Meeting Jennifer Lopez
July 17, 2019 · Posted in Personal
On July 7, 2019, I got to not only see Jennifer Lopez live in concert for the first time, but I also got the opportunity to go backstage and meet her after the show. Meet and greets are not cheap, but there was just no way that I could pass up the opportunity to meet my idol, no matter the price. This is her first solo North American headlining tour after all and there’s a lot to celebrate: her engagement, the 20th anniversary of her debut album and her upcoming 50th birthday. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I could not let slip through my hands.
The wait for tickets to go on sale was excruciating, but when they finally went on sale I managed to get two front and center tickets for me and my friend Perry. It wasn’t until a week or so later that I bought the meet and greet upgrade. I kept going back and forth on whether or not I should buy it, but after Jen answered my question live on the radio and said my name, I took that as a sign that it was absolutely necessary that I meet her. And to be honest, I always knew that I was going to buy it anyway, I just needed to spend some time “debating” it.
Fast forward to the day of the show. I met up with Perry for the first time in person and we went shopping. Around 3:00 PM, we went our separate ways to get ready for the show. I arrived to the venue quite early; I don’t remember the exact time. I found the premium entrance that I needed to go to and then went across the street to get something to eat, as I hadn’t eaten all day. The restaurant was playing her music and I sat there jamming out to JLo while scarfing down a Beyond Meat burger and sweet potato fries. After I finished eating, I went back to the venue and started the line.
This is when it all started to really feel real. I was here. I was waiting in line for a Jennifer Lopez concert. I was a bit nervous, but excited. I practiced many times what I wanted to say to her, but I ultimately decided to stop stressing myself out over it and just let the words flow when I meet her. At 7:00 PM, the doors opened and I was the first one to enter. I got my meet and greet pass and other VIP perks and then waited for Perry in the VIP lounge. When he finally arrived, we got a drink and then went upstairs to the merch stand and spent over 400$ on merch without even thinking twice about it. We then found our seats and waited for the show to start.
When she finally came out on stage and I saw her in person for the first time, I was in awe. There she was, just a few feet in front of me. A woman that I have loved and admired for more than half of my life. She put on an absolutely speculator show. It was a non-stop party, as it was supposed to be. I found myself wishing that there was an intermission at some point because I was exhausted just watching her; I have no idea how she does it. I spent the entire concert on my feet: dancing, clapping, screaming and singing along to every word. I sometimes found myself just staring at her, fist on my cheek, admiring her and thinking about how lucky I was to be blessed by her presence.
As soon the show ended, I went to the designated spot for the meet and greet. My friend Chanelle told me that you’ll get more time with her if you’re near the end of the line, so I managed to be last in line (although one other person later came in after me). They gave us gift bags while we were waiting in line and we all chatted about how excited and nervous we were to meet Jen.
Eventually it was my turn and I entered the room and walked up to her. We greeted each other and she went in for a handshake, but I asked if we could hug instead. We hugged and then she asked me how I was. I shuddered a bit and told her that I was a little nervous. She wrapped her arm around me, comforting me and telling me that I had nothing to be nervous about. The way that she spoke to me and comforted me caused my nerves to melt away like ice cream on a hot summer day. She has a very loving and motherly way about her that made me feel instantly comfortable, like she was my best friend.
We took our photo and then chatted for a few minutes. I told her how much she means to me, how I consider her to be my hero and idol. I told her that I’ve been a fan of hers since I was a kid and while I couldn’t relate to her music back then, I was able to as I grew older and experienced the ups and downs of this crazy little thing called life. From dealing with depression, anxiety and an abusive relationship, I told her that her music, movies and everything else that she does has given me the strength to live another day. I especially stressed how much her book True Love has helped me.
She thanked me excessively while I was telling her all of this and then she gave me a little pep talk about loving yourself, something that I have long struggled with. She also asked if I had shared the hat with my friend and I said that I hadn’t; I was too shook up in the moment to realize what was going on. She thanked me for coming and we said our goodbyes. I spent a good 3-4 minutes with her, which was a great amount of time for a meet and greet. A lot of artists just say hi, take a quick pic and send you on your way. But not Jennifer! Meeting her was a beautiful moment and is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. And I can proudly say that after seeing her live and meeting her in person, I love her even more than I did before!
Tags: Concert, Jennifer Lopez, Music