The Saturday Night Special. Let me break that down for you… Yes, this is a concert that takes place on Saturday. And yes, this concert takes place at night. But let’s examine the word “special.” You could read the word as if it were a noun, a word which denotes a thing, such as an item on a menu.
“I’ll have the Saturday Night Special, please, with no onions and mayo on the side.”
Or perhaps a Signature Cocktail.
“C’mon, ladies, let’s go dancing at (insert your favorite club’s name here) and consume copious amounts of their Saturday Night Special.”
I will concede, from a grammatical point of view, that the use of the word ‘Special’ in “Saturday Night Special” is indeed a noun. However, in this context, the word ‘Special’ is not a noun. It is, instead, an adjective. Webster’s defines ‘special’ as an adjective: “of a kind different from others, distinctive, unique, extraordinary.” And that, my friends, is the Saturday Night Special. This is a concert that is different from all other concerts. It is distinctive and unique. It is extraordinary.
It is Special because it is Louden Swain, live, on stage, pouring out their very souls for us. It is Billy Moran on guitar and Michael Borja (and sometimes Chris Schmelke) on bass. It is Stephen Norton on drums. It is Rob playing guitar and singing with a rawness of heart that is frankly unparalleled by any other performer out there.
It is Special because the celebrity guests bring their own energy and passion to the stage. From the smooth sounds of Gil McKinney, to the rock goddess that is Briana Buckmaster, and everything in between, the celebrity guests bring that little something extra to the stage that makes the Special, well, Special.
And given that we have long ago established that Jensen Ackles is the very definition of a Perfect 10, then let’s crank it up to 11 on the Special Scale when Jensen “Rock Star” Ackles takes the stage.
Now let’s return back to that part of the definition, ‘extraordinary.’ While I know the singing of “Carry On Wayward Son” is a highlight of the concert… While I know that the performance of “She Waits,” when Rob sings with such unapologetic raw emotion, is an unbelievably moving and powerful moment…
For me, the extraordinary part of the concert is in watching all the celebrities join Rob on stage to sing “I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends.”
It is in that moment that I am completely overcome with emotion. It is that moment when I can literally feel the love and support that is our Family. And although this is my 5th convention and thus my 5th concert, I still don’t have any pictures of this moment. Because, in that moment, I know that all of you will allow me to put myself first, that it is actually okay to allow myself to put down the camera, to soak in the emotion, to let it into my heart and fill up my soul. In that moment, in that brief moment, I know that I will get by with a little help from my friends.
And that, to me, is why the Saturday Night Concert is so very, very Special.
Additional coverage of NashCon coming soon,
-Kim Prior.
@MamaPrior
just a mom with a camera.
Reblogged this on Ana Fraser Lallybroch Blog.
Sooo very excited to share this moment with my SPNFamily in July in Pittsburgh!!
Saturday Night Special is also the name of a small caliber gun that is easily hidden but delivers one hell of a bang. Fitting name on many fronts. This is not a vote about gun control, but it is easy to see how this concert could make one lose control It is fine to love yourself in those moments of squee-leave the picture to our imaginations. Thanks.