Crazy Convos, part III: $550.00?

I like talking to my little sister Kentucky. She cracks me up.

It wasn't always that way. She's 11 years younger than me. I notice young people have a one track mind. And if you're not on that track, THEIR track, then something is wrong with you. And I know, nothing is wrong with me.

She's about to turn 30, and she understands that big sister knows a little something about life. So over the past couple years we can have good meaningful talks.

And funny ones, too...

She called me up this past week, giving me the goings-ons in the family. (I'm like a UFO when it comes to family. Kentucky is the family diplomat). Then she got over into some of her activities. I was laid out across the bed, enjoying the whir of the ceiling fan, and listening to her chat on about things.

Then she started talking about one of my favorite sangers.

"Lisa, Sade is coming to town."
"Really?"
"Yeah. She's going to be down at the Phillips Arena."

I love some Sade.

Every since I first heard her in high school, some 26 or 27 years ago...

Can't believe she's been around that long.

Some of her songs... "Sweetest Taboo", "Is it a Crime", "Cherish the Day"... they still make me feel some kind of way when I hear them, all these years later.

And I know every word to at least 10 songs!

"You going?" I asked my sister.
"No."
"Why?"
"Tickets are sixty-eight dollars."
"That's a lot, girl," I said. "And you were only 3 or 4 years old when she came out. I was in high school. You don't remember her like I do."
"That's the nosebleed section."
"Really?"
"The good seats are going for $550.00."
I sat straight up in bed. "What??"
"They're $550.00, Lisa."
"Five-hundred and fifty dollars??!?!?!"

I made so much commotion that Oscar-Tyrone woke up from his nap and left the room.


"Man," I hollered, my voice an octave higher than usual. (This is always the case when I am excited or agitated. "Ain't no way I'd pay that much to see her."

"Me neither," my sister said.

We went on and on about this.

"Well," I said. "She can charge that much. Afterall, she is Sade. I can only remember her stopping through the ATL one or two other times."

Unh-unh," my sister mumbled. "That's too high."

"Who's opening for her?"
"John Legend."


*LadyLee launches into a very loud off-key version of Ordinary People*

"We just ordinary peeeeoppple! Man, I don't wanna see that dude. That's the only song by him that I know. And if I'ma pay $550.00 for a ticket, then I wanna sit UP on the piano bench with the dude and I wanna sang the song with him."

*LadyLee continues to sing Ordinary People*

"I wouldn't pay that much, still," Kentucky said.

"I would pay that much. Yep," I said. "Only if I get to be front row center, and they got that little space right up front cleared up for me, so I can dance, dance, dance as she sings. And she better come out on that stage giving me shout outs!"

"No, still too much," my sister said.

"I'd pay it. She have to sing ALL my favorite songs. I don't wanna hear nothing from those last couple of albums. I wanna hear everything off the greatest hits and the first couple albums. "she better walk out on stage shouting me out on every song!"

Kentucky laughed. "Well you get a gift bag, Lisa."
"A gift bag? What it got in it?"
"You get a Sade T-shirt, and some other stuff."
"A Sade t-shirt? What???! I better get a Sade dress. And some Sade sandals."

LOL!!

"Well, it's a nice bag."
"Whatever," I said. "Let me tell you something, Kentucky. She better come out on stage singing and put my name in the song. In every song.

I particularly love "Is it a Crime." That is one of my top five favorite songs.



And Sade better sing the long thirty minute version and she better be shouting me out the whole time.

"Is it a crime, LadyLee!!?" Sade hollers in her thick british accent.
"No it's not, Sade!" I yell back. "Ain't no crime to love that man the way you do, Oldgirl! I've loved a man that hard too! You not alone, honey! It's not a crime!! "

Ha. Ha. For $550, me and Sade will be conversing through EVERY song!

"Well," I finally said to my sister. "That's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"I'm not going."

My sister... shes a cheapskate.

LOL

"I play Sade during the kid's naptime," my sister added. "I play the Jezebel song. They can sing that song, every word. On key."

O_O

Hard to imagine a bunch of 4-year-olds singing "Jezzzzeeeeebel! Was born with a silver spoon in her mouth!!!!

Wow.

I talked to my best friend LadyTee later that night. Told her about the tickets.



"Ain't no way," LadyTee said.
"I know that's right, girl. And Kentucky said the nosebleed tickets are $68.00."
"Still." LadyTee said.
"That's too much to not be able to see her."

"Man," LadyTee said. "You gotta give up later that night if a man take you to that concert."
"Sure do."
"I mean, LadyTee continued. "You can't even get out of that one. You HAVE to get busy."

Yes for $550.00.... you know what it is. lol

"I ain't worried about it," LadyTee said. "Ninjas gonna have the cellphones. It'll be up on youtube."
"Aint't the same, girl."
"Whatever. I'll catch it on youtube."

I guess I'll catch it on youtube, too. That, and listen to the greatest hits at home. Close my eyes and pretend Sade is right there.

You the man, Sade! But not for $550.00!!!

I remember when tickets were no more than 20 dollars. I paid that much for the fresh fest and Beastie Boys. MC Hammer, Jodeci and Boyz II Men cost me $30 bucks 20 years ago. And I was HOT behind that because I took a 3 year old Kari and a 10 year old Kentucky with me. I was hot about $90 tickets.

I guess times have changed.

But Sade doesn't have the highest ticket prices.

The highest I've heard about is Elton John out in Vegas. $1200.00.

*blank stare*

For that much, I better be sitting UP on stage at the piano bench with him... and he better only sing the songs I know... for six hours straight.

Like that "Benny and the Jets"!



(Elton John on Soul Train! And look at blogger Chele behind him in the brown skirt dancing down. LOL. Worse soul train dancing I've ever seen!! You can't get down to that song!)

Interesting.

For $1200, he'll have to change the Lyrics to "LadyLee and the Jets!"

Shoot, man... he'll have to change it waaaay up to "LadyLee and the Chickens".

Something.

$500. $1200. Hey, you do you. If it's your favorite sanger, I suppose you will pay any price. Knock yourself out.

But not your girl. Not LadyLee.

No way.

Not when I have the CD, and access to itunes.

*LadyLee putting on her headphones and turning the music way up*

I got my imagination, honey.

And that's all I need.

Really though.

Ya'll have a good Wednesday... on purpose!