Six Flags Over New England
April 24, 2004
by JsHANES

We Are Standing So Close to the Stage That I Swear I Could Just about Reach out and Grab Him by the Ankles!!!…..My Heart Is Racing with Antipation and Excitement!! Eeeeeeee, I Am about to Witness "Hotass’!! Eeeeeee…the Mc Comes on Stage and Says.."I Am Proud to Introduce this next Guest (He Had Just Intro’d the Panel of Contest Judges) "Singer, Songwriter, Actor..Our Featured Special Guest….The One, the Only…."Justin Guarini!!!!!!

And There He Is, Right Before My Eyes. I Am So Overwhelmed by His Presence I Am Stunned That I Didn’t Drop the Video Camera! He Waves and Flashes the Famous "Guarini Grin"…He Spots Jgluvsjg’s Huge ‘Justin Head with a Fro’ on a Stick That She Is Holding up High!! Lol…he Laughs, Looks at Her and Motions to His Now Missing Jinglets..Shrugs and Laughs!! Yea Luv!!!!! He Says "Hi, How Are You Guys All Doin?" We Simply Scream in Response!!!!..He Says "Cool Very Cool!!" and Then Thanks Us All for Coming out and Supporting ‘Our Local Idols’..Lol…wrong!! We Are There for Him and Him Alone!!..But He Asks Us to Give Lots of Love for the Performers as They Are Here for Us. Then He Asks Us If We Are Ready for "Some Good Singing", We Scream. Again..He Says ‘C’mon Are You Ready for Some Good Singing?" We Scream Even Louder….We Want Justin!!!!!!!!He Reminds Us Again to Give Love to the Performers When They Come out Later and Then Says "Ok, Anytime You’re Ready" (To the Sound Guy I Guess) and Then the Intro Music to ‘Comh’ Begins to Play….And Justin Says, "This Is a Song off My First Album"..He Emphasizes ‘First’ by Putting His Arm up and Pointing to the Sky!..His Self Titled Album He Says.."A Song That Brian McKnight Wrote..That I Had the Honor of Singing..So Here Ya Go…." and Then He Begins to Sing…omg!!!!!!!!! I Truly Was Not Prepared for This…..As Many Times as I Have Listened to His Cd, as Often as I Have Watched and Rewatched the Videos of Him Performing, I Simply Was Not Prepared for This!!!!!!!!!!!His Voice Live Is Simply Amazing, Breathtaking, Freakin’ Incredible! He Is Amazing on Stage…you Simply Are Mesmerized, Transported!! And as He Often Does, and Is One of His Many Gifts..He Makes Subtle Changes in the Delivery of the Song, Making it Feel New and Special…..I Got the Entire Performance on Video!! I Got Close Ups of Bulging Neck Veins!..Eeeeee…zoomed in for a Crotch Shot….Don’t Know How That Happened, My Arm Was So Tired it must Have ‘Dropped’ a Little! What an Amazing Performance…..It Was Surreal for Me, like an out of Body Experience, Almost Overwhelming!! He Was Just Incredible!! I Swear He Almost Made Me Cry with the Emotion He Gave That Song!! Luv Was Simply in Heaven..Her Fav!!!!! I Caught Every Second of Him as He Moved about the Stage and Worked His Magic!!!! Great Close Ups of His Gorgeous Face as He Gave That Song Every Ounce of His Special Stuff!!! the Clarity of the Video and Sound Is So Amazing Because of the Crystal Clear Weather and Sun!!! Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, after He Finished He Said "Thank You, Thank You" and Then Asked Us to Make Sure and Give Lots of Love to the ‘Idol’ Contestants Coming on Next. The MC Said "The Amazing Justin Guarini"…More Eeee’s, Shrieks, and Screams!!! He Asked Justin If He Had Any Advice for the ‘Idols’ He Paused..Look out at Us and Said "Kick Butt"!! Then the MC Thanked Him Again, Reminded the Crowd That His ‘Self-titled’ Album Was in Stores Now and Said He Would Be Back in a Bit for Some Q&a. He Left the Stage to Lots of Screaming….The Crowd Had Really Grown Now as More People Realized He Was There!!

