at the church of st paul, for the lucas

What a night this has been!
This marks the first time I have been asked to usher at the Lucas Theatre since the Great Firing. New folks are in charge and I had truly been concerned that I had lost another of my "third place" sites this year.
i thank God that i have not.
Katie, the new house manager, was genuinely concerned about this first concert event under the new leadership. She had not ever had to helm such a show at the Trustees. To her credit, she requested help from those of us who were regular Lucas ushers... and all ran smoothly thereafter.
Hallelujah!
Why am I so joyous after a bar band concert at which liquor flowed like water?
Well, here's one reason: the balcony patrons behaved themselves, for the most part. As I was working up there, that was important.
Here's another reason: St. Paul and the Broken Bones were aWEsoMe!!! I had never heard the Southern soul band before and was delighted with their brand of toe-tapping, come-to-rejoice-in-the-spirit music!!!
I wish I could say the same about their opening act. I know the band thinks highly of Lonnie Holley, but he was a one-man sea of discordant, sad, noise.
I admit to being grateful when his set ended.
As for the headliner, I admit to being grateful when their set ended, too. They had given us an incredible show, with a singer that danced and trod the stage and truly PREACHED glorious songs to us, accompanied by a three-man brass section, keyboards, two guitarists, and fabulous drummer. We were even granted four - that's right, FOUR - encore songs, with one being a powerful cover of the Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" that I know Sir Paul would have relished at least as much as I did!
Wow!
And now I wait for the police to free my car.
For a change, I parked in the State Street Garage instead of around Columbia Square.
Apparently, someone reported a suspicious package...
and now all parked in the garage wait...
for the bomb squad to determine the truth of the matter.
I'm going in search of food.
Wish me luck!