Saturday morning Tristian and I slept in.  We finally rolled our lazy butts out of bed about 11.  We piddled around the house until about 3.  I was waiting to see if the forecasted rain was going to come before I decided whether or not we were going or not.  Varuka called and said that she and Angst were going to bail out of the whole invite.  Which was totally expected so that didn't even phase me.  Every weather thing I read said that rain would start about 3pm and last until 9pm.  So I had to make a decision.  So I did.  Rain or shine we were going.  So I packed my Hard Rock Cafe (New Orleans) mini backpack with things like small towels and umbrellas, money, digital camera, and id. We finally got to the field shortly before 4pm.  There were tons and tons of people there.  Small stages were playing off to the side of the larger stage.  The one act I caught seemed really good.  When they wrapped up, Tristian made a break for the smoking area and I decided I might take my chances at the porta potties.  When I think "porta potties"  all that comes to mind is the word "gross."  Thank goodness for hand sanatizer.  So Tristian and I get up to leave our lovely new take with you chairs.  You know the ones... everyone has one now... just about.  As we are about to head out, I hear my name being shouted from across the sea of people.

"Ayrie! Ayrie!"

I look up and low and behold there is Dot.  She is with her family and some other friends of ours from church.  She motions me over.  We hug.  Chit chat insues.  Others join in.  Then Dot tells me that some other friends of ours are on the otherside of the sound stage and so we go for a visit.  More hugs.  More chit chat.  Pictures insue.  Tristian has left me at this point and has only one thing on his mind... a smoke.  Which is fine with me... I was well entertained while he was gone.  Upon Tristian's return we got to the snack area in the back and I purchase two large pepsi's and he gets in line for the tater twirl thingys.  The tater thing was HUGE.  It was pretty good but way too salty.  I handed most of it back to Tristian to finish off.  He could not even finish it... and that is saying something!  

The main stage opened up.  The hosts (WAAY. FM and The Fix) talked for a few minutes, gave out a few t-shirts, and introduced the first act of the evening which was Lee Marshall.  Better known to me as news anchor for Channel 48.  She was going to sing.  She had a beautiful voice.  She sung three songs and the last one was so sad.  It was one she wrote about a friend she was close too that died and left a two year old daughter behind.  The friend had left her husband a list of things to remember to do for their daughter because she would not be there to see that it got done.  It was small things from remember to make sure all her clothes match before seding her to school to giving her an extra kiss on her wedding day.  It was incredibly sad and it make tears well up in my eyes. 

Next, Jeff Deyo takes the stage.  He is the former lead singer from Sonic Flood.  I fact I learned from Dot's husband earlier on that day.  As soon as he started singing, I instantly recognized most all of the songs.  Tristian and I have pretty good seats.  Almost center stage and about a fourth of the way back.  Teenagers begin to fill the front and dance and worship and it is really cool to read the back of all their cool t-shirts.  Some say, "I Got Jesus."  "Church Punk," "My passion is the Christ," "I get down, he lifts me up. (lyrics to an Audio Adrenaline song)",etc. 

After Jeff Deyo Tristian decides he is hungry again.  A few hours have passed since the tater twirls (and we haven't really ate a whole meal that day) and so we ventur out to the vendors again.  This time Tristian gets nachos and I get chicken fingers.  We cop a squat on a grassy knoll near the vendors  and share our eats.  My chicken is piping hot and very good.  Tristian's nachos are good too.  We are just munching and crunching along.  Watching all the kids walk around in a cruising like circle around the field.  We see kids playing football and tossing frizbees a little further out.  A kid with a mohawk passes right by me and someone stops him for a picture so I decide to grab one too.  Tristian and I both make small jokes about the mohawk.  I know the dern thing made Tristian remanicsent of his hellion days where having a mohawk was a totally acceptable idea.    We have a few more laughs and then decide to head back.  Tristian makes a bee line for the nearest smoking section and on the way I run into my cousins. 

