Von Braun Civic Center
With the Huntsville show being so close to my home, it looks like I'm among the first board buddies to make it back and offer a review of Friday night's concert at the VBCC. I've followed Sara to Florida and Tennessee in the last few months, but now she finally landed in Sweet Home Alabama, and she was certainly well received.
It was a fabulous show, just as all of her concerts have been throughout the Chesney tour. For me, this one stands apart from the rest because my seat was in the fourth row, I had the opportunity to meet with four of the board buddies, and, again, because the concert was in my home state. The last time Sara performed in that civic center was in 1999 when she was in maternity clothes. She mentioned that between songs, and then took time to dispel any notion that she might be pregnant again. Apparently, this rumor has weighed heavier on her mind than others, because she has brought it up a few times in the press lately. Her words tonight were something to the effect of, "When people feel the need to spread rumors, I guess you know you've made it (as a star)." This is similar to the quote in the Detroit Free Press last August in which she said, “I just notice that the more famous I get and the more success I have, the more criticism I get.”
I feel as though I could go on for days about her performance, but in the interest of time tonight, I will condense the details of the show into a few assorted thoughts. First, for those who are wondering, Sara did kick the stool during “You Don't”. The crowd responded most favorably to “We Got the Beat” and “Born to Fly” (no surprise there). Sara wore a black button-up shirt (same from Opry appearance last month), with black & blue checkered pants (the same pants that she had on at the Jackson show). Also, I noticed that she has really let her hair grow out again. It's probably beyond mid-back now in length, and back to natural brown.
Now, for a few things aside from the actual show. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Robert, Dennis, Brandon, and seeing Dan for the third time. I just wish that Dan could have gone through the Meet & Greet line with us. He did hang around with the rest of us guys at the entrance to the tunnel leading backstage, so we were able to take some group pictures then (which will be posted soon on the website). I also enjoyed chatting with Shawn Pennington, Sara's guitarist & bandleader. He just meandered up out of nowhere, and started talking to Sara's aunt and uncle, who were also in the Meet & Greet line. Dennis quickly closed his homemade “Sara scrapbook” that he was showing me and walked up to him, and Shawn immediately recognized him and began chatting. Dennis then graciously said that he wanted to introduce him to a few of his friends. I spoke to him first, and told him some about the website that's under construction. He answered several of my questions, and was just the most congenial person. In fact, one of my questions was, “How often do you read the message board on the Unofficial Page?” I knew that he had mentioned to me before in an e-mail that he reads it every once in a while. It turns out that he checks it once a week! So, HELLO SHAWN! :)
After I spoke to him for two or three minutes, I turned to introduce him to the rest of the board buddies, and it was obvious that he keeps up with the discussion here because he knew Robert! They have never met or corresponded by e-mail, and when Robert told him his name, Shawn said, “Oh, Robert S?” As you might imagine, it astounded Robert that he remembered the "S"; afterwards, Robert told me that he will start posting more often now that he knows that our words may be reaching Sara's band, and maybe even Sara herself. (Hey, we at least know that they reach Ada, Casey's wife)
To close, a few words about the Meet & Greet, any fan's favorite part of the whole experience. It was rushed more Friday night than it was at the last two shows because there was a much longer line. I thought there was a limit of 10 fan club members per show, but the number must have been closer to 35 or 40. Granted, some of those were winners in local radio contests, but I noticed mostly stickers, which denotes Fan Club. Anyway, when I met Sara, I really didn't feel nervous at all this time. She just seems like an old friend (to me anyway--maybe not from her perspective), but I guess that's because I devote a certain amount of time everyday to writing about her career and working on her website. I had about 10 seconds to speak with her before the photographer was ready to take the picture and send me on my way. (Sounds like Ralphie from a Christmas Story doesn't it?). I didn't even take anything to be autographed so that I could have a little longer to talk with her, but that actually worked against me in that I had less time, since it cut away from the time that she normally would have spent autographing an item. The only thing I had a chance to ask was if she remembered me. She said she did, which was nice. Then the guy took our picture, and was breathing down my neck to move on. One positive thing about the Meet & Greet was that I recorded my 10 second chat with Sara on my hand-held cassette recorder. So, now I have a keepsake of Sara saying that she remembers me, and telling me to have a good time at the show. Tomorrow, I'll convert it to mp3 so that I can send it out to whomever might want to hear it.
