weren't going to be here until september?" i listened as they explained.  i felt bad, but so good.

on saturday, we dropped sofia off and then told the boys we were going to see interstellar at a cool movie theater in hollywood - it helps that they don't know the difference.

we went to eat at a mexican restaurant and that is when we decided we had to tell them.  at first they were confused, then they thought we were kidding, then they were stunned and excited and quiet.  as we made our way to the forum the traffic was unbearable and it was raining constantly.  we made it in with enough time to get some t-shirts and find our seats.

not the best seats but none of us were complaining.

it was a concert in the round and the stage rotated which gave everyone a good view of the band.  jordan actually liked when the band had their back to us because he could get a better view of taylor hawins, the drummer. win-win.

we were sitting close to the ramp that led to the stage.  dave grohl would walk up and down playing his guitar and wowing the crowd.  this was also the runway that his special guests used to make their entrance. guests like paul stanley, slash, tenacious d, alice cooper, perry farrell,

and david lee roth!  when he came out on stage the crowd went crazy.  i may have been a bit excited too.  i listened to van halen growing up because i had/have two brothers who lived and breathed rock music.  they played in bands, had electric guitars painted like eddie van halen's and played their music over and over.  i don't think i had a choice but to be a fan too.  it was awesome to see dlr on stage dancing around like he was 20 and singing "panama" and "ain't talkin' 'bout love".

it was also dave grohl's birthday. so the audience, led by jack black, sang happy birthday as hundreds of balloons fell from the sky.  that turned the atmosphere into a party.

i haven't been to a concert like this in a long time.  every single person was singing and in awe during the three and a half hour show.

and he watched in amazement.  it's moments like this that i realize he has a dream of being on stage and playing the drums to a sold out crowd.  he wants to make music and entertain people and have a good time. i know that it's a tough insane road if that's what you choose to do with your life and very few people make it.  but i also know that dreams are for chasing.

we were both happy, and a little deaf, at the end of the night.

andrew and bobby had their own experience at the other end of the stadium.  it was andrew's first concert and he was a bit stunned by what he saw. i'm not sure he's ever heard the f-bomb dropped more times than that night. it would have been fun to sit together but we were grateful to be able to give them this little surprise.