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Fan Reviews
Journalist Reviews
Meet & Greet Reviews
Fan Reviews (Top)
Review by Sabine
I can't describe how grateful I am yet again had such an incredible opportunity to meet Mariah - and even more beautifully: to see and hear her sing. After all, that's what makes her such a big part of my life. So here's what happened. We went to the Fox Theatre at about 2 in the afternoon. We saw the trucks unload and people moving in and out. At about 5 PM Mariah's band, dancers and background singers arrived, and shortly after that a black stretch limo pulled up. And there she was. We could only wave to her and call her name, but she waved back and had a big smile on her face. We could see that she had a leash in her hand and that could only mean that Jack was there with her. She looked great, her blond hair put up and some fashionable sun glasses on.
Only a few hours later it was time to go inside. I picked up my backstage passes and was anxiously waiting for the line to move. Honey and I had prepared a huge banner saying: "German Lambs in da House - Honey & Sabine" and we were trying to get this in. After insisting they let me take it in. We found our seats and I started feeling really strange. I wasn't nervous, but it felt overwhelming.
I knew then, as the lights went out shortly after 8 PM that I was going to have the most amazing night with Mariah! People jumped to their feet, looking back and forth, seeking for where Mariah was going to make her entrance. The big canvas on the stage with the oriental design was all red and yellow lights… they projected a movie sequence of big cities along to bits of Mariah's songs (of which most of them she was going to perform later).
Then the intro of "Looking In" started which led into "Heartbreaker". And there she was. People got really excited and started screaming, I had to fight the tears to because I couldn't believe how lucky I was to hear her sing again. So beautifully. She was led along the aisle and when she got on stage she sang part of the remix. I just fixated my eyes on her… how beautiful she was in her short pink glitter dress. It was amazing. When she finished she had a big smile on her face and stood and soaked up the cheering. She deserved it.
Right after that she performed "Dreamlover" and people kept dancing and cheering. She then sat down on a big armchair and introduced "Through the Rain" as the first single of her new album. And it was beautiful how she hit all those notes - and I was amazed, because she sat in that chair belting her heart out! After "Through the Rain" she stood center stage and performed "My All" with a little alteration like in the dance remix and people loved it! The dancers were amazing during the dance remix.
Mariah changed outfits and the stage was transformed in a kind of circus. The Marionette Show (with the reversed E :) started and Mariah sang "Clown". It rocked! She wore the beautiful golden dress and looked amazing. After that she said Hello to St. Louis and mentioned Honey B. Fly (a couple of times during the show actually) and said they were going to do a first-timer on the tour tonight. The fans had voted for "One Sweet Day" and she introduced BoyzIIMen who then appeared on the big video screen (it was the video for the song) and Mariah stood left stage listening and then singing with them in unison. It was beautiful. Really amazing.
Mariah made another exit to change and the video for "Honey" started after the canvas had been let down again. Mariah appeared wearing the blue mini dress and danced. I thought she was looking very serious doing it. : But cute, too. After the song again she left the stage quickly and left it to the dancers. The house was turning into a club when the video for "I know what you want" with Busta Rhymes appeared. Mariah made only a quick appearance at the last part of the song coming out from the left of the curtain wearing her cute little Harley Davidson ensemble. She had some pretty good moves too! People loved it!
A big highlight came next: Mariah coming down from the top of the stage on a white draped curtain wearing a heavenly white strapless mini dress. She wore a head set performing "Subtle Invitation". The swing came down to the piano and she put on this amazing club performance of the song, really sexy. For the last part of the song she came down from the piano and ran from left to right being very emotional about what she actually said in the song. It was fantastic! Like she was actually talking to that guy in the song. The grand piano still in center of the stage, Mary Ann, Trey, and the other two background singers came closer.
Mariah introduced "My Saving Grace" as her life story put to music. In the background photos of her as a little child, a teenager, young person in the music biz, clippings of her breakdown were projected. The song was amazing… it almost felt like worship how people put their hands in the air and sang along. A very powerful performance.
One of my favorite moments of the concert followed when Mariah was then introducing the band. She started with the piano player. Singing jazzy, jamming with the band, she came up with the words right at that moment. It made me wish I could hear her sing jazz more often! It was amazing! She laughed a lot, told Trey to stop laughing :, hit very very very low notes when she introduced the bass player, almost forgot to introduce the keyboard player, and had so much fun with the background singers, "Eat, drink, dance, whatever!" They are fantastic too! Wow, what voices!
She joked around with Trey… sang in a very sensual voice to and about him - and then they just cracked up when she got a little sign saying "Between *picture of a fish* bread" so everyone did the South Carolina joke. It was hilarious! They are such good friends. Both sang "I'll be there" after that which was quite a singalong tune for everyone in the house. I remember when Trey hit the very high note that Mariah was suddenly jumping up and down, cheering like everyone else at that moment. It was hilarious seeing her that enthusiastic about their own song!
