Aretha loved it, and they loved her

The hour dipped well past midnight and Aretha Franklin should have been off stage more than a 45 minutes ago. About 12:30 a.m. she was finishing her last song and graciously thanking Columbia and festival organizers for their hospitality. Then she did something that surprised me.

Aretha asked fans to come out and support her when she comes back again. That tells you a lot about how much she enjoyed the show and Columbia.

City officials were equally appreciative. They gave her a key to the city, key to the banks, plaques and flowers. Usually those ceremonies are cheesy, but last night it felt right. It had been a long day of rain delays and gloomy weather. Aretha's performance and the crowd's love for her wiped all of that away.

If you've been to concerts and especially ones at festivals, you know, typically the acts finish and get the heck out of there. Organizers want you off stage, so they can clean up and go home. There was none of that impatience early Sunday morning when it came to Aretha. There was only respect.