Feed the Fire

A few minutes before 7pm found Sabrina's band doing their last bits of warm up before literally walking out on stage. Each member had their own little ritual they did right before walking onstage and tonight was no different except instead of a tall blonde walking around singing her warm-ups and getting everyone pumped, a smaller brunette kept clearing her throat of some non-existent phlegm while cracking her fingers incessantly.

The members of Green Day were also doing something out of the ordinary. Normally they would be holed up in their dressing room doing their thing to get ready, but tonight they all were scattered around the backstage area in order to view the show. Mike watched Beth rocking back and forth on her heels looking for all the world that she was going to spaz out at a moment's notice. When the stage manager told them 'only 2 minutes until show time', Beth looked like she was going to bolt. Billie Joe saw her look and walked over to wrap an arm around the woman and whisper in her ear. Whatever the frontman said to the fledgling frontwoman seemed to do the trick for when he walked back to stand next to the bass player she looked visibly less nervous.

The stage manager came back to escort the band to the stage. There was no music playing to the entrance of the band unlike the '2001 Space Odyssey' that Green Day played at their emergence on the stage. The crowd went wild at the sight of the band members as Beth walked up to her microphone which was now center stage instead of its usual position to stage right. She glanced around nervously and scanned the huge crowd that was held inside of the Continental Arena.

Beth looked back to the band as Emmett gave a count and soon the guitars and began to wail to an old Janis Joplin tune. Beth took a deep breath and with a just a slight hesitation came in for the familiar 'Come On's' that signaled the beginning. By the time the chorus came around, the nervousness was gone and replaced by confidence.

The Green Day boys sat in the sidelines and watched Beth slowly grow into the song and then totally own it. She gripped her mic and belted out the "Take it; take another little piece of my heart." Her low voice stretched to fill Janis's shoes and make it her own. Billie Joe smiled as the crowd went wild for the young woman as she basked in the spotlight.

Two spots came up on Beth and Gary who both had acoustic guitars on. The two deftly plucked out the notes of the next song. The strains of 'Blackbird' flowed from the two guitars while Beth's voice soared like the said bird as she sang the classic but lesser known song by The Beatles. The last line of the song seemed true to life "You were only waiting for this moment to arrive."

The lights came back up as Emmett played a beat, Beth strummed the chords and seemingly gentle sounds of 'Bitch' came to life. As the music swelled to the chorus, Beth had the audience in the palm of her hand. She led them through the verses which seemed to tell a tale of her life. Mike stood and listened to the words and realized that she might have picked that song for him. Like she was trying to explain how she was as a person. He liked her just as she was and he realized that 'he wouldn't want it any other way'.

Beth again began to strum her guitar and brought the crowd down a little with her next song choice. 'Sunny Came Home' brought the crowd on a journey with Beth as tour guide. The lilting notes echoed through the crowd who reacted by raising their cell phones and a lighters. A sea of lights swayed back and forth to the beat of the music.

Dan began the beginning notes of the next song and soon Beth's clear voice began the tale of 'Because the Night'. The 10,000 Maniacs' song was another song that was deceptively slow only to pick up speed for the choruses.

"Take me now, take me now..."

Beth swayed to the beat and seemed to become one with the music. All too soon the piano notes ended and Beth was left in center stage with a single spot on her as the song finished. Before the crowd had a chance to breath, she was handed her guitar and strummed a few chords and by herself started the Sheryl Crow song, 'The Difficult Kind'.

After that song ended, a driving drum and bass beat with a smattering of piano poured through the amplifiers. I've been a bad, bad girl. The crowd screamed as they realized 'Criminal' by Fiona Apple. Beth pouted the words and slinked around the stage as the tone of the song was sexy and low and dark.

Gary plucked the dual notes in a sequence which started the classic Fleetwood Mac song, 'Rhiannon'; Beth's dusky voice shined in this song. She sang the Stevie Nicks songs as though it was her own and for that moment in time it was. The Green Day guys were in awe at her range not unlike Sabrina's but different. The wheels in Billie's head were turning and he made a mental note to talk to his wife about it later that night.

Gary passed off his guitar to his tech and grabbed a banjo for the start of the next song. Beth stood at her mic and when everyone was in ready position she hit her low E string and brought the pick down the neck to make a downward scale noise. "This goes out to Samson," she said as she glanced toward the backstage area in Mike's general direction. Suddenly the band erupted in a frenzy of bluegrass like noise. The crowd actually embraced the Dixie Chick's 'Sin Wagon' and enjoyed it even though it was different than what they normally listened to.

Beth surprised the crowd with her next act; she effectually kicked off Dan from his piano and so began 'Cornflake Girl'. The crowd responded by going apeshit and the cheers were so loud that Beth had a hard time hearing her monitors. Her mind drifted a little as she heard the crowd roar their approval of her. 'So this is it... this is what they live for... this time onstage... the fans... it's like a drug,' she thought to herself.

She stayed on the piano for the next tune by The Cure. The song flowed from her like rain from the skies. Mike was entranced by the woman and how she was commanding the audience, who normally would have been spitting nails for not having the supposed performer opening the show. He was so into her singing that he didn't notice someone coming up next to him until he started at the feeling of an arm wrapping around his waist.

"She's fucking good, isn't she," Sabrina said as she leaned into Mike. The man just responded by nodding his head and wrapping his arm around her shoulder and letting her rest against him.

"I know... she's amazing," he said softly.

The band came down for a quick bow before running off. A tech placed a bar stool on stage under a spot light. Beth sat down on the stool and her blue sapphire acoustic guitar was handed to her so she could play the final songs. The tech pulled the mic stand up for the woman as she began to play the gentle notes. One by one, cell phones, lighters, and glow sticks lit the inside of the arena as she played through the Jewel song, 'Kiss the Flame'. The song ended to such a huge reaction, that Beth was taken aback a little.

"The last song, I'll play for you is an oldie but goodie; 'Dream a Little Dream' by the Mamas and the Papas. This is for my Morning Star." Beth paused and closed her eyes before she played the haunting guitar part. Her lithe voice soon joined her playing.

Stars shining bright above you;
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you."
Birds singing in the sycamore tree.
Dream a little dream of me.

Say nighty-night and kiss me;
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me.
While I'm alone, blue as can be,
Dream a little dream of me.

When she finished the verse she heard the crowd swell in volume as another guitar joined hers. As she began the next verse, another voice joined in the 'ohhs' that were behind the words. She smiled as Sabrina had came out to stand behind Beth with a sleek black double necked acoustic of her own slung over her shoulder. Beth nodded and smiled at Sabrina's addition to the song. Their two voices were perfect together and blended until you couldn't tell where Beth's voice stopped and Sabrina's began.

Stars fading but I linger on, dear---
Still craving your kiss.
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear,
Just saying this...

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you---
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you.
But in your dreams, whatever they be,
Dream a little dream of me.

Stars fading but I linger on, dear---
Still craving your kiss.
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear,
Just saying this...

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you---
Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you.
But in your dreams, whatever they be,
Dream a little dream of me.

They ended the song as gentle as it started and Sabrina yelled into her mic "Let's give a hand to Beth Pritchard for saving the show and kicking ass." The crowd roared it agreement. "I'm gonna have to let her sing more often," she said with a wink to the younger woman. "Alright folks, there'll be a quick pause for the cause and soon Green Day will be coming out to rock you off your ass!" Upon saying that Sabrina stood clapping at Beth as younger woman made another bow and then the two women walked offstage together.