When Bryan Adams Replied to my Tweet and My Inner 80’s Chick Swooned

November 26, 2013 by Black Belt Mama · 5 Comments
Filed under: Music, Uncategorized

When my friend asked me to go to the Bryan Adams concert with her, I was beside myself with excitement. I spent many summers of the 80’s, sitting in the shade of our birch tree, blasting my Bryan Adams cassettes as loud as they would go. I may not be able to remember much I learned in school during those early years, but I recall every word of his songs. It’s funny how you don’t even know those lyrics are there, sitting dormant in your brain, until the song comes on and you’re right there, back in your childhood. It’s amazing, music’s ability to take you back to a much simpler time. The feeling that washes over your body and soul when you hear certain songs is like no other.

The concert on Sunday night was like that. My friends and I met for dinner, and we realized that our dessert conversation had lasted a bit long. After reading reviews of his “Bare Bones” concert online, I knew he was going to start with “Run to You,” so that’s pretty much what we did, from the parking lot to the theater. We ran to him. I wasn’t going to miss it.

Our local paper reviewed the concert and started off with the line, “Bryan Adams’ show Sunday night in Reading reminded him of cat pee.” Really? That’s the best opening you could come up with for the concert review?? Because the show reminded me of a simpler time, when singer/songwriters wrote songs about love that people could relate to and fall in love with. It struck me, while listening to his songs, that people don’t really write like that anymore. Love songs have really changed, and not for the better. Bryan Adams would never write a song about “twerking.” He seemed personable, humorous and completely down-to-Earth; he’s someone you’d like to sit down with and share a cup of coffee. Our local paper also said he imitated Bruce Springsteen. I’m thinking the reporter may have been a bit off his game, because he made it pretty clear he was impersonating Blake Shelton, not Bruce. Can I be the new concert reviewer, please?

Dressed simply and with a “no frills” black curtain backdrop with a projected skeleton in the background, Bryan Adams got the spirited crowd going from the start, his voice flawless in delivery. The man hasn’t missed a beat in all these years. With only a piano backing him up at times, the sound was still full and vibrant. The songs were delivered the way they were originally written. There were even a couple crazy 80’s girls there, screaming out to Bryan, “Can I get your number?” and making strange and inappropriate innuendo statements about “Summer of ’69.” My friends and I were busy rolling our eyes about those girls when Adams asked for a female volunteer, “a wild woman” who could dance.

It was an out-of-body experience as my comments about others suddenly turned into me standing straight up, waving wildly. I’m nothing if not a wild woman, and this girl can dance. And in fact, from previous posts, you all know my dream is to be a back-up dancer. So I stood there in the balcony, waving my arms and yelling out, “Bryan-UP HERE!” I had on what my sister refers to as my “Aerosmith pants.” I mean, how could I not be chosen? In the end, he chose a girl on the floor in the first couple of rows. I’m going with the fact that it was super dark in the balcony. I mean he probably couldn’t see me right?

Confirmed.

If you are a fan of Bryan Adams and he’s coming to a city near you, you absolutely MUST go. He played so many of the classics that probably made you fall in love with him. It is a night out you won’t soon forget!

Tags: Bare Bones Tour, Bryan Adams

Coming Out of the R&B Closet

November 19, 2008 by Black Belt Mama · 9 Comments
Filed under: Music

When we lived at our former neighborhood, the only playmates we really had were mine. Big I and Lil C didn't really have many friends in our immediate neighborhood. While there were a few kids (one particular family that I owe a phone call-Hi Rachael!), there was not a regular coming and going of children like there is at our new place.

My friends in the old neighborhood were as diverse a group as they come. A professor, a dean, a personal chef, and I felt completely at ease being myself, musically. In other words, they all knew I was jamming to Timbaland (not the shoes) and Akon on a fairly regular basis.

I've said it before that my kids listen to my music. I always buy the clean versions of R&B and rap CDs so that I can listen to it around them. Lil C's favorite song is currently that new Beyonce "All the single ladies, put a ring on it" and Big I is digging the Rihanna collaboration "Live Your Life."

However, in our new neighborhood, where our house has quickly become the favorite house to play, I'm feeling a bit inhibited. While I certainly have my fair share of The Killers, Foo Fighters, and Feist, I have more of the stuff that a lot of parents would probably not like.

This week, I got an IPOD shuffle in the mail (as a gift for reviewing a new website-how sweet is that!). I quickly filled it up with all my favorite songs that would be good for working out. My list includes the following:

"Right Now" Akon
"Me & U" Cassie
"Killa" Cherish
"Green Light" John Legend
"Get It Shawty" Lloyd
"What them girls like" Ludacris
"Live Your Life" T.I. & Rihanna
"Whatever you like" T.I.
"Buy U a Drank" T-Pain
"Miss Independent" Ne-yo
"Never Too Late" Three Days Grace

I totally threw you off with that last one, huh? Why do I tell you that these are my current favorite songs? Because I am coming out of the R&B/Rap closet. While I certainly don't approve of their spelling, there is something about that music that just keeps me coming back for more. This neighborhood is just going to have to accept me as is and deal with it when I refer to their children as "shawty" (first definition only, which I totally thought just meant "short person").