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Saturday, May 12, 2012

Priceless Switchfoot Memories

Attending the May 11 Switchfoot concert in Chattanooga will be a memory Matthew will remember for a long time. Going in I had several concerns, but in the end it turned out to be a great evening.


M had wanted to go to the Tuesday Switchfoot concert in Athens. That concert started earlier, though it was cheaper. Getting there would’ve been problematic, and I really didn’t need to leave early. Ceil had left for Paris earlier that day, Will’s baseball banquet was that evening, and M had school the next morning. So Tuesday was out.

I wasn’t so sure about Friday, either. The concert didn’t start until nine. Tickets were more expensive. Will was tied up with MC’s graduation festivities, so Anna would have to stay home alone. She said she didn’t mind, and I rented her two movies. She had her prom, and Will has his Florida trip. So I took Matthew.

Left work a little before five, scampered home, changed, and Matthew and I drove off at 5:41. Just getting to the interstate took forever, but after that rush hour traffic wasn’t too bad. After a quick Taco Bell run in Dalton, we were parking at the Chattanooga Choo Choo parking deck before 7:45.

At Track 29 the doors opened at eight, and the que ahead of us wasn’t too long. M spotted his small group leader ahead of us, and went up for a quick chat. The rustic venue billed itself as an equal to Atlanta’s Tabernacle, but to me it was a far cry. It did provide a sufficient concert space. We walked up and took our place near the middle of the stage, about twenty feet from the stage. Not bad.

The Rocket Summer, the warmup band took the stage at 8:38. They were ok. After a short break to set up the stage, Switchfoot strode on stage just over an hour later. In the small venue, Switchfoot put on a better show than in the larger park in Marietta. Matthew wanted me to take pictures, and I did.

I decided to video a song, and it turned out to be the one that frontman Jon Foreman decided to take a walk through the audience. Incredibly, he walked straight to us. Matthew was able to give Jon a quick hug as he walked past. I didn’t think the evening could get more memorable. Little did I know, the memories had only just begun.

After a two song encore, the concert ended shortly after eleven. The crowd dispersed, and it was good to get outside into the cool night air. Matthew knew that Switchfoot often hung around and performed impromteau after concerts for devoted fans. Like us, there were several that stuck around. Weary from standing for over three hours, it was great to sit down…against a fence next to the tour bus. A Track 29 employee said it had been the most well-behaved concert he’s worked.

As lead guitarist Drew Shirley made the short walk from the venue to the bus, Matthew greeted him with outstretched arms and boldly said “give me a hug!” Caught up in the moment, the 28 year old Californian hugged Matthew…then picked him up and swung him around several times. Even more hilariously, as Drew put Matthew down he exclaimed “Sorry…now that was weird!”

Later Drew came back out to sign autographs and talk to the fans. I snapped a couple of pictures of him with Matthew, but they didn’t turn out well in the darkness. Drew said he wasn’t going to pick Matthew up again. Bass player Tim Foreman also came out to talk, and I was able to take flash photos of him with Matthew. Unknown to those gathered, Jon Foreman was taking an un-noticed stroll around the adjacent parking lot, with a hood over his head. The crowd thinned, and I was able to take a better snapshot of matthew and Drew.

When Jon joined the fun, Matthew made a beeline to him. Everyone gathered around him, but Matthew was the first to get his picture taken with him. I felt like it took me forever to snap the picture. Like Drew and Tim, Jon was very gracious with all the fans. All three made it a point to ask each fan their name.

After a short while Jon retreated to the bus, but quickly returned with his guitar. He walked through the gate, took a right, and strode purposely to the adjacent parking lot. Just as purposefully, Matthew made it a point of walking along right next to him. In the middle of the parking lot he stopped, and the crowd of 75 or so sat around him in a circle. “I’ve never done one of these in the round before” he joked.

With Matthew right at his feet, Jon strummed his guitar and sand several songs. I fiddled with my iPhone a little too much, beause the camera refused to work. I was missing some great shots. I finally figured out I could take pictures using Twitter. But Jon ended the sweet time at 12:35…just as the tour bus cranked up in the background. Matthew was finally ready to go home.

After a long stop through a slow McDonalds drive-through, we made it home just after 2:30 am. Wired, Matthew couldn’t sleep. He had quickly sent out several of the prized photos on social media, and reported a flurry of likes. Quite an evening to remember.

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