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After a very long, very frustrating wait of several years, I finally got to see Union live! So many things to see and hear that at times I was completely overwhelmed, and didn't know where to look or who to watch! Should I crane my head upward to watch John and concentrate on his amazing vocalizations, or lean to the left to watch Bruce's magic? Or lean to the right, look around the monitor and watch the talented Brent Fitz as he pounded away at the borrowed set of drums? Or watch James' seemingly effortless ability on bass?
Too much too fast. Overwhelmed, I found myself closing my eyes and just listening to the music. This was so much more than just a 'rock concert'. This was a music experience!
It all started when I met up with TangerineLK, UnionJan and her husband Ken at the Sleep Inn in Owensboro. Before we had even had time to finish checking in, down the stairs came Mr. Corabi himself! I had brought my two teenage girls along, Rani 16 and Dana 13, and while neither confesses to being a Union fan, both girls can recognize several Union songs and know who the guys are (as they should since Mom never stops talking about them!).
Neither girl said much, just standing behind the stair rail, watching. Soon, Brent and James joined our little group. I had met all the boys before, at various Kiss Expos in Atlanta and Nashville, but was thrilled to meet up with them again. After a few moments, the guys left to do some things in town, and we finished checking in.
One of the best parts of the weekend was watching my girls! At first, Dana was unsure of John - she was apprehensive never having met anyone quite like him before. *grin* But by the end of the weekend, I think they both had a change of heart.
After checking in, unpacking and visiting for awhile, we went down to the International B'Que Festival in downtown Owensboro, KY. What a deal! There were carnival rides, music stages, a multitude of craft and food booths. People crowded the streets. It was great! While the girls went off for an hour on their own (leaving Mom behind wringing her hands and worrying that a disaster would strike!), Tang, UnionJan, her hubby and I were joined by another Union friend, Lisa, and after checking out the 97X booth (and the Union merchandise available there) we took a quick trip around the area.
We came back to the stage area in time to catch one of the opening bands. They weren't bad; they had some sound difficulties (bass amp blew up) and at times it was hard to hear the lead singer. But all in all, it was a pleasant way to spend the time waiting for Union to hit the stage.
The girls came back in time to catch the last few songs, with Dana catching a drumstick - which later on she got autographed - by UNION! We found our place in front of the stage, squeezing into the open area in front of John and James' monitors. The only real problem was that the stage was chin high, so that it was really hard to see everything.
The crowd grew thick around the front of the stage, and as I learned later on, there was a sea of friendly faces. Literally thousands of people had attended the days festivities, and it was hard to say exactly how many people were there to watch to the guys, but the street and the surrounding area was packed!
The anticipation was killing me! I kept checking to make sure the girls were okay (it was their first rock concert!) and Tang and UnionJan kept assuring me that although I couldn't see Brent from where I was standing at that time (the monitor blocked my view of the drums) that they'd make sure to switch places with me throughout the show. Which they very graciously did at several times throughout the night. Then it was time! 
Union hit the stage! As the first chords of Old Man Wise rang through the air, I realized that this was it! Union live! Finally!
What a great feeling to see them up on the stage, and to hear the notes and the chords that I know by heart actually being played! Continued next page...
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