A Little Late, But Worth the Wait...

So on Tuesday, Mother, Katelyn Faye, and I traveled to Columbus, OH to see the American Idol tour. Obviously, we got lost everywhere we went in Columbus (except for the route to the Schottenstein Center - mysterious). Instead of Cheesecake Factory or California Pizza Kitchen, we ended up going to Subway down the street from the Schot (which I was very disappointed with - I love me some CPK).

So anyway, around 6:30 or so, we arrive at the Schot to get ready for the concert. Firstly, I should mention that the concert attendees were mostly preteen girls and CFL's (Cougars For Lambert) [my mother included there - sorry ma!]. Katelyn and I got some merchandise - tour tees and I got an Adam one as well (I really wish I'd bought the Anoop picture, too... *sigh*). We went into the arena and chilled for the next thirty minutes until the concert began.

Might I mention that this was my first concert ever? Because it was. And I was pretty much the most excited seventeen-year-old ever. When the lights went down I screamed my brains out.

Michael Sarver was okay. Much better than when he was on the show. Megan was really good! Well, except for her hair. It needed some dire improvement - Aryan girls don't need afros... Scott did amazingly well. He really is a great inspiration. Lil was alright - I don't like her very much. She's missing that "spark." I did like her a little bit when she sang "Single Ladies." It was entirely random and I kind of enjoyed it.

After Lil exited, it was finally time for the love of my life to enter the stage: Anoop "Noop-Dawg" Desai. He started his set with "You Were Always on My Mind." Obviously, I'm screaming my face off and trying to stay slightly sane. But I can't help it; He's a frickin' angel and I adore his voice almost as much as I adore him. I am determined to get this guy to sing at my wedding - Hell, I would MARRY the guy. He sang some R&B song I had never heard before in my life (it's apparently called "Mad" and Ne-Yo sings it; who knew?), and then he sang "My Perogative." During "Perogative," he began to gyrate to the point of my sweating from every orifice (true story - it was already pretty damn hot on that floor and the beautiful Indian man onstage thrusting his crotch at me made it even worse). I was hoping for some "True Colors," (which is my third favorite behind "Angel of Mine" and "Everything I Do") but unfortunately that didn't happen. I swear, he WILL get signed someday and I WILL be first in line to buy his album(s). [I just realized I'm not even halfway through the Idols yet and I wrote an entire paragraph about Anoop Desai. Ohdear, I am a sad little girl... =\ ]

Next up was Matt. He did pretty well. I don't really care about Matt, either. The Idols that had just performed did a Motown medley that was really good and it included a hilarious "piano duel" of sorts between Matt and Scott, which I guess was cute. They left, and it was time for a 20-minute intermission. Katelyn and I chilled a little bit and played the Ford Music Video Challenge to try to win backstage passes - we were unsuccessful (and I was disappointed).

Allison was next after the interval, and she had the most energy I have ever seen onstage (she beats ME, guys!). She started her set with P!nk's "So What" - obviously, I freaked, seeing as how I desperately wanted her to sing some P!nk on the show. She also sang "Cry Baby," which I also love hearing her sing. And she sang "Barracuda," of which I was thoroughly excited about. That girl is going to have a crazy good solo album - can't wait 'til it happens for her. Danny Go-Away was next and his intro screen was *almost* as sleazy as his many failed performances ("Dream On," whatever he sang during Disco and Movie Weeks, and "PYT", which he stared his set with). He sang "What Hurts the Most" and "My Wish" - Katelyn was in love and I was horrified that I actually liked it.

Finally, 'Ole Danny lives up to his nickname and leaves the stage. There's a bit of a silence on stage - it's almost as if it's over. The audience begins screaming "Adam! Adam!" and I can barely contain my excitement at the fact that arguably the most talented performer to grace the Kodak Theatre stage (or any stage, really) is getting ready to perform live in front of me. Just when I don't think I can handle it anymore, we hear the same voice that announced everyone else, followed by the most kick-ass lighting effects ever and the opening guitar to "Whole Lotta Love." A shadow appears and we hear the beginnings of Adam Mitchel Lambert's inner Zeppelin shine through. The lights come up and there he is in his black-and-leather glory. Hot damn. He finishes the first song and I scream so loudly and so long that I began to get extremely dizzy - I thought for sure I was gonna faint, but Katelyn made me sit down so I could regain my composure. He then sang "Starlight" by Muse and it was then I decided he should go on a huge tour separate from Idol and let Anoop and Allison be his opening acts - I'd camp out for days to get that ticket. "Mad World" came after that and I loved it then as much as I loved it on the show (I still like the Gary Jules version much better). Next was the David Bowie medley, in which he stripped out of the leather jacket into a little vest. I looked up at the section Mom was in to make sure she was still there and alive and well. I've never really jammed much to Bowie, but Adam really made me want to take another listen. He sang "Slow Ride" with Allison, which I also enjoyed. Someone threw a bra onstage that looked like one I actually own. A whip was also thrown onstage, to which Allison and Adam hit each other with it and Adam rubbed on his crotch before throwing it back out to the audience. When his set was over, I was really disappointed - partly because he left the stage, but mostly because Kris Allen couldn't possibly compare.

