Lou

  James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt were coming to Columbia for a concert.  I had to go.  I knew Bonnie's music, but JT's was music that I grew up with.  "Fire and Rain" meant a lot to me as a teenager.  I identified with the lyrics.  When they announced his backup band, I got very excited.  Blue Lou Marini on sax.  He played in the original Saturday Night Live band, and he was the sax player for The Blues Brothers.  He was also in the two movies.  I had to go.

 I took the bus downtown to walk to the show.  There were several fans walking through the State House grounds toward the Arena.  When I entered the building, I went to the t-shirt table and saw one for Blue Lou.  Unfortunately, it cost more than I had.  I thought I would just buy it online later.  I never saw it online.  My seat was where I liked to sit.  Behind the soundboard and looking right at the stage.  Getting the full experience of the show without paying for the floor.

 Bonnie Raitt came on first.  She rocked her set, and folks were dancing at their seats (like me).  I was glad that they had an intermission, because my hands were sore from clapping.  Then, James Taylor took the stage as did Blue Lou.  What a thrill!  James played almost all his hits.  The show closed with "You've Got a Friend".  I cried.  That song meant the world to me.  You see?  I had very few friends growing up, until I joined Kilbourne Park Baptist Church.  Those kids were my world.  I finally had a group of friends who cared about me.  Those lyrics.  Those friends.  Everything.  

 Since the bus didn't run late at night, I had to take a cab home.  It was expensive but worth it.  I have tried to get the bus to run later into the evening, as I have noted before.  It was a great show, tears and all.