I finally decide I need to relax and go down to the North Bar and order myself a Gin & Tonic. I quickly down it, use the washroom, and head to my seat. I can feel that the entire arena is staring me as I make the long walk to the near the front of the stage. But I have to stop at the second row. It's kind of funny whom I run into the seat right next to me. Several months ago, there was this guy who messaged me on Nexopia claiming to be the biggest Mariah Carey fan. Impossible! His claim is that he has all of Mariah Carey's CDs; his room is covered in Mariah Carey and having second row tickets to her Edmonton concert. It's a pretty weak claim to being the biggest Mariah Carey fan… especially when I not only have every single of Mariah Carey CDs, but multiple copies and international copies, plus I have over 250 audio items for Mariah Carey singles in the form of cassette, vinyl 7", vinyl 12" and compact disc. Plus I've seen Mariah Carey three times and I have second row tickets to three concerts. At least this guy is a fan, but he is not a super fan like me. He may have bought fan club tickets, but I'm a legacy fan club member. Actually I one of the longest running fan club members of Mariah's, I was part of it way before the Internet and before the official launch of Honeybfly.

Anyways Busta Rhymes does his thing. It's good, but not Mariah.

It's a DJ break and Mariah changes into her second outfit and comes out singing her first single and first No. 1 single, "Vision Of Love." It's during this song that I hold up my sign and she reads it and still sings…Mariah blows me a kiss. I've died and gone to heaven. The lady in front of me tells me to hop over into the front row with her. God bless her!

The next song is "Fly Like A Bird," and once she finishes her song, I yell, "Mariah I got you pink roses!"

"Are those pretty flowers for me? The only problem is I can’t get them from here to there unless they hand them to me. But then don't be upset if I put them on the stairs, I'm not neglecting them. Thank you! I feel like I just won the Miss America Pageant. I'm joking! That is so sweet. These are my favorite, pink yet lavender roses, and I see you have your hair dyed to match the roses, which is also nice. They can't see this because you're not on the screen, but there's a fan right here who gave me these beautiful roses, Thank you, I'm dedicating this next song to you, because I do love my fans, for real."

"And this goes back to when I first started out, we did a show called 'MTV Unplugged.' And umm a very good friend of mine happened to be there and MTV wanted a remake so they said do an old song and we were like what are we going to do so we came up with an old song and we just came up with 'I'll Be There' by the Jackson 5. My very very good friend Trey Lorenz who just put out an album, an independent album and it came out. The first day it came out it sold more albums than any independent album out there so you need to pick it up the album because it's very very good. So I want to get into the next song now and it's called 'I'll Be There.' So Sing along if you know it please. This is a nostalgic moment and thank you for my roses baby! That was very sweet!"

**($* Oh my freaking god! I basically lose all control…I'm just a slobbering piece of useless mush. I'm so stunned, I feel the tears coming, but it's reliving a moment from my past…back in 2000 in Toronto. April 18th, 2000…after all the drama I finally see Mariah for the first time. 10 minutes into that concert, she reads my sign and we pass forward my presents to her from the 11th row. I'm the tile guy from Toronto, and am also the person to give her the first-ever Canadian Mariah fanbook!

Back to the day…the concert continues with Trey Lorenz's spotlight. He sings Luther Vandross' Never Too Much, Dionne Warwick's A House Is Not A Home & Gnarls Barkley's Crazy.

Mariah enters from the left side of the arena and walks to the "B" stage where she sings "Fantasy" & "Don't Forget About Us." She then demonstrates the lip-gloss with a light. She puts some on in the dark and then gives the lip-gloss to a fan. It's at this time that she reads somebody else's sign and gives her autograph as she begins "Always Be My Baby."

By the end of this song, she's back on the main stage. "Honey" is next and I know it's the final act before she changes into her 2nd last outfit of the night. It's another DJ break and then Mariah walks out in her beautiful blue dress singing "If Only You Knew." This is the part of the concert where she does snippets of songs. "Can't Let Go" & "Thank God I Found You/Make It Last Remix" & "One Sweet Day." She ends her show by singing the poignant, yet schmaltzy "Hero," a ballad she originally wrote for someone else, but eventually she did record it herself and it became an anthem of perseverance and hope for so many out there. It's one of my personal all-time favorites. She says goodnight and exits.

The encore is one song… "We Belong Together," the ubitiqous song of the year last year. This power ballad was to die for. The show ends and "Butterfly" starts playing as pink and purple butterfly glitter confetti is dropped from the ceiling.

