It’s no secret that I love music. I have blogged about it multiple times and have used song titles as blog titles once or twice. Ok, maybe three times. Music ties many of my memories together and often I hear a song and think, “Remember when…”
I hear constantly about concerts coming to my area and look endlessly at available tickets and pricing, but I rarely go. Afterwards, I kick myself in the ass repeatedly for not biting the bullet and going. I’ve wanted to see Kenny Chesney for years. Boo and I talked about going together for years and last year I even looked at tickets, but again, didn’t end up going.
This year, Skinny Bitch, who is not a country fan, planned to go with her sister. If she can go, why can’t we? Especially because this year, Tim McGraw was touring with him as well. Two of my favorites? I MUST go! Two weeks ago I texted Boo and asked if she still wanted to go. We settled on a maximum ticket price and I was off on a search. Luckily there were plenty of tickets available through second sellers like Stub Hub. I made the purchase and we planned our tailgating extravaganza.
Finally, the big day arrived. We were off early, thinking we had plenty of time. We didn’t plan on coming across several accidents along the way and the trip took much longer than expected. We pulled the chairs and grill out of her trunk and sat down with our drinks while the chicken was cooking. I looked at her and said, “Wow, we are hanging out without kids!”
We took our time eating, had a few drinks and wandered over to the stadium where we waited in ridiculous lines for t-shirts. We found our seats and were quite pleased to see how good they were. I have never been to an outdoor concert in a stadium and I was blown away by the number of people in attendance. It turns out that Gillette Stadium seats 67,000 for a concert.
Tim McGraw was about to come on and the big screens showed him walking up to come out onto the stage. I watched as he walked slowly while flexing his hands, a nervous gesture perhaps? It’s easy to forget that even though these guys are big and famous, they are still human. I’m sure putting on a good show to satisfy tens of thousands of fans would cause anyone a bit of stress. Or maybe not?
He opened the show with “Felt Good on My Lips” which was our official summer song last year. He played song after song and I kept thinking how much I loved each one, but the best moment of his performance for me was when he sang “Live Like You were Dying” and 67,000 people sang along. Dark or not, I put my sunglasses on so I could cry a little.
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| Faith Hill is a lucky woman! |
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| Nice rear view |
Too soon his turn was over and I decided to find the ladies room. I knew that if I didn’t, I’d be stuck leaving in the middle of Kenny Chesney’s performance and that just wasn’t ok. While I was in the bathroom line, I finally found a vendor selling the beer I had been looking for. I asked the girls behind me if they’d hold my spot and they graciously said yes. Now, if you are thinking only an idiot would buy a drink BEFORE going into the bathroom, you would be correct.
I did my business and bent to pull up my pants. My phone fell out of my bag and I reached down to grab it. My bag swung around and hit that beer bottle like it had a target on it. My $9.00 bottle of beer was puddled on the floor of the bathroom. I was seething, especially when I left the bathroom and found that there were multiple vendors right next to my section that sold my brand of beer. I sucked it up and bought another.
And now it was time for Kenny to take the stage. The man does not disappoint. He is amazing and captivates the audience. And again, he I got to hear song after favorite song. People laugh at country music and say it’s twangy and all about the dog driving off in the pick-up truck while your friend steals your best girl. However, the songs had recurring themes that have touched all of us… there were so many moments during the concert when I identified with the lyrics that I really should blog a separate post about it.
By far, the best moments of the concert were seeing Tim and Kenny interact with each other. The genuinely seemed to care about each other and had a great time sharing the stage. I know that they’re performers and acting a part is key, but I would be stunned if I heard that their interactions were “all for show.”
And the concert wound down and my head was in a confused place. I had a great time. This show was the stuff dreams were made of. Seeing them live was definitely a Bucket List item. I wasn’t prepared for the feeling of loss that would come over me at the closing… This was an event that I waited for anxiously. The anticipation of a good time to come was gone and I felt a little sad. Checking off that item took my breath away… until I realized that it doesn’t have to be a one-timer. Hitting a Bucket List item more than once is a bonus and this girl definitely feels the need to hit the jackpot.
If I could say thank you to the Brothers of the Sun for rocking my world, I definitely would. I thank my friend Boo for being a fun partner in crime for the day. It’s a day I’ll never forget.
xoxo
Ice Princess
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