Well, that just scratches the surface. This review is, by no means, comprehensive. But, then again, I have to leave something for my compatriots to write about.
Von Braun Civic Center
After returning from the show I typed out my post so as not to miss any details. It will be apparent as you read this message, that I was still excited about meeting Sara. I have to warn you, I wrote this at 3:30 in the morning, so it is accompanied with lots of rambling. My case of Saraitis has only grown deeper since meeting Sara. This is the second day after the concert, and the whole experience still seems like a dream. It was a day that I shall never forget, and probably a story I will tell my grandkids. I hope that each of you has a wonderful week, and thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us.
Lasting Impressions:
As promised, this is my account of the Huntsville concert on the evening of 3-15-02. Please forgive the uncohesiveness in writing, for the hour is nearing 4am. I would like to express everything while it is yet fresh in my mind. My brother and I arrived in Huntsville around 6pm. Driving into the parking garage, I immediately noticed Dan's familiar face. For those of you that don't know, Dan is from Orlando, and he made the long 16 hour trip. After navigating out of the parking deck, we caught up with Dan. He soon remembered me from the message board. After a quick stop by the CMT trailer, we headed towards the will call window. We didn't encounter any problems in getting our meet and greet passes, so thanks to Sandra, the fan club president.
Soon after, Chuck and his cousin Matthew arrived. Once getting into the arena, we headed straight for the Sara merchandise table. I had to replace the picture I bought last year that I bought for Sara to sign. Then it was down to find our seats, and next we went straight to the gathering spot for the meet and greet. We met Sara's aunt and uncle Evans, so that was great. Outside the hallway was a message board reunion of sorts. I met Brandon and Dennis from the board. Out of nowhere, Shawn, Sara's band leader, shows up. We took some photos with him. Surprisingly enough, he recognized our names from visiting the message board! By now, the excitement and nervousness that was building took over. It was very apparent to those around me, because I was talking about a mile a minute. I was just like a kid Christmas morning. It was exciting to meat Shawn, so you can imagine what was in store.
Finally, we single filed into a hallway to meet Sara. I was behind Matthew, Chuck, and my brother. Leaning to see Sara at the front of the long line, I really couldn't believe it was her. Even from that distance, you could feel the presence that precedes her. The lady in line behind me asked if this was my first time meeting Sara, as if I really needed to answer that!! I didn't like how we were rushed through line, because our time with Sara was very brief. I watched my brother with Sara, and as I walked up to her, I made sure to point out to her that David was my brother. It's funny, my first spoken words to Sara were to express the love I have for my brother. I handed her the card I made for her, which she gave to someone else, probably her manager. Then I handed her the picture to sign. When she asked me what my name was, I was enthralled in the whole experience, I had to pause in a moment of thought before replying. I only had time to speak a few sentences and then Sara put her arm around me for the photo. With the final words of "thank you," my moment with Sara had ended. Just as I had predicted, nothing would come out right, so I am glad that I wrote my thoughts down for Sara. If I hadn't expressed everything in the card, I would have walked away with a sense of discontent, but I was reassured she would read my thoughts later. For a moment, time stood still. That instant in time with Sara seemed to last forever. For those of you that have met her before, everything you say is true. You are struck by her natural beauty, but even more than that is her charming presence. I have met famous people before, but I have never encountered anyone so enchanting before. Her radiant beauty is only matched by her grace and compassion. It is a moment that has been forever etched in my memory. Even now as I stare at the autograph, it seems like the experience was a mere dream.