Then Trey and the girls performed "Friend of Mine" and I was really impressed with the performance. The song is fabulous! Trey thanked everyone dearly and said he really means it when he said he loved the audience.
"Bringin" on the Heartbreak" was next. Mariah came down the stairs wearing the beautiful dark red dress and pulled up a rocking performance. I think it turned out to be a lot of people's favorite tune. You could see fans waving Sunflowers and a lot of banners. Yet another costume change during a jam by Vernon 'Ice' Black for an encore of the song without Mariah.
Then ODB appeared on the screen and people jumped up on their feet! It was "New York in da house"! : Mariah wore pink satin shorts and a top and did the chair dance like during the years before. You could hardly tell she was lip syncing. It was great! Right after the song she did "Always be my Baby" and what a joy in the house!! A guy with a sign saying "Can I get a hug?" was led on stage and got a big hug from Mariah. I believe another girl did too. Then they threw in white and orange balls into the audience and it turned out to be quite a party for everyone including Mariah. She was so close to everyone that night!
One of my favorites followed… Mariah sang "Make it Happen". It was church in the house! Again, almost worship like people were clapping their hands along with Mariah and sang and shouted and screamed. It was overwhelming. Then the lights went off… but the show wasn't over yet. After two minutes or so Mariah returned wearing the gorgeous feathery gown singing "Vision of Love". And it was nothing compared to the "Rainbow Tour" performance. It was crisp and clear and you could just watch her in awe. I was.
Mariah's last song was "Hero". Everyone, not just the fans, was probably more excited about this song than anything else. It was the grand finale. Mariah made her exit to the "Butterfly (Outro)" and waved and blew kisses to the audience. The lights went off and her master of ceremony, the clown, put a sketch board with Mariah on it right into the center of the stage - and that's when the lights went on and I felt - how short it was! But it was a 105 minute set, but it was so well sequenced without any slow moments that the time flew by fast.
Review by Mary Jean
Before the conert I bought my tour book and a glow stick that had Charbracelet world tour inscribed on it. The tour book is amazing, really big and all full color. My hubby came with me to the concert - he is not a fan at all but came along to support me. He has his moments:lol. We had some ground rules, he had to stand up if everyone else was standing. And at least clap when a song was over. He was great! There was a huge colorful Charmbracelet curtain hanging in front of the stage. My seats were near the center aisle about 17 rows back but I was glad to be in the center.
OK, so the concert began with a version of looking in playing as 3 dancers came out in front of the curtain. The crowd started to get loud. Screams and shouts and whistles could be heard all over the theater. Many people started looking to the back of the theater immediately because they knew she'd been entering from the back. We couldn't decide if we should look to the back or watch the dancers in the front. This went on for like a whole minute!
Finally, they started to play Heartbreaker intro and we were all looking back and wondering when she would come out. It didn't take long to realize when she first walked out as the intermittent screams and shouts and whistles became very concentrated and even louder when the first fans finally saw her! As I said, I was near the center aisle, so I did get to see her when she walked by surrounded by her bodyguards and singing. It was quite a shock to the system and I started to cry as she walked by and I realized I was finally seeing her live. It seemed like forever as she disappeared into the front of the theater, still singing, before she appeared on the stage.
Shiloh will have to tell us what happened during that time because I know that is where his seat was. I met Shiloh and his dad before the concert started, they are both very sweet ;) Anyhow, back to my review, I was just so happy to see her I still felt like I was going to cry. I got so caught up in upbeat songs, Heartbreaker and Dreamlover, that my feeling quickly changed to pure happiness as I was able to sing along with my all time favorite artist!
The cool thing was it was so loud I could barely hear myself sing so I wasn't worried if I sounded like crap, I figured no one around me could hear me either! I sang, nearly screaming, along every word to every song. So the crowd was all standing during the first two songs HB and DL.
Then she was to sing Through the Rain, she talked a little about it being an inspirational song and I don't really remember much of what she said. Everyone sat down as she sang this one. Then she announced My All and many people were happy and screamed for this one.
I was really happy because I knew she was going to do the remix version, which I LOVE, and I waited intently for the beat that would signal the beginning of the remix. Mariah did about one verse into the remix and then she ran off stage to change while the backup singers finished it up. I'm not going to comment much on the dancers and other stage props because I didn't pay any attention to that.
I was totally staring at Mariah the whole time and singing along. It was a dream come true to be able to sing along with her. Even though there were thousands of other people there if you know what I mean.
