It started this past April. My high school friend “E” sent me a private message on Facebook telling me Duran Duran would be performing in Memphis on August 17, three days before my 38th birthday. Did I want to make plans to meet up and go? Umm….I had to think. Stay home on a Friday night OR meet up with great friends and FINALLY get to see the band I have loved, loved, loved (and still do!) and wanted to see in concert more than anything in the world since I was 8 years old. Hmmm….decisions, decisions.
OF COURSE I SAID YES!!!!
We bought our tickets in early May and waited….and waited….and waited.
I can FINALLY say this Duranie has seen them live in concert now and they sounded just as amazing as they always have. No lip synching, no crazy auto-tuning. Just Simon LeBon with his amazing voice and the boys singing and playing their hearts out.
Here’s the set list via Duran Duran’s Facebook page of the songs they played that night:
So my husband, my friends “E” and “S” and “E”’s friend “K” rocked out for 2 hours. It was an outdoor concert held at the Memphis Botanic Garden and while the weather was perfect, we had to sit pretty far back from the stage as the best seats went to season ticket holders. However, they had two or three huge screens broadcasting the concert, so I never felt like I didn’t get to actually “see” anything even though we were so far back.
(The view from our seat)
However, we did have some quite RUDE women a little ways in front of us who did not sit down the entire concert. You had to either bring a lawn chair or stand for this venue, and they chose to stand. In our way. A whole lot. Despite attempts by hecklers behind us yelling for them to sit down and similar requests from the volunteers working the concert. By the time the band started playing “Hungry Like The Wolf”, everyone was on their feet in frenzied excitement anyway. I decided not to let them ruin it for me.
Naturally, someone with my devotion to Duran Duran should have been sitting front row and center. However, I took what I could get and had SUCH an amazing time. I danced, I sang, and I partied like it was 1982.
The hilarious part was Saturday morning when I woke up. We chose to drive home from the concert, which is 2 hours away. Not a drop of alcohol was involved in this Duran Duran experience, but I slept in until 10:45 A.M., woke up for about an hour, and slept some more until 5:30 that afternoon. I felt like an 84 year old woman. Long car rides after a long day at work, a hike from the parking lot to the gardens, and standing up for a long time swaying to music and singing my heart out plus rheumatoid arthritis does not mix well for me, apparently.
But it was SO worth it. I cannot believe I finally got to see DURAN DURAN in concert!!!! (!!!!!!!) and (!!!!!!!).
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best. Birthday. Ever.
Though this might be a little late…HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I’m a huge Duranie and I hope you had fun!!! My favorite ( I have literally spent years on this desicion ) would HAVE TO BE…either John or Nick. P.S I have also been a fan since I was 8! God Bless – Ann Olivia
that sounds like it was the perfect birthday for you!
Happy belated birthday! What an awesome time it seems you had.