the.concert.

READ THE PREVIOUS POST BEFORE THIS ONE!

The first note strikes and we go nuts.  We're yelling and cheering as all of the members of Celtic Thunder saunter onto the stage.  They open their mouths and the most beautiful sounds come out.

George, Ryan, Daniel, Neil, Emmett, and Keith! Sigh.

They sing together, such favorites from their Heritage album that came out last March.  Keith serenades us with his lovely 'The Dutchman' that he helped write.  Ryan comes out and sings 'Desperado' and Billy Joel's 'She's Got a Way' and my mom's favorite, 'Black is the Color'.  Neil melts our hearts with his stunning original 'Noreen', and I have to put Ashley back together, she just melted. George wows the audience with his 'Red Rose Cafe' and other songs that I've not heard before. 

Since the lights on stage are so bright, the light filters out a bit and you can see the first couple rows in the orchestra pit.  Did I mention that we're seated THERE? Second row middle.  We caught the eyes of the guys singing on stage.  George smiles and winks a couple times, Ryan smirks at us, we catch Keith's eye several times.  We would make them smile as we are being the most obnoxious guests imaginable, we sang along with all the songs we knew and screamed so loudly the woman in front of us had to keep turning down her hearing aid!

Keith and Neil come out with their red guitars and do the most awesome rendition of 'Whiskey in the Jar' I have ever heard.  They run back and forth on stage and the crowd goes CRAZY.  Mind you, I am usually the FIRST one to cheer and scream. 

 At the very end of the song, Keith looks AT ME and throws his pick to ME.  I caught it and jumped up and down as the rest of the audience cheered for me!

They sang more songs like 'A Place in the Choir' and 'I Got Friends in Low Places' and 'You've Got a Friend in Me'.  George came out and played '500 Miles' and got the whole house involved with singing the chorus.  Emmett is more classically trained and can sing like an angel, complete with the vibrato of an angel! Little Daniel just joined the group earlier this year and is only 13 years old.  He has a high voice, so beautiful and pure.  He brought tears with his version of 'Over the Rainbow'. Gorgeous.

They are fantastic entertainers! Wholesome, uplifting music and we had a total ball.  I think we were very obnoxious though.  But it's good to be obnoxious when you are having fun! We'd giggle for their very cheesy choreography, laugh when they'd spit, cheer when they would belt out high notes and even cheer when Keith LOSES it and can't sing his song because he's LAUGHING too hard. 

The ended with 'Ireland's Call' and came out in their kilts. I forgot to breathe during a few parts, I was holding my breath.  I was waiting for the cheesy choreography and for the parts of the song they 'twirl' round in their kilts.  It was better than I ever dreamed.  Their voices blended and gave me goosebumps from my toes to my eyebrows.  Absolutely perfect.

The roar of the crowd obviously pleased them, they laughed and smiled as we jumped and screamed.  They bowed and Keith did his heel clicking bit, he does at the end of every show now.  It was simply fantastic.

But that was absolutely NOTHING compared to what we encountered after the show! Stay tuned...