Next song was Clown which I loved. By the way, during the whole concert I was waving my glow stick in the air and I could swear that at one point Mariah was scanning the crowd and she saw me and paused and smiled. I don't know if it's true or not but if felt that way to me anyhow. Next song, which was the city by city voted song, was One Sweet Day. She sounded great just like the version from the BET Xmas special. I thought it was great that St. Louis got a new, first time song, that made it very special.
I'm going to skip to Subtle Invitation because Honey and IKWYW are just not my favorites, oddly enough. She sounded great, I just have nothing else to say about them. Subtle Invitation is the song she is lowered from the ceiling. Her voice sounded so strong, better live than on the album. She is wearing a headpiece microphone thing and at the end of the song she calls out "is someone gonna help me get this thing off? I'm not good with technical machinery, I can hardly turn on a computer." (something like that)
During the middle of the song SI there was some microphone trouble where you couldn't hear her. She was singing but we couldn't hear anything. That was quickly fixed though. Next was My Saving Grace, I actually stopped singing along to that song because I wanted to hear her and it was phenomenal!
The band introduction was next, very fun, very relaxed. She tries to keep that very real and not over rehearsed I think. It probably varies a little for every show. Lionel Cole was playing piano that night (he's the guy that is going to be collaborating with M on some new songs during the "down time" on the tour according to a recent article).
Next was I'll be there. It was dead on all the way, I was really amused to watch Mariah as Trey totally nailed his "high" notes in 'holding oon oon ooooonnnnn'. Her eyes opened wide and she smiled really big and sort of raised her hand triumphantly (I don't know how to describe it)
Trey's song was next, and it was alot of fun, they really streeeetttcched it, to give Mariah a breather, allowing the other three backup singers to do some of their own adlibing solo parts.
Mariah came back strong for the next performance of BOTH. They really cranked up the volume on the amps, the microphones, everything. And the whole song just blew everyone away, all the way to the Mississippi river! It was loud! Before the song was over, though, Mariah finished one of the final choruses, abrubtly looked down and walked real quickly off the stage. It took me by surprise because the song wasn't over and she had not done the high note, I was worried that something was wrong.
The backup singers continued on and the guitar guy Ice Black (I forget it all but his nickname I think is ice) went wild on the guitar and finished the song. I guess Mariah was just doing another quick costume change because she came back for Fantasy and everything was fine. :smokin The next songs, Fantasy, Always be my Baby and Make it Happen were really crowd favorites! I could hear alot of people singing along to them and we sounded awesome! It was cool, I wondered if Mariah was able to hear it over the band and singers on the stage?
After these last songs, everyone lined up on stage and took a bow and walked off. The entire theater was dark. The crowd went wild. I myself tried to keep screaming on and on because I was afraid if we weren't loud enough she wouldn't come back to do her encore (which I knew would be Vision of Love and Hero)! It seemed to take forever! The lights came back on and you could hear Mariah but not see her as she did the introductry "humming" to VOL. She appeared at the top of a beautiful staircase on the stage in her final ensemble the one with all the feathers. She began singing VOL as she was descending the stairs. She did the ending using the bea-bea-bea-bea version (most fommers will know what I'm talking about since it was a big discussion not long ago as to which way everyone liked the ending) but she didn't stop there she continued on with several soft sweet adlibs of 'turned out toooooo' and finished the song off with one loud, strong, piercing, fabulous 'beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee'. She gave it to us both ways, ain't she the greatest. The final song of the night was Hero and it was great and we all clapped and cheered and screamed. And Mariah beemed back at us.
It was so worth it, I drove almost 400 miles to go to the concert and I would do it all over again.
Review by Maggie
WOW!!!! I cannot even begin to tell how wonderful this concert was!! The set list was the same as the other US dates, but the song we voted for was “One Sweet Day”. Mariah sang it with the OSD video playing in the background and wearing her goldish dress.
I got to the theatre around 6:30 (the concert started at 8) with my brother, John, and we went to the will call to get my Honey B Fly passes for after the show. Then I got in line for a few minutes where they said absolutely no cameras, etc. but I was able to sneak one in :-P. The pictures are kinda blurry but they look good! Also, the head of security (a really nice lady) took my gift basket for Mariah, and said she would try hard to get it to her, as I was not aloud to bring it into the concert. After I went into theatre, I went to the merchandise stand and bought a t-shirt (the white one, you can take a look at the pics), the keychain, the program and the poster :). When we found our seats (really great view, 9 rows from the stage), we sat around awhile for the show to start and watched the people coming and going. There was a big curtain up, with carousel horses and other animals on it, as well as the album charmbracelet. We saw a bunch of people who worked for Mariah, including Michael Richardson (her tour manager) who I said hi to hehe. Then, the lights went off (about 8:15) and we heard the beginning of Heartbreaker Remix come on. Mariah came in through the audience like at the other shows, from the back of the aisle. My aisle was empty on my right side (about 10 or so seats) because the photographer needed them to get good shots, so I ran down to the side and watched Mariah come down, and she grabbed my hand (her hand is soooooo soft) and looked at me and smiled.