Carolyn Dawn Johnson had started her set when we reached our seats. I enjoyed both CDJ and Phil Vassar's performance. Being that this was my second time seeing Sara live, I already had a set of expectations in my mind. All of my expectations were grossly exceeded!! Our 4th row seats gave us a great vantage point. The performance was flawless in my eyes. The band was excellent!! Way to go Shawn!! The acoustics weren't affected by the plague that seemed to hinder the quality in past shows. Her performance was breathtaking. Her set was duration of 40 minutes. Included was: I Keep Looking, Let's Dance, Saints and Angels, No Place That Far, Show Me The Way To Your Heart, I Could Not Ask For More, You Don't, We Got The Beat, and Born To Fly. NPTF is my favorite Sara song. I cannot put into words how powerful and emotionally stirring it was this time. Because we were close to the stage, it felt like Sara was singing a quaint, personal performance just for us. It was great to see more participation from the audience, verses the seemingly disinterest when I saw her in November. Of course, there is a dynamic chemistry taking place on the arena floor, that isn't felt in the upper seats. Like an actor on stage, we were actively participating in the performance. Hopefully some of the photos I took turned out, if not the experiences was not lessened as a result. As before, I didn't want Sara to leave the stage, but all good things must come to an end. This was an evening that I shall always cherish. My only hope is that it is one that will be repeated in the near future. My thanks go out to Sara's band, the stage crew, and lastly but not least, the fan club members in attendance. I hope this covered the major points, but I am sure more things will come up in the passing hours. You can also look forward to Chuck, Brandon, and Dan's report, which should fill in the missing gaps of my report. Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you.
Von Braun Civic Center
I just got in from Huntsville. The concert was great I had great seats. The meet and greet wasn't as good as others I had been to but I still got to see Sara, that was cool. I got to see all the board guys that went too and we had a good time. This meet and greet had so many people but we were rushed. Sara did sign a t-shirt for me. I got to meet Shawn the band leader as well. The best thing about the evening though is my cousin didn't have a backstage pass but we ran into some huge Sara fans that happened to be her aunt and uncle and they gave him one. They were so nice. They even showed us a picture of Sara as a kid singing on stage--that was so neat. The show was awesome and the best part was meeting Sara, although it was rather short. Overall I had a great time, I am sure some of the other board guys will post some things so I will let them do some talking.
Mars Music Amphitheatre
Well, guys, I'm finally able to sit down at a computer and add to
what has been said about Sara's concert in West Palm Beach on Thursday
night. It was held at the Mars Music Amphitheatre, next door to the
South Florida Fair.
I flew in from Birmingham and Dan drove from Orlando. Another online
friend, who we have become acquainted with through the message board
on the unofficial home page, was also at the show. Her name is
Jeanette, and she came in from Miami. The three of us met outside the
gate near the will-call window, and entered together with our
backstage passes in hand.
For those of you who may have backstage passes at future shows,
remember that it is important to be at the venue at least an hour in
advance. We formed the line at 6:30 PM, although the show was not
scheduled to begin until 7:30 PM. In fact, as soon as I arrived,
Jeanette told me to waste no time claiming my pass because the
backstage session was scheduled to begin in just a few minutes. I
took her advice and rushed over to the will-call window with Dan.
Unlike in Jackson, TN, for this show, we had to present our photo ID.
After obtaining the Fan Club envelopes with our names on them, the
three of us walked over to the area designated for the M&G. We
chatted, laughed, and took photos of one another as we anxiously
awaited our visit with Sara.
Dan had his Clinch Mt. Sweethearts CD for Sara to sign. Jeanette had
a white cowboy hat to be autographed, and I brought in a B&W photo
from the Three Chords photo shoot. There were probably 30 to 35
people with Meet and Greet stickers this time. Many of them were
recipients of promotional passes from the local radio station. As we
lined up, the Fan Club members were told to go into a tented area
first, and then the radio winners were allowed to enter after we
finished.
We were far enough back in the line that Sara was not visible to us
when she first came out. So, as we stood there, we took turns
guessing which look she would choose for this show. Indeed, Sara was
back to the dark hair, wearing a white button-up shirt, blue jean
mini-skirt, and high heels. She did not go heavy on the mascara and
eyeshadow this time, like she did in Jackson. The makeup was perfect,
and it even appeared that she had a little bit of glitter on her
cheeks.