We Soon Learned That He Had Gone to a Small Tent/awning Just to Our Left to Talk with Fans and Sign Autographs…but We Were All to Afraid to Lose Our Spots as the Crowd Had Really Grown Huge by Now…so Some Went to Get in Line and Some of Us Stayed to Keep Our Places..I Stayed. I Was So Intent on Getting the Video That There Was No Way I Was Giving up My Spot up Front!! And We Were Told That He Would Doing More Signing Later So We Suffered thru the ‘Idol’ Performers, Trying to Give Them a Little ‘Love’, but Only Because Justin Asked Us To! But Mostly, We Just Babbled with Excitement over What We Had Just Witnessed….Greatness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then I Decided That I Would Try and Make My Way over to the Meet and Greet Area and Try to Get Some Video…so Curleey and Luv Protected My ‘Spot’ and I Made My Way Over….Eeeeeeee, I Got Some Great Close up Video of Justin Interacting with Some Fans…well I 'Assume' He Was Interacting with Fans, LOL…because the Only Thing I Kept in My Viewfinder Was His Sexy Face!!! OMG Guys the Video I Got Is Amazing….I Have Not Done this Before So I Swear God Was Guiding My Shaking Hands….Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!Ok, I Have to Apologize Tho for One Thing…somehow God Failed Me for a Moment (Lol) and I Guess I Forgot in My Excitement to Take the Camera off Standby, So I Did Not Get Video ‘OHTM’..Sorry. But OnlyJ Was Taking Video as Well, and Although She Was Having Some Camera Trouble I Think She Got That One on Tape…!

Ok, Back to the Exciting Stuff….Next Justin Came Back on Stage….Thanked All Those Still in Line at the ‘Meet and Greet’ Tent and Said He Would Be Back There Soon. He Sat down on a Stool and the Mc Led a Q&a Session with Justin and the Crowd!!!!!!!!!! I Got All of this on Video as Well….Eeeeeeeee, Zooming in Zooming Out..LOL…I Was in Heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It Was a Very Interesting Q&a…Justin Was Funny, Witty, Charming and Insightful (And Revealing) with His Responses…i Won’t Cover Them All but Here Are Some Highlights –When Asked If His next Album Was Going to Take a Different Direction than the First, Justin Said That Although He Was Happy That People Enjoyed His First CD, and That it Was Blessing to Make It…that about 90% Percent of it Was Not His Choice…but That He "Fulfilled His Duties" and That Although He Continues to Still Sing Some Songs from the Album, the Very Best Part Was Having to Work with Some Amazing People..And "Even Though it Did Not Go as Well as I Wanted it To" (He Laughs Here) it Was "Still a Great Experience and I Loved Doing It"….."The Work That I Am Doing for My Second Album, Is Gonna Be So Much More from My Heart, It’ll Be a Little Harder, a Little Edgier, and Have a Little More…it’s Gonna Be a Little More…and I Don't Mean this in Any Other Way than it Comes Out..It’s Gonna Be a Little More Lustful..Ya Know It’s Gonna Be a Little More….." (Lots of Screams!) "Ya Know It’s Not Gonna Be So…." and Here He Makes this Kind of "Goody Two Shoes, Yada, Yada " Face, Sorry Can’t Think of a Better Description, but He Makes it Very Clear That the Direction of His First CD Was Not "His Style"!! He Then Goes on to Say That "That’s Part of the Reason I Chopped off My Hair", (Again I Think Alluding to the Fact That He Wants to Shed the ‘Sweet Young Thing’ Image from American Idol) He Says to the Girls in the Audience Who May Have Curly Hair "Plus, You Know What I Am Talking About, it Is a Pain to Deal With..Crazy!!