Needless to say, Kris did met my expectations. Don't get me wrong - the guy is a great artist, but he's not really a performer by nature; I'd rather see him in concert at a tiny venue (coffe shop, etc.) because that's the vibe that comes from not only his music, but the way he presents himself - it doesn't work in a huge arena like the Schot. He started with "Heartless" and ended his solo spree with "Hey Jude." The rest of the Idols entered at the ending "na na na na" section and everyone woke up and started going crazy again. The Idols ended with "Don't Stop Believin'," much to everyone's apparent delight. I was definitely loving it. They left the stage and the lights came up and it was time to exit the arena, and after a really long time, we just kinda pushed through the crowd to get to the autograph line (of which I am writing about tomorrow in a part two because I am really frickin' tired. Peace out).

I'm Not Prepared, But Let it Start...

Wednesday morning, the senior class sponsors came into my second-period AP English class and asked us to put our signatures on a sheet of paper for our senior t-shirts. "Don't forget to only write inside the box," Ms. Hopson said, "or else your name won't be scanned in and it won't appear on the shirt." We gave her the 'we-know-this-already' look and each of us signed our name in the little blocks - each signature special in its own way. Jersey numbers, hearts, stars, cursive, print, bubble letters - you name it, someone included it. (I myself almost put "soprano" under my name to spite the jocks... teach them to rub their athleticism in my face...)

You see, it's the little things like signing papers that remind me that I'm a senior, and so is everyone else around me. I may not have been in school twelve years with these kids, but I have become close with many of them (whether they like it or not) and it'll be a little bit of a shock to be completely without them come August 2010. Although most people here are definitely not my cup of tea, there are people I have come to realize I actually do like here: My JDub Crew, Shana, Katelyn Faye, and a couple of other people who have proven their worth to me. I wish I could take all of them to college with me, but unfortunately, that can't happen.

As immature as this may sound, I am truly going to miss the little things that have made my high school years special: Apple Day, Sequence 8, drive-thru escapades, making sure my hair looks okay, Lady Gaga, walking Shana to sixth period, mall trips, wiping the plates out at Olive Garden, ballgames, The White Face in the Coffin, being fierce, moving poles, imitating the "beautiful people," being the dumb and defiant one in APLANG, the "Mr. Snow" dance, doing the stanky legg, "competing" with Alex in APUSH, performing "Come On Eileen" in the cafeteria.... (I could go on, but the list is very long)

Although I haven't necessarily experienced what I would consider the "best years of my life", I will definitely never forget high school. I believe I am very close to finding the real me; it's just a matter of time before her cue line comes up and she makes the grandest entrance possible.

There, Right There, The Future's Gleaming; It Blinds My Eyes!

Here I stand, with life ahead of me

No place to hide

Today is the first day of the rest of my life...

Wait, don't move, I'm still not ready yet,

And yet it's time to own my own heart.

I'm not prepared,

But let it start.

- "Today is the First Day of the Rest of My Life" ( From Starting Here, Starting Now)

...And so it begins. My senior year. It's hard to believe I've actually survived over twelve years of classroom life with other children who, for the most part, have plagued my days with sorrow and bitterness. But thankfully, college is approaching and I can finally get my ass outta here for good.

I have some colleges picked out (and no, I'm not an idiot for applying out of state): Western Kentucky University, University of Evansville, Florida State University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Northern Kentucky University, and University of Louisville (I ended up deciding against UMich). I'm very excited about auditioning, but I'm also a little nervous (which is totally normal). I'm taking the ACT Plus Writing September 12 and I'm also a little nervous about that (I need that high ACT score!!).

This year is going to be very different for me: New friends, new places, and new experiences. That's the main focus of my writing in this blog; I want to remember them all.