Renee's Birthday / Justin Bieber's Believe Tour

I really wanted to do something big for Renee's birthday this year. I'm so proud of her and wanted to do something that would be a huge shock and a something she'd remember for a long time. When Justin Bieber announced that he was going on tour, I realized what a perfect opportunity it would be. At first I bought tickets for the show in Brooklyn, but then realized it'd be easier and more convenient to get tickets for the show at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

I bought the front row tickets of section 5 a few weeks before the show. I knew that we'd have an amazing view of the stage. Eh, it's just money. A lot of money, but still just money. After a harrowing trip home thanks to Zipcar, the stage was set. The family sat down for dinner and cake and then began opening presents. When it was my turn, I simply told Renee to close her eyes and I put the two tickets in front of her. When she opened her eyes, she started crying and screaming. When she realized that the show was that night, she really lost it. She jumped up, hugged me and began to tweet and her text her friend. All the planning and money for the tickets was all worth it in this one moment.

I had a checklist of sorts for the night of the concert. The first thing on the list was making sure that we got to the venue safe. That one went off without a hitch. The second item on the list was making into the venue because I bought the tickets on Stubhub and I've had issues with fake tickets in the past. Check this one off. No problems with these tickets. Phew. Next on the list was making sure Renee didn't get kidnapped. Sure, she's 15. Sure, she's got a cell phone and probably could kick and scream and get away. But that still didn't really put me at ease. After we found our seats and went to go get souvenirs, we each went to the bathroom before the show started. Since it's a round rink, I couldn't see the line for the women's room while I was walking to the men's room. The men's room had no line. No surprise there. After a minute or two, I walked back to where Renee had been waiting in line. She was gone. A sane person would just think that the line moved and she was in the bathroom. Not me. I instantly think of the worst possible scenario. I text her and she doesn't respond. Now I'm spinning. Luckily she walks out of the bathroom in her new Justin Bieber t-shirt with her hair in a ponytail. I checked my phone and she was only gone for 3 or 4 minutes at the most. Oh well, better safe than sorry.

Let's start the show. Carly Rae Jepsen performed as the opening act. She did a decent job, but the crowd could not wait for Justin to take the stage. The screams and shrieks were deafening. I actually thought my ears were being damage from all the teenage hysteria.

Once Justin too the stage after a panic-inducing 10:00 countdown, it was 90 minutes of pure entertainment. He did all his big hits and most of her newer material. The dancing, lights and pyrotechnics were so impressive. His voice sounded good and mature. I give him credit for dancing and singing most of the songs. It wasn't the type of show where you could show that he could just wing it. You could tell it took hours and hours of preparation. Renee and I were having such a great time! Just took to a crane above the stage and flew over us. It was pandemonium. He even took his shirt off for one song. Wow. Renee screamed and I secretly had inappropriate thoughts. Eh, he's 18 so it's fine. The Believe Tour was must more impressive than both Britney Spears' tour that I've seen. He's a true professional and a class act to his fans.

As the show ended and the lights went up, I could tell that we both had a great time. It was nice to share something with her that was just the two of us. I can't be around that often since my life is now in New York. I'm just trying to be a good big brother.

Now I have one big, nagging question. What am I going to do when she turns 16?