Right before we went up, there were two girls who were just chatting
away with Sara for what seemed like a couple of minutes. I could tell
that she was in a talkative mood that night, and would probably open
up to us when it was our turn. Dan was the first in our trio to go in the tent with Sara, and Jeanette snapped a few pictures of him talking to her. When Sara saw that he wanted her to sign a bluegrass album, she asked him if he had a chance to watch her bluegrass performance at the Opry a week ago. Like any good Sara fan, he made sure he watched it on TV last Saturday, so he was able to chat with her some about that. After he had his picture taken with her, it was my turn to go, and Jeanette wished me luck. I felt like I was about to step into the hitter's box, and Jeanette was my coach, giving me a little pep talk before my at-bat. She sent me from the on-deck circle up to the plate, armed with my camera and my picture to be signed.
As always, Sara was so congenial. She smiled the entire time, and did
not seem as rushed as she was in Jackson, even though there were more
people in line at this show. I presented her with the Three Chords
photo, and she asked me where I purchased it, probably because they
haven't sold that photo at her product since the first album was
released. I answered that I had purchased it off of Ebay. Then I told
her that I had flown in from Alabama to see her show and to meet her
for the second time in two months. I quickly glanced at the
photographer to see if he was ready to take the picture yet, but he
was still holding it by his side. So, I knew I had time for a couple
of other remarks. Therefore I asked her what were the chances
that "Every Little Kiss" would be the next single released to radio.
She commented that it was just too long for radio, with the length
being over 6 minutes. I should have suggested that a shorter radio
version be released, as she did with "Born to Fly" so that the length
would be more radio-friendly, but I didn't think of it at the time.
She said that the next single would be "I Keep Looking," and I
complimented her on the choice. (Now, I'm wondering if a special
radio version of it will be released without Avery's gurgling at the
beginning).
After she mentioned what the next single would be, the photographer
was ready to snap the picture. Sara and I smiled for the camera, then
I resumed my conversation with her. A word of advice, though, for
future meet & greeters: Try to cover everything you want to say
BEFORE the photo is taken, because after the picture is snapped, they
are ready for the next person in line. The next person was Jeanette,
so I hung around and snapped a couple of photos of her talking to
Sara. Jeanette presented Sara with 4 or 5 pictures that she had taken
from the GNO tour when Sara was wearing the Reba wig. Sara
asked, "Are these for me?" She seemed flattered. After she signed
Jeanette's white cowboy hat, the three of us walked back out from
under the tent. We spent the next few minutes discussing those things
that we wished we could have said to Sara if there had been more
time. We were still very pleased though with the way it was handled.
Now, just a few words about the actual show. It featured Phil Vassar,
Sara, and Kenny Chesney. Carolyn Dawn Johnson did not make this show,
but she is scheduled to be on the ticket for future concerts in the
Chesney tour. Sara came out right after Vassar, and was wearing a
different outfit than what she had on for the Meet & Greet. It was
the same shirt that she had on for her stops in Dallas and Louisville
with the George Strait tour. She selected a black, sleeveless top for
this warm Florida night, with what looked like dark blue pants. The
shirt kept trying to ride up, so she had to pull it down over her
navel several times throughout the show. She also kept pointing
toward her monitors during her performance so that her sound crew
would know to adjust the volume. I think these gestures were only
noticeable to the ones in the first few rows, and for people, like
me, who had binoculars.
As always, Sara sang her heart out, and even signed a few autographs
while she was in the middle of singing. There was a stool sitting
center stage, and she sat on it occasionally, especially during the
slower ballads such as "No Place that Far". Here are the ten songs
from her set:
I Keep Looking
When Sara introduced the Go-Go's song, she said that she was a child
of the 80's, and that she listened to New Wave as a teenager. Of
course, Sara is versatile enough to do Country Pop one minute and
80's New Wave the next. And, like Dan said, what was even harder to
believe was that she was yodeling "Muleskinner Blues" at the Opry
just five days earlier. I tell you, this girl's talent never ceases
to amaze me.
