Isn't it a Rush - Big Time Rush in Fairfax, VA

Given how my afternoon at work went (standing outside for an hour in the rain during a building evacuation), I was unsure how my evening out with Jacob at Big Time Rush would go.  There was a while where I didn't think it would go at all.  It was still raining when we got to the car, the noise of the raindrops was muted by the pleas of my eight year old, begging to know if we were at the Patriot Center yet every three minutes.  Mercifully, we arrived in 35 minutes, so I only heard it ten times.  If he had one more minute, I'm convinced...

After we were patted down - what is an eight year old going to carry into a show, a DS or something - we found our seats, so high up, Jacob initially sat on the floor in front of his chair for fear of falling.  Once coaxed into his seat, he waited somewhat patiently for the band when Jackson Guthy took the stage.  He thought he'd been duped - "Who's that and where is Carlos?"  I took for granted that he understood the concept of opening acts.  Once explained - "That sucks.  I have to wait longer for Big Time Rush??? - he asked me if I knew who the second act was.

When I said One Direction, he asked me what they sang.  I drew a blank.  I vaguely knew they were British and my best friend's daughter was posting her dismay at not getting to be at the show to see them all over her Facebook page.  As I began to email her pictures from the show, I could vaguely make out her screams from twenty miles away.  As their intro film and backing tracks started to play, it started to click for me who exactly they were and that theirs was that infectious ditty that is on Sirius all the time.  I could do this.  Jacob made this same connection and was very excited.  Then we both looked at each when we realized every girl in the arena was screaming.  The teenaged scream of the female of species is high pitched on its own.  Multiple that by 4000 and it had my eight year old curling up in the fetal position on his chair.

I rubbed his back and he started to get a little more accustomed to the volume and mellowed.  I realized this tonight was the missing piece on my concert going resume - the boy band show.  I had been a fan of pop boy bands forever - NKOTB, BSB, N'SYNC - and that this show on Nickelodeon that clicked with my eight year old son is completely embraced by 13-17 Abercrombie and Fitch set.  When the BTR count down clock started, I don't think my son would have left his seat if the fire alarm was going off - he was that excited.

BTR's set was phenomenal.  They are incredibly talented guys with a ton of charisma, some great production values, and they can sing.  It was more than I thought it could be.  I have been going to shows for over 25 years.  There are a bunch of young guys at the beginning of their career and completely marketed to children.  I didn't think they would be able to engage me like they did.  And my son had the time of his life.

Time to started get the coins out of the seat cushions... they are coming back this summer.  I really hope I can take him again.  We really had a fantastic time together.