I have been a fan of the soul/funk group Frankie Beverly & Maze since the early 1970's and have seen them perform live multiple times in multiple cities. When I heard that Frankie had announced his retirement after fifty years and that there was going to be an "I Want to Thank You Farewell Tour", I was all in. I originally wanted to see them perform on May 25th in New Orleans, but the show in Atlanta on March 22nd was more budget friendly for me. I went online and purchased my ticket, had my car serviced, and had my daughter find me a last minute deal on a hotel room. I took a few solo trips last year that went well, so I figured that I'd just step out of my comfort zone with this spontaneous overnight trip and just wing it.
I left Nashville in what I thought was enough time to get to Atlanta in time to get dressed and get to the concert by 8:00 p.m. E.S.T. However I didn't check the weather, so the steady rain slowed me down. I had my trusty GPS though that helped me navigate my trip, but it couldn't help me with the hard cold facts that it was a rainy Friday in Atlanta where the traffic is always terrible. I finally found the hotel where I joined a long line of cars waiting to valet park. I discovered later that they had a self-parking garage, which I might have known had I planned a little better. I entered the hotel lobby and was immediately overwhelmed by the
number of people in the lobby area who were standing, sitting on the floor, and coming in or going out the doors. I learned later that the 2024 Georgia FBLA State Leadership Conference was being held on March 22-23, which explains the crowded lobby with kids dressed to impress. I finally found the four lines for people checking in and was able to get to my room ninety minutes before the show was to start. I jumped in my clothes and ran down to get my car that I had just valeted about an hour before to get to the concert. I had hoped to walk to the State Farm Arena, but it was still raining and dark by then and I would have been walking alone. The seventeen minute walk sounded like a good idea though when I made the decision to just wing it on this trip. After circling the Arena three times looking for parking and discovering that some streets that the GPS was leading me to were blocked for construction, I had a mild panic attack. A kind policeman stopped traffic to allow me to exit from a street that I was going the wrong way on and pointed to an area where I might find parking. I finally did find parking a couple of blocks away, and made it through the long security lines. I could hear that the incredible Chaka Khan was already performing while I was feverishly searching for Section 116. I was anxious, exhausted and hangry too, because all that I had eaten that day was a Reuben sandwich from Arby's. I wanted to give up and go back to the hotel and call it a night so many times, but I didn't want to waste money.
I'm happy that I didn't give up, because if I had, I would have missed the love fest between Frankie Beverly and the estimated ten thousand fans cheering for him. The arena was a sea of white, as nearly all of the fans were dressed in all white, which is a Frankie Beverly & Maze tradition. When the first few notes were played for songs that everyone knew, the singing and dancing started and the love fest continued. Frankie Beverly is seventy-seven years old now and fifty plus years of singing has definitely taken a toll on his voice. Does his voice sound the same as it did in 1973 when I became a fan? Absolutely not, but it didn't matter Friday night to the other thousands of fans like me who were singing along to lift him up and help him out. Some of the songs that I wanted to hear weren't sung and some verses were missing from some songs that were played, but this was a memorable Frankie Beverly & Maze experience for me since it was my last. The City of Atlanta presented Frankie with a proclamation thanking him for making Atlanta the first stop on his "I Want To Thank You Farewell Tour." The presenters also thanked him for being the soundtrack for their lives because their parents played his music constantly when they were growing up. The same could be said by my children, my nieces, visitors to my home, and anyone who rode in my car because his music was truly the soundtrack for all of our lives.
Seeing and hearing them perform wasn't the only thing that made me joyful. I was thankful and joyful for so much more:
Arriving in time to hear Chaka Khan belt out "I'm Every Woman" as only she can.
The policeman who stopped traffic for me and directed me to a parking garage.
The front desk clerk who gave me a $10 voucher for the breakfast buffet.
The usher who held my hand to help me down the stairs when I was trying to find my seat.
The nine people in my row who didn't complain when I arrived late and they had to let me in the row.
The young couple who invited me to walk with them to the garage because I was alone.
The young lady in security who celebrated with me when I realized that I had successfully saved my ticket to the Apple Wallet on my phone all by myself.
The man sitting behind me who reminded me to push the red button when I thought I was recording a short video of one of my favorite songs. We both cracked up laughing.
A clean room and a comfortable bed to crawl into after a long and challenging day.
This was my last time seeing one of my favorite musical groups perform and possibly my last solo trip. Should I ever decide to travel solo again, I definitely won't be winging it and a checklist and spreadsheet might be involved.
Thank you Frankie Beverly & Maze for fifty years of "Happy Feelin's In The Air", and the reminder that there is a "Golden Time of Day" and that "We Are One" and that's the way it is.
Marilyn
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