From then on, Mariah performed the same set list, except for One Sweet Day which was like I said, the voted song. She sounded simply AMAZING!!!! I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful she was!! I really loved “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak”, “Always Be My Baby”, “Make It Happen”, “Vision of love”, and “Subtle Invitation”, but everything was perfect. She made jokes, sipped tea, and talked to the audience throughout the show. Her jazz song for the band intro was tooooo cute!!!
A little bit into the show, Michael Richardson came and sat down by me next to the photographer (about two seats away, but the photographer moved so it was just Michael) which was really cool since there wasn’t anyone else on that side (there were some people on my brother’s left but they were a few seats away)!! He seemed to be really enjoying the concert, smiling and dancing with everyone. I was afraid to take pictures, because sneaking one in is one thing and taking pictures with Mariah’s manager sitting next to you is another!! But when I took one, I whipped my head around and checked to see if he minded, and he just grinned at me like it was ok (I think he remembered me from when I was talking to him before the concert) so it worked out.
Review by Shiloh
To start things off, my dad and I were supposed to meet up with some lambs, Julie and Tessa, before the concert; however those plans did not exactly work out (at first). We needed to find handicapped accessible parking (so I would not have to walk as far)....and we eventually did. However the disabled parking was in the back of theater.....so we had to go in the back door......not the front. And I had planned to meet Tessa and Julie in the front of the theater, but since we entered the back way that plan got completely foiled.
Anyway, security checked our stuff (we had binoculars and a disposable camera----but b/c we hid our camera they did not find it) and we went on inside the theater. Once inside, I went ahead and purchased some tour items for the night. The items I got were: MC Black / White Shirts w/ tour dates ($38 each), tour book ($30), keychain ($7) and a poster ($15). But there were SEVERAL other items there that we did not get including: hats, shorts, glow sticks, buttons, pens, even more shirts, bandannas, thongs, and probably more stuff. So after I got all the items I wanted, my dad ran back out to the car and put the stuff away. And then, before heading to our seats we purchased a couple of sodas.
Meanwhile I had been trying to find someone that might be able to help us get backstage afterwards, but no luck Once we found our seats, I met up with a fabulous lamb (who happens to post here) but we did not get to chat long, and here's why...
Moments later, I heard my cell phone ring but missed the call. However I saw that it was Julie and Tessa.....so I called them back. They told me that they had an extra seat beside them, (in third row on the floor---orchastra pit) and the reason was b/c Vijay (a mutal friend of ours) could not make it to the show that night. So I graciously accepted thier generous offer; I asked my dad if it was OK and he said "yeah it's fine....you go boy". So I told my Mariah lamby friend goodbye and headed down to meet them.
Once down there, I realized how incredibly lucky I was and kept thanking them over and over, I even told them I was putting them in my will. They introduced me to another Mariah lamb who was sitting in front of us in the second row. And guess what! He told us that he had an extra seat beside him as well, and that if I wanted to, I could invite my dad to come down and sit in second row with him. ) So, Julie.......the sweet lamb that she is, offered to go get my dad for me.....and so she did, and the next thing I know there's the five of us together with floor seats.
So anyway to the main section of the review: The concert started @ approx 8:15 p.m. All of a sudden the lights went out and everyone started screaming (all 4,500 fans---the theater was COMPLETELY sold out). Then out of no where we hear Mariah singing "Heartbreaker"! And we notice that she's coming from the back of theater towards the front to make her way on stage. Then suddenly she TURNS and starts heading towards our aisle! And eventaully she comes RIGHT over to us and she starts singing to my dad and holding his hands, And my dad is trying to point to me in the next row and I seriously think Mariah recogized both of us from the chicago meet and greet!
Then as you all know she did the standard songs she's done @ all the other shows. However, when it came time for the internet song contest of the night: ONE SWEET DAY was the winner for St. Louis, and Mariah said something like "this is a new winner.....we've never performed this on the tour yet" and we all KNEW it was OSD... OMG.....her voice on this song was INCREDIBLE. Actually her voice the whole night was amazing, but on OSD it was SO strong and powerful......not one part was lipped. Her voice sounded very 1998.....so beautiful (think Japan 98 on the Bfly tour).
And another cute section in the show was when she introduced her backup singers and band members. She sang very jazzy like here....so cute, And at one point she turned her back to the audience and was singing to the drummer and she swiveled her booty to the drum music and said "you know.......we can never get that right cause I'm trying to shake it in synch with the drums but we're always off".
