Mark Lowry Date!

Lest you think I went on a date with Mark Lowry, the title actually means I went on a date with Ryan to see Mark Lowry in concert. (Although in full disclosure, I will confess that back in the day, I had a crush on Mark Lowry. Yes, he is twenty years older.)

My friend Andy runs a promotion company in Marion and he brought Mark to town. Andy knows I'm a fan, so he told me I had to get tickets. He tells me that for all the artists he brings, but Ryan's not huge into southern gospel, so we don't go very often. But Ryan likes Mark, so he said yes to a date!

This concert was back on our old stomping grounds, on the IWU campus! First time Ryan had ever been inside the Performing Arts Center, where I went to chapel all four years of my college career. The balcony was closed, so I couldn't show him my old seat, right in front of the sound booth.

Shout out to our lady between our heads. Don't know her, but heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Mark was hilarious. Like I said in the podcast yesterday, it doesn't matter how much of his material I can quote verbatim, it's all still so funny. And he can get away with crazy amounts of lines that no one else could get away with.

He told the story of his motorcycle accident. One of my favorite stories. (I still say amb-u-lance like he does in that sketch.)

Stan Whitmire travels with Mark, and I could listen to him play the piano all day. And we did get about a 30 minute concert before the concert. It was lovely!

 (I had my good camera and zoom lens with me, but I felt weird pulling out the Bekahrazzi around all the older people in our section. So we just cell phoned it.)

I didn't know most of the songs Mark sang. Apparently I'm behind on his newest stuff. But I enjoyed them!

 One of my favorite Stan songs, which he played that night!

During halftime, while I was devouring my Kind bar to keep myself from passing out, I had the chance to see my friend Karen and her husband Tom! Unfortunately, I failed to get a photo with them, which is a TOTAL BEKAH FAIL. I feel terrible about it!!

So if you would, imagine a photo of Ryan, Bekah, Tom, and Karen!

Date night success! (Even with a photo fail!)

OH! UPDATE! I forgot this originally! This particular day happened to be Mark's birthday, so he had the audience sing to him while he recorded it. Here it is from his Facebook page: