Hello? I guess it was you I was looking for.

What notable things happened today?

I saw this prompt and thought “This is the perfect topic for today” but it was 11:55 pm. I had already used up my allotted brain power and energy for the day on the notable activity.

Adventure Buddy made a last minute decision to grab $30 tickets to see Earth, Wind, and Fire opening for Lionel Richie. I described myself as a “passive date.” For that amount, I would go along for the experience and to be a good adventure buddy. While I knew both performers, I felt hard pressed to name more than few songs.

We were in the nose bleeds to the side of the stage. I actually don’t mind this because it typically gives an unobstructed view of everything that is happening on stage. It was hard to see the large screens at the back of the stage, but at least in the case of Earth, Wind, and Fire, they seemed to be playing images of the band in their heyday. I’m almost certain that during one song, the video on the screen was footage of them playing that song when they were younger.

Earth, Wind, and Fire was mostly loud. They all took turns with spotlight solos, had invested in sparkly shoes, and had a jam session. The bassist Verdine White was the most entertaining to watch because he would do a high stepped scamper back to the band after his solos. I hope they had fun. My investment was still minimal.

However, a half hour later, I gasped when Lionel Richie rose up through the stage floor in a white tux coat and opened with Hello. He very much leaned in to that fact that the crowd was going to sing most of the songs with him and advised everyone to get used to their neighbors singing.

His stage patter was out of pocket, but entertaining. At the beginning he said, “Tonight we are going to cover everything…I can remember so it will either be a very short show or a very long show.” A costume change and many comments about his American Idol cohost later, he told the crowd, “My job is very simple you see. It’s my job to warm them up. It’s your job to take them home.”

Then he went into Endless Love where we were all Diana Ross for the moment since she had given him “40 years worth of excuses” to not come on stage.

I absolutely thought about the ice rink scene in Happy Gilmore.

For Brick House & Fire there was actual fire that we could feel the warmth from every time it went off. Lionel and the saxophonist and guitar players stayed at the far end of the stage while I assume the drummer and keyboardist got singed every time.

Piano number two rose out of the floor for Say You, Say Me and he ended with We Are the World. Coming back for an encore of All Night Long as we navigated the mountain of stairs back to earth to exit.