14 Giants

I went to the George Michael concert with my fake ex-wife Ronda. (That’s my cell phone pic above.) It’s perhaps fitting that the tour is called “25 Live” because, as she says, she waited 25 years for this night.

And it did not disappoint.

I was stunned at how good of a show this was. Upbeat, entertaining, professional. No opening act, nothing. Just George Michael, all the solo and Wham hits you could want (”Careless Whisper,” anyone?), and a backing band that is clearly the best that money can hire. Throw in 15,000 people who were on their feet most of the night, and it made for a jolly good time. George was clearly moved by all the love. He even threw an extra song (”Fantasy”) into the encore, defying the setlist of previous shows. And, as he explained afterward, our show was the first time he had performed it live in 20 years.

An additional bonus is that my fake ex-wife and I were in 6th row - almost as if he were in our living room rather than on stage. We now know where our Oasis seats will be next month, and they’re even better. Even my Janet Jackson floor seats in September (row 29) aren’t bad at all! GM Place isn’t so big.

Ronda cried a bit at the beginning of the concert. And then I had to cradle her in my arms as she dissolved into a puddle for the next two hours. Her dream of seeing George perform had finally come true.

By the end, I too was experiencing a bit of joie de vivre. (But not quite this much.)