Now it starts getting windier (prolly not a word haha) and I guess Amanda just knows the weather better than we do, or we're all in denial or something. How could this happen tonight? So after Colleen she mentions `Now, I don't want to do this, I haven't done it in a while. I don't want to say what might happen and make it happen! But, jeez Calgary, you know, they might have to pull me off stage. And I just want you know, right now, I really don't wanna go.' She smiled and everyone's like, what are you talking about? What clouds? Nah, it's not going to rain. So then, I couldn't believe it when I heard it, but the drums for Trust Me (this is love) came in. Holy crap! Amanda never does that song live!!! WOW!!! I was so excited. If she threw this in…imagine what other surprises she might do?? So it was so awesome. Did we all start waving our hands in the air? I can't remember. Who exactly am I asking this question haha. So, I have to say, right now, you know that feeling when you feel like everyone in the audience is all of the sudden `connected' or something stupid like that. You know, the really good concerts where everyone's just on the same level. So anywho, the wind gets progressively worse. Amanda begins smiling `I look at this mountain. So many heartaches wide..' as you know this is all a matter of seconds but I'm just stretching it out haha, so we sadly see, but it's like we don't care either at the same time, a couple of techies begin running around on the ground with tarps. UH OH!! Not cool. Whatever, she's singing Trust Me, right? :) So Amanda's watching them and she's smiling and looking up at the sky and at all of us singing along and she's like `I can't help but wonder..' and all of the sudden she loses it and goes `HA!!!' right in the middle of the song! She backed away from the mic and came back and kept laughing hahahahah!! It was probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen her do, just cause she's such a profesional and I've always wanted to see her laugh in the middle of a song..or even better..well you know…so she came back to the mic and kept laughing. I thought it was so hilarious!! And then she tries `where's the otherrrr side' but she laughed through the whole thing. Too funny..like `wh-haha-ers haha thee hehehe ot haha her sideehahahaha' well that was bad but hopefully you get the point. :) The music keeps going and her band is laughing and wondering what the heck will happen so Amanda is like `Stop!!!!!'. Hahaha. `Stop! Stop stop stop stop the song' hahaha it was really funny. So she's waving her arms around at the band, and finally they stop. Wooah! So she picks up the mic, and continues on about cursing things by talking about them before they might happen. She's like ` Calgary, you know what's coming, right??' hahaha! Everyone cheers. Bring on the rain! `You know it's coming right? Just making sure. Now, I want to say, they are going to make me come off stage' everyone started booing, really sad to hear that:( `But again, I want you to know, I don't wanna come off. I don't wanna come off. Now I havent done this in a while..but' then, I couldn't believe this happened, I mean, it was perfect but I have been dying to hear this song live in concert cause I only heard it once back in 2000 and heck I don't remember that haha. I don't even know if she did it like this? So anyway, the guys are running around trying to find tarps. Amanda steps infront of the mic, it's getting pretty windy, and a couple of drops start to fall, there's lightning off in the distace. And she sang this, and I can't believe she did:) Y'all know what I'm talking about `I can't stand the rainnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!' acapella! No instruments behind her! Woah baby! Haha `against my window. Brining back sweet memories. I can't stand the rainnnnn. Againt my window. Cause he ain't hearing me'. And then steps back and says `Play the song.' There's a little pause cause I think her band was confused haha, but Stu was infront of the drums and begins Let It Rain. Then the crowd erupted of course:) Wow! I knew this was going to be one special Let It Rain. And I know I'll always think of this whenever I hear this song:) Has a new special meaning now, sniff. Where's the tissue. Just kidding of course. It was incredibly windy by now, and Amanda's hair is flying allover the place ahahaha. The rain starts coming down, and it's hard. It just starts pouring down everyone's face.