Oh also during "Clown" Tessa and Julie held up a sign they had painted that said "POW" and Mariah saw it and smiled.
After Mariah performed "Subtle Invitation" she was asking her crew if she was supposed to take her head mic off or what. She said something to the effect of: "I can't even turn on a computer, how do you expect me to mess with BIG machinery", and THEN she goes "ohhhhhh that did NOT sound right" and everyone started cracking up.
During "Always Be My Baby" she threw several beach balls into the audience.....and my dad was lucky enough to catch one. During I'll Be There" (in the middle of the song) Mariah asked some fans to come up in front of the stage and sing along (cause of what happened in vegas) And then afterwards she and Trey were talking about the "fish sandwiches" and MC explained that joke. THEN Julie and Tessa held up ANOTHER sign that said "BETWEEN BREAD" with a fish painted on the sign and MC saw it and cracked up. said "I've got to see this" and they handed it up to her. Trey and MC both got a good laugh, then they handed it back to them.
After that, it was Trey's solo performance of the night. After he finished, he introduced all the back up singers again and had them each sing a little freestyle accapella.
Some other standout performances of the night were "Through The Rain", "My Saving Grace" (she kept belting "JESUS IS THE ANSWER"), "Make It Happen" (the last song before the encore), "One Sweet Day", "Hero" (the last song of the night----she held the notes "and in time you'll find the WAY" for a very long time) "Bringin' on the Heartbreak". I thought BOTH was one of the best of the night because Mariah was SO into it and afterwards her backup singers continued to sing "you're bringin on the heartbreak" for about five minutes or so while Vernon Black on guitar did his amazing solo. Mariah's voice sounded so amazing Friday night in St. Louis, much better than on the Rainbow tour. It was so much stronger in St. Louis......it took my breath away.
The concert started at 8:15 p.m. and ended at 10:05 p.m. And MC did not have an opening act in St. Louis. Overall the show was fabulous. Out of the Rainbow tour and Charmbracelet Tours---Charmbracelet wins in my opinion, it was fabulous. Almost like a broadway production with the lights, props, dancers, everything.
Journalist Reviews (Top)
Review by Brian Q. Newcomb (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
After Friday night's powerhouse performance at the Fox, you can forget everything you think you know about Mariah Carey. The diva-on-the-mend may have a lot to prove, but 10 minutes into her spectacular live show, all that talk of emotional breakdowns, movie flops and discarded record deals is forgiven if not forgotten.
There was not a glimmer of the "stage fright" that hindered her touring early on, as she walked down the center aisle to the opening music of "Heartbreaker." Backed by a solid five-piece band, four background-singers and 11 dancers, Carey wasn't hiding from the crowd in her glittery pink mini-dress as she danced to the edge of the stage during the sprite poppy, "Dreamlover."
While some have suggested that Carey's touted five-octave vocal range has not weathered the test of time, she was eager to prove otherwise, hitting those high atmospheric notes as her songs were ending. Inevitably, the crowd response, which at times mirrored idol worship, would leave Carey standing with her camera-ready "cat that ate the canary" grin.
Stating that she was glad to finally play St. Louis, Carey introduced one of her many survival anthems and the first single from the "Charmbraclet" disc, "Through the Rain."
I'm still here, Carey sang later at the conclusion of "Subtle Invitation," then quietly affirming, it's a subtle hint. For this song, Carey was lowered from the rafters sitting on a white cloth swing, wearing a strapless white mini-dress.
The classy production included no less than eight costume changes during the 105-minute performance, using live and stock video, and featuring her dancers and musicians in a way that freed her to return to the dressing room.
"One Sweet Day," a song that won the voting on Carey's website for this night, featured the singer interacting with video of Boyz II Men. The bouncy hip-hop of "Honey" was followed by a video of Busta Rhymes' duet with Carey, "I Know What You Want."
Two back-to-back production numbers stole the show, even though Carey's version of Def Leppard's "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" sounds anemic by comparison. Still, dancing in her red gypsy dress, she made up for what was lacking early on, by turning her stellar band lose on one of the only rockin' jams of the evening.
Her aerobic workout shorts were perfect for "Fantasy," which plays off of a Tom Tom Club's sample from the song "Genius of Love." The sexy hip-hop effort, was given added edge thanks to ODB's video presence.
While Carey's sets, costumes and lighting rival that of a traveling Broadway show, it was the more intimate moments where her voice and music was allowed to shine. She introduced the gospel-leaning "My Saving Grace" as my life story put to music, and closed out the set on a similar note with "Make It Happen."
Encores of "Vision of Love" and "Hero" wrapped up the evening with an almost saccharin sweet sing-along, but they were mercifully direct. While her St. Louis fans got to celebrate her music, Mariah Carey re-established her status as a pop vocalist who is not easily dismissed or denied.