Pensacola Civic Center
Pensacola, FL: my hometown. Even though I now live in Georgia, I've been to many events at the Pensacola Civic Center. Nothing could compete however with the night I first met Sara!!! Standing in the Meet and Greet line was nervous, exciting, and helpless all at the same time. I stood towards the back of the line, waiting to see how it worked. And then Sara came in the room...electricity filled the air as she breezed in. Camera's flashed and men sighed at her breathtaking beauty. That same smile that I fell in love with at Fan Fair 2001 was there again. Sara made your short time with her feel special, very special in fact.
As the line quickly moved forward I held a gift that I had for her. Funny, I expected everyone to bring her a gift, cards or flowers...but to my pleasant surprise, I had the only gift. As I approached Sara, I was caught flatfooted, so to speak, on two things....first Sara is taller in person than I expected, around 5'10". Second, Sara Evans is a Stunningly Beautiful woman. When my turn to have Sara sign my picture of her and to have my picture taken with her, I was scared to death!!! Sara asked my name and signed my picture of her from Fan Fair 2001. I gave her the gift I had brought, a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store apron with her name on it, and to my surprise she seemed very excited about receiving it. She said Cracker Barrel was her favorite restaurant and couldn't believe she was getting her own apron. She stopped me as I turned to leave and again told me thank you sooo much for the apron...she was very sincere. What a moment for me....Sara Evans was holding my arm and talking to me....WOW!!!
When Sara took the stage, she had the crowd in the palm of her hand. Many came only to hear Kenny Chesney, but was treated to a songbird like Sara also. She sang her hits from her previous CD's as well as the Born To Fly CD's music. She also did a rousing version of "We Got the Beat", an anthem of the Go-Go's from many years ago. When Sara kicked her stool across the stage during "You Don't", it got everyone's attention.
All in all, the Pensacola, FL show was great, but meeting Sara Evans was everything I had hoped for and then some. What a singer, what a talent, what a lady.
Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Yes, Sara was stunning as usual on Friday! Amazing that with all the shows I have seen and the Meet n Greets w Sara over the past yr....it is still totally heart-warming when Sara first arrives for the Meet n Greets....its like a little kid getting to visit Santa Claus exclusively up at the North Pole.
The concert was great.....Sara's set included (in no particular order) I Keep Looking, Saints and Angels, Lets Dance, No Place That Far, We Got The Beat, I Could Not Ask For More, The Great Unknown (first time I heard it live...and really very good!), Born to Fly.
Sara was more animated than usual, and the band was just absolutely jamming! I thought the Jax crowd was quiet at the start (compared to the one in Huntsville, AL), but Sara had them moving further and further into the show...and got everyone going nuts w We Got The Beat (amazing that a child of bluegrass and traditional country can "out Go-Go" the Go-Gos...LOL).
Also, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Phil Vassar put on good shows, too. CDJ looks hot w her new hairdo, and Vassar was his usual crazy self on stage. I tell ya I think, along w Sara, that you are gonna see these two become huge country music stars in the next year or two...lots of talent and on-stage charisma. I saw parts of Kenny Chesney's show...as usual he sang about tractors, a bottle of wine and 2 dixie cups, w crazed young teenage girls fawning at him, etc... I like Chesney's music but I guess I get bored w his show at times..with all the gadgets and gimmicks
In all, another great show. Not sure the next time Sara will be in Florida as she will be scaling back her touring for the rest of the year working on a new album and getting her new Washington DC residence ready (thinking positive here). I guess I do have a lot of memories and photos from the shows that will help bide the time :)
Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Man, what a show!!! Sara was great, CDJ, Phil Vassar and of course Kenny. This was the third time I've seen this tour and it just keeps getting better. Met Sara for the second time and again, she was great, very nice and friendly. As stunningly beautiful as ever. She was wearing a mini-skirt for the meet and greet and she looked great.
Special thanks to Dan (UCF) for taking a picture of me and Sara when my camera died. Dan, you're a life-saver. Gave Sara a present about three weeks ago and I asked her about it...she remembered it and says it is actually hanging up in her bus. That means a part of me is always with Sara....that is just awesome!!!
Love Ya Sara!!!
Assembly Hall
I finally got to meet Sara.....after 5 or so years in the waiting. My fiancé and I both met her last night at the Kenny Chesney concert in Champaign IL (my hometown).