So anyway she was giving it her all, but I think the crowd was actually louder than her, with all of us singing along. And she doesn't do it too often, but for one of the parts she's like `This is your part'. I remember we sang this section cause she was trying to help us out haha it went `Let it rain, oh let it rain. Let it rain, on me'. It was so cool, the guitars stopped and it was just the drums helping us out so we could really be heard. The rain had drenched about half of the stage by now haha and the tech guys were scrambling trying to get the tarps secured and everything, it was pretty funny. Watching them kind of pack up as Amanda and her band tried to keep playing was really sad, but at the same time no one really seemed to care. Really cool. Amanda and her band kept playing, and made it to almost the end of the song, when her band was, I guess, `ordered' off the stage `There's a lot of technical electrical sorta stuff' Amanda had said earlier hahaha. So now it was just Amanda and us really playing the song as her band slowly filtered off the stage..she told us `Mother Nature, it looks like we gotta let Mother Nature do her thing. But we'll wait it, we'll wait it out.' Etc..I don't really remember what she was saying?? Haha but anyway she put the mic back into the crowd and she mouthed the words as we sang. She put her hands up in the air too haha clapping along with us….aww, it was great.
So we did that for about 3 minutes, just her leading us as we sang Let It Rain. Pretty amazing stuff. And then, she had to go. At about this time, we were being pelted with rain so hard, it was crazy. So everyone around me was like `move as a group! Let's get out of here!' and sadly, as we all looked up at the sky to see if it showed any sign of letting up, and really, honestly, it didn't look like it. And I mean, man, we were WET. Haha I can't really remember the last time I was as wet as that. And I mean, who thinks to bring a jacket? Only responsible, mature people do that. Haha. So of course no one I saw had one. Hehe. So we all start making a beeline out of the concert area, and Krissy, Roxanne, Elliot and I all huddled in front row. Elliot started complaning he really wanted to go home as everyone was shuffling out of there, and I thought for sure that it wouldn't let up and Amanda wouldn't actually come back out! Haha that's nuts. So I called my parents on the cell again, Elliot met them, and they went home, Krissy and Roxanne seemed to think it might let up a bit so of course I stuck around. By this time you were so wet it was pretty impossible to not get more wet, if ya know what I mean. So we hung off the railing front row and watched the stage sadly:( It's weird how you think it might rain when it's really nice out and you're going to an awesome concert..and then it does. I don't think anyone was really sad though, it was so much fun getting wet after a certain point! Haha. So now the diehard fans were left. There probably about 600 or so. I heard later that a lot of pople went into the Round Up Centre and stayed dry and waited to see if the rain would die down. I guess everyone else just left, and I almost don't blame them haha. The stage and its equipment had now been completely covered by tarps, and 6 or so techs stood around looking at all of us hahah. Some people started singing `Don't let it rain…on us' That was so cool. They were swaying and stuff, that's what concerts should be like haha. Of course there were really annoying people behind us who were singing a nursery rhyme or something about a bucket and a hole in the bucket. I know it sounds weird, but trust me I'm not making it up haha. So a few people from the stampede were taking towels and started wiping down the stage with broom handles or their feet. It was so funny, there was this guy in an all green rain coat outfit with matching pants who was drying with his broom stick and towel haha, people started chanting for him `Go green machine! Go green machine!' hahahahah. He thought it was pretty funny and did a little dance for us. Well, it was entertaining then atleast. After the singing stopped, chants of Aman-da! Aman-da! came around and other stuff. It was cool being really wet (yup I don't get out much haha, j/k). I'm sure if my grandma heard about this she would freak out haha. Grandmas always want to make sure you're dry and well fed, eh hahaha. So anyway, the rain, or the wind, started to die down, and the stage wasn't being hit as much. The techs were all looking up at the stage, someone got out their cellphone and called someone else..the wiping down continued…and holy crap, a tech brought out the rhythym guitarist's board. WOAH BABY!! Of course once we all saw this, we went nuts. SHE WAS COMING BACK!!! Unreal! The tech who I talked to before the show for a bit saw me in the front and gave me a big smile haha. We all must have looked pretty pathetic/funny all soaked wet and singing Amanda's songs. So, um yeah. The saga of the Beanie continues. Another tech takes down Rob's board and takes the tarp off of it. I guess I forgot to tell you it kinda landed on his board and he read the tag and laughed. So the tech sees the Beanie, smiles, and takes his towel