He Also Talks about Being at Quincy Jones Birthday Party, Making the Movie, Being on Tour…..Said He Wore the Same Pair of ‘Lucky Underwear’ Everyday, but Assured Us That He Washed Them Each Day So They Wouldn’t Be ‘Crusty’ When He Performed….Lol, Did a Funny Walk, Lol!! Said He and Kelly Always Did a Ritual "High Five" Before They Went on Stage, That They Had a Great Relationship and That He Thought That Translated Well Onstage and in the Movie. He Said That He and Kelly Had a "Cool Bond" During That Time. He Also Spoke of the Other Idols, Acknowledged Tamyra’s Upcoming CD, Kimberley Locke’s as Well and Then Asked the Crowd If They Remembered RJ and Told Everyone That RJ’s Album Was out and Told Everyone to Go Buy It. Justin Guarini Is a Class Act, a Cut above and Apart from All the Other Idols. Not Only Are They Not on the Same ‘Playing Field’ with Justin When it Comes to Selflessness and Graciousness, They Are Not Even in the Vicinity!!!!!! I Love and Admire this Guy So Much!!He Was Asked "As a Songwriter Do You Prefer to Perform Your Own Songs or Would You like to Market Them to Others?" Justin Replied That He Was a ‘Newer Songwriter’, That He Had "Written a Lot of Stuff", but He Was Not "Deeply Entrenched in Songwriting", but That it Was "Important That If You Did Write Songs and Sing Well, to Do Your Own Stuff". He Also Said That Some of the Stuff He Wrote and Will Sing on His next Album Is "Personal Stuff" and That There Will Be Songs He Will Write "With the Express Purpose of Having Someone Else Singing It"".…Some Stuff Can Be So Personal That "It’s Just One of Those Things, Where I Need Someone Else to Sing That, Cause You Know I Just Can’t Go thru That (Emotion) Every Single Show". Ok, on to the Final Song and the Incredible Moment When My "Waiting for Guarini" Ends!!!!!!!

Before He Sings His Final Song He Thanks the Crowd So Much for Being There and Says "It Has Been an Interesting Journey for Me" and That "He Is Happy That He Can Still Come out and Do These Things Between Albums" (Eeeeeeeeeeee, Hell Yeah!!!!!!!!) "So Thank You Guys for Sticking Around and Hanging Out" Lots of Screams Now, and He Says "Thank You, Thank You, Bless You". He Then Introduces the Song as "Being on His Album". He Has Done it a Few Times, "It’s One of My Favorites".."I Think You’ll Recognize It..Let’s Give it a Shot"………..And He Begins to Sing ‘Get Here’….OMG!!!!!!!!!!I Am in Heaven…..His Voice Was Pure and Golden and Powerful!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! and I Got this Whole Amazing Performance on Video as Well….OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!!!!!! the Ending….Those High Notes….Can You Say Close Up!!!!!!! Lol!!!!!He Finishes by Thanking Everyone for Coming and Supporting…says it Is a Very Difficult Time for Everone in the Music Biz Right Now…even the Successful Ones…"So Thank You and Bless You for Supporting the Cause". Lots of Screaming Now as He Leaves the Stage to Go Back to the Meet and Greet Area. Oh, Oops, I Forgot to Mention That Lvr Finally Joined Us after the First Song!! (Sorry Kathy/lvr..Got Carried Away with My Narration, LOL..It Was Such Fun Finally Meeting You and Especially on My "Big Day"!!)