Meet & Greet Reviews (Top)
Review by Sabine
Then the Meet & Greet people gathered in the back of the theatre. There must have been more than 50 people. Twenty of us alone were Honey B. Fly members. It was so great meeting everyone. We were led downstairs into a small room with snacks and drinks, and waited there for a few moments. It didn't feel like a very long time because everyone was in high spirits and just really enjoying themselves… it felt really relaxing. Then they split us up in 2 groups, of whom the first group was let in. They came back out saying how awesome it was meeting Mariah. When it was our turn we were already told at the door to the small theatre room that no cameras and no autographs were allowed due to the lack of time.
So we all entered the room and walked up to Mariah who was standing there. Very tall and slim, and just wonderfully welcoming. Everyone gathered around her in a circle, and just chatted. Mariah was showered with presents, letters and books (she also received the St. Louis Fanbracelet) so she had to put it down twice because it was just too much. She was wearing a short denim skirt, and a tiny white top with colorful print on it.
When I got to talk to her and told her that we are the "German lambs", she looked me in the eyes asking "You used to have an accent". And I said, "yes, you told me the same thing in Dallas in October at the meet & greet" and then I showed her the pictures of the two of us there and she said "Oh"! It was really funny, and I am so honored that Mariah noticed that. I told her that she had to do with my progress in English too… she said "aww" and looked at me really sweetly. I handed her my letter, told her that I had made a CD commemorating her stay in St. Louis and I told her how I loved the concert. I could hug her, too. It felt so good.
We took two pictures together, the whole group of us. Then we got to talk some more although they wanted us to hurry up. But nobody rushed, it felt really calm. I asked if I could get a quick autograph and Wayne said "Yes, quickly" and I thanked him and then Mariah signed the picture for me. And I thanked her and gave her another gentle hug. I told her that I am going to all of her concerts in Germany and that everyone there is really looking forward to it. And she looked at me excitedly. I then left the room and went upstairs and outside with everybody else. Shortly after that Mariah left the building. We could hear Jack bark and see her getting into the limo.
A lot of people were there, and they actually put up a barricade on the street so the limo could get by quickly. I managed to see Mariah as they were driving by slowly with the window down. And I even got to take a picture of her and Jack. It was hilarious! We all waved goodbye and saw the limo appear into the night.
It was one of the most amazing nights of my life, and I want to thank Honey B. Fly and everyone at MonarC, and mostly Mariah for making this an incredible incredible experience. I can't wait to see her in Germany and I wish her and everyone else all the best for this wonderful tour. It's the best ever! It rocks!
Review by Shiloh
We hung around inside the theater for a little while trying to see if we could get backstage. But Tessa and Julie decided to try thier luck waiting outside for Mariah. However my dad and I stayed inside the theater trying to see if we might be able to find someone that could help us get backstage We tried for around 30 minutes at least talking to dozens of personell and finally found the right person(s).
They were kind enough to help us get backstage to meet Mariah They took us back but we had to wait about 15-20 minutes which was totally fine by me First they took us back to the snack room where we waited for about 5 minutes or so......then on into the room Mariah was in We waited maybe 15-20 minutes there while MC signed stuff for people, took individual photos, and things of that nature. In the background you could hear the Charmbracelet songs playing on Mariah's little boombox (we came in on "Clown" and left while "Irresistible" was playing).
However, while we were waiting we saw Blair (Mariah's stylist), and I said "Hey Blair". I think I startled her. She said "Hi" and continued on walking.
Then we struck up a conversation with Darryl I believe (one of M's bodyguards, he has the braids in his hair). My dad goes "Don't you ever get tired of doing this...it has to be exhausting at times?" And Darryl said "No, I've been with her since 1996 and I LOVE it".
I also asked him about Randy and where he was. He said he wasn't playing with the band on this tour b/c he was now her musical director (which I knew ) and he sort of took care of things behind the scenes And he said that right now Randy was in LA. We also asked him when they got in and he said "yesterday afternoon" (meaning Thursday). Overall, he was very nice.
I also overheard a fan talking to Mariah and she wanted to know if she could have one of MC's dresses for the prom and Mariah wanted to know which one she wanted and the fan said "the one with the feathers" and Mariah goes "well that one is annoying because the feathers poke you all the time".
Then it came time for me to meet MARIAH. OMG she walked over to me and I had to try and stand up without fainting Actually, this time I was much more calm and could actually carry on a conversation with her I did not shake, cry, or become speechless.....which was a big improvement.
