MOG

Jonny took the stage wearing a blue button up western style shirt and jeans. the rainbow colored lights we all expect at a concert flashed furiously as he walked towards the crowd,guitar in hand.the surge of excitement in the crowd went into overdrive. with eyes closed,he played searing licks that went straight to my soul.as he grabbed the mike and began singing, the amps went into overdrive and i felt the music. literally. the whole place shook as Jonny and the band became one in rythym and rhyme. the back up vocalist was amazing ,and during his pure, hymn -like solo,my first thought was that i cant wait for this guy to get discovered.he, like Jonny, clearly has an old soul and sang like a man many,many years older than he actually is.the songs sung ran the gammut from all albums.some,like"Dont stop" and "Bump in the Road" got the crowd rockin with the heavy bass and intense guitar.we were all dancing,even the 50 and 60year olds.im not just talking be-bopping either.they were dancing like they were at Woodstock tripping on acid all over again. it was great. to feel like a unit,like you belong to something is awesome.the uniting power of music is a wonderous thing. other songs like"Red Light" gave everyone a chance to sing along and connect with Jonny and the band. i, on the other hand could not stop crying.the song has always meant so much to me to see it live is a bit overwhelming.this intense energy continued for an hour and a half or so.Jonny and his band said goodnight and took the obligatory three minute break before taking the stage one more time.an acoustic version of "Lie To Me" was up. most of the crowd was spent, but we all joined in singing.at least we tried.the arrangement was great, but it was almost like they did it to mess with the crowd,like a private joke that they would all laugh about on the bus later.they finished the song ,took a group bow,and exited for the last time.the house lights hit me like a devastating punch back into reality.when those lights are out, a person can be who they want,act how they want, feel how they want.when they come on again,a reality of unreality comes back into focus.i exited the ballroom, promised my new concert buddy that i had met that i would send my pictures to her,and bid her goodbye.i climbed into the car,totally spent ,and started my journey home. i will never forget the show,and i will certainly not hesitate to see Jonny Lang again when his non-descript tour bus rolls near my town.neither should you.