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

Whenever I tell people that I’ve seen Josh in concert 12 (now 13!) times they always look at me like I’m crazy. Why would you possibly want to see a performer that many times, they almost always ask. It’s simple, I reply: it’s not just about seeing Josh.

I think that most of us here would happily admit that our memberships in FOJG have resulted in wonderful friendships and that Josh’s concerts and performances are a way for all of us to get together and have some fun. But it’s so much more than just attending the show. We roadtrip from location to location, film our travels, share mirrors as we make sure we all look our best, attend cocktail hours and dinners, and mingle by the stage, seeing old friends and making new ones – all before the show even starts! And when the lights go down and the person who brought us all together steps onto the stage, that’s when the real party begins. That’s when we’re truly awake, making these moments endless, keeping our eyes wide open, letting tomorrow wait.

You can therefore imagine my sadness when I realized that moving to Virginia for graduate school meant that I would not be able to attend as many shows with the amazing friends I had met four years ago during the Awake tour. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see Josh perform so close to my new home, so I resolved to go to Richmond by myself. And boy, am I glad I did! When I found out Friday that I had won the Road Reporter contest I was in complete and utter disbelief. Yes, deciding to go to Richmond was the right choice.

It was sad to get ready and to drive to the arena alone, but as soon as I saw the other FOJGers walking around, looking for the VIP check in, I felt at home. It didn’t matter that I had come there by myself or that I didn’t know anyone’s name. We were all there because we appreciate Josh and his music and that commonality binds us together and makes us friends. We are the Friends of Josh Groban, after all.

As I walked around the venue trying to figure out where I needed to go for the VIP check in, I met two women attending their first ever Josh concert. They were so excited. I can remember my first show. It was 2004. I was 16 and even though my Mom and I were in the second to last row of the theater I was shaking, I was so ecstatic about seeing him perform. On this night I would be in the front row. I would also be going backstage and meeting Josh. My 16-year old self probably would have passed out.

My first observation as I walked into the VIP suite was amazement at how many people were there. I had been expecting a small gathering of FOJGers. In reality there were probably fifty people in total, men, women, children. It was then that I met debdeb and joycevabeachva and irishmemaw. I had seen them around the Boards, so I introduced myself. They couldn’t have been more wonderful. We took pictures, chatted about the shows we were going to and before I knew it, it was time for me to pick up my backstage passes. I exchanged seat locations with my new friends and promised to find them before the show.

When it was my turn to meet Josh I was remarkably calm. Perhaps it was because I had met him long ago on the Awake tour. I had been so jittery and distracted then that I had forgotten to tell him my name and for the last four years I have told that story with mingled feelings of amusement and idiocy. On this night I was going to correct that error once and for all: “Josh,” I said, “when I met you four years ago I forgot to tell you my name, so…my name is Jessie.” “Nice to meet you, Jessie,” he replied. “I’ll never forget it.” I bet he says that to all the girls ;-)

A big grin on my face, I walked out onto the arena floor and found everyone at the stage. I put faces to names I had only seen around the Boards and passed my camera around so everyone could see my new photo.

Now, I have to admit that when the tour began in May I made the decision to not read any reports or view any pictures. I wanted to be completely and totally surprised for my first show. So when I saw Elew appear on stage I was intrigued. Then he started playing and I was hooked. He started with full versions of The Killers’ hit, “Mr. Brightside” and the always popular, “Sweet Home Alabama.” But what I loved the most was when his set shifted into what Glee would call “mash-ups” and became an energetic game of “Name That Tune.” The best part about this was the crowd’s reactions to the different songs. For instance, when he played the theme from “The Young and the Restless” a peel of laughter broke out throughout the arena. I probably would have laughed too if I had known at the time what he was playing! Conversely, when he started playing “Teenage Dream” I gave a little shout and started bobbing in my seat, but judging by the silence in the arena I was one of the few who knew what the song was! But that’s what made it so fun. Elew performed a wide array of songs, in various styles, and you never knew what he was going to play next. He was also mesmerizing to watch. His unorthodox posture, unreal facial expressions, and stunning use of the piano’s strings made him a compelling and worthy opening act for Josh.

The half hour that elapses between the opening act and Josh’s appearance is always a fun one. It gave me an opportunity to meet more wonderful fans, particularly the rest of the “Grobie Sistahs,” many of whom were sitting behind me. That was when I learned that Josh started the show in the back of the arena by the mixer. Thanks to the tip, I positioned myself along the railing, got my camera out, and obsessively checked my watch, counting down the final minutes. Helpful fans who had been to previous shows informed the guests sitting in the back that they were about to be in the front row and I saw them excitedly turn their chairs around. Then it was showtime.

