KABOOM!!

Candlestick Park is a stadium known throughout the world--whether it is as the site of The Beatles final concert, or as the home field of the 5-time Superbowl Champion San Francisco 49ers, or even as the location of the fateful Loma Prieta Earthquake that occurred just before Game 3 of the World Series--its legacy is secured.

But to San Franciscans, The Stick is most reputable for its windy, overcast, and downright gloomy weather. So when KFOG announced that its annual Kaboom! concert would move from the pier to The Stick, it wasn't altogether surprising that many loyal listeners and concert-goers were less than thrilled.

But now that the big day has finally arrived, it appears that the weather gods are in a festive mood. Other than a couple of lingering clouds that presumably stuck around for the show, the skies are clear and blue. And although it is windy, it isn't miserable.

So there we are, the Lombardi Sports team, ready and waiting for the anxious crowd in our castle-esque white tent. We check out the competition to the left and right of us--Snapple and Metro PCS--no problem. At 3:00, the gates open and the mob jolts through, eager to land the best seat for the concert. It is a sight to be seen--mother's dragging their children close behind, squeezing through the cracks of the crowd, as father's sprint with coolers and lawn chairs in hand. Meanwhile, back at the booth, the events team has their first visitors.

"Alright folks, the name of the game is Speed. I want you to take this ball and throw it as hard as you can. Aim for the middle of the Lombardi Sports triangle. And that radar gun will measure your speed," Becky explains before handing the baseball over to a giddy man wearing a Giants hat.

"What do I win?" asks the patron who is beside himself in excitement at the prospect of chucking the ball 100mph.

"What do you win?! What do you win he asks! Ha! Emerson tell the gentleman what he can win."

"Tell you what. Just for playing, Lombardi Sports will give you 20% off your entire purchase when you come into our store. But, if you bring the heat, if you throw over 50 mph, we'll give you a BPA-free water bottle," Emerson told the gent who was already winding up for the pitch.

"Sounds good to me!" The gentleman hands his beer to his wife, turns his baseball cap around, and throws the ball as hard as his 56-year old body will allow him.

"47!!" Becky exclaims.

"Ah come on! The first one is always a warm-up!" he cries.

"What do you think Emerson? Does this guy have it in him? Should we give him another shot?" Becky teases.

"I say he hits over 50." Emerson places his confidence and the ball in the gentleman's hand.

Like a little boy, the man is overjoyed and gives it another whirl.

"52!!! You got it!!"

The events team gives him a round of applause and his free water bottle. He leaves the Lombardi Sports booth three inches taller and forty years younger.

6pm. The sun is beginning to fall behind the hill just left of the spaceship-shaped stadium. The sky is colored like "cotton candy" as Becky describes it. John Butler, the lead singer and guitarist of the John Butler Trio is preparing for an acoustic guitar solo while his band mates rest up for the grand finale.

"It's beautiful out here isn't it San Francisco?" Butler asks the crowd who responds with cheers and screams. "You know, you might think this is strange, but every time I look to my left I see my silhouette and think, 'Damn John, that greaser haircut looks pretty damn bad right now.'" he laughs. "It makes me feel pretty self-conscious in front of you guys up here." The crowd laughs along with him. "But you know what, if that is the worst of me, then here is the best of me," Butler says.

The music man starts playing his song. The sound is indescribable and for that moment the crowd of 10,000 is tuned into the same frequency. A pinkish-orange sherbert sky provides the dreamlike backdrop. A member of the audience sways to the music, embodying the very wind that sweeps through the audience. There are no lyrics, no words, just the sound of the guitar piercing through space. The wind is crisp, but the energy of the crowd is enough to light a fire. The scent of pretzels and churros are not far off. A father holds his infant-daughter high in the air before smothering her with a shower of kisses. John Butler is relentless on the guitar and the audience is enthralled.

Back at the Lombardi Sports booth, a line has formed. Kids and adults alike are anxious to have a whiz at the game.

"Hey wait a minute! You went already!" Becky spots the familiar face.

"I just want to play. Just for fun. I won't take another water bottle if I win. Pleeeease." She pleads.

8:45pm. Melissa Etheridge is winding down her set and has a surprise for the enthused crowd. She starts strumming on her guitar, the tune sounds vaguely familiar.

"Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on! Didn't I make you feel like you were the only one." By then, everyone in the crowd has found the classical tune. Some fist-pump the air with excitement, others are jumping up and down, and everyone is singing along. "Take another piece of my heart now baaaby!!"

The crowd erupts when the song finishes, and the show is only getting started. After a brief intermission, the real fireworks launch. Timed to a medley of songs that include clips of the Beatles, Train, Coldplay, and more, brilliant flashing flights explode onto a black canvas.

Sparkling fireflies of purple and pink ignite the night sky. Electric, brightly colored confetti showers over the bay. Missiles of green and blue and red whiz upwards of a hundred feet into the sky. Pink and yellow fireballs dance along to the blaring music. It's like a box of glow-in-the-dark Nerds has spilled across the universe. Suffice to say, the fireworks are nothing short of spectacular.

To sum up the success of the event at its new Candlestick Park location, all I can say is "KAAABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!"