Ok, Lvr, Luv, Curleey and I Make Our Way over and the Young Girls We Had Previously Been Standing Behind Are Now Close to the Front of the Line!! I Walk past the End of the Line a Big Guy Says to Me as I Walk by "Hey Lady this Is the End of the Line!"..I Ignore Him and Approach the Park Employee, Paul, Cute Young Guy Who We Had Been Talking with When We Had Been in Line Before. Paul Was in Charge of the Line, Lol!! I Asked Him If We Could Cut in Because We Ahd Waited Sooo Long Before but Left to Watch Justin Perform….He Smiled and Said, "Yeah, Ok, Go Ahead"…..What a Sweetie!!!! I Make My Way Up, Look Back for Luv and Curleey, Don’t See Them..Start to Panic..LOL, They Were Already in Line…lol!!! They Weren’t Waiting For Permission Form No One!!!!!!! LOL…you Go Girls…..I Am Such a Wimp!! LOL!! Ok, I Have Truly Written a Novel I Know So I Will Just Cut to "My Moment"…………..There He Was…right in Front of Me, up Close and Oh So Personal…..Could I Step up to the Plate? Could I Rise to the Challenge?? Could I Ignore My Shaking Knees, My Pounding Heart, My Dizzy Mind and Actually Speak and Touch this Amazing Man Whom I Had Waited So Long to Meet??? You Bet You’re Sweet Ass I Could!!!!!!!! Jshane Stepped Forward..A Great Sense of Calm Came over Her as She Said the Now Profound Words:

"Hi Justin"!!!!!!!

Lol, I Was Lost in Those Brown Eyes..Lost I Tell You!!! I Think Justin Sensed it and Knew He Had to Somehow Bring Me Back to this Earth, So He Took My Hand and Said "Hi There, How Are You? What’s Happening?" I Knew Nothing Except That My Hand Was in His…......His Big Warm, Sexy Hand!!!!!!!!!!Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Just Then the Woman Sitting next to Him Put down a Thing of French Fries and Asked Justin If He Wanted Ketchup. He Looked at Me and Laughed, Took a Fry and Asked If I Wanted Some Fries! Like I Would Be Able to Digest Food at That Point…yeah Right!! LOL…..I Said, "No Thank You"…But I’ll Take a Hug!" He Paused for a Moment, Looking to Wipe His Fingers off as Had Just Eaten a Greasy Fry (Such a Gentleman!!) I Laughed and Said "Justin, I Have No Problem with You Putting Your Greasy Hands All Aver Me!" Yes I Did, Yes I Did!!! I, Jshane, 52 Yrs of Age, Mother of Two Grown Sons, Told Justin He Could Paw Me with His Greasy Hands!!!!!!!!!!! LOL, I Am So Proud of Myself…lol!! And Then it Came….I Was Warned, but it Wasn’t Enough….He Truly Wraps You up in His Arms, Envelopes You with His Warmth…i Rubbed His Back, He Squeezed Tighter…….OMG, OMG, OMG….Oops , Sorry, Just Had to Slap Myself….I’m Ok, Now….I Told Him What a Pleasure it Was to See Him Perform and That He Was Amazing…. Told Him That I Had Waited a Long Time for This…i Handed Him the "Waiting for Guarini" Poster and He Asked What the ‘Story’ Was. So I Told Him it Had Become My Mantra…that I Had Been in a Perpetual State of "Waiting for Guarini". He Looked Up, Dazzled Me with a Smile and Said Softly and Intimately…. "Well Then.. Now Your Waiting Is Over!" He Signed My Poster…."The Wait Is over Jshane! All My Love, Justin Guarini"

Then We Stood Sort of Cheek to Cheek over the Table for a Pic..Someone Was Taking Pics, Can’t Remember Who!! LOL…..And I Said "Thank You Again Justin" and Savored One Last Look at That Amazing Face, Those Lips, Those Eyes, That Jaw…..…And I Managed to Walk Away Without Assistance. The Man Does Not Disappoint…..He Often Says How Blessed He Feels….Well Yesterday it Was My Turn to Be Blessed……..A Gorgeous Spring Day, Great Ladies to Hang with and Justin Guarini…just Doesn’t Get Any Better than That!!!!