When it was finally my turn in the meet and greet line, I stood next to her and as we were waiting for a picture to be taken I told her that she was one of my all time favorite country singers. She smiled really big and then asked me if I would like to ride along with her for the rest of the tour. Apparently she liked my compliment! I was thinking to myself...hmmmmmm...cause I could just imagine my fiancé's response if I had said "yeah, sure".
After Sara and I got our photo taken together, she autographed 2 things for me. The first is a 16x20" enlargement of a video frame from her Born To Fly video. She wrote "To Zack, You were born to fly...Love Sara Evans". The other thing I got signed was a ruby red woman's shoe just like she wore in the BTF video.
After she signed them, Sara spread her arms out and gave me a big hug. I was expecting to have a chair hit me upside the head from my fiancé or something (you guys know about the jealousy thing), but little did I know she had her back to us and didn't even see it! LOL.
It was a great experience and Sara was very nice. She did a great job onstage as well. At one point she remarked that she had gotten a slight cold from her child. Here is a photo I take of her backstage at the meet and greet: Click here
Cumberland Co. Civic Center
I WENT TO MY FIRST CONCERT ON THURSDAY NIGHT!! AND I SAW SARA!!! It was Sara, Phil Vassar, CDJ and Kenny Cheney in Portland, Maine. But Sara was by FAR the best. She was sooooooooooo good, omg. I took a dozen pictures of her, I so hope they come out good. I missed the beginning of her singing I Keep Looking (actually missed most of the song) because I was waiting in line to buy her Born to Fly CD! lol! I suppose that's as good a reason as any! She was sooo good though. I just watched her in absolute awe and I couldn't believe Sara Evans was in front of me. It was such a high, I felt on top of the world, I love how music can do that, and especially her music. She sang No Place That Far, which I think was my favorite song that she did, and You Don't, which I hadn't heard before but really enjoyed - it was cool how she kicked over the stool during that song - and Let's Dance, I Could Not Ask For More (before which she talked about Avery, everybody went "Awwwww") and of course Born to Fly which was soooo awesome, everybody sang at the top of their lungs, and then for the last verse the audience sang the first two lines...hehe..I was amazed I could still talk by the end of the night, I sang so loudly. She was so amazing. I hope I get to see her again some time. The others were good, but not as good as her. She has such an amazing voice. :)
Van Andel Arena
I saw Sara last night in Grand Rapids and it was GREAT! All 4 acts were outstanding but of course, Sara was the best. She played 8 songs, NPTF and We Got The Beat, then everything else was from BTF. She is truly a star. On top of her obvious great voice and tremendous looks, she has this presence when she's on the stage that I wasn't aware of. The only negative thing about the show was that they never got her sound right. When she was belting it out it was fine, but when she sang quiet, her band kind of drowned her out. Kenny Chesney's sound was fine right from the get go which means that Sara needs to headline ASAP! She was definitely the most talented act there.
Show Me Center
Why can't I act like a normal human being during a Meet and Greet? I have to get all flustered and talk 900 miles an hour and I always feel like an idiot when it's all over.
I had bought a little stuffed monkey at the St. Louis zoo (where I work) to give to Sara. Well I lost the dang thing before the Meet and Greet. After asking everyone in sight, I finally found a security guard who checked around and someone brought me my monkey while I was standing in line. Of course, this darling little girl was right before me. She had colored two pictures for Sara. Like anything I'd give her after that would compare. I babbled something about how I work at the zoo and I wanted to give her something from the zoo. Then she signed my shirt, I asked her a question about the two weeks she went to Central Methodist College and then it was over. I went to CMC and I wanted to know who her vocal teacher was. She didn't remember. (If she'd have stayed there we would have been enrolled at the same time.) She looked over at one of her backstage companions at the sidelines like, Can you believe what people know about me? I do hope she keeps the monkey. I had quite a time finding him back after I'd lost him. Maybe she gave it to Avery.
