July 19, 2009

Billy, Babbie and Elton


Saturday night we went to the Elton John-Billy Joel concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

Me, Babbie, Eric and Michelle - they treated us - and maybe 70,000 others.

Billy and Elton made those pianos ring. Soft like cotton. Loud like cannons. It was my second rock concert. My first was Bruce Springsteen a lot of years ago at the old Boston Garden.

I think we were in the Southie section. Never saw so many Irish faces in a cluster. The women, young and middle aged, were having a wonderful time. Singing along, dancing at their seats high above the field. It was great seeing people giving themselves over to the moment.

That's not something I can usually do. And most of the men around us couldn't either. But by the end I was on my feet and so were many of them.

I was wearing my England Forever t-shirt that I bought in Provincetown Friday in honor of Elton. If they noticed, the Irish didn't take offence.

I took these shots with my cell phone. That's Babbie at the top. And that blaze of yellow is the stage. You can see how far away we were.

Getting out of the parking lot was a two-hour grind. But the whole thing was a blast.

I was surprised at the number of 20- and 30-somethings there. I had expected the hugh turnout of the middle aged. The old, like us, were few and far between.

I've always been a fan of Billy Joel. On stage he was cocky and pugnacious. Elton, on the other hand, didn't talk. But he glittered. A great showman.

Babbie said he looked cute and cuddly.

7 comments:

  1. Man, You weren't at the same concert I was. Billy Joel was the showman. Sir Elton John was a toadstool.

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  2. What were you doing there. Old people don't belong.

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  3. Hey, Pick on someone your own age.

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  4. Hey, Anonymous #3. Thanks for coming to my defense. Number 2 needs his - or her - head adjusted. And why's he - or she - hiding behind "Anonymous?" Give us your real name.

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  5. Screw you old man.

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  6. Anyway, I will remember the unalloyed joy of the women in my section for a long time.

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  7. P.S. When the good looking young woman sitting in front of us stood to dance in place, her date took the opportunity to put his hand up under her skirt.
    It was a pretty neat move. And because of the seat back, I don't think anyone but us saw it.
    She kept dancing.

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