...go straight to the pictures...

It's been two weeks now that I had the chance again to see Jono & The Rock perform live. I'm still stunned ;-)
I decided that this time I will try to give you just a quick report of the concert - I won't bore you again with all my other adventures except for a few pointers LOL. Let's see how that will turn out...

Since the end of September, I live in Orlando, FL (until next March/April), so I thought "hey, that's already half the way to Portland !" (um, actually the concert was in Vancouver, WA which is right across from Portland) - little did I know... I realized the extent of my craziness on the way back in the plane from Chicago to Orlando: Within 2 days I crossed a whole continent, spent 14 hours in the air and had about 8 hours of sleep - on Saturday, the day of the concert, I was awake for 24 hours straight! (That explains why I look the way I do in the last picture posing with Jonathan and Richard...btw) Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Every concert of Jono & The Rock is worth coming but those family gatherings in Portland/Vancouver are even more special. Like this time.

This concert wasn't so much about Jono & The Rock but rather about their dad, Rick Jackson. This concert - A Concert From The Heart - was a journey through Rick's life and his musical and spiritual influences - so he did a lot of songs that meant something to him at any point in life. I have to admit I didn't know most of the songs but it was just absolutely amazingly beautiful!

A word about the pictures. The first few (you'll know which ones) were taken with a film that had been exposed to x-rays at the LA Airport (from my trip to the Whisky concert...), and therefore, have now white stripes in them...sorry 'bout that. Also, I got a new fancy flash for my birthday a few weeks ago and, of course, had to try it (it has a longer reach...even though I was sitting in the fourth row). You'll sometimes see a blur or more darkness - that's me showing my inability to hold the now way heavier camera...but all in all, I think, the photos turned out great. Especially when the light effects put Jonathan in such really good settings! :-) (LOVED the blue and pink lights!!!!) That's why I left some of the blurrier ones in the selection, hope you don't mind *g*

For anyone wondering why I only have pictures from the concert itself and not from afterwards...well, for some reason I didn't take any. Don't know why. I just didn't make it near enough to the table where everyone was sitting and I was also busy talking to other Jonathan fans. Which was very entertaining... :-) Plus, the last picture does not only reflect my health state at that moment (dead tired, wired, happy, etc.) but also clearly shows what a 2-hour-plus event can do to your flash's battery... LOL - it was empty. I'm still amazed that the last one showed anything at all...

The concert began with Jeanine introducing her husband of 27 years - you could just feel her love and happiness pouring out of her, a bundle of joy. I almost cried. Rick came on stage with a group of musicians - and introduced each song with the accompanying story in his life. At one point he asked us to relax, sit back and close our eyes, and just listen to the lyrics - I enjoyed his part of the concert mostly in that state - relaxed and enjoying myself. It was just beautiful to jump out of the reality of hectic life for a few hours.

I already told you that I don't remember many of his songs since I didn't know them anyway. But I do remember a few: he did Sleep Tight (which is on THIS I KNOW), I hope you dance (the Lee Ann Womack song Jonathan and Candice did two years ago in Portland), Grace (which was incredibly beautiful - even more than the others LOL), and a song about 9-11 which almost made me cry again. It was really wonderful.

After the break, Jono & The Rock took over stage. They were pure power and fun!!! They started off with Suddenly Naked - I absolutely adore this song!!!! It's one of my most favorite songs of their current album (they're all great but 2 stick out for me...the other is Need) - and live it's just amazing! They kinda dissolved this song into This Day and you could hear U2 all over the place :-)

For the next song, Jonathan told us that he had written it for a befriended couple last year at the Gospel Hour. It's Glory from Glory Come Undone. It sounded even more powerful than last year. The next song he played was among my favorites from the Hope Concert: I am my Beloved. Thank you!!! I was so happy to hear that one live again!!!! Since the setting at the Washington School of the Deaf was way more intimate than at the Hope Concert, the feel for the songs came by far easier. Everyone had a really good time and some were even dancing in the back!

Then he was waiting for his dad to join him on stage - whoa! It's always so amazing to see father and son playing together! I always find myself picturing little 9 year old Jonathan with his dad :-) I'm not sure about the titles of the last two songs of the Jono & The Rock set, but I gave them names anyway LOL. Rick was singing alone with Jono & The Rock as his band and "I'm addicted to God's Love" sounded totally great!!! But the next one really blew away! They absolutely ROCKED THE HOUSE!!! It was so much fun and you couldn't keep sitting still even if you tried ;-) - both Jon and Rick were singing "My Hope is in You" and whoa, I'm still stunned. That was such a great song!!!

After some reshuffling on stage, Rick's band came back and Rick did some more songs. I took his advice to sit back and relax (though I had to be careful that I wouldn't fall asleep...lol). For the last song of the evening, everyone came back onstage again singing and closed the beautiful evening! Then Jeanine thanked everyone for coming and helping out.

Both bands did an autograph and picture session in the hallway and believe me this time it was really really crowded, not like last time at the Hope concert...anyway. I was waiting for everyone to get their autograph and picture since I only wanted to give Jonathan some German On the Edge flyers and Richard a small wedding gift. And of course, a picture with both. Oh wait, there was one thing I did though: Since Katharina couldn't be here and since it was her birthday a week later, I had a birthday card prepared that everyone signed...so Katharina now has a birthday card signed by Jonathan, Richard, Rick, Jeanine, Maria (their webmistress), Michelle (my Portland angel) and Norma (our co-concert-goer)!!! Very cool. :-)

OK, the end of my report...mhm, am I missing something? I don't know. But one last thing: I LOVED Brandy's (Richard's fiancée) t-shirt!!!! It said I Love The Rock !!!! How cute is that? ;-)

Now enjoy the pictures :-) !!!   :: Click pictures to enlarge ::

			The End

all pictures were taken by me - please ask for permission before you take them. thanks.