I seriously do very little in the way of getting out and doing anything fun because of my back.
I have to work, so I do that as best I can, though even the average day of an electrical engineer can elevate my pain levels to "Need to lay down, NOW" levels.
But a few weeks ago, one of my two all-time favorite musical groups, Tears For Fears, performed at a free concert in downtown Orlando, Florida.
(That's Roland Orzabal, one of the two founders of Tears For Fears to the left.)You just have NO IDEA how much their music has meant to me over the years (since 1983! How time flies).
In one instance, one of their songs quite literally helped to change my life. I would truly be living in a different state, doing a different job if not for them.
(That's Curt Smith, the other founding band member on the right)I have missed opportunities to see them in concert since the summer of 1990, and as late as 2005.
But this free concert, put on by WMMO 98.9 in Orlando, was on an off-Saturday and my daughters and I planned to go.
As the concert date arrived, I was getting scared that I would be unable to deal with attending an outside (HOT and HUMID) concert with my back pain and not knowing if we should/could bring chairs, etc.
But the night before the concert, I found on the radio station's web site that one could purchase a V.I.P ticket and be allowed to sit close into the stage in chairs they would set up. So I purchased three V.I.P. tickets for me and the girls, and rested a little easier that night.
Number One daughter drove us all over there; I don't drive when I'm taking my pain meds, and we were able to park a mere block from the concert site.
We got there before the opening bands even started, and stuck it out in the heat and the sun because I was determined to see TFF perform, or die trying.
No telling how much I spent on $1.25 bottled water.
Tears For Fears came out at 8pm, and performed an absolutely amazing concert. They played all of their hit songs, and other songs from all their CDs.
I had taken my D90 with the 18-200mm lens and set the camera to ISO 3200 when the sun went down, Shutter priority, and 1/200sec to stop most of their movements while performing.
So these four concert shots were taken at ISO3200! Do you see any distracting digital noise from using such a high ISO setting? No. You do not.
FINALLY seeing Tears For Fears in concert, and seeing them with my daughters was priceless. The TFF concert was Awesome. My D90 performed way beyond my expectations and we got lots of great concert pics.
Just the block walk from the car to the concert site and sitting through the three bands totally took my back beyond any pain level I've felt in months. I walked part of the way back to where the car was parked, and waited for the girls to get it and come pick me up.
But it was worth it in the end, even if I was bed ridden for a day or two afterward.
This final photo is of the Orlando city skyline as seen by standing and turning around at my chair shortly before TFF came on the stage.