I did most of the talking while Mariah was listening very carefully to what I had to say. But it's still so hard to concentrate when those beautil eyes are staring you in the face. I told her how her music had helped me throughout the years, and if it was not for her I wouldn't be here. And that because of my disability I've had to go through a lot of challenges but she was there for me. I said "O.k....I'm going to try and get through this without breaking down" and then I told her how the Butterfly album was my favorite album to date; and then I said "Yeah...I think its one of your faves too". And she shook her head yes. And I told her how the Butterfly album helped me through a really tough time in my life because right around the time Butterfly was released my mother passed away... and Mariah said she was very sorry to hear that. And I said because of Butterfly it helped me make it through that period in my life and I also told her that "whenever you call" was my favorite song ever. She was glad to hear that. Really, Mariah did not say too much because she was trying to listen to me I guess. However, what she did say a lot of was "awwwws", "I'm sorry to hear that" and "thank you so much". She also pointed to my shirt (butterfly cover one) and said "I like your shirt". I was like "Thanks, I like it too. It's my fave one". Then I talked about Charmbracelet and how my fave songs were "My Saving Grace" and "Bringin' on the Heartbreak". I told Mariah that "My Saving Grace" "gives you that church in your heart feeling" and she just smiled and nodded her head. I think she was pleasantly surprised and pleased that I loved Saving Grace and BOTH.
I also asked her if she recognized us at all cause we were at the Chicago meet and greet in October and she said "you two do look a little familar". Then I asked if I could give her a hug and she said "sure you can" so OMG I got to HUG Mariah. Then it was time for us to take the picture and I asked Mariah where to stand and her photographer said "right there" implying next to MC I guess and then we took the pic. I told MC how I also saw her on tour in 2000 for the rainbow tour in Chicago and she said "oh really, did you like the show?" and I said "Of course". Then I thanked Mariah again for everything and she said "you're welcome" and gave her ANOTHER hug before I left.
Review by Maggie
After the show, my brother and I went to the back of the auditorium to wait to go backstage with the other Honey B. Fly winners. We had to wait about 45 minutes until they cleared the theatre, but I got to talk a bit with one of the dancers, who was really nice. One girl asked him if he got really tired during the show, but he said not really because they were all just so excited and pumped up that they didn’t notice.
Ok, about the meet and greet. IT WAS SOOOO FREAKIN AWESOME!!!!!! After we waited in a little room (with food and drinks like the other ones) for about 15, 20 min. , 10 people were selected to go into the first group to see Mariah. My brother and I were in the first group at the very end of the line. We went into the photography room, where Charmbracelet was playing and Mariah was standing!!! She looked goooorgeous. We all lined up, and were asked to put anything we were holding onto chairs by the wall because we couldn’t bring them to Mariah, but I asked if I could give her my gift and her sweet bodyguard Wayne said I definitely had to give it to her lol. Anyways, everyone lined up and each person stepped up individually and could give Mariah a hug, and talk to her a little bit. When my turn came, I gave her the charmbracelet project I had been working on and a hug :-D. A bunch of lambs from around the world were able to buy a charm (sterling silver) to put on the bracelet, and then wrote a letter explaining why they chose that charm for Mariah. She said she was going to read the letters on the plane. Mariah really loved the bracelet and especially liked a charm we had gotten engraved that read “To Mariah, from your lambs”. Then, she said she wanted to put it on!!!!! I nearly died!! I actually got to put it on her, because of her nails she couldn’t get the clasp. I am still in shock!!!
Next, we all lined up for the picture, and I got right in front of Mariah, kneeling on the floor by her knees (my brother is on the right I believe). After that, since I was right next to Mariah, I told her about a special project some French lambs I know (Kristelle and Sylvain!! :-D) are planning. Mariah LOVED the idea, and told Marc not to let her forget! She also confirmed that they would be filming that concert for the DVD. I wished her luck with everything she ever does and with Sweet Science, and she remembered my sign for the concert (it read “Good Look with Sweet Science!!!”). Then, the security allowed a few people to take pictures with Mariah and she signed a bunch of autographs for everyone (I got my HBF shirt signed!!!). I was going to get my pic taken with her, and we were standing next to each other all ready lol, but her bodyguard couldn’t get my camera to work and since I was the last one (of about 3 maybe? Or 4? ), they said it was time to go. But, just was we were walking out and saying our byes to Mariah, I got my camera to work, and I ran back and asked Mariah if I could get one quick photo of her with the bracelet, so she let me!! She held up her wrist :-D. Then I said thank you again and that I loved her so much and waved bye. It was sooooooooooooooo much fun and Mariah was just so sweet and beautifu!!!!!! She must have been exhausted, but she was so amazing to us.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to Rob, who I owe all this to, Honey B. Fly, everyone who works for Mariah (Wayne, Michael esp.!) and of course, MARIAH!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE!!!!!
