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The Sting of Friday afternoon traffic

At Nissan Pavilion concert, Annie Lennox was the cake and Sting the icing

By SUZANNE MOE

Date published: 7/16/2004

Sacred Love tour not one to be missed

For THE FREE LANCE-STAR

The anticipation was almost unbearable. I had been waiting more than a month for the opportunity to photograph and review the Sacred Love performance by Annie Lennox and Sting at Nissan Pavilion on Friday.

That afternoon, at 1:05 to be precise, I received the call I'd been hoping for. Yes--I had been approved for press passes!

I was to be at the Nissan Pavilion administrative office at 7:20 p.m., where I would receive my press pass and then be escorted to the front of the stage. From there, I would be required to stand at the feet of my idol and photograph her for her first three songs.

Be still, my heart!

After Annie sang her third song, I was to leave front stage and be seated in the orchestra section for the remainder of Annie's performance. Then back to the administrative office at 8:50 p.m. to again be escorted to the front of the stage to shoot Sting's first three songs, and back to my seat for Sting's remaining performance. I was ready for the challenge.

I quickly showered, changed, hooked up my camera gear, packed my notepad, let the dogs out, and prepared for my trek north. I called my friend who lives just off Interstate 66 en route to Nissan Pavilion, and he, too, was ready for the adventure.

I should probably let you know upfront, I'm a deep-down, longtime Annie Lennox fan. I think Sting is wonderful, but the way I saw it, Annie was the cake and Sting the icing. I would do just about anything for Annie Lennox. Why, I would even drive on I-95 and I-66 on a Friday afternoon for just a momentary glimpse of her.

Unfortunately, my four-hour "sacred love" journey from Fredericksburg to the Nissan Pavilion was neither sacred nor loving.

Mine was one of more than 5,000 cars trying to cram their way from a multilane highway onto a single-lane road which led into the unpaved Pavilion parking lot.

It was pure slow-moving-to-not-at-all-moving chaos. Somewhere on I-66, the clock struck 7:20, at which moment I officially became one with that part of the elemental realm which exists on the underside of the sacred love wheel.

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Date published: 7/16/2004