Konocti Harbor Resort
I thought I'd share our latest Sara experience with y'all, which took place this past Saturday at Konocti, which just happens to be our favorite concert venue. Being only 25ft or so away makes for an incredible Sara show. This was Sara's 3rd time here so they must be treating her well. It's a beautiful drive as well, through Cache Creek Canyon ....awesome!
The showroom holds about 1200 with the first 15 rows being dinner/show seats. They always have a killer buffet & this time we had prime rib, salmon, baked chicken & all the fixin's. After chowin' down I went out to get our daughter a Sara shirt & that's when I ran into Craig Dunn, although I didn't know it at the time. During the opening band's act I was feeling a little "Restless" so I headed back out there. I introduced myself & mentioned I'd been to a lot of Sara's shows but hadn't seen him before & that's when he told me his name. We got to talking about the website, the long haul from Nashville, how he hooked up with Sara, a little politics...a bunch of stuff. Very nice guy. I had pictured Craig being older but he's a young 'un, early 20's I'd say. I went back out waiting for Sara to come on & pestered him a little more...can't ever have enough Sara related info, right?
Alright, it's showtime!!! Lights dim & we rise, applauding the band as they come onstage. A few moments later I Feel It Comin' On & I'm grinin' from ear to ear. That grin was interupted as my jaw hit the floor seeing Sara & that familiar walk as she took the stage. S-I-M-P-L-Y S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G!!! Then that voice fills the room & the adrenalin starts pumping. All is well in my little world as Sara is once again singing live for me. And yes, it is the sweetest sound I've ever heard! I could tell this was gonna' be a night to remember as Sara prowled the stage showing us her sassiness right from the get go. That's what I call it anyway, that attitude. I just love it & Sara delivers it like no other. Good stuff!
Sara flat tore it up all night, was really into it. Konocti seems to bring out the best in Sara. It was here where I witnessed a most powerful performance of "You Don't" - 3 1/2 months pregnant, sitting on the edge of that stool, leaning forward the whole time, just layin' it out for us. Never forget it. Sara said Avery wouldn't be making an appearance tonight to do his Davey Crockett song. Just too tired with perhaps a little attitude of his own goin' on. Sara told us about his sword he sometimes takes with him & sometimes gets whacked with it so she didn't want to bring him out. Sara apologized & said maybe next time. Sara said the way things had gone the last few years, she has a baby then releases a record & not to be expecting any new music anytime soon. Sara did all the familiar (for me anyway) intro's to the songs, with the exception of Suds, which she said would be the next single. After the encore Sara was low fivin' the people in front & even stopped to give her patented hand on hip, pouty face, sex siren pose when a camera presented itself. She loves doing that. With that she turned & strode off stage as the band finished up "Born To Fly".
Y'all won't believe Sara's new "do". She whacked a bunch off, as she put it, when Sharon & I complimented her on it. Still has the highlights. Looks absolutely fabulous on her. It was an eye opener when she first came out.
The M&G was all business as Kaelin was running things. No sign of Mark, guess he has moved on. Kaelin was out scouting how she was going to work it so I thought I'd rib her a little. "Excuse me Miss, you look a little troubled, may I be of some assistance?" Slight smile. After talking with security some more she was still checking things out so I tried again.” What’s up, Matt disappear?" "No". Figured I'd better let it go so I asked if Sara was coming out here or were we going back there. She said she would be coming out & after everyone was together she laid out how it was going to work.
When it was our turn we both gushed about her hair & her face lit up, blinding us with her smile. I bought our daughter a Bennie Baby at the gift shop earlier & Sara signed the little name tag for her. She clutched that thing all night & the next two days. She put her shirt on as soon as we got to the room & kept it on for two days as well. The next generation Sara fan has been smitten by Sara, there's no turning back now! She had been worried that it would be too loud for her ears & when we got to the room I asked if it did. She says, "Well, the first guy did but not Sara, she was perfect." I started LOL & gave her a big hug. After all, when Sara sings for us, it is the sweetest sound you've ever heard, I told her.
