The Concert

The Concert The Third Day concert in April 2012 brought a sold out crowd of over 3000 people to Joplin’s Memorial Hall. When the ushers finally opened the doors people were lined up down the street. People flooded into the lobby where the band’s merchandise was being sold. The merchandise was set out on eight tables that were arranged in a U-shape against the entire back wall. The wall behind the tables was lined with t-shirts and hats. Half of the people were buying merchandise, and those who weren’t were at one of the two concession stands that were at either end of the lobby.
The lobby smelled like an outdoor barbeque from the hamburgers that were being cooked on the grill. Music was playing softly, but all the people talking made it hard to hear. Slowly, people funneled into the auditorium to find their seats. The auditorium was huge. It had a lower level and a balcony. The center of the auditorium was full of seating for the VIP’s. The auditorium was about three quarters full when the band started. The lights went dim and the stage filled with smoke. You could hear the beat from the drums, but you could not see the drummer.
The guitarist started playing. It was so loud it shook the walls. When the lead singer started singing, the crowd went nuts. They were yelling and chanting his name,” Mac, Mac, Mac. ” Finally the smoke started to dissipate and the band was on stage dressed in torn jeans and flannel shirts. After the first song, Mac introduced the rest of the band. Each member did a short to showcase their skills. The next three songs were hit songs from their most recent album. The audience showed their approval into by waving their hands and singing with the music.

To keep the audience involved in the show, Mac would hold the microphone toward the audience and have them sing the. Suddenly, everything went dark. It was so dark people couldn’t see the person next to them. Then a small light emerged in the middle of the floor. The light grew brighter and brighter. Until it was recognizable as a make-shift camp fire. The music started again softly, and then got louder and louder. The band walked to the camp fire playing acoustic instruments. They stood around the fire playing older songs from their first albums, even playing songs that were never released.
Eventually the band went back on stage and played their last few songs. They thanked the audience for a good night and left the stage. The people started chanting the band’s name over and over, hoping for an encore. The band finally returned to the stage and played one final song. The concert was finally over and everyone tried to leave at the same time. The front lobby was packed tight with people trying to get to the doors. The large number of people in the small building made for a long wait to leave, but ultimately, everyone got outside and was able to continue their evenings.