Beat this Summer

No matter how many concerts you have experienced, or how many times you have seen the man himself, every time you see Brad Paisley live, it is extraordinary.  From his crisp white cowboy hat, to his jaw dropping guitar skills, this man is a legend.  We caught Brad at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan where the temperatures outside were bone chilling.  On the inside of the stadium, Paisley reassured us that we would be enjoying a hot summer night with him.  He delivered just as smoothly as one of his numerous witty jokes on stage.  This man is seriously a fireball of energy on stage!  He never stops moving for the entire performance, gripping your attention for almost two hours.  Though constantly in motion, Brad Paisley was calmer than a turkey the day after Thanksgiving up on stage.  I would define him as the most confident/relaxed performer I have ever seen live.  It seemed as though his stage was his own front porch, and we were merely guest invited over for a glass of sweet tea.  
As well as being an ace on the stage, Brad had impeccable taste when it came to finding opening acts.  Seventeen year old Danielle Bradbery hit the stage first and filled the arena with her powerful mature voice.  After the show we had the opportunity to meet the young artist whose album, Heart of Dixie, just dropped recently.  I look forward to following her career and being a fan at concerts to come!  
The second opening act was Chris Young.  His deep voice could make a girls heart stop all the way up in the nosebleed sections.  Chris had the whole room rocking to one of his most recent songs "Aw Naw", and kept it rolling with some of my personal favorites like, "Tomorrow", "I Can Take it from There", and "You".  If you have never heard of him, it is worth your time to look him up and add him to your playlist.

Side story: Okay, so have you ever had one of those days where no matter what you do, you feel like nothing is going right?  So, I went on this trip with Justin and Kailey.  We got on the road early so we could eat at one of the best places on earth and a PGC favorite...The Cheesecake Factory (it was way to cold to tailgate).  We do not have one near where we live, so we make time whenever there is one near a concert venue.  Good food is a must!  We arrived to where we thought the Cheesecake Factory would be and could not find it.  You don't mess with Abby when she is hungry and expecting yummy cheesecake...I become a bear.  FINALLY we found the Cheesecake Factory, and I was so giddy and ready to eat good food, nothing could bring me down!  EXCEPT, the news that there was a three and a half hour wait for a table.  (Insert tears here).   At that point we had to make the most difficult decision of the day, wait and be late to the show, or find somewhere else to eat and be on time for the show.  We knew the right decision, but either way it was painful.  At this point you just have to laugh and find a new place to eat.  At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many bumps in the road there are, your day will only be as good as your attitude, and the people you surround yourself with.  

Here's to the Good Times and Four Meet and Greet Passes...

This past month I had the pleasure of meeting Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line before they went on stage and blew everybody away.  I was completely caught off guard when they both extended a hand, introduced themselves (as if I had no idea who they were), stared me in the eye and repeated my name to themselves.  These true southern gentlemen know how to make every fan feel important as they wrap their arms around you to take a quick picture.  But let me tell you, they also know how to make you feel short!  Holy cow they are tall and fit.  I'm only 5'5", but they both have to be at least 6'3".  Basically, I will not be challenging them to basketball anytime soon.

After meeting them both, they are the kind of people you want to spend all day out on the lake with, and then spend all night by the fire talking.  But don't get any ideas ladies, both of these handsome gentlemen already have special ladies in their lives!  If you have not had the great opportunity to see Florida Georgia Line live, add it to your bucket list.  They know how to make you dance, give you goosebumps, and have a flat out great time.  I saw them first on Luke Bryan's Dirt Road Diaries tour, then twice in Nashville over the summer, and finally in my home town last month.  They have worked hard to get to where they are today, and they deserve the recognition they have finally started to receive in this past year.  

Make sure you grab a ticket for the Here's to the Good Times tour and give your love to BK and THubbs.  

"If you never try, you have already failed." -Unknown

This is it.  We are starting down a path that none of us knew we would venture down, but all of us have been drawn to.  At this point in my life, I have been blessed to experience a multitude of concerts and venues with six of my best friends and family.  We are addicted to the adrenaline rush, that overwhelms our bodies, as we see our favorite virtuoso emerge from the smoke, and we hear the first chords ring out.  These single moments have turned into experiences and memories that will not easily be forgotten.  What makes it worthwhile is the amount of laughter and fun we have on concert day, and our singing voices.  Let me just tell you that we considered being a band, but we didn't want to embarrass the current musicians with our awesomeness.  Our desire is to share with you our greatest experiences, and the ones that could have gone better, (which are few).  I am excited to see where this journey takes us, and I am ecstatic to have you along for the ride.