Review: Tiffany at Mugsy McGwire's, 5/23/03

by Jonathan R.

2003 was a very hard year for me. Stuck in a dead-end job, leaving school early in order to work full-time and a relationship in tatters. During one of my ex-partner and my many attempts at "quality time" I noticed the local paper...and there was a huge photo of Tiffany! She was performing the very next night (23 May 2003) right down the road from my house! Tears welled up in my eyes, as it is Tiffany's music I always turn to when I'm feeling low. I talked my partner in to driving me over to get tickets, and fortunately there were a few left.

The next night I called in sick to work and four hours before the show I stood at Mugsy McGwire's (a very cool restaurant and nightclub in Carbondale, Illinois). My knees were shaking in anticipation as we were finally let in the doors. We took a table near the front, and I waited (impatiently) for the show to start. After the opening act there was a long delay (I believe some of the band's equipment hadn't arrived). My heart began to pound as two local DJs came on stage and announced Tiffany's arrival. The place was jam packed and there was a mad dash to get into the standing area in front of the stage.

The band came out first and launched into "I Will Not Breakdown." Later I was told that I began screaming like a madman when Tiffany started singing! My heart was pounding and I felt the tears come back up as Tiffany sang a song that was so important to me.

I was in such a state of euphoria that I couldn't tell you what the set order was, but I can say that she performed "Open My Eyes," "I'm Not Sleeping," "All the Talking," "Piss U Off," and several other tracks off "The Colour of Silence" before launching into "I Think We're Alone Now" and "I Saw Him Standing There." At one point about 20 minutes into the show, she looked right at me and said "Hey! I see someone know the words to the new stuff!" I thought my heart would beat so hard that it would come right through my chest. After nearly an hour she left the stage, but I knew she wasn't done becasue she hadn't sung "Could've Been." I rushed back to the table to get the flowers I had brought for Tiffany. When the other people saw I had flowers, there was a chorus of "awwwws" and everyone parted and let me back to the front of the stage.

Tiffany came back out and the piano intro of "Could've Been" started. I lost my compsure then and cried quite unabashedly. About midway through the song she saw me holding the flowers and bent down to get them. She set them in front of the drums, came back and gave me a huge hug. I was in heaven.

After the show she stayed to sign autographs, and I waited to the side hoping to get a few extra moments if I was towards the end of the line. When it was my turn, she asked my name. I managed to tell her "Jonathan." She smiled and signed my ticket. I then told her how much "I'm Not Sleeping" has meant to me and how it helped me find the strength to get out of a bad relationship. She smiled and said "hey, I've been there!" I then asked her how her son was doing, and she said he was doing great She gave me a hug and I stepped aside and let my partner have his turn. He had not been familiar with Tiffany before the show but enjoyed it very much and then he told her how much the night had meant to me. He told me later that Tiffany seemed very touched by that.

As perfect as the night was, the next time I saw her in concert was even better!

Only a couple months later, Tiffany performed at Mugsy's again. This time the crowd was a little smaller, but even more enthusiastic. My ex and I had parted ways by that time, and I took my friend Melissa with me. As before we parked ourselves right in front of the stage. Tiffany wasn't feeling well, according to the DJs, and the show was shorter but just as amazing! I was thrilled that this time she included "Betty" in the set. The show continued much like the previous one with a few added highlights. During "I Saw Him Standing There" she made a funny face and did the little hand jive thing! It was priceless!

As the show concluded (again with "Could've Been") I gave her a bouquet of flowers, and this time she sat on the edge of the stage and not only hugged me, but gave me a kiss! :) She signed autographs for a short while after the show, gave me another hug (she remembered me from the other show! Yay!) and went on her way.

They were two very special evenings that I will remember forever. I often relive those nights whenever I listen to "The Colour of Silence." In addition to being amazingly talented and beautiful, Tiffany also showed us how kind and generous she is, and how much she appreciates her fans.

Thank you Tiffany for experiences I will always treasure.

 

This page was first created on 03 Jul 2005, and was last modified 03 Jul 2005.
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