R&B Soul Momma

Mr. Duncan took me to a John Legend concert Saturday night in Padova-- Grammy award-winning singer / songwriter / pianist . . . John Legend.

A bit of our experience: We arrived two hours early and found ourselves standing in the cold for a bit.



When we were let in? Well. . . our tickets were general admission -- standing room only. Imagine my joy upon hearing that. "These are the ones that were recommended by the guy at the ticket office. He failed to mention there would not be a seat." Well, at least we were early. We were 3rd row, oh yeah :)

We sucked it up (for lack of a better expression at this moment. . .though I doubt there is one better suited), and stood in the crowd of twenty-somethings as we waited with anticipation for Mr. Legend -- for nearly two hours.


We endured some hip hop guy (who turns out to be Legend's brother) and enjoyed the very talented, very Irish Laura Izibor, and about 5 minutes before the John Legend appeared. . . I lost it & we had to retreat to the back of the theater. Luckily, it was a small venue, and after a bottle of water and a brief reprieve, we were ready to rock it with the best of them and were still well-positioned for a good show.



And rock it, we did.

I suddenly felt free again. . . in a way I haven't felt in a very long time. I danced in public without the influence of vino. I sang out loud. I screamed and cheered when he brought a young woman on stage to "Slow Dance" with him. Yikes. Out of control. When he ripped off his t-shirt, my heart melted. Surreal. How did that happen?

Then, after 90 minutes of nonstop entertainment, it ended. He, of course, returned (in a tux, mind you) and gave us one last ballad and "If You're Out There." When he said, "In case you haven't heard, we've elected a new president," the crowd of Italians exploded in approval. I found myself suddenly proud of my country. . . proud in a way that I haven't been in a long time.



Thank you very much, Mr. Legend. Hope to see you again soon. You rock my soul!

Did you know that John Legend received a Bachelor of Arts in English degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999? Though he learned to play the piano at 4, he did not break in "the business" until after his college days. So far, he has won six Grammy awards. In 2007 he launched the Show Me Campaign -- an effort to raise awareness of & fight against poverty.