about that time I snuck into VIP at a Ben Folds concert and a little love for the Yellow Jackets!

I was once at a Ben Folds concert, scoping a balcony area with my friends for a good view of the stage below. You know, the best place to sing "WELL I THOUGHT ABOUT THE ARMY...." at the top of my lungs. It was crowded and an empty area with ample views beckoned us from behind a rope and sign that read, "VIP Family and Friends." There seemed to be no family and friends and this expansive, perfect viewing space taunted us. My friend and I squeezed our way into a mediocre spot and stood, sipping our drinks and making casual and longing glances at vip family and friends.

Suddenly, just before the show started, a large crowd made their way through the rope and past the vip sign.

"His family and friends must have arrived," my friend sighed and lamented.

I turned in shock and grabbed my friends arm as we rushed to follow that crowd. "That's not his friends and family, THAT'S MY MOTHER!!"

Giving my friend no time to think, I dragged her through the crowd, shouted a "I'm with her" at the security guard by the rope while glancing towards the woman leading the pack, and moved to the front of the balcony.

It was, in fact, my mother leading this charge of "family and friends." She had been down at the bar and discovered that the section was reserved for the friends and family of The Yellow Jackets, the a cappella group from The University of Rochester that was opening for Ben Folds.

"I saw this empty spot with these great seats going to waste and I figure all of my friends and I look like we could be parents of these kids, so I told everyone to fake like we are Yellow Jacket parents, we'll cheer extra loud and get great seats out of it! Besides, who's going to question old people at a concert?"

That, in a nutshell, is my mother.

That night I cheered extra loud for the Yellow Jackets from really great seats and then exuberantly sang all of the harmonies at the top of my lungs to Army.

I have felt an allegiance to those hometown harmonizing boys in yellow ever since and I have been cheering for them as loudly as I did that night from vip in their journey on The Sing-Off. I mean, who doesn't love a bunch of boys who can rock a good harmony! 

University of Rochester Yellow Jackets on The Sing-Off