The next time I saw Lisa Marie Presley was in Baltimore on July 24, 2003. This was the first time I saw her in concert, and the first time I met her. Lisa opened for Chris Isaak at Pier 6. It wasn’t crowded, so I moved down to the front row – standing and singing the entire time! At the end of Lisa’s set, I asked for a set list and one of the guys gave it to me. Then I left missing Chris Isaak because I wanted to meet Lisa. I went to the parking lot and after about five minutes, Lisa came out to greet everyone. She got to me, and I handed her my set list. Lisa smiled and said, “Oh you got a set list!” I told her it was a great show, and she said thanks. Then she said, “You were the one in front singing, right?” Lisa Marie Presley noticed me! 

A week later I saw Lisa Marie Presley in concert again. This time in Memphis at the Botanic Garden on August 1, 2003. Lisa again opened for Chris Isaak. I wasn’t as close as I was in Baltimore. I wasn’t standing at the stage, but I was seated at one of the front tables, but off to the side. I was about two tables away from Priscilla! It was amazing to watch Priscilla watch her daughter on stage – and in Memphis! Lisa sounded so much better than she did in Baltimore because the sound was so much better – the band did not drown out her voice this time. Lisa was so excited, and her performance was just amazing!

The next day I saw Lisa Marie Presley perform in Nashville at the historic Ryman Auditorium on August 2, 2003. I ended up staying at the same hotel as Lisa and her band. I waited near her tour bus from 4-7 before the show, but never got to speak with Lisa. I saw her walk by a few times and saw Priscilla. My seat was in the 6th row, right behind Priscilla – she beamed with pride watching her daughter perform. Everyone was forced to sit in the Ryman, but we periodically stood up and cheered and Lisa acknowledged us and Priscilla turned around and smiled at us. When I got back to my hotel room after the show, I realized that Lisa’s band was staying on my floor. We talked with them in the hallway, but we never saw Lisa. 

I didn’t see Lisa Marie Presley again for another two years. She performed at the Beale Street Music Festival on May 1, 2005. I arrived at the festival just before the gates opened, but there was a long line waiting to get in. I had to run all the way to the other side of the park to the stage where Lisa was playing. I didn’t get a spot on the front rail, but three people back dead center. Luckily those three people were short, so I had a great view. And Lisa put on a great show – so much better than her first tour. She was so relaxed. Lisa played my favorites Indifferent, SOB, Lights Out, I’ll Figure It Out, and Idiot. 

The next day I saw Lisa Marie Presley in Nashville at the Cannery on May 2, 2005. After waiting four hours in line, I was rewarded with a spot up front on the rail. I thought this Nashville show was even better than the show in Memphis. For the first time ever, Lisa played High Enough, which I love! She also played Now What, Road Between, and Here Today, all of which she didn’t play the previous day in Memphis. I got a set list for this Nashville show!

A few days later I saw Lisa Marie Presley at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA on May 9, 2005. It was a seated show, and I was at a table right up front. The set list was the same as the Nashville show, except Turned to Black was played instead of High Enough. It was a great show, and Lisa talked a lot. She was really funny. Unfortunately, the meet and greet was cancelled after the show. 

A few days later I saw Lisa Marie Presley at the history Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ on May 15, 2005. It was Lisa’s last official show of this leg of her tour. After waiting in line for several hours, I got a spot on the front rail all the way at the end. Lisa was sick, so she didn’t do the acoustic set of Now What and Road Between. She also didn’t play Turbulence or Indifference, but she did play High Enough and Turned to Black. It was still a great show. Priscilla was in the crowd, so Lisa sang Raven. It was amazing! Lisa kept looking at her and she and Priscilla were tearing up – as was I. During Thanks, Lisa invited some fans up on stage to sing with her. At the end of the show, Lisa Marie Presley shook my hand, looked into my eyes, and said, “Thank you!” 

Two days later I saw Lisa Marie Presley perform Idiot on Good Morning America on May 17, 2005. I got up at 4am and got a cab from my hotel in New Jersey and waited on the streets in New York City until they let us in the studio at 7am. Lisa didn’t come on until 8:45am. It was only one song, but I was SO close and apparently I was on tv because my mom called to tell me she saw me singing along. After her appearance, Lisa stopped to sign autographs with her fans.

Still in New York City, two days later I saw Lisa Marie Presley at City Hall Park for a free concert. I was right up front and center on the rail. The set list was changed a bit. Lisa played I’ll Figure It Out, Sinking In, Turbulence, Lights Out, Dirty Laundry, Idiot, Here Today Gone Tomorrow – and the Ramones drummer played along on their cover.

