It was a warm muggy night in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The sky was dark and misty. I follow Matchbox 20 and Rob Thomas on Twitter. In the days before March 23rd, Rob tweeted that he was feeling under the weather.
I was concerned that his illness would change the tempo of the concert - or, worse, cause a cancellation. True to rock star form, Rob and his lively band embraced the steamy night.
Anticipation swelled through the crowd as we awaited the appearance of the band we experienced life listening to as young adults. It seems that most of the events in our lives can be linked back to music. This die hard crowd proved to be no different.
As Rob took us on a journey through the back roads of our lives, we laughed and danced together. We screamed. We jumped and cheered. Rob touched something in us. A spark that reminded us of a time so much more complicated - yet simple compared to our lives today.
The band was impeccable - forcing perfectly harmonious notes beyond the mist and into the crowd. The weather approached us from behind. An occasional roar of thunder or flash in the sky warned us that the storm would come.
We stayed - ready to take our chances with Matchbox 20 and our memories. Rob belted out 3 AM, He held his hands out, palms up to the sky. "And outside, it starts RAINING!"
And it did.
What an amazing night for Matchbox 20 fans. I shall treasure the memories of this night for a very long time!