Andrew performs with Matthew West

Andrew & Nathan got to go to a Matthew West concert with friends. The purpose was to have a private "Meet & Greet" with Matthew to get a poster for the Youth Room at church. They were stoked that they would meet Matthew (again). Our family has basically every album by Matthew that exists. We have seen him several times in concert and Sean worked his shows many times before he got as popular as he is now.

Matthew was telling the audience how to fake a song like "The 12 Days of Christmas". If you don't know what the words are, mouth the word watermelon and it looks like you're singing correctly. Since he doesn't know the 12 Days of Christmas song, he asked for a volunteer to sing the song for him. Both boys put their hands up and Andrew was chosen to go onstage.

Andrew told me later, "After singing the song for ImprovFest, I knew I could do it. I've been on stage before. But when they turned the spotlight on me and I saw how many people were in the audience, I got nervous. It was a lot bigger crowd than ImprovFest!" He said his voice was a little shaky for days 12 and 11, but he hit his stride by day 10.

Now, in ImprovFest, he was 5 Golden Rings and he had to do it big and loud. I asked if he did a big loud voice for them at the show. He told me, "Nah, the audience started knowing the words and so when we sang 5 Golden Rings, I turned the mike to the audience like the performers do. I looked over at Matthew when I did it and he put his head in his hand and was shaking his head and laughing." (Sean & I are also a little stunned at his stage presence!)

Way to shine onstage!


Matthew started showing him CD's afterwards asking if he wanted this one (got it) or this one (got it). Andrew told him, we're big fans--we have all your albums. Matthew would ask, well...do you have this one? Yup. Finally he said, I know you don't have this one and showed the album that was released last year. Andrew said, we got that at the last concert you were in town for. Then Matthew showed him the back where the Christmas album is attached. Andrew was thrilled and told him we didn't have that one, yet.

After the show, they got all their stuff signed and even remembered to get the poster for the youth room.

More pictures of the meet & greet to come when I download my camera. Since I wasn't there, I have to thank Julie from Psalm 98 for graciously sending me photos of Andrew (who had the camera in his pocket).