Here is the Buffalo Official Road Reporter review from Josh's Straight To You Tour by etihwwons! Want to enter to win for a chance to be Josh's Official Road Reporter? Get all the contest details HERE.

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The very first thing I want to say, is that this, Friday June 3rd, was a day (or rather a night) of extremes. Extreme highs and extreme lows. Well, not EXTREME lows, but I did very nearly need a hankie at one point. But all the hankie needing stuff will NOT be included in this road report. All the details about that, everything that happened after the concert, and additional, random, explosive details will be put up in some thread, somewhere, on the board. :)

I entered this contest not thinking for one second that I would win. I’ve been a Grobanite for a LONG time, and have entered many a contest, and never won once. So I had no reason to think I would win this contest. In fact, I’d nearly put the whole thing out of my mind. So on Wednesday evening, when a friend of mine, who also went with us to the concert, informed me that I had won, I couldn’t believe it. I turned all different shades of scarlet, and was about ready to just DIE.

And then, I got really, really NERVOUS! Almost terrified. I had no idea of what to expect. Not a clue. And between my feelings of extreme anticipation, excitement, anxiety, and all the stuff we had to try to figure out before leaving for the concert, I was overwhelmed. Totally overwhelmed. My brain was absolutely fritzed. I had been having brain farts all week long anyway, doing really silly, stupid stuff, forgetting things, not thinking straight, all that fun stuff. And then, after Wednesday, it was like, FERGET IT!!!!! I was definitely, totally, completely, JOSHBRAINED! I WAS GONNA MEET JOSH!!!!! (Again.)

Once we got to the venue, I was still feeling FAIRLY calm, considering. Even when I got my passes, and looked at them, and saw that they were, in fact, REAL, and not some kind of sick joke. I’d had a few waves of extreme explosiveness where I felt like an alien was going to pop out of my chest, but for the most part, I was doing really well. But then we got into the line to get into the main part of the arena. We had been given directions to meet with security for our meet and greet at quarter after 7:00. They were letting people into the main part of the arena at 7:00, and we had to go potty REALLY REALLY badly!!! And there was nowhere to do that before the innards of the arena opened (speaking of innards, I really do love the innards of Josh’s nose…so shiny and clean). So we were a little stressed about timing and everything.

To my surprise, we were herded back out where those wristband giving people were, and there was a door on the right, which had been closed when we were out there before, but which had now been miraculously opened for us. I was just a few people back from the lead when we started on this little Trek, and I was thinking to myself that I’d be one of the first ones to go. However, once we were all herded into the stinky little corridor (I actually think it was the strange flooring in this area that produced the odd smell), it turned out that I was one of the very last people in the line, because they brought us all down PAST where Josh would be coming out.

I got out my ticket stub to have him sign, and I had my graphic artwork album all ready to go (with a lovely little blue ribbon and bow on it), and I, along with everyone else, started waiting. And it wasn’t long at all before Josh came out, and stood on his little mark. He looked so cute! His hair all fluffy, GLASSES, adorable shoes, funny little jeans, and a lovely shirt, with, of course, the tour jacket. LOVELY!

I got to watch him interact with other fans who went up to him, and he was so very gracious and kind, and down to earth. I’ve met him before, I know what he’s like in person, but it struck me again, just how unassuming and personable he is. He has this wonderful ability to make you feel like you’re the only one in the crowd, and like what you’re saying and feeling is important to him.

The line went pretty fast, and before I knew it, I was near the front, and my heart started pounding. And then, suddenly, the person in front of me had gone, and I was the next one up, and I nearly yammied. And then, the person who’d gone before me was DONE, and it was my turn! It seems like I hesitated for a moment before walking up. My memories after this are extremely hazy. I got TOTALLY Joshbrained. The same force that took hold of me in Albany, 4 years ago, when I met him, which compelled me quite against my will to, in a gooey tone of voice, say “I love you,” took hold of me again, and made the world hazy for about 40 seconds. I know I had limited eye contact as I walked up to him, I know we said hello, I know he shook my hand (a fact which I didn’t remember until an hour later), but what it felt like to shake his hand, a thing I would normally remember, that’s completely gone. I was standing next to Josh, and I had no idea what to do with myself.

He asked me if I had something for him to sign, and there was like this little high table or something, set up in front of him (but you could go behind it, and stand RIGHT NEXT TO JOSH), and I put my album down on it, and the ticket down on top of that, so he could sign the ticket. I think I said something referring to the ticket, or maybe I just pointed frenetically, but he started signing the ticket. And a couple of times, it seemed like his sharpie was going off the ticket, and onto the album cover, and I remember thinking to myself, “Don’t sharpie the album!” LOL! Of all the things to think! But, it wouldn’t have been seen if he had, ‘cause the album cover was black leather, and his sharpie was black.

