Andrea Hylen

Tricia Kramer, L.Ac.
Acupuncture Body+Mind+Spirit
National Board Certified
Baltimore, MD 21208
and
Media, PA 19063
by appointment
410-484-2020
www.acufinder.com

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Concert 9- Provo, Utah, Stadium of Fire!

Happy 4th of July 2009!

Here is the story of The Stadium of Fire, the Jonas Brothers and the Fourth of July 2009!

The tickets went on sale in March 2009. These were the first tickets announced for the summer Jonas Brothers concert tour. The announcement caught my eye for several reasons:

1. The Jonas Brothers
2. 4th of July
3. Utah (we are planning on moving from Baltimore to California.)

With all of the real estate traffic through the house, I thought it would sell quickly and we would be moving to the west coast. Even without going on a Jonas tour, it felt like it would make sense to plan a west coast 4th of July. Hannah was hesitant to purchase the tickets because we couldn’t find any good seats. We went back and forth talking about this for months.

A few days ago, we finally decided to go to Utah, skip the Edmonton concert on July 2 and Winnipeg on July 5 and take our chances with tickets.

We found tickets the day before the concert and both of us love, love, loved our locations in the stadium. Hannah was a couple of rows from the edge of the catwalk. I had a front row seat to all of the festivities on the field, section 34B. If I was watching a football game, it was probably the 50 yard line, first row, behind the coach. It was great to see all of the pageantry. People dressed in time period costumes that coordinated with a flag from that era, like the Civil War. A variety of kids with flags and fire batons entertained with enthusiasm and smiles.

I was reading the event program before everything started and I saw that the event was going to be broadcast via satellite to thousands of military bases around the world. Tears sprang to my eyes. I felt the magnitude of this all evening. With each wave of entertainment, music, prayers and finally the fireworks, I could feel the power of this. A stadium filled with people who were sharing the evening with military personnel all over the planet. We are all One.

I sat with two teenage girls who are cousins and on the other side, a mother with a pre-teen and a toddler. Each of us with our own story of how we arrived here. One of the cousins decided to attend this event at the last minute. She had the better seat and the two girls were trying to figure out how to sit together during the evening. Our seating was benches with backs and I told them that we could all squish in together. They giggled and made fun of things throughout the evening. Only once, as we practiced the Star Spangled Banner with one of the Osmond sons leading us, did I say anything “parental” to the girls. They made up words and were laughing throughout the whole song. I gently shared with them that the reason we were practicing was because this would be transmitted to military locations all over the world. We would be sharing the evening with people who are fighting for and protecting our freedom. I could see that they felt the impact of that and I also felt their respect for the military during the singing later that evening. They were really nice girls and I knew that they weren’t meaning to be disrespectful.

Our host for the evening was Glenn Beck, a radio show host on the FOX network. I really appreciated how he created an atmosphere for everyone, including me, a tree hugging, liberal. He talked about how it was time for each of us to focus on our similarities and to come together as a country. Amen, brother. I believe that when each of us finds peace inside, it will create peace on the outside.

SheDaisy was the opening band. I had never heard of them. I enjoyed the music but I am not sure which songs they sang. I searched for them on YouTube today and found a variety of songs, included, “What This Woman Needs.” I really like this song.

Then, the Jonas Brothers came on the stage. Woo Hoo! I missed these guys. It had been four days since I had been at a concert and I was ready. I danced and sang and jumped up and down for the all of the songs, as usual. I had fun with the pre-teen, Mom and toddler on the other side of my seat. The toddler kept holding her arms up to me. When the boys sang Play My Music from Camp Rock, I picked her up, sang to her, danced and twirled and dipped her. It was a blast!

As soon as the set was over, the Fireworks began! Whoa, baby! Last year, I was on a hilltop with all of the fireworks far away. This year, I was right under the fireworks. They were ca-razy close. The woman next to me got a hot ember in her ear and there was a glowing chunk that landed at my feet. I loved it and it was a little freaky at the same time. I was careful to guard my eyes. We all had pieces of fireworks on our body.

I have to say this was the coolest fireworks I have ever been to for several reasons:

1. The satellite and feeling the connection to people all over the world.
2. The Jonas Brothers
3. Long, amazing show
4. A choir that sang patriotic songs during the fireworks.

Next to the Jonas Brothers, my favorite songs to sing in a crowd are songs about loving this country. I always feel a connection to the whole world when I sing these songs. I have to do a separate blog on the patriotic music because this is getting so long and I have much more to share!

After the Jonas Brothers the sequence of events were fireworks and a few recorded songs, “Don’t Stop Believing” and “Defying Gravity” were two.

Next came a Flag Retirement Ceremony. I wish I had the specifics but it was something like this. The flag had been used for 7 or 8 years. It was torn and needed to be retired. There were about twenty to thirty people who carried the flag onto the field and it was placed in a huge incinerator and burned. When the burning began, a huge blast of fire shot up a wire framed torch. It took my breath away, it was so powerful.

And then, a Patriotic Pyrotechnic finale with amazing patriotic songs.

These are my favorite moments in the concerts. It is when I feel the connection to everyone. Imagine being in a stadium where the majority of the people are sending love, commitment, honoring and respect throughout the world. Imagine how we could shift things on the planet if we all joined together and sent forth this kind of love. How would things change?