Wow, 3 DECADES passed already! I remember the announcement (Mike didn't look too happy and hindsight being 20/20, I know why) and was screaming through the house, hoping I could snag a ticket. I thought Don King was an odd choice for promoter and the ticket sales fiasco almost killed it (super expensive and could only be bought in 4 ticket blocks). That year I graduated from high school and was working part time at Mickey D's, so I knew I couldn't afford 4 tickets. Needless to say I just wished I could go.
My sister Chris surprised me with an early birthday/late graduation present in an envelope she decorated herself and I thought it was money at first, then I saw the tickets! I hugged her so tight I almost choked her, then ran around the house screaming again, lol!
We went to the Detroit shows (Pontiac Silverdome, where the Detroit Lions used to play) and I was a mess for the 35 min drive from Detroit. I don't remember who the opening act was and I didn't CARE! :lmao:
When the house lights went out and the stage lit up, my heart skipped a beat. It was badass the way they rose up on the platform, striking a pose, but my eyes were on Mike (he was in the middle) and then the Silverdome erupted into a roar! Chris and I were fangirling big time: she over Jermaine (eww, lol) and me over Mike. To me, this was pretty much the "THRILLER Tour" with the bros as back-up, because it was so obvious that this was more about Mike than the J5/Jacksons. Jermaine did get a solo segment, but I didn't see it. That's when I (and many others) went on a bathroom break and getting more food/drink, LMFAO!
People were fainting as Mike commanded the stage, ruled it, OWNED IT and as they fainted, I got closer to the front. Back then they didn't monitor seating as tough as they do today. You can't go from section to section without event staff checking your stub to see if you were in the right area today. Anyway, I kept getting closer as more people fainted, then I was 6 rows from the front of the stage when they launched into "Billie Jean"! I could hear him sing without help from the sound system and almost died when he briefly sang directly to those of us near the front of the stage! I waved at him with my bootleg jeweled glove and for a quick moment he locked eyes with me *screaming inside my head from the memory, lol*!! A DUDE to my left fainted, then security came to get him before he got stepped on. I inched even closer to the stage, keeping my eyes on him as he launched into the final dance for Billie Jean, then all of a sudden he tossed his fedora into the audience and the feeding frenzy ensued. Somebody could have gotten stomped to death it was so crazy! I jumped up right as it seemed to be sailing my way (elbowing a chick and climbing on people in front of me), it HIT MY HAND, then ricocheted further back behind me!! DAMN IT, bahahahahaha!
Eventually I found my sister (after the show) and she laughed when I told her I almost had Mike's fedora. She wanted to stick around and get Jermaine's autograph, but the event staff (and cops) told us they already left the stadium and told us all to go home, lol! :hysterical: