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On one of my recent podcasts, I talked about some of my most memorable concert experiences. The ones I mentioned were mainly in the secular realm. With a few years as a Southern Gospel fan under my belt and quite of bit of well-documented travel, I also do have a few of those concert experiences that stick out in my mind.

My first Southern Gospel concert was also my first Gaither Homecoming concert, in Des Moines, in 2001. I was not quite in the loop yet when the Gaithers played in the Twin Cities, where I was living at the time, so I missed that one. By the time I decided I needed to check out a Homecoming concert, Des Moines was the closest one available to me. Along with the concert itself, the most memorable aspect of that one was the plane ride getting there. I got booked on one of those smaller puddle jumpers. I think there were about four of us on board and we had to sit in different areas on the plane in order to balance out the weight. It was a bit noisy and the landing was, well, interesting. Thankfully, my return trip was on a larger jet.

I also traveled to Lancaster, PA later that year to catch my first Mark Lowry solo concert. This was back when Anthony Burger traveled with Mark. We also got our first introduction to a trio from Spartanburg, SC called LordSong, who opened for Mark and Anthony. After the concert, I stayed in town for a few days with a friend. I happened to ask her if she knew where Kemper was. I saw an ad for the Singing News for an outdoor gospel festival happening there during my stay featuring a lot of names I knew. I was hoping it would be in the area and thought it would be great to go there. "Oh sure," she said, "It's not far at all." She was graciously up for going with me. It was a lovely afternoon with acts like the Hoppers, Palmetto State Quartet and many others amid the beautiful setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was certainly worth sticking around town a couple of extra days.

Probably one of the funniest things that happened to me at a concert took place when I saw Mark Lowry and Anthony Burger the next year or so at another show. I was in the front row for this one. At the point in the concert where Anthony would do his medley of songs suggested by the audience, Mark asked if anyone in the audience had a pen so he could write the requests down. Mark must have spotted me starting to dig in my purse and he announced "Wendy V's always got a pen". However, my purse was in its usual state of disarray and I wasn't coming up with one right away. This was close to becoming my most embarrassing concert moment. But finally, I did happen to pull one out…ironically and appropriately, an Anthony Burger pen which I'd gotten from his product table earlier that evening! Anthony threw it back at me from the stage afterward.

One last concert memory. There's a very special framed picture in my home which was taken backstage at a Dallas, TX Gaither Homecoming concert of me with Taylor Mason, Mark Lowry and Anthony Burger. Taylor was gracious enough to help me set up a photo opportunity with him and Mark. As we were getting ready to take the shot, along comes Anthony and we pulled him into the picture. Needless to say, that picture is probably one of my most treasured concert memories.

So, those are of some of my most memorable concert experiences. Yours?

Wendy Vickers
http://www.wendyv.com
http://www.embraceencouragement.com

Reader Comments

I went to a concert featuring The Trio & during the concert while all three were on stage a lady came to the edge of the stage & wanted Ivan to hold her baby for a picture. The first words out of Ivan's mouth were "It's not mine!". I thought Anthony was going to fall in the floor & Kirk was doubled over laughing. It was great.

I had Tim Riley ask me from the stage what the name of the song was that I wanted to hear & Brian Free ask me where they were going to be next! All unforgettable.

God is good all the time & all the time God is good. 

Elaine Harcourt

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