I didn’t see Lisa Marie Presley again for over a year, but it was well worth the wait. It was my 34th birthday – October 4, 2006. Lisa performed at the Birchmere again in Alexandria, Virgina and I had been selected for a Meet and Greet after the show. For the show, I had a seat up front, but way to the left of the stage. Lisa announced my birthday during the show. She had never sounded better. She played SOB, Lights Out, Sinking In, Indifferent, Excuse Me, High Enough, Yellow to Blue, Idiot, I’ll Figure It Out, Turbulence, Thanks, Dirty Laundry, Here Today Gone Tomorrow, and a duet with Ryan Cabrera. After the show, I met Lisa Marie Presley and got my picture taken with her. She signed my cd cover and wished me a Happy Birthday. I told her she gets better every tour, and we discussed how it sucks to have seated venues and how excited we were for the Stone Pony show.

Two days later I saw Lisa Marie Presley in concert again at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ on October 6, 2006. After four long, cold, windy hours waiting in line, the doors opened and I got a great spot front and center on the rail. The crowd was great, but the sound wasn’t that good. It was the same set list as the Birchmere show, except she closed with a cover of Joan Jett’s I Hate Myself for Loving You.

Two days later I saw Lisa Marie Presley in my hometown of Baltimore at Rams Head Live on October 8, 2006. I was again front and center on the rail. Rosanne Barr opened and was hysterical. Lisa sounded amazing! The crowd wasn’t great because they weren’t really Lisa Marie Presley fans, but by the end of the show, they got into it. The set list was the same as the previous two shows except for the encore Lisa played Turned to Black and did a duet with Rosanne - Baby I Love You. There was a lot of interaction between Lisa and the audience. After the show, Lisa stopped to sign autographs and meet with her fans. This Baltimore show was my favorite of the tour.

The next day I saw Lisa Marie Presley in New York City at BB Kings on October 10, 2006. I was once again up front on the rail, but a little to the left of center. This New York crowd was amazing – everyone knew the words! The set list was the same, except instead of Yellow to Blue it was Turned to Black and she closed the show with a Joan Jett cover.

A year later I saw Lisa Marie Presley as she performed In the Ghetto in Memphis at Elvis 30th Anniversary concert on August 16, 2007. It was amazing! The crowd went wild, and Lisa sounded great!

It has been almost five years since I have seen Lisa Marie Presley in concert. She is touring this summer to promote her new album Storm and Grace. I am going to see her in Baltimore on June 15th at the Baltimore Soundstage – there are only two shows scheduled at the time of this writing (more are supposed to be added shortly). I can’t wait to see Lisa perform again! I am very excited that she is starting her tour in my hometown of Baltimore. It is a fully seated show, but I got a table right up front next to the stage.

My first concert of the summer is Lisa Marie Presley at Baltimore Soundstage on June 15th! It is a seated event and general admission seats are $25 or a show package table for two is $75 – guess which one I got? I have to skip seeing the Beach Boys at Merriweather the same night, but I would never miss Lisa Marie, especially in Baltimore. I have seen her every time she’s played Baltimore – this will be the third time. I have seen Lisa Marie Presley several times in concert. For more on me and Lisa Marie, please read my upcoming blog post. There are sure to be more Lisa Marie Presley concerts this summer – just waiting for them to be announced.

My second show of the summer is a week later. I am seeing Lucero at Rams Head Live in Baltimore on Friday June 22nd. It is a general admission show and tickets are $25. Lucero is this great rock band from Memphis. The lead singer has a very unique, raspy voice that I love. I lived in Memphis for three years and never got to see Lucero – something always got in the way. And now that I am back in Maryland, I’m seeing Lucero – ironic.

My third concert of the summer is Def Leppard and Poison at Merriweather on Tuesday July 10th. This is going to be quite the 80s scene. I am pretty excited about this one. I have always wanted to see Def Leppard, as I was a big fan in high school. And recently Bret Michaels of Poison has peaked my interest. Plus 80s rock queen Lita Ford is opening. This show should provide for some great crowd watching. I bought a lawn ticket for $50.

My fourth concert of the summer is Toad the Wet Sprocket at Rams Head on Stage in Annapolis on Monday July 30. I love Toad the Wet Sprocket and have seen them several times in concert. They are definitely one of my favorite bands. They were the soundtrack of the 1990s for me – along with U2 and The Cranberries. This show will be my only seated show of the year, so it will be quite a different atmosphere. Tickets are $50.

My fifth and sixth (and final) concerts of the summer is a two-day festival. I am seeing the New Kids on the Block at the MixTape Festival at Hershey Stadium in Hershey, PA on August 17-18. New Kids on the Block are playing both days of the festival. The first day by themselves and the second day with Back Street Boys. I have seen New Kids on the Block four times. In fact, New Kids on the Block were my very first concert. It was 1990, I had just graduated high school, and my mom deemed me finally old enough to go to a concert. I was way up top in the back of the Baltimore Arena, but it was a great show – lots of screaming girls. I saw New Kids on the Block again in 2009 in Memphis almost 20 years later. Those same girls were now women screaming for New Kids on the Block, now referred to as NKOTB, And then I saw NKOTB a year later in Las Vegas for the first two shows of their tour, and even went to the after party. Also playing the MixTape festival are LL Cool J, The Fray, The Wanted, Kelly Clarkson, DJ Pauly D, and others. Tickets are crazy expensive (almost $200.), but I get to see NKOTB twice! Plus, since I’m skipping the Beale Street Music Festival for the first time in 10 years, I really wanted to go to a music festival – even if it is a pop music festival.