It was totally unexpected.  I never thought in a million years I would see my favorite cousin in the world at a Christian concert but there she was.  The more she talked the more I realized, "Hey... I think she is a christian too?"  Which was great.  Then I find out that she now attends a church my friend Rickey pastors.  I told her Rickey was a great preacher and his church definately had God at the core if he was heading it and that she was in good hands.  She agreed.  With her was her niece but also my cousin.  The last time I seen her she was probably 8 or 9.  Now here she was 13 and she had boobies.  I was both shocked and a bit giggly.   Then I started thinking about when I first started gettting boobs and I guess she is right on schedule.  She was dressed kind a Avril Laveneish so she was totally cool in my book.  She was checking out every Goth looking guy that showed up.  Which was cute in a way but I bet her mom would not think so.  All three of us got into a about a 30 minute conversation.  I eventually had to end it by saying that Tristian is probably wondering where the heck I am by now.  We said our goodbye's, I took a few pictures, and headed back to my seat. 

Right when I got back to my seat, Jeff Deyo took the stage again for another set.  Tristian and I enjoyed it throughly.  When Jeff Deyo finished up, Tristian headed for another smoke and I decided to visit with Dot again.  A group of us decided to venture around to all the music booths and check out cd's and t-shirts.  That lasted about 20 minutes.  I notice however that the field was extremely packed.  I was sure that last years numbers were nothing in comparison.  I was also sure all these people were here to see Audio Adrenaline more than anything.  By the time we made it back to Dot's seats it was so backed and dark (night had fallen) that I wasn't sure if I would find my way back to my seats.  But I decided to follow my instincts and at least try to find Tristian and our seats.  Five minutes later after stepping on a few toes and pushing unused chairs and ground blankets aside I caught a glimspe of Trisitan's shirt.  Luckily he was whearing the bright blue/yellow/orange flame shirt I bought him in Gulf Shores a few years back.  He did look ultra cool in it. 

Audio Adrenaline was already onstage by the time I got to my seat and began to sing.  I didn't recognize all their songs.  Probably because alot were new but I did recognize alot like: 

Big Big House- "Come and go with me... to... my father's house.... come and go with me... to... my father's house.  It's a big big house with lots and lots of room... a big big table with lots and lots of food... a big big yard where we can play football... a big big house... it 's my father's house."

Ocean Floor- "Your sins are forgotten... their at the bottom.. of the ocean floor." 

Under Dog- "That's the way, uh-huh, we like it!  That's the way, uh-huh, we like it!  You can call me the underdog. '"

Hands & Feet- "I want to be your hands...I want to be your feet...I'll go where you send me...
I'II go where you send me."

There was alot of good audience participation where some real singing talent was found  in the crowd.  I think it shocked Audio Adrenaline abit when this big black girl wailed out their lyrics.  She was great. 

The show ended with an encore of course where AA sung "We're an American Band."  The crowd roared.  Then it was all smoke and lights and then silence.  The crowd let out a big cheer then everyone headed home.  It had been a good night. 

On the way home, Tristian and I stopped at the gas station to use the restroom and I walked into my bathroom turned around, the door shut and then I realized ... "I don't have a door knob on  this side... how am I going to get out?"  I decided to ignore the fact long enough to go to the bathroom.  After my business was done I washed my hands and went for the door.  You could not push it open.  I fiddled with the place where the door handle USE to be for a few minutes then I heard on the other side of the door, "You locked in?"  I laughed and said that I was and they said they would get help.  In the mean while I continued to fiddle with the door and it suddenly popped open.  I had saved myself.  I could not wait to run back to the car and tell Tristian so we could have a good laugh.  We joked that people go into that gas station but that doesn't mean they ever come out.  On the drive back, the first pelts of rain began to fall.  It was close to 10pm.  The late night news weather  showed that the rain clouds just started to fade away as they got closer and closer to the field where Soul Stock was held.  If that isn't God...