The concert was fabulous as always. CDJ was excellent. Phil Vassar was his usual energetic self. I left before Kenny Chesney. Long drive home. I finally got to hear Sara sing "Muleskinner"! Wonderful wonderful job. I also got to hear "We Got the Beat." Way cool, Sara - way cool. I loved the multi-colored lights that waved all over the stage and the audience. She did not sing "You Don't " so I didn't get to see any stool-kicking, and she did not sing my favorite song of hers in concert - the Doobie Brothers number that I can never remember the name of. But I was in Sara's presence, she sang like an angel, and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Tulsa Expo Center
Thursday night was awesome. Had a M & G at 6:30-quite a number of radio fans, but only a handful of Fan Club members. Sara was looking great as usual, in blue jeans and a red and white striped Polo style shirt. Smelled great, too. I asked her about a video for IKL and she said they were trying to do one, but she is so busy, it is difficult. She was after CDJ -(no Phil Vassar, thank goodness)-and sang 9 songs-IKL, Let's Dance, S & A, NPTF, Great Unknown, You Don't-(with stool kick, which I got a great photo of in action)-We Got the Beat, CNAFM, and BTF. No Every Little Kiss or Muleskinner Blues. She seems to be doing that when she is the headliner as in Austin. The audience was loud and very supportive throughout the show and Sara seemed to be really enjoying the response. She even took a beer from a vendor late in the show. Talked with Shawn after the show, he is so friendly all the time. Got Sara's song sheet again and some great photos (yes, for you Chuck) and now have a signed photo of Sara and me (life is So Good).I do need to say that Kenny Chesney put on a Great show, even though I was not a big fan. He was very personable and did a lot of cover songs late in the show, and really gave the audience what they wanted. One more M & G in Sedalia this summer. A Great Year so far I must say.
Bryce Jordan Center
With no small effort (Ticketmaster foul-up, outrageously priced 6th row tickets from E-Bay seller, 700 mile round trip journey) I presented myself to Sara Evans on Saturday April 13 at State College, PA. Given the thrill and joy of this I could easily make that activity a habit (wait, I think I am!) Catching my third show on this tour, I have again confirmed to myself that Sara Evans is THE entertainer of both the last century and this one!
The Meet & Greet session was just great. Somewhat interesting was that as those with passes were taken (herded) backstage we were divided into three groups, members of Shawn Pennington's family, about 10 of them (he is from Pittsburgh), radio winners (about 12) and Fan Club members (only 4). I asked who went first and to my pleasure, the Fan Club members were last. This of course gave me more time to stand back and observe Sara interact with those in front. Not sure if her manager saw it that way, but I liked it. As is always the case, Sara was just gorgeous. Her hair is back to very dark and very long. I also glimpsed some red toenails sticking out of her sandals. She signed a photo of the two of us together from 2/9/02 concert in Huntington, West Virginia and asked where it was from. I even asked her to include a "Crisco" reference on the photo which she did after laughing. She said she had resigned herself to being stuck with that nickname.
The show went as many others have described here previously, opening with CDJ (very good) then Phil Vassar, then Sara. (Still can't bring myself to stay for Kenny Chesney, sorry Kenny). This was my first time seeing Phil Vassar and he is very impressive. Came out in the crowd and hugged a lady in front of me and really fired up the crowd. Sara's set, while no different than it has been for a while, seemed to snag a number of people there to see KC. Many comments about We Got the Beat, including some that said she sounded exactly like Belinda Carlisle (awful close and very good). There is clearly no music Sara cannot sing and sing well if she chooses to.
Thanks again to Sara and her management for continuing to provide myself and her fans with the opportunity to say hi in the M&G and the wonderful show. Can't wait 'til next time.
Travis County Expo Center
Well everyone.....Sara's Austin Rodeo Show was absolutely fabulous. If you ever get a chance to see Sara perform by herself, it is definitely worth it. She had the stage for well over an hour and covered her whole Born To Fly album (minus "I Learned That From You") She also sang: Muleskinner (I LOVE that song), We Got The Beat, Three Chords and The Truth, The Great Unknown, and Long Train Runnin. It was fabulous! She rode to the stage in a convertible and left in the same one. The stage was small, but it rotated throughout the entire show! The only complaint I can have is that I can never hear her background vocals very well, but I just love being able to hear the harmony, so that was only a very SMALL disappointment!
