Everyone’s got a ‘Prince in concert’ story. This is mine. #RIPPrince #BucketList #MondayBlogs

I didn’t go to many concerts growing up. There just wasn’t the money for it and, frankly, it wasn’t even on my radar with saving all my pennies to put myself through college. Then came college, the Army, law school, and practicing law. Yeah, not so much time to get my butt to concerts in those years.

But I can’t tell you how happy I am that I didn’t miss Prince in concert. Prince is the hubby’s all-time favorite musician. In fact, the music he wants played at his funeral is written and performed by the man in purple himself. I’m a pretty big fan as well. I even colored my hair purple for Halloween the year Purple Rain was released. (Please don’t tell my mom, she’s still convinced it was a ‘mistake’.)

Anyway, the year was 2002 and I was living with the hubby in the Netherlands. Prince announced a European tour stop in Amsterdam and I was determined to buy the hubby tickets for his birthday. But, as many of you know, he plays a lot of small venues, which means it was going to be a fight to get tickets. For some reason, I was staying with my in-laws the morning the tickets came out. First, my mother-in-law and I worked furiously on the computer to buy tickets, but it was a no go. The entire website was a mess. I somehow managed to convince my mother-in-law to drive me to the post office where it was also possible to buy tickets. I made it there five minutes after tickets went on sale and five minutes before they were sold out. Yes! I had my tickets.

Of course, that wasn’t the end of the story. Oh no, my lovely pilot’s schedule got changed and he wouldn’t even be in the country for the day of the concert. In a strange turn of events, Prins Claus, husband of Queen Beatrix and Prince Consort, died days before the concert. His funeral was in fact on the day of the event. Prince offered to refund any ticketholders who didn’t want to attend his concert due to a day of mourning in the country. I took advantage of his generous offer and only felt a teensy weensy bit guilty.

A few years later and we’re living in Germany; near the border of Luxembourg. Once again, Prince is doing a European tour. Now, I’m bloody determined to not only get tickets, but actually attend the concert as well. And boy am I glad I did. I don’t think much of the acoustics in the Rockhal in Luxembourg, but the intimacy of the venue is pure awesomeness. It was like I could reach out and touch his purple royalty. Heck, I could even see his earpiece. I was that close. Best. Concert. Ever. It’s rare when a musician who is that talented is also a stupendous performer. His Purple Highness had it all (and having to write that sentence in the past tense totally makes me sad).

I’m not sure who can top the performance Prince put on, but I thought I’d put together a bucket list of musicians I want to see perform. So who’s on my bucket list? It’s a short list.

Bruce Springsteen. I always liked his music growing up, but that was kind of it. Going into my third decade living overseas, however, I somehow now reach for Bruce’s music whenever I’m feeling lost and maybe a tiny bit homesick.

U2. Huge fan, like they-can-totally-compete-for-first-place-with-Pearl Jam. I had the chance to see them once in the Netherlands and I didn’t take it because, well, being a lawyer is fricking exhausting.

As I scrolled through my music library putting this list together, I was saddened by the amount of performers I will never see because the band broke up or they are no longer with us. All I can say to that is: Thank God Prince isn’t on that list. #RIPPrince