So I’m not seeing the coolest, hippest, or even most current bands, but I’m going to have a great summer reliving my youth! Not sure if I’ll know if it is 2012 or 1992.

I met Patrick in Seattle, the day before the U2 360 show. While my friend Jenny and I were exploring Seattle, we heard the drums for U2′s Desire. We paused because we weren’t sure we had heard it correctly, but then we heard ‘Lover I’m on the street.’ So we ran toward Desire. It was a band and gospel choir on the back of a semi truck playing U2 music. The banner above the stage read ‘One Life No Regrets’ and then in smaller letters ‘noregretsu2.’ The singer, Patrick Stark, turned 40 and wanted to make sure he was living his life with no regrets – something I identify with as I am turning 40 this year and want to live my life with no regrets. Patrick had always had a fear of singing in public, so to conquer his fear he is making a documentary called One Life No Regrets about his quest to sing on stage with U2. In preparation, he sang a set of U2 songs with a Gospel choir – Desire, In God’s Country, All I Want is You, One, Until the End of the World. Unfortunately, Patrick did not get on stage with U2 the next night, but he has made a great documentary.

It is a sad, sad day. We lost Adam Yauch, aka MCA of the Beastie Boys. He lost his battle with cancer at the young age of 47. First it was Michael Jackson, then Whitney Houston, and now MCA of the Beastie Boys. All musicians I listened to growing up. I listened to Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston in middle school and the Beastie Boys in high school. But I continued listening to the Beastie Boys in college and after. I was lucky enough to see the Beastie Boys perform live a few times in the 1990s at Lollapalooza and Tibetan Freedom Festivals, and I saw them one last time in 2008 at the Virgin Mobile Festival – on the front rail. My favorite song of the Beastie Boys is Hold It Now, Hit It.

Now that I am almost 40, musicians of my generation are dying and it makes me pause, think and reflect.

A is for (brady) Anderson with Autobiographies as honorable mention.

B is for (denver)  Broncos with Biographies as honorable mention.

C is for (johnny) Cash with Casinos as honorable mention.

D is for Dogs.

E is for Elvis Presley.

F is for Facebook and social media.

G is for Grease.

H is for Happy Days with History as honorable mention.

I is for iPhone with Ice Cream as honorable mention.

J is for James Dean.

K is for (the) Kennedys.

L is for Larry Mullen with Lisa Marie Presley as honorable mention.

M is for Memphis with Music as honorable mention.

N is for (olivia) Newton-John.

O is for (baltimore) Orioles with Orange as honorable mention.

P is for Pizza.

Q is for Queso (aka Cheese).

R is for Robert Cassotto (aka Bobby Darin).

S is for Soap Operas with Sit Coms as honorable mention.

T is for (lana) Turner.

U is for U2.

V is for (las) Vegas.

W is for Writing.

X is for Xanadu.

Y is for Yoo-Hoo.

Z is for Zoo.

I will definitely participate the A to Z Challenge again next year. I met lots of new friends, read a lot of interesting new blogs, and I loved writing my about all of my favorite things.

A favorite of mine that begins with Z is Zoo. I’m still not sure exactly how I feel about zoos – whether are they are good or bad for animals. But I love animals, so I enjoy going to see them. When I lived in Memphis, I had an annual pass to the Memphis Zoo, which is one of the nicest zoos in the US. I would visit often spending most of my time with the polar bears, which are my favorite animals after dogs. I went to the Polar Bears’ birthdays and the International Polar Bear day celebrations. I just love being outside with the animals.

How do you feel about Zoos – good or bad for animals?

This blog post is the last of my A to Z April Challenge – 26 of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by. It’s been a great month blogging about my favorites. I will be posting a recap soon. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2.

What is your favorite drink?

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – 26 of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2.

A favorite of mine that begins with X is Xanadu. Actually Xanadu isn’t one of my favorite movies now, but it was when I was little and it is the only thing I could think of that begins with X. It is one of Olivia Newton-John’s movies, and she is my favorite female performer, so Xanadu counts as my favorite ‘X.’ Plus the definition of Xanadu is an idyllic, beautiful place and that is fantastic. The movie Xanadu was a campy 1980′s romantic musical fantasy, but for me as an 8 year old it was all about roller skating. My best friend Cindy and I spent hours and hours roller skating in her carport while listening to our Xanadu record.

What is a favorite of yours that begins with X?

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – 26 of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2.

What is your worthwhile passion?

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – 26 of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2.