As for the meet and greet, it was before the show, whereas the previous one I had attended was after the show and left much more time for me to visit with her! It was VERY rushed, so I was disappointed, but the good thing was that Sara remembered me, first and last name!!...I gave her a pic of my dad receiving her CD at Xmas and she really liked it (for those of you who don't know...my dad was her teacher for over 10 years). I asked her if she had taken Avery to the fair, and she said yes, but that she had gotten stung by a bee! I also asked about a new video and she said that they hadn't decided yet , so I was sure to tell her that "everyone wants her to."
Another unexpected highlight of the meet and greet was meeting two of the people from this board-Tiffany and Steve "SarasbestMOfan". I wasn't expecting that and was surprised! Steve was nice enough to give me a giant 8 x 10 of Sara for her to sign for me, as I hadn't really brought anything for her to autograph! I had fun visiting with them and was excited to meet them! Thanks Guys!! Well, that's about all I remember! It went quick, but I was so glad to see Sara perform songs that she normally wouldn't....as usual that girl didn't miss ONE NOTE! I was impressed!
Travis County Expo Center
What a night! Meeting and talking to the lovely Sara-got to tell her about Tulsa, where she stopped the show and posed for me-gave her a framed copy and had her sign an 8x10 of it for me-her first time to wear a Cowboy hat on stage-she remembered the incident and thanked me for the photo-she looked great, smelled great and was so kind and friendly-got to meet up with Tiffany and Ani of message board fame-that made it even better cause we took additional photos of each other with Sara-the show was great, and this was my 4th show and 2nd Sara solo-15 songs, voice crystal clear and so personable to the audience-she mentioned that we were all too far away as she was in the middle of the arena-Ani got a photo I took from the solo Tulsa show to get signed-will need to send copies to Chuck for the board-can't wait for 4/18 in Tulsa and another M & G.
Travis County Expo Center
I was never really a huge Sara Evans fan, but after watching her wonderful performance at the Texas Star Fair and Rodeo concert I was blown away.
It wasn't hyped up like a Britney Spears concert, but it wasn't boring. I was surprised at how down-to-earth she was. My friends and I really got into the concert; she puts on a great show. She has an amazing voice and can belt it like I've never heard anybody do before. Wow. (I'm still coming down off my concert high). I really like the atmosphere she brings to the stage and the audience. I hope she comes back to Austin soon. If she does I hope I can get a chance to meet her.
Anywho I've got a picture of her riding out of the place on a convertible. In the spur of the moment I reached out and waved and said "Sara we love you", she just looked at me with a big smile and said, "Why thank you". I snapped a picture. Very cool. Thanks for listening to me babble everyone, but I encourage those who have not been to her concert yet GO! You'll enjoy it to the fullest.
Huntsville, AL
March 15, 2002
Submitted By Chuck
Huntsville, AL
March 15, 2002
Submitted By Robert
Huntsville, AL
March 15, 2002
Submitted By Brandon
West Palm Beach, FL
January 31, 2002
Submitted By Chuck
Let's Dance
Show Me the Way to Your Heart
I Could Not Ask for More
No Place that Far
Saints and Angels
Fool, I'm a Woman
We Got the Beat (Yes, the Go-Go's -- what a surprise!)
Born to Fly
Pensacola, FL
March 14, 2002
Submitted By Don
Jacksonville, FL
April 5, 2002
Submitted By Dan
Jacksonville, FL
April 5, 2002
Submitted By Don
Champaign, IL
March 7, 2002
Submitted By Zack
Portland, ME
April 11, 2002
Submitted By Kate
Grand Rapids, MI
March 22, 2002
Submitted By Mac
Cape Girardeau, MO
April 19, 2002
Submitted By Marteen
Tulsa, OK
April 18, 2002
Submitted By Steve
Penn State University
April 13, 2002
Submitted By Jon
Austin, TX
March 13, 2002
Submitted By Ani
Austin, TX
March 13, 2002
Submitted By Steve
Austin, TX
March 13, 2002
Submitted By Sarah
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