A trip to Asia

The two countries I've been to aside from the USA are Canada and Mexico. I've always had a desire to visit England because we've traced the Morgan's back to a little area outside of Bristol going back to the late 1600's. It's on my "things to do before I die" list.
Now the title of this blog may have you believe I will be visiting the world's largest continent--but you would be wrong. The "Asia" referred to here is not a place, but rather a musical group.
I've found it interesting to talk to people about their taste in music and how they acquired it. For some, they are drawn to the type of music their parents listened to. Yes, I'll have to admit I have fond memories of the soundtracks to "The Sound of Music", "Fiddler on the Roof" and "South Pacific". Heck, I even enjoy a good Andy Williams song.
But my main taste in music can be drawn back to one group: Asia. It was a rock group formed from members of other groups. The guitarist, Steve Howe, played in a group called "Yes" (probably most famous for their song "Roundabout"). The drummer, Carl Palmer, was one third of the group "Emerson, Lake and Palmer." The keyboard player, Geoff Downes was one half of The Buggles, a group known for their song "Video Killed the Radio Star" (the first video played on MTV) and the singer and bass guitar player had come from many different groups, most notably King Crimson.
They had a HUGE hit in 1982 called "Heat of the Moment" as well as other hits like "Only Time Will Tell," "Don't Cry" and "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes." So, what do you do when you are a famous group from the 80's? You break up, of course. Asia continued over the years with different musicians, which I will say put out some pretty darn good music.
A few years back, the original members got back together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the forming of the band. They've since toured quite a bit and put out two new albums.
I had seen them in concert 2 times--and they are amazing musicians. When I heard they were touring the USA in the summer of 2010, I was anxiously awaiting to see how close they would be playing to North Carolina. I've seen them in NYC and Virginia, so I was willing to make a trip if needed.
It turns out they were playing in Raleigh--15 minutes away. And get this, they were playing on my birthday! What a great birthday present!
So, I find out when tickets are going to go on sale and I hop on Ticketmaster ASAP to get good seats. As soon as I log in, it asks me for a password for early ticket purchases. Password? I need a password? Doh! So, I think to myself, "Self, what would they use for a password?" I guess the word "Omega", the name of their latest album, and I was right! Whoo hoo!
I get second row seats, dead center--and the people who bought the seats in front of me didn't make it to the concert, so it was basically front row seats. It was a total blast. Best part? Having a wife willing to go with me and actually enjoy the concert. Yes, it was a nice birthday.