My judgie (thatâs my Polish grandfather) played âMaggie Mayâ for me on his phone one night after dinner. I like to dance and this song was fun! I wanted to see the singer and the video and when I looked at the phone, I was instantly smitten. Who is he? Play it again! What else does he sing? I wanted to hear and see more! I have been in love with Sir Rod for almost one year, and I am six years old.
Immediately I began requesting to listen to Sir Rod in the car on the way to school, in the tub while I bathe, and anywhere and anytime I can listen to music. My parents and all of my grandparents were brought on board the Sir Rod train with all of them having his music available on their iPads, phones, and cars. My love for Sir Rod was described as an obsession since I donât want to listen to anything else.
My nonna (that’s my Italian grandmother) asked me âIf you could see anyone in concert, who would you want to see?â I couldnât get his name out of my mouth fast enough âRod Stewart!â So for my birthday she and judgie surprised me with tickets for me, my mom, and nonna to go to my first concert. My mother, Sabrina, was twelve years old when she went to her first concert, and it was to see Sir Rod too! That was in 1999 in Baltimore and Sir Rod is much more handsome now.
I was going to Allentown, and I would have to stay the night in a hotel which I love to do. This past spring my dance recital music was âGirls Just Wanna Have Funâ and I had become familiar with Cyndi Lauperâs music so I was excited to know she would be performing before Sir Rod. I only had two weeks to wait, until then I had a cardboard cut-out of Sir Rod to admire.
Getting to the concert took a long time but we made it with a few minutes to spare. The nice lady at security said I had to be the youngest fan and asked me what my favorite song was to which I replied âIf You Want My Moneyâ. She looked perplexed. My mom had to explain that âDo Ya Think Iâm Sexyâ is too racy for me so I had been taught the words a little differently. With that explanation she let us through and we were in the arena. I had some birthday money burning a hole in my purse and had a hard time deciding which piece of Rod memorabilia to buy. I decided on the blanket so I could keep Rod close to me every night and when Iâm cold. With my blanket in hand, we headed down to the floor, 11th row, to take our seats. So close to that stage.
Mrs. Lauper came out first and she was so pretty! When she came off the stage to the left my mom knew she would eventually come off to the right and we would be just a few feet away from her. Sure enough, she made her way just past our row and my mom put me on her hip and made her way to the aisle. What a huge thrill when she made her way back to the stage and paused to give me a little pat on the hand and a little smile! My mom was over the moon excited for me!
We tried very hard to get noticed by Sir Rod. The three of us were wearing shirts that read âWe Love Rodâ, and I had my cardboard cut-out on a stick and the Smiler Fan Club logo that I waved when he came to my side of the stage. No luck getting noticed but I loved every second of him on stage. He is so handsome and his voice makes me relaxed. And my favourite part of the show was the encore of âIf You Want My Moneyâ
As we headed home, wrapped in my Rod blanket, I didnât understand why I couldnât take Sir Rod home with me. I thought that if I went to the concert he would go home with me. My mom explained that he has a family of his own and he would be going home with them. I guess going home with my mom and nonna wasnât such a bad thing, but I would rather be sitting next to Sir Rod instead of the cardboard cut-out.
Review By Savita Pollard
Photos by Sabrina Catalano and Margo Hinkle
Montage By Tommy Kevitt