After reading last Friday’s email and schedule I knew what I was in for. Monday’s description said I would be working on news at the station with Shannon, which entails a pleasant morning at a desk. Tuesday, however, detailed that I would be picking up a photo pass at Stage AE for the Korn concert. I read it again. Yup, I was definitely going to be covering the Korn concert.

I have to thank my older sister Monica for my previous knowledge of the California-based rock band. She was an ardent fan back in the day; let’s just say my grade school years were chock full of heavy metal and all that noise while she was in high school. As a young lass I wasn’t exactly into it- that particular music scene doesn’t mesh well with my personality.

So on to Stage AE I went. Dressed in a floral high-waisted skirt, flip-flops and my Cannon Rebel t2i, I approached the scene cautiously, only to find… it was awesome. The people attending the concert were so nice and friendly that I forgot all my apprehensions at the gate. The security guards handed me earplugs, which were very necessary, and the other media guys helped me fix my camera into an operable setting without any flash. I was in luck.

I actually found myself smiling during the three songs I was allowed to photograph and enjoyed the time spent there. Korn put on a really good show; even myself, skeptical at first, enjoyed the 15 minutes in the press section. Not to mention, Stage AE is beautifully set-up and the views of the city are spectacular at sunset. The weather was phenomenal, and there was not a complaint to be had. One of my favorite moments was when the lead singer, Jonathan Davis, stood in front of the stage on top of a giant speaker and reached out to the crowd. Audience members’ hands were only a foot or so away from Davis. He was very impressive with his stage presence and it significantly added to the overall good time to the concert.

In my previous blog posts I’ve tended to prescribe actions for personal development like learning a new language and exploring unknown places. I guess the moral to this story is never be afraid to tackle an opportunity you aren’t typically ready for.