That's the summary of the 4th ever Mariah concert I've been to. Now in 48 hours it's the 5th, and another 48 hours it'll be the 6th Mariah Carey concert. I'm in Mariah Carey heaven…the euphoria and the adrenaline rush and high I receive by seeing my hero and idol and goddess perform the songs that made me love her…it's priceless. Thank God I Found Mariah Carey!

At the end of the show, the Mariah fan next to me and the girls behind me told me who stole the Mariah shirts I had on my hair. Two girls picked up my shirts and were going to take them. But luckily there is honest people out there. However we still have to call security to get the one other shirt from the girl who had it tucked underneath her shirt. The nerve of some people.

Everybody asked me if I was the guy who gave her the roses. Of course I did, was there anyone else there with pink hair? I became a celebrity for all of 15 minutes, as strangers were asking to take pictures of me and my sign. Outside of Rexall, there breaks out a catfight among two group of girls. It takes security awhile to get there. A couple comes and takes pictures of me and the woman wouldn't stop taking pictures of my hair!!! She comments that this was the best night ever, the greatest concert, meeting the guy who gave Mariah roses, and watching the catfights outside.

Setlist: It's Like That || Heartbreaker || Dreamlover || My All || Shake It Off || Vision Of Love || Fly Like A Bird || I'll Be There || Fantasy || Don't Forget About Us || Always Be My Baby || Honey || I Wish You Knew || Can't Let Go || Thank God I Found You/Make It Last || One Sweet Day || Hero || Encore: We Belong Together || Butterfly Reprise

I'm almost late for Mariah's concert because I'm busy talking with Trae. But Mariah doesn't come on until an hour and a half. It's a good thing Steve Bryne opens with his Asian comedy act. I sneak backstage and have a smoke with Preston and another of Mariah's dancers. I smuggle in my camera and take 94 pictures before security stops me. Security is also on my ass because I turn around and tell the hags behind me that I have a right to stand up. They are so loud and rude telling us to sit down. Mariah's setlist is the exact same as her Las Vegas one, though she doesn't come down from the rafters for "Subtle Invitation." It's her first time in an outdoor venue. She sounds great as usual. During "Bringin' On the Heartbreak," I wink at her and she returns it. I've died and gone to heaven.

On May 5th 2003, the presale for the first dates of Mariah's new world tour in support of Charmbracelet went on sale. I, of course, joined her new Honey B. Fly fan club and was prompt on the internet using three computers at work. But I couldn't get them to accept my order for the first 20 minutes. Finally I end up with 6th row centre floor tickets. YES!!! I was planning to escape to Minneapolis and stay in luxury at the Grand Hotel Minneapolis, the same hotel that Mariah stays in when she's in town. I would have only been able to afford the $279 US luxury guest room, while Mariah stays in the 3,500 square feet Presidential Suite. But the Minneapolis Mariah concert had to be cancelled. I even would have taken a limousine to the show. Well on May 28th, when I'm very sick, maybe with SARS?, the St. Paul/Minneapolis concert is cancelled. Mariah downsized her tour and the Twin Cities didn't follow the new routing of theatres and halls. I can't believe my luck. Everything was turning out perfect and then this happens. At least I didn't book my airline ticket yet, and that my hotel reservation can be cancelled. Instead Mariah tours is rescheduled for July 26, 2003 in Las Vegas, at Caesar's Palace's Colosseum. It would be the first time a female performer, besides Celine Dion, would perform there. I end up with 6th row tickets again. It's the second time I have the privilege of seeing Mariah in concert, and it's the first time I travel out of Canada to see her. It is worth it. It sucks that I can't take any pictures. Who knew there would be metal detectors at all the entrances. Before Mariah takes the stage, Randy Jackson comes into the theatre. I also discover that David E. Kelly, the creator of "Ally McBeal" sits two rows in front of me. Mariah comes out singing "Heartbreaker" from the back of the theatre, and she is in fine form; her body flawless and her voice such a powerful instrument hitting all the notes, high and low. Sam, this whacky Asian guy from San Francisco, runs on stage during "I'll Be There." Mariah gives him a hug and handled the spontaneous incident well. It should have been me. Everybody else thinks it's me who runs on stage after the concert. Then again, everybody thinks I am either Korean or Japanese. I try getting backstage but it didn't work. Who do I have to sleep with? I do end up meeting Preston and a couple of other of Mariah's dancers later on in the night at Gipsy.

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