Those first moments when the lights dim and the band starts are always exhilarating. This time was no different. When Josh appeared and ran up the steps the crowd went nuts. You can’t help but smile at the big grin he has on his face as he gazes out at the screaming fans. Then he sat down and started playing, merging the band’s beautiful “Straight to You” into the song I bet he wishes he had found in time to include on the album, “Changing Colors.” At the end of “February Song” he introduced himself to the crowd and made sure, in his very Josh way, to remind us all that Virginia is for Lovers. “I’m goin’ to do some lovin’ tonight,” he joked, then, in response to the crowd’s screams, backtracked: “Not like that! It’s just me and my dog on a bus.”

Then came the much more subdued version of “You Are Loved.” It’s a beautiful arrangement and it certainly had me on the edge of my seat at the Soundstage taping back in 2008. When he started for the front of the arena, I turned on my heel and scooted up the opposite aisle, raising to be back in my front row seat for the end of the song. Then he performed old favorites like “Oceano,” “Alejate” (which, he informed us, loosely translates to “get the hell away”), “Alla Luce del Sol,” and the new stunners, “Bells of New York” and “Higher Window.” When he was introducing “Alejate” he acknowledged that it was on his first album. “I was 7 years old,” he said, “[with a] spinning bowtie, little walking cane. I was adorable! Like Shirley Temple. Then – puberty.” I don’t know how many of you on here saw the early stages of the Closer tour so many years ago, but isn’t it amazing how far he’s come and how comfortable he is on stage now? These current shows wouldn’t be half as fun if it wasn’t for his quick-witted banter.

Perhaps the greatest reaction Josh got all night was when he introduced “War at Home.” He told the story of visiting Walter Reed and how this song came to him so quickly. He acknowledged that Governor McDonnell was at the concert and that they had spoken on the subject of veterans care. The crowd deeply applauded Josh’s honesty and concern and maintained a reverent applause after his moving performance.

After the band’s awesome jam out session – I want to hear more from Lisa Liu! – Josh appeared at a standing drum stand to provide the percussion for “Voce.” I had wondered how they were going to handle that since the drums are such an integral part of the song. It was great to see Josh banging away at the set like old times and it looked as though one of his sticks broke part way through. After holding the fan questions to his head a la Carnac, Josh decided to “open this box of chocolates and see what we got. See if there’s any nuts.” Whenever he read the names of the people who had asked the questions we heard screams carry throughout the arena, the likes of which, Josh said, he thought we lost at infancy.

The first question from Lexie was, “If you had to be stuck in a store for a day, which would it be?” “Only a day?” Josh asked. “I could spend a day in any store. Really. I’m a huge daydreamer and I will just peruse. I’ll be in a store I can’t even buy anything in. I’ll be in Talbots.” The husband sitting next to me, celebrating his anniversary with his wife, muttered, “Yeah. Right,” and I just about burst out laughing. Josh, naturally, mimicked a sales attendant asking him if he had any questions with the pantsuit he was looking at, to which Josh replied, “No. Wrong fabric.” But if he had to give an answer it would be a candy store with the walls of scoop your own candy and he would get chocolate-covered gummy bears. Lots of chocolate-covered gummy bears!

The next question was from Jessica. She asked him what was the most trouble he had ever gotten into. The crowd laughed and Josh reminded everyone that the governor was in attendance. He then admitted that he had recently run a red light…in Grand Theft Auto. But to give a real example, he told a story of how when he was nine and obsessed with cowboys, he stole something. He and his mother had gone into a pet shop and he picked something up off the counter. As they were leaving his mother asked him what was in his hand, to which Josh dejectedly replied, “Someone else’s dog tag.” He said that his mother just looked him in the eye and said, “Cowboys don’t steal.” I’m pretty sure that that’s going to be the most repeated quote from this concert. But Josh wasn’t quite done with the question and cheekily and most unconvincingly tried to emphasize that he had never committed a crime since, a statement he acknowledged he would regret if he ever tried to run for office.

The final question came from Emily. It was her 18th birthday and she asked Josh to sing “Happy Birthday” to her. He and Darren raced down to the loge seats and he serenaded her with a truly awesome version of “Happy Birthday.” He hit a note at the end that sent shivers down my spine. My birthday’s in two weeks, so I think I’ll put that audio clip on repeat.

As he got set up once again on the center stage he felt the need to say, “I don’t know if you gathered from those last few questions, but I’m a little strange.” When the crowd roared he added, “There’s strange in the house tonight!” The Sistahs and I all cheered because if you can’t be yourself and embrace your individuality at a Josh Groban concert, when can you?