So, after he signed the ticket, I said thank you, I pointed to the album, and I said, “And this is for you.” And he looked at it, took it, and said SOMETHING that I was too Joshbrained to remember, and then he asked: “What is it?” And I actually managed to say, “It’s an album of graphic artwork.” And after a moment’s reflection, he goes, “Stuff you did?” (While looking me in the eye.) And I nodded, or said “yeah” or something. And the man actually started peeking at what was inside!!! He looked at a few of the pages! I was like, “DUDE!!!!!!!!! HE’S LOOKING AT MY STUFF! Right here, right now, with all these people, when he’s so busy, about to go on stage, and HE’S LOOKING AT MY ARTWORK!!!!” And after looking at a few of the pages, he said: “Wow, this looks really great!” And then in this, “I WILL” tone of voice, with emphatic features, he said: “I’ll look at it in the dressing room.” And I mouthed “Thank you!” And he handed it to Darren. And he said “Thank you!” And I said: “Thank you!” (We were very polite, LOL!)

Now, at this point, I was about to die. I had given Josh my graphic artwork album, and he actually looked at some of the pictures, and he promised that he would look at the whole thing a little later. CLOUD 9 EXPERIENCE!!! The last album of graphic artwork I had to give to him, I had for the Closer tour, and for that one, I wound up giving it to Tim to give to Josh (I will forever love Tim, btw), so this was a huge step up. Personally giving Josh something you made, which he inspired you to make, is a feeling beyond all feelings.

I was so totally haboobed from my encounter with Josh, that I TOTALLY forgot all about the fact that he has an opening act, even though I had thought about it before we went into the meet and greet. So when the lights dimmed, I got all excited, and then this dude comes out onto the stage, and I’m squinting at him, like…Okay, you’re not Josh. And then it dawned on me that, HELLO!!! The man (who turned my brain to goo) has an opening act and I fergot all about it!

I won’t spend much time on this guy, except to say, WOW! What an amazing talent! I’ve never heard anyone play the piano like that live, before. He was just absolutely phenomenal, and while the crowd was surprisingly low key when he first came out, the enthusiasm increased a great deal as he kept playing. Josh always has such AWESOME opening acts, I love it! And this guy (whose name I cannot remember right now), was insanely good. And it was cute too, because after he’d done a few bits, he came over to the mic, and he was like: “I know a lot of you guys see these shows multiple times, so I try to change it up a little for you.” I couldn’t help but think, “Aww! Only on the road for a couple of weeks with Josh, and already he seems to know The Way Of The Grobanite.”

The intermission wasn’t really all that long, and then the lights dimmed, the band came out onto the stage, the crowd started cheering, and there was music. I really loved the way they did it. Instrumental for Straight To You, on the violin and horns, and then BOOM, screaming, and suddenly everyone is standing up and looking behind them, because Josh has come out from the back (or the side, or whatever), and is on his way to the stage in the middle.

And then he started Changing Colours. I LOOOOOVE this song on him. I mean, Josh’s originals are to die for, I love them. But any time he takes on a cover, it’s always magic. He steals it completely from whoever did it before him, and it’s HIS, and HIS alone. And this song captures my heart. Something about it. And his voice…This was our 10th time seeing Josh (a lot for a family of four), and I am still blown away every time I see him. I saw him just a few months ago, saw him do that song just a few months ago, and still, his voice just stunned and struck me anew. Every time, it’s like being hit in the head with a hammer…a gooey hammer. I feel like I’m going to die every time I see him live. And when his voice is the shape it was in for this concert, it’s breathtaking and captivating. He puts EVERYTHING into every song. He holds nothing back, but gives it his ALL. And Changing Colours is just one of those songs that pulls you in. It’s like hearing Awake live. Everything slows down, and you feel like he’s singing to JUST you.

Okay, so here are a few highlights from the concert, some of my favorite moments, and favorite songs. Of course, Changing Colours has been covered. That was a definite highlight. Some other highlights were as follows (in no particular order):

One of my favorite songs of the night was Voce. I knew Josh was playing the drums on this song, but I didn’t know he was doing the drums at the BEGINNING. 8-O Oh…my…word!!!!! I LOOOOOVE the drums at the beginning of Voce, and seeing HIM play them, I was woozified beyond woozification. And then, toward the end, when the beat takes on this sort of circular motion, I felt like I was going to fall flat on my face while he was singing during that part. I LOOOOOOVE the beat of the song, it gets me feeling like I want to dance (which I’m too shy to do), but you can tell that he feels the beat too, and while he doesn’t dance, he moves with the beat, and I don’t know! LOL! Just something about that part of the song had me…stupefied.

ALLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Alla is THE song that made me a Grobanite, and it remains one of my very favorites, and I’m sure, a LOT of others love it too. It’s always a trip when he does it live, which he pretty much always does. And it’s such a special feeling to be singing along while he’s singing in a different language! Hah!

One song he did, which I haven’t heard him do live in a LONG time (I don’t even think he did it on the Awake tour), was To Where You Are. This was one of the songs he did on the stage in the back, and I probably would have gotten a lot more out of it, had I not been trying to focus on him with the camera! HAH! One thing I noticed though, was sniffling while he was singing. I don’t know where it came from, but someone (or more than ONE someone) was crying, which isn’t surprising, considering how poignant a song it is. And one thing I remember vividly is that the man sang the song BETTER than he did when it first came out!!!!

Another highlight for me, POSSIBLY my favorite of the night, was War At Home. This is a song that for some reason gets me. The song could be about Daffy Duck, Elmo or Barney, and it would still get me. While others were crying for TWYA, I found myself very near to crying for War At Home. There’s something about the power, the passion, the way his voice sounds on this song, it absolutely kills me. Near the end, I’d been reduced to a shaking, trembling, heaving mass of nearly weeping goo! It was wonderful! LOL!

Weeping and Machine. Two songs that belong together, and two songs that take me back 4 years to the Awake tour, to going up to the stage, hugging Josh’s wrist, and all the craziness associated with those songs and those concerts!!! And my goodness gracious, he sang the CRAP out of Machine! I think it’s the funnest (not a word, but should be) song of all of his, that he does live. The crowd really gets into it, and HE really gets into it!!! Not to mention the band. “Oh, you’re a machine!!!”

Another highlight was Per Te, and I also loved how he did You Raise Me Up. He had the audience sing along with him during SEVERAL parts, and it was quite the thing to hear.

Also, Bells Of NYC. Getting to hear him do this live was just great! I’m so glad he added it to the set list. He sang it better than he did on the CD, for Pete’s sake! Such a beautiful, haunting song! And there was a moment of pure goo during the song. When he sang “Illuminate”, the way he moved, and sang the word, I was glad I was sitting down, because that gooey hammer hit me over the head again, and made my brain explode somethin’ fierce.

And, of course, Play Me! Another cover, and a very favorite!!! Josh and this song are so special together!!! “She was morning, and I was nighttime…You are the sun, I am the moon, You are the words, I am the tune, play me.” Oooohhhhh! I LOVE THIS SONG!!!! And on Josh, it’s just to DIE for. This was my “slow down” song for the night. The song where everything stops, slows down, and I can breathe, and just take it all in.

Let’s see, how many songs did he do on piano…? Bells Of NYC, Play Me, Changing Colours, February Song…And my brain hurts (sounds like a great song). LOL!

General impressions:

I LOVE the way this tour is being done. He and his team did a wonderful job at combining the intimacy of the Before We Begin shows, with the big arena, big show feel. Having the stage set up in back of the arena was fantastic. It made it great for people who were in the back of the arena; it created some wonderful walk-through opportunities, and it was also neat to stand up to see him for the half dozen or so songs that he did on the middle stage.

I LOVED that he kept a few aspects of the Before We Begin shows for the big tour. Taking questions from the audience, singing The Prayer with someone, having a married couple, a kid, and a single girl go up to the stage for a little while; Just great things.

As I said before, he gave the show his all. I think he put more into this show than I’ve ever seen him put into a show before! And I have to say, I think it was probably the best Josh concert I’ve ever been to. It was just brilliantly done, Josh’s voice was more breathtaking than ever, and the show went by FAST. Too fast!

Okay, so I think that’s FINALLY it! It was a wonderful, wonderful evening, and a wonderful, WONDERFUL concert! I’m so thankful that I won the contest. I just want to say to whoever wound up picking me as the winner, THANK YOU!!!!!! It was wonderful! And JOSH, THANK YOU!!!!! :)

And if anyone wants to know if I actually got my hug at some point that night, or if the saga continues, well, it’ll all be put up on the board. Fer now, enjoy the pics!!!