in the audience of the King...

B.B. King that is. My dad has recently started attending music events and concerts, places he never really frequented before. I began to get a little worried that he might get a chance to see my two favorite musicians before I would...Eric Clapton or B.B. King. So I did what any loving son would do. I threatened him. I made sure he knew how unfair it would be if he saw either of those artists before me and that I would be forced to sock him in the nose if he did! A bit harsh, maybe, but I meant business.

So for Christmas, he either responded out of love or fear and bought us two tickets to see B.B. King here in Charlotte! Either way, I am extremely grateful! He bought himself tickets too for the Richmond show, which luckily for him, falls after the Charlotte show. The show was last night, so Sarah and I arranged for babysitting and were on our way!

We headed downtown to the Belk Theater, which was a fantastically intimate setting for such a show. We made it downtown in time to grab dinner at a brewery down the street and get seated before the concert.

I must say, I was quite surprised at how unhealthy B.B. looked. He shakily walked out on the stage and had a seat in front of his band while a few men helped him get situated with his guitar and microphone. He did look sharp, though, and his voice was strong and clear. All of the thoughts I had about how bad he looked quickly disappeared when he announced his age...82 years old! I knew he was getting older, but I thought he was younger than that! He might be old, but man can he still play! They put on a fantastic show complete with trumpets and saxophones.

My favorite part, though, was when they scaled down to just drums, guitar, bass, and B.B. The rhythm section kept grooving while he told stories about his past 60 years of recording. One of his songs talked about old age and said that every first of the month, the social security check comes. Then the ladies keep calling and he needs to disconnect his line! Like I said before, he may be old, but he can still play, sing, and put on a great show! I hope that when I get to be 82, I can still have that clear of a mind and a shear enjoyment of what I do. He still has about 10 more shows in the next few weeks!

Thanks, Dad, for the tickets! I'm sure you'll enjoy your show next month.