Then he sang the beautiful “Galileo” and performed “The Wandering Kind” with members of the crew on guitar and percussion. It was a wonderful example of how inclusive this new tour is. When he introduced “If I Walk Away” the tiny woman sitting next to me with her husband started bouncing on her toes. Here she was, celebrating her 40th anniversary, and acting like a kid again. When I and the other FoJGers in the first few rows got on our feet to dance and clap to “Weeping,” we tried to get her husband to stand up and dance with us, but he very politely – but firmly – said no, thank you.

Even though it’s not from the current album, I think I was the most excited about Josh performing “Machine.” I have such fond memories of dancing up at the stage surrounded by a hundred fans, singing at the top of our lungs and having our own little party. When the band played those first eight notes I couldn’t help but scream and I and the Sistahs behind me jumped to our feet,not caring that an entire arena of people could see us dance. That’s the incredible thing about sitting so close to the stage: you tend to forget that there are thousands of people behind you. It feels as though you’re in a small theater, like many of us were for the awesome Before We Begin shows, and it’s truly a phenomenal experience. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t actually be at the stage at all during this show like we used to (fingers crossed they’ll let us!), but after “Machine” Josh gave a shout out to the “mosh pits” that had sprouted up throughout the arena.

After “Machine,” Josh and Darren ventured out into the crowd yet again to find a couple that had gotten engaged that day. They hadn’t been able to find them at first, but after they did, Josh deadpanned, “I thought you went home to make whoopee.” He continued through the crowd, grabbing a girl he had talked to earlier who had told him that her favorite concert experience was between him and Shania Twain. “I feel like I still have winning over to do,” he told her, getting her out of her seat. Then he asked where all the single ladies were and sang a few bars of the song as he took the hand of the fourth and final person to be brought to the stage. Once on the stage the crew brought out couches and Josh offered the couple wine while he crooned, “I’m gonna get you hammered at the Casa de Groban.” “What am I on right now?” he asked. Then he offered the two girls milk, pouring it into wine glasses. After asking if one of the girls was lactose intolerant he pointed to the couple and said, “Getting smashed.” Then he pointed to the girls and said, “Getting gassy.” I’m pretty sure those girls aren’t going to forget that experience any time soon. Actually, they might want to forget it!

He then sat down on a stool and announced that he was going to sing a song about cheating, “’cause I’m sick like that.” After “Broken Vow” he began to intro the always stunning “Per Te” and tried to give some advice to the two girls: “Ladies, he’s out there. It just takes patience.…I’m not Dr. Phil. I don’t know what I’m doing.” He put on his best drawl and said, to the wild laughter and applause of the crowd, “Are you nuts?” Laughing, he said, “Don’t get me doing impressions this late at night. I’ll be that guy at the party. ‘Just make him stop!’” At the conclusion of the song he ran off the stage, only to return shortly after. He sat down at the piano and told us how much respect and admiration he has for Neil Diamond and his songwriting abilities. He then performed “Play Me” for what he said was the first time on the tour. I wonder what song he had played in that slot before! And to close out the night he sang the one song that I did not think he was ever going to sing again in concert, “You Raise Me Up.” He told us that it was a song that fell into his lap at the right time and has had an incredible influence on his career. He then told us that since he didn’t have a choir with him we were going to have to sing along. I, and everyone around me, sang our hearts out as he ran about the stage, holding his mic to the crowd. Then he and the band took a bow, he waved a few more times, ran off the stage, and it was over.

But, as many of you know, the overall experience of a Josh Groban concert isn’t really over until after we all make the trek to the buses. As I was walking over I ran into the two ladies I had met earlier who were seeing Josh for the first time. They were ecstatic. I was so glad that they had enjoyed the show. I truly love meeting people who are seeing Josh live for the first time. It’s always a treat.

There was a shockingly small group gathered at the buses, consisting of many of the new friends I had made that night. We giddily and excitedly talked about the concert and compared the shows that we would be attending. As I had already had my moment with Josh, I decided to not stay in the line, but before I left everyone asked me if I was going to be at Norfolk in November. I hadn’t been planning on it, but even though I don’t know what my schedule holds right now, I know that if I do end up going I won’t be going alone.

The Sistahs are truly wonderful. They, like so many of the other FOJG regional cohorts genuinely enjoy being around one another and getting to see Josh is just an added bonus. I was touched at how welcoming all of them were, taking me under their wing, sharing my excitement, and making my concert experience all the more enjoyable.

Yes, deciding to go to Richmond was the right choice.