Review by Oreogirl
I had fifth row tickets to the concert towards the center. I brought a sign that said "Mariah May I please get your Autograph?" I was the only one in my section that had a sign. During "One Sweet Day" she nodded her head and winked at me when she saw the sign. The people around me were really excited that she looked at me. However, later when she was singing "Fantasy" I raised my sign again for her to see. This was not the wise thing to do because I think she was annoyed. When she read my sign the second time she kind of waved her hand like "back off already". Again everyone commented about her reaction to my sign. I felt bad because I annoyed Mariah and I don't blame her for doing what she did.
I would have to say the concert part was a haze for me because Mariah was so close I really couldn't concentrate on her singing because I was too awestruck. Fortunately I had pretty good seats at the Chicago concert and I got the chance to enjoy her voice there. Basically it was the same show except Mariah did One Sweet Day instead of Can't Take That Away. She also let two people on stage to give her a hug because their signs said "Mariah can you give me a hug?" Mariah and Trey also got a kick out of a sign that said something like "Fish in between bread". This sign got a lot of attention because Trey is from North Carolina, which was the first place to put fish in between bread. Also a girl was able to give Mariah a purse that had Mariah's name on it. I waved at Trey Lorenz and he waved back.
I did have some bad experiences such as my camera was taken away by a security guard during the concert (but I got it back). This man grabbed the camera from me, but I held on to it tightly trying to keep it. He told me that if I didn't give him the camera then I have to leave- so I gave him the camera.
Anyway, after the concert we were told to wait in the back at the manager's station. The wait didn't seem long because I met so many nice people that the time seemed to go by quickly. Anyway they divided us up as the Honey B Fly group and the radio station group .I think the radio station group went first. When it was the Honey B Fly group's turn we were led to a room with food and drinks.
When it was time to meet Mariah I was first in line. A body guard led us to a room and gave us specific directions as to what part of the room we were supposed go into. Finally, I was told to wait at the entrance of a room and I could see Mariah from the back. At first I couldn't possibly believe it was Mariah because she was super slim, but not in unhealthy way. She looks thicker on stage than in person. She looked like a teenager -very blonde hair, a cropped tee shirt, and a denim pleated miniskirt with high heels. There is not an ounce of fat on her!
Anyway we were told to put our stuff on the chairs and I asked one of the bodyguards if I can bring something for Mariah to sign. The bodyguard said no it was just a photo shoot. So I went up to Mariah and gave her a hug and I think she expected this. I said "Hi I'm so and so and I know your nephew Shawn McDonald." She said, "How do you know Shawn?" I said "I am a law student" and then she asked me what law school I went to and I told her. I don't remember what I said next, but I moved to the side and just watched the other Honey B Fly members hug Mariah.
My sister told me later that I looked incredibly relaxed because I was leaning on a counter acting like I owned the place. I hope my sister was teasing me. Anyway, the second person in line was Kevin, a guy I just met who is a true Mariah fan. He asked about Jack (Mariah said that he was on tour with her), Automatic Princess (I didn't hear Mariah's answer), and some other stuff that I didn't catch. He also mentioned the death of her father and how he felt bad for her. He also told her that she was such an inspiration to many people. Kevin mentioned that Mariah wasn't wearing her charm bracelet. Mariah told him that it was because it could cut the swing that was made out of a white sheet during Subtle Invitation.
Next in line was my sister and my sister was wearing a butterfly (that I gave her). My sister is a very quiet person and she later told me that she didn't know what to say to Mariah especially after Kevin's great monologue. So my sister gave Mariah a hug and said "Hi my name is so and so" and I jumped in and told Mariah that we were sisters and that we're mixed. I don't remember what Mariah had said after that. Mariah told my sister that she liked her butterfly which was on her shirt and I said "Yeah her big sis gave that to her". Mariah laughed at this.
Anyway, everyone else in line gave Mariah a hug and talked to her a bit. We took a group photo of Mariah and I was standing next to Mariah. I couldn't see my sister so I said, "Where's my little sis?" and for some reason Mariah laughed. After the picture, Kevin and a sweet girl talked to Mariah. The girl had a great idea about the Paris fan club and Mariah mentioned that the videotape of the Charm bracelet concert would probably be taped in Paris.
Then we got on the topic of the concert and Kevin mentioned how he thought it was funny that she waved her hand so that I would back off. Mariah said she waved her hand to tell me she that she would give me an autograph later.
After this comment I got my Charm bracelet book and had her sign my book. Everyone else got a signature too. By accident my book got signed twice because my sister handed it to Mariah again. Then the body guard or photographer Mark told us that we had to go but Kevin asked if he could get a picture with just him and Mariah. Well everyone wanted to get their picture with Mariah, but only some of us were able to because Mariah's photographer told us we had to go.
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