I woke up this morning still doubting. With the alarm clock blaring 4:02 a.m. in bright red, I thought: I can hear the Steve Harvey Morning show any morning, from the comfort of my home, do I really need to get up just to see him live?
I dragged myself out of bed and into Uptown Charlotte to the Convention Center. As I walked up to the doors I got to see the line. It wrapped around the building. One woman said she got into line at 4:00 a.m., when I was still asleep. Again, I thought: is it all worth it?
When you work in news as a producer, often times you can see what a lot of people don’t see. The tougher part of sad news stories. The controversy behind the hype of a grand opening or new city hire. It’s like the moment when you see the great Wizard of Oz is no more than a man working controls behind a curtain. So it takes quite a bit to get me excited.
Then at 6a.m. Steve Harvey and his crew got things started. Harvey began with inspiration, keeping his eyes closed, and sounding like a Southern gospel preacher. Then church really got started, when Charlotte pastor John P. Kee took the stage with his choir. More inspiration. I think I even started to tap my feet.
The show went on and I looked around and saw other people clapping, dancing and laughing. Steve Harvey and his crew threw out the jokes. And yes, it’s even funnier when you see them all in person. And when the radio broadcast went to commercial, the live show got even better. I got to shake co-host nephew Tommy’s hand. (Avid listeners know just how cool that is.) And just for fun, Steve Harvey started up an impromptu amateur contest just to keep the party going.
Oh, and Ruben Studdard. There is a reason they call him the teddy bear. Women squealed as he sang his songs. No background track needed, despite how early in the morning it was. I guess when you can sing, you can sing. I was able to get close enough to the stage to look him square in the face. I think he might have winked at me. Or maybe it was the girl shaking next to me. Either way, he was looking in my direction as he sang the word “Beautiful.”
It’s something you don’t always get to see in Charlotte: hundreds of people up early in the morning, just having a good time. It was quite the getaway for me, from the day-to-day pressures and tough stories that come with everyday news.
And as I walked out, feeling energized and fulfilled. I thought, yes, it was all worth it.
Just pass me a cup of coffee so I can keep the buzz going.
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