Let your body move to the music

You know how some people just seem to have a knack for having crazy, outlandish experiences? Well, our friend Lee is one of those people. Some details had to be left out, but here is his report from a trip to LA to see Madonna in concert:

Wanted to update you guys on my trip to LA and Madonna. I honestly must say that had I known what I was in for I may have been too nervous to go through with it.

My friend Jay won tickets from [popular LA radio station] to the show. He was then entered in a grand prize drawing and won that too. That included, "the chance to meet Madonna for you and a guest and an autographed guitar." He had to drive out to the office in Burbank and sign over his life, bring his SocSec card, very complex and legal.

Michael and I flew out Thursday morning since the show was that night. We arrived at the venue 2 hours early as indicated by [popular LA radio station]. Madonna's tour manager came out and met us and started to give us this run down of the event. Several other people were with us wearing tags that said friends and family.

We all are taken into the empty venue, seated and we meet security agents who tell us how much trouble we'll be in if we do anything wrong. They then ask who the strongest dancers are and proceed to explain they have to be picked out because "we have to set the right mood for M." Needless to say, we were identified.

Along with the others we are taken down and under the stage into a recessed area on stage that is lowered from the rest of the stage by about 3 feet. The show is actually going to take place around us and it appears to the audience that we are part of the show.

When the lights went down and the video screens went on we couldn't see anything because the stage was so dark. Two flashlights go on near me and I still can't see anything until a what appears to be a dim lamp is switched on and there, about 4 feet away, is Madonna getting into a complex yoga pose. Madonna looks at me, smirks, and then starts laughing. Not at all in a mean way but sort of like, "can you believe this shit?" Throughout the show she high fived all of us, sweated on us and sang an acapella version of "Deeper and Deeper" while pointing at me and staring into my eyes for about 20 seconds. At that moment all the questions of the universe were answered for me.

The show is beyond fantastic. Madonna is the most positive and light (as in "The Light") force I believe I have ever been around. She is all show business making the dance routine look effortless. She seems to be a very happy person who is living her life her way and laughing at her detractors.

This is the kind of thing that would never happen to Gretchen and I (actually, I'm not sure we would want to be onstage at a Madonna concert)--it could only happen to Lee, which is good because he's one of those people who would make the most of the experience.