to wipe it off. I guess it had germs or something? Haha then he wrapped it in a towel, and everyone in the audience sees he's got this beanie baby in his arms. They all start cheering and he looks up, sees it's cause of him and his new friend haha, he smiles and starts rocking the bear like a baby. Haha a spotlight comes on..it was great. I'm like, that's our beanie! Haha he then walked off the stage..I began hoping maybe he would give it to Amanda. Haha. So, the setting back up continued! We were still all wet and singing and wondering what the heck amanda would do for us. So, a half hour wait in total, and we see the band members come out. Rebeca came first and grabbed a mike, was doing something up on stage haha I'm not sure what, then everyone else came and the two backup singers started singing `indian summer..indian summer' we were both kinda upset, just the encore? awww:( but neverthelss, a red and white umbrella appeared at the right where the stairs led up to the stage, and there was amanda! She strode quickly over to the mic smiling and uh oh there wasn't a mic for her! Hahah a techie was running madly behind her trying to catch up and he lept and placed her mic in its spot, she had already started singing haha so she missed the first bit of `indian' haha. Uh oh haha. Dark Horse was really cool..Everyone was swaying along. She shouted as she was singing `you can't keep us away!' she seemed to really like the crowd, I'm so glad for that:) "Stars are brighter in a Calgary sky". So then, after that was over, she talked to us a bit about the weather I guess? She was more than happy to come back out cause she really didn't want to leave, and made sure to thank her `wonderful crew', as she `wasn't the only hero' there haha. Okay? What about us we're soaked! haha she then said..speaking of my great crew, and jumped over to where one of the techs was standing on the ground, knelt down and whispered in his ear haha..she's like `it's a little secret' or something:) then..everybody's got a story began. Wohoo! That was a lot of fun. I think midway through the song, the tech ran out on stage, opened the white bag he had with him, and out appeared a pink cowboy hat haha, which he gave to amanda to place on her head. Amanda winked at the audience hehe. It's practically a requirement for a musical act to wear one of those at the stampede haha. Maybe that's the REAL reason why she was pulled off the stage, instead of the so-called `rain' haha.
Anyway, then Stuart begain the cool intro to Birmingham. They made this song WAY longer than any versions I've ever heard of it…I think she wanted to extend her stay as long as she could? Which would be very cool if it was true! Haha yeah right..so she introduced Stuart Campton? To the audience and the band started singing `go stuart, go stuart' haha. Okay, now Amanda did this song pretty different from how it was on the voice inside, similar, but a bit of a different approach, she began telling a story about this wife. She had been married for 6 or 7 years (`I'd say' amanda said haha) and they had 1 or 2 kids, and she's had enough. It was cool to kind of hear how Amanda envisioned this song. It's like when you read a book and you can picture the house and what the characters look like haha..so she says, `she's put up with him for too long! You know, he was really nice before they got married, but then everything changed.' So she goes on to say so one night at 4 in the morning, she goes to slip the keys out of his pocket and he almost wakes up, but he doesn't. She tells the whole song like this in between the chorus and verses, along with the covers and stuffJ before she sang anything though, as she's telling her story, `he goes out on the front porch and yells `If I can't have you, nobody can!'
and Amanda starts singing/yelling this line haha and then `so she goes up to him, stares him right in the eye, and says'..then she sings `chill out, what ya yelling for.'….the guitar continues in the background, `I said, chill out, what ya yelling for `why ya have to go and make things so complicated..you're acting like somebody else..' :) then she did a woman's worth by alicia keys,
man! this is one of the many times where your jaw drops open during the concert...
and then she goes `virgil spencer's got a 19 inch Hitachi..' so she told/sang the whole thing like a story.
I know it sounds confusing but it kinda made sense when she was doing haha. She made it really long haha..I almost would have liked it better if she did 2 songs instead of just one long Birmingham, but it was so much fun.
Another thing..kinda funny, I guess Rob was kind of hyper too haha, so when Amanda took her cowboy hat off for a bit, as she 'wasn't able to swing her hair around as much' (or something like that),
she puts it on Rob's mic hehe (she later put it back on)...anyway once when she was walking across the stage Rob started jumping straight up and down into the air spreading his legs doing jumping jacks, Rebecca's giving him these weird looks, like what the heck are you doing, are you ok haha. Amanda sees him, watches him as she walked by laughing and shaking her head, it was pretty funny.
This is my favorite shot I got of her..:)