Vienna Teng

Where can I begin.  Today was an incredible 10 hour vacation from life.  A few months back I came across a singer by the name of Vienna Teng.  An unbelievable vocalist out of California that has a silky, almost entrancing voice.  I remember playing the CD at the studio and before the last song was finished Tara had already purchased tickets to see her for tonight's concert in Philadelphia.  Of coarse, being photographers, the first thing I had to do before leaving was to grab a camera.  But shortly before leaving, I was called by the venue and told there would be no professional cameras allowed.  

So off we went on our trip to Philly!  Tara, her close friend Pam, and myself.  The ride down was uneventful and a little long.  But getting to our destination was surprisingly easy...  Yes, Tara drove, otherwise that last statement would have been completely different.  The two story Cafe/Restaurant was a great location for this type of event.  Plenty of room for the sold out crowd and a very intimate atmosphere.  We had a great seat, about 60 -80' back from the stage, and away from other slightly more congested areas.  With the show starting at 7:30, we had plenty of time for a full menu meal.  Looking across the crowd, the chaos of a live concert, which was also being recorded for an upcoming live DVD release, I didn't have much hope for "the perfect meal".  Our menus, single sheets of white paper, run off on a copy machine showed a limited selection, but we all found something to satisfy our hunger.  

Speaking for myself, the appetizers, meal and the desert were an unbelievable surprise.  Absolutely the beginning to what could be an incredible night.  Thinking back on it now, it was like the opening 15 minutes of a great movie...  When you start watching and are completely engulfed in the plot -  when nothing else in the world matters at that moment.  Well after that meal, I was almost there!  Shortly after we finished eating, Vienna took the stage - after a short conversation with her audience, started her opening song.  A great meal, good friends, and a singer who captures your undivided attention on the first note...  at that moment, nothing else mattered. 

An hour in to the concert I noticed that only one person, in a room of hundreds, actually fidgeting....  Tara....  I looked at her and immediately asked for the keys to the car - It was killing her knowing that we had a camera in the car and she wasn't shooting!  The second I put the camera in her hands all was good!  

A full three hours of music, with a twenty minute intermission, seemed like it went by in a moment.  But for those three hours Tara, Pam and myself were on the vacation of a life time!  The ride home? An open conversation between two women! That's a whole other blog entry!