Stage lights are flickering. My feet are tapping uncontrollably, I'm ANXIOUS!!!! A few more people have arrived.

Some old man comes out on stage and starts blabbing about the fair, etc etc and introduces a high schooler who won a singing contest and could we all rise while she performs the National Anthem.

"PhhhhAAA!" I snort and start giggling uncontrollably. The Star Spangled Banner at a DADDIES SHOW??? HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!! The situation is toooo much. Here we are SITTING on a metal bench miles away from a stage where the Cherry Poppin' Daddies will be playing in minutes and now we're hearing the frickin BANNER?

The girl comes out on stage, and I must admit, it was one of the best Banner performances I've ever heard. Her voice was so gorgeous. I catch a glimpse of Jason singing along backstage.

The stage empties. We wait. Look at our watches. The man comes back on and introduces the Daddies. Nothing happens. We wait. Look at our watches. This is getting annoying, hurry up, dammit!!

"Doo doo DOOOO! Doo doo DOOOO!" the 2001 theme starts up (I'm gonna hafta rent that movie sometime... I've never seen it.) and the band comes out on stage, starts "April in Paris" and Steve leaps out and does his bows and kisses.

I'm stand up and Security Man in front of me glares. I see people on the dance floor. Dr. Bones starts and the kids in there aren't swing dancing!!! We scream at Security Man "CAN WE GO IN THERE?????" He tips his head a few millimeters indicating a nod. "HOW?????" Still staring straight ahead, he points to our right to a sign that says DANCE FLOOR ENTRANCE. *phwoosh!* We're gone.

My foot hits the pavement inside that gate and I go nuts. There's less than 15 people up there! I'm running around in circles, skanking, leaping and twitching in the air. I just completely spazzed out. I skank to the front. No one's there. I skank back. Run around some more. I can stand anywhere I want and go crazy! This is the greatest Daddies show EVER!!!

Dr. Bones ends and I have to grab on to the barrier to catch my breath. Panting is more like it. Mouth is suddenly sticking together, needing water. "You guys need to play here more often - I'm outta shape!" I yell to them. Some people around me laugh as I stand there heaving.

No Mercy for Swine. More people on the floor, which is alright. I still have reign of the place.

Drunk Daddy. I'm hopping backward and smack into somebody. "HI SARA!" Friends from school. They'd been trying to get my attention since I'd gotten in there! And they're laughing at me. In fact, even the people sitting in the front row were laughing at me. Maybe that was a hint that I needed to calm down.

"This song is off of our first record Ferociously Stoned," people cheer. Kid next me laughed, "yeah, man, Ferociously Stoned! woohoo!" "...and it's called Master and Slave." YEE HAW! Still flying around. Move to the front and find that still no one has claimed it for their own, so I'm free to dance AND watch the show (gasp!)!!! Somebody says "man, aren't they going to play any ska songs?"

Right on cue Steve announces, "This is off our record Kids on the Street," (someone screams ‘IRISH WHISKEY!!!!!'). Don Quixote starts. THIS was the song I had been waiting for. My favorite live Daddies song. I use the barrier to launch myself backward into a frenzied skank in and around people. I run into some swing dancers and see some arms go over my head as I pass through the middle of their move. (That was pretty damn cool, lemme tell ya. See, swingers and skankers CAN get along!) I hop along over to the front to the left....

.......and a security woman grabs my arm.

DISASTER STRIKES.