JT & Jay Z at Yankee Stadium! - The struggle, journey & good times!

This past Friday I had the most amazing adventure to the city to see the concert of a lifetime, Justin Timberlake and Jay Z at Yankee Stadium! Now I've been an 'N Sync fan forever, obviously. I'm pretty certain they were my first concert. Then, when Justin went solo, although it was heartbreaking to see the boys break up, still waiting for a comeback here, I loved seeing Justin solo too. Fast forward to years of music then years of comedy, SNL skits and then movies, they were all amazing. Once Justin released the cryptic message with the date, before The 20/20 Experience dropped, I was extatic. It had been too long. I didn't love Suit & Tie right away, but it grew on me. Then once I listened to the entire album, all the way through, I was in love. As usual, I picked my favorites, listened to them over and over again, threw the CD in my car (yes I bought a physical copy), and listened to it every day for months.

Then, when I found out he was not only going on tour with Jay Z over the summer but he was doing a Legends of Summer Tour in YANKEE STADIUM, I knew I would be there. I was on the computer as soon as pre-sale started, got locked out of ticketmaster and needed to go to my neighbors house, while they were having company, to use their wifi to buy tickets. I was ready to spend hundreds to get a decent seat because this would be an epic concert and I knew I needed to be there. 

This brings me to Friday, June 19th 2013. My cousins and I, who also came with me to the afore mentioned 'N Sync concert, started our journey to Poughkeepsie around 1:45pm. We had planned to get to Yankee Stadium around 5:20, have a nice sit down dinner and then hang around in the Stadium in plenty of time for the concert to start at 8....

Well let's just say that didn't happen... at all. 

A day or two before, there had been a serious train derailment but we didn't think it would effect the metro north service into Yankee Stadium. We were seriously mistaken. As soon as we purchased our tickets in Poughkeepsie we were told we'd need to transfer onto a bus once we got to Yonkers, which would then take us to the Yonkers subway. Then we'd need to take the subway to Yankee Stadium... which obviously isn't direct by any means. There were camera crews in Yonkers taking footage of all of us being herded onto busses and rerouted all over. Then we had to figure out the subway, which was a journey in itself. I've been on the subway a few times, but never to Yankee Stadium, but it was my cousins first time! Thankfully, we found a group of fellow concert gowers and a friendly New Yorker who helped us and wanted to tell J he said, "HEY!" 

We didn't arrive at Yankee Stadium until around 7 or so. We bought ourselves some $40 concert tees and then headed into the Hard Rock to meet up with some friends. They already had drinks so we hung around for a while and then went into the Stadium around 7:45 because we were all starved! The lights went out at 8, as we were in line to get food but it didn't matter much because the concert didn't start until almost 9:30. I opted for some massive steak fries with a souvenir cup soda. The others had pizza. 

DJ Cassidy was on the ones and twos, getting the crowd pumped before the concert really started. Then it was finally time!!! Justin & Jay Z stated off with Holy Grail and it just kept getting better from there! They did some songs together, sometimes JT would be on the guitar while Jay would have his moment and other times Justin would do his thing, and his song would seamlessly blend into a Jay Z song. It went back and forth like that for a while, then they each had their solo mometns. After a while Justin settled everyone down, it was HOT, so we all sat down (I stood on my folding chair 95% of the night) for his ballet. Then they brought it back up, notch after notch. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better it did. They were both AMAZING. They perform live, entertain like no other and I sang along to every song like a back up singer the entire night. Something can be said for entertainers who have songs where everyone knows the lyrics. 

Then, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, Justin starts singing New York, New York, which turns into Empire State of Mind.... and then BOOM, Alicia Keys shows up!! Insane. Everyone went nuts. That song in general, in Yankee Stadium, but then with both of them. Couldn't get any better.  Then Justin AND Timbaland brought Sexy Back. Then the guys put on their Suits, minus the tie, it was just way too hot, and they ended the night with a tribute to Trayvon Martin by lighting up the stadium with cell phones and singing Forever Young. It was truly an amazing night. 

Then we got lost on the subway on the way back... had to ask the State Police for explicit directions, got the LAST bus to the yonkers station and the LAST train out of there. Then we had to transfer in Timbuktu, and listen to these dunk guys try and pick up this poor girl the entire ride. We didn't get home until 5:30 in the morning. Thankfully we all took Saturday off and could rest and relax and reminisce about the previous nights events. 

I'm so thankful I was able to go. I have to much video footage, thank you iPhone, so I can relive it forever! I have even been considering going to another JT concert in NJ later this year because it was that good! Make sure you follow me on instagram to see more concert pictures and other fun pics too!