Wolf Trap Magic

Last night, the General and I went on a little date night to Wolf Trap. This year marks 15 years since the first time I heard and fell in love with the dulcet tones of Kenny G's saxophone and saw him in concert for the first time, so when I found out he was coming to Wolf Trap, I decided what better time to go see him again? Plus, he hardly ever comes to DC, instead playing various jazz festivals and such. The closest one here is in Maryland, and I don't do Maryland--Maryland is what I have to drive through to get home.

So anyway, I got the General and me some premium tickets--13 rows back in the orchestra, and I was ready to roll. Told my dad we were going, since he had first taken me to see him that balmy June of '93 as a present for graduating high school. My dad remembered a lot more about the concert than I did, including that Kenny strolls the audience a few times during his shows.

So we get there around 7:30 (the show was at 8:00) and I parked the General on a wall while we waited for them to open the amphitheater so I could go up to the top of the hill to get a program. I climb up there and get on line at the little souvenir booth and I about wet my pants. Kenny G himself was manning the souvenir stand.

Well, I couldn't let the General miss this one. I ran back down the hill and asked the General if he wanted to meet Kenny G. Of course he did! So together we trucked back up the hill (Thanks, Weight Watchers, without you, I would have surely perished!) and got on line at the stand. We bought a CD and he came over, greeted us, we greeted him back, he signed our CD's and we went back down the hill. I was like, "OK, this is living."

Seriously, I about floated. So we get in to the concert and it's going great, he's playing all his old hits, playing some stuff off his new album, and then he started playing my favorite song "The Joy of Life". I love this song, and the strange thing is, the first time I heard it was when my grandfather died. But it's always been a favorite and in fact, we used it on our wedding CD.

So this was the moment for him to come off stage and start playing to the people and it was like literally watching the Pied Piper. Wherever he went, swarms of people crowded towards him. Well, I was in seat M1, right on the aisle, 13 rows back from the stage. When he started playing "The Joy of Life", I couldn't help myself, I jumped to my feet and started dancing. And when he finally came to our side, I stepped into the aisle and he stood there as I danced, bobbed the sax in my direction a few times and kept on going... So yeah, I danced with Kenny G last night.

Unfreakin' believable. I didn't think about a single damned thing going on in my life while I was there last night--it was the best. That music has seen me through the worst moments of my existence. Awesome.