Some really great wikkid stuff in the first two pages of this thread. But not enough of
@krista4
Double dose of
So about 5 years or so ago (+/- a couple years) Stevie was going to play at Jazz Fest in NOLA. My former company hosts a golf tournament there, and Mrs APK and I were invited to attend the golf BS most years to host clients. Due to my idiotic company over-inviting people, we got pushed from the official hotel (Roosevelt) to a spillover backup (Royal Sonesta).
We had tickets to Jazz Fest, the day that Stevie was performing. Super stoked. Never saw him in concert. Huge fan (although nowhere close to as knowledgeable as folks in here). So the big day arrives and…….Jazz Fest gets rained out. Downpour. Lightning. Thunder. Chaos.
Mrs APK is pissed. The only reason she agreed to join this boondoggle work trip was to see Stevie in concert. We were soaking wet, covered in mud (if you’ve been to that event, you know why), exhausted. And to top it off, we have to hoof it from the main hotel to our backup hotel, because the shuttle wouldn’t take us all the way there. Covered in mud walking down Bourbon St…..which in retrospect probably didn’t even raise an eyebrow.
So we get to the room, get presentable, go have dinner with people from our crew. We’re exhausted and call it an early night, which means 11pm instead of 2am.
As we get close to the hotel, it’s surrounded by people and there are security guards out front. Great…..more drama. Just what we needed. We shove our way to the front and show our room key (“listen jackasses, we are tired and want to get to our room”). Security guard says “oh, you are staying here. Come on through then. But you might want to stop at the lobby bar for a listen. There is a guy you might recognize in there playing piano.”
Stevie Wonder, at the Royal Sonesta bar lobby. Live in concert. That’s the only time I’ve heard him in person and he was amazing. Purest voice I’ve ever heard live. Best concert I’ve been to. All because of a spillover hotel and a washout.