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

Just 30 hours ago, almost exactly 24 hours before I was set to leave for tonight’s concert, I received an email that came as a huge and very welcome surprise. I had been chosen to be the road reporter for Josh Groban’s Washington, D.C., tour stop on the Straight to You Tour. Not only would I get to take pictures up close and personal during the first few songs of the concert, I’d be also get to MEET Josh himself. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I read the email straight through three times before I started jumping up and down, and honestly?... screaming. I told my Mom, then my sister, texted several friends, and then waited anxiously for my Dad to get home, as he would be accompanying me on my Josh-Groban-Adventure. As soon as his car pulled into the drive way I ran out to greet him. He was just as shocked and excited as I was.

My dad and I arrived at the venue at around 5:45. We wanted to get our tickets from Will Call and make sure to get inside early. I was glad later, when there was a minor problem finding our tickets for us. It took 20 minutes and 4 trips to the window before they finally found them for us. We waited for the doors to open and once inside immediately purchased my long awaited tour program, they weren’t for sale last month in Hershey, PA, and made our way down to the spot on the floor where we had been given directions to wait.

Josh’s head of security, Darren, came out and asked for FOJG Meet & Greet winners to line up to the side to go back first. We were taken through a maze of back hallways, spying ELEW himself lingering behind a corner, and asked to line up against a wall. Throughout his humorous warnings, “no stabbing, or grabbing!” and directions, “autographs first, pictures second,” Darren put us all at ease, and kept the whole thing running smoothly. We waited anxiously for Josh to come out, and when he did it was so hard to contain our excitement. The line moved somewhat quickly, but each person got their moment with Josh. When it was my turn, I shook his hand and smiled at him. Then I handed him a picture I had taken of him in Hershey at the June 15th concert, and my commemorative tour ticket to sign. My dad very graciously let me get his autograph so I wouldn’t have to choose between the two. He signed the ticket, and then looked at the photo.

“Oh, did you take this?” he asked. I nodded.
“Yes, in Hershey, last month.”
“I look very intense don’t I?” he asked. I laughed.
“Yes you do,” I handed him a silver sharpie.
“Ohh silver, fancy!” he said. He signed the photo and handed it and the ticket back to me. Then he held out the marker.
“You can keep it if you want too,” I said.
“Oh for me?” he asked. I nodded. “Thank you. I shall treasure it always!” then he stuck it in his pocket and looking down noticed my shoes. “Oh nice! Chucks! I have shoes just like that. Love them!” then he put his arm around me, and posed for the picture, and I thanked him. “Have a good time tonight,” he said.
“You too!” I said. Then it was my dad’s turn for a photo.
“So did you get a sugar high off all that chocolate in Hershey?” my dad asked, while shaking Josh’s hand.
“Oh definitely! Still coming down off that one,” Josh laughed. They posed for my dad’s photo, and then Josh told us both to have a good night.

We walked back down the long hallway, to find our seats. We were in section 3, the front section all the way to the right. Our Row, Q, was about 17 rows back, but on the inside aisle and very close to the small round back stage where Josh starts the concerts on this tour. They were great seats.

ELEW opened the show. He’s a great musician, and fun to watch, but what I really love about him is his unique style and the way he reinterprets some really awesome songs. He plays everything from Mr. Brightside by The killers, to Teenage Dream by Katy Perry, to the Gilligan’s Island Theme. Once he was done with his set, the wait was on for Josh to take the stage. And what a beautiful stage it is! The white wall with three-dimensional broken archway is so pretty! It was a genius Idea to paint the whole thing white, and use it as a giant canvas for the stage projectors. It was gorgeous and a great back drop for the show.

Then Josh finally appeared to much applause. I can’t remember every song he sang, let alone the order he sang them. But I do remember him singing February Song, and You Are Loved from the small stage before moving up to the main-stage. On the walk up, he came right up the aisle next to me, and he stopped, said “Oh, hi!” and touched my shoulder, before moving on. It was great to know he’d recognized me, that he remembered me. It’s things like that, that shows Josh really does care about his fans. He spent so much time in the audience talking to people, shaking hands, and at one point during the Q&A session even came down into the audience to sing Happy Birthday to one very happy fan. He made us all feel happy and welcomed. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much at a concert as I do whenever I see Josh Groban live.

He does funny voices, tells jokes, and shares little stories to make us laugh, and then just a few minutes later sings such a beautiful song that you have tears in your eyes. And he’s so dedicated to giving back all the love and success he’s had. His new organization, Find Your Light, chose two local arts programs to partner with: Young Playwrights’ Theater and the Sitar Arts Center. I know coming to see Josh, was just as memorable for those kids as it was for me. And I was glad to be a part of it.

I have to admit that some of my favorite songs were as follows:

-Broken Vow, his lead up is just hilarious!
-Galileo, back on the small stage, he sings it with so much emotion.
-You Raise me up, during the Encore. It’s amazing to hear the entire arena singing along with Josh on this one.
-Per te, His voice just shines on this one every single time.
-Play Me, this Neil Diamond cover hits all the write chords with me! I am dying for him to release it. Perhaps the proceeds could go to a great cause?

Overall, the entire night was full of laughter, singing along, happy crying, and fighting to keep my inner-fangirl inside quiet and calm until I was well out of Josh’s sight. But believe me it was there the whole night jumping up and down and cooing about how curly his hair is in person. Down, Fan-girl. Down!

I’d like to thank Josh, Darren, Sarah, and FOJG for such a wonderful evening! It’s started out great, and just kept getting better and better. It’s truly been one of the best concert experiences of my life, and I will never forget a moment of it!