MADONNA

So imagine that you're sitting in bed, feeling rather lazy and lethargic, when you get a call. A call that could change your life.

"Sam, it's Nicola. What are you doing RIGHT NOW?"

"Nothing kid. I'm being a bum. Who lit a fire under your ass?"

"Do you want to get free tickets to see Madonna?"

"What? SHUT UP! You're serious?"

"Pack a bag, wear some layers and call me when you're ready to leave for métro Opera. We're going to sleep on the street."

And so we did. After twelve plus hours of waiting in line, chatting with the groups near us, munching on cheese and peanuts, guzzling Red Bull and beer, trying to sleep on the side walk and spooning together for warmth throughout the night, Nicola and I finally had our tickets and wristbands to see Her.

Yes, Her. I must say it was quite the religious experience. After we had our tickets, Nicolas and I rushed home to shower and nap (I was out cold for a solid two hours) and then went back to the Olympia theatre to wait in line AGAIN to get in. For five more hours we waited and when we finally got into the theatre we couldn't stop laughing and giggling...the time had come, the walrus said. We were going to see Madonna FOR FREE at one of the oldest and most established theatres in Paris - the Olympia Theatre where a shy little Edith Piaf once sang and won over the hearts of millions. Only this time it wouldn't be "La Vie en Rose," but "Like a Virgin;" my how the times have changed.

The crowd filled as Nic and I were pushed to the stage within twenty feet of the DJ. The first attempted to spin, but mostly just blended one stale dance floor track into another before the crowd got anxious and he was kicked off the stage to bring on ANOTHER DJ. This one was much better and was actually putting some great riffs together, but it was clear that the Madonnaloonies were getting restless - at this point we had been waiting a collective 17 hours and most of us were smelly, tired and cranky. The situation was only made worse by the pounds of candy the crowd had eatten while waiting in line. Promo girls had passed out suckers and gummies (clever marketing, non? The HARD CANDY album after all) and Nic and I felt the hit as we came down from our sugar high in the middle of the mob.

Finally, just after ten, the crowd made a huge commotion and Nic and I turned around to see Lenny Kravitz take his seat in the first row of the balcony - ten feet away. Now everybody was just itching to see her and it seemed like the apperance of a celebrity demi-god could mean only one thing: we were down to minutes.

Lenny sat, his group sat, and then the lights dimmed. Show time. There. Was. Madonna. She came out in all her glory - full makeup, dancers, colors, flashing lights and weilding a gaint walking stick like she was cock of the walk. I've decided that she is. I was close enough to see her sweat; close enough to see her wrinkles. And she was amazing - such a performer. I'm not sure if it was my lack of sleep, lack of food, or just the situation I found myself in, but I nearly wept. I hate to admit it - really, I do - but it was just so incredible.

She sang six songs (it was a free show after all) and then she was gone - fading into the side curtains and disappearing back into her faux-English accent and Kaballa books. After the show Nic and I felt like celebrating and went out for cocktails, but we were both so exhausted that we could barely finish our drinks and had to stumble off to catch the bus with smiles plastered on our sleepy faces. Just like two kids after a day at Disney Land...



This video is about how close we were to her. How incredibly unreal. Amsterdam details and picture album on next post. Promise.