Well, if anyone is still reading this, you can tell we had a blast. The only glitch was my picture taking...I'm a point & shoot guy & Sara never sits still for long. I set everything on auto & they still suck. So I'm sorry I don't have any concert photos to send...yet. As luck would have it, the woman sitting with us has her own website & she was there doing a review to post on her site. She had a nice Olympus digital & offered to send me some of hers in a week or so. I'll pass them along as soon as I can.
Set list for the night:
Feel It Comin On
Win-River Casino Event Center
Showtime 7:30 p.m., I arrived at 6:30 p.m., my husband, sister and mom and four very good friends all sat at one table up front of course.. My sister and Husband have both seen Sara a few times before so they knew what they were in for.... The meet & greet was to be @ 6:50 p.m. at the left side of the stage...I kept looking over to this area and never saw any kind of line forming..it's now 6:55 , so I'm starting to get worried..7:00 still no line... Then I happen to spot Craig walking through the venue so I approached him, said "hi" and introduced myself. I asked Craig about the meet & greet scoop and he said they were just on the bus discussing getting the meet and greet going and it shouldn't be much longer and to go over and wait next to the stage...all of a sudden I noticed a few people kind of wandering over to get in line...ahhh..yes the meet and greet process was under way...Actually, there were only about 35-40 people instead of 60-75 or more than what I've been used to seeing. I waited until the end of the line and went in with the two radio D.J.'s.. I said Hi to Kaelin and talked to her for a minute, then Kaelin told Sara, "This is Lisa;" she's the one who brought all the goodies" Sara said "thanks". I told Sara that she looked great!...I could not believe how much weight she's lost since the last time I saw her in August..She's tiny!! Anyway, after snapping a photo..back to my seat for the show.
Sara opened up with "I Feel It Coming"...she did alot of songs from Restless like last time.. Although, I was a bit surprised that she did not sing "Niagara" or "Otis Redding" she seemed to do a shorter set of songs this show and I noticed she didn't talk and joke around as much as she normally does?? Sara did say that "Suds In The Bucket" was going to be the next single..I was shocked to hear that after expecting it to be "Niagara", but that's cool, just release "Niagara" next..I still think Sara's performance was awesome, but it seemed like she may have not been feeling well or maybe have been a bit tired...I've seen her enough times that I could tell, probably no one else noticed, but my sister felt the same way.... The crowd was shouting and screaming but still kinda seemed reserved at times...One point in the show Sara mentioned that she had been in a tanning bed earlier and she felt a little fuzzy and light-headed and that we (the audience) were going have to give her some energy and help her out. I know the crowd was into it cause I was observing everyone clapping and singing along to the songs, but when Sara told everyone they could get up and dance...no one really got up...there were only some people on the side balcony that were standing and dancing….that is, until Sara came out to do her encore "Born to Fly" when people started rushing the stage shaking her hand and cheering...I was confused..why wait until the last song to get up??? It was funny cause Sara said to the crowd "You guys are a little bit of a shy group." I don't know if it was because it was a Sunday night or what..It seemed like the audience just wanted to listen to her sing and take it all in...but at the same time I felt that Sara needed the crowd to be a bit more rowdy...to give her some energy to feed off of. Sara is such an amazing singer... People were calling into the radio station this morning just raving about how awesome and fantastic the show was..So I know she was a success... It was still the best time!!! I received an e-mail from Kaelin this morning telling me that everyone was enjoying my zucchini bread and my cookies I made and that everyone in the band sends their thanks for giving them a piece of home to carry with them on the road... That was cool. Kaelin is really the best!
Well, gotta run..Will check in later...P.S. Here are a few photos I took at the show: Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3
Wild Adventures Theme Park
Hey everyone! Since I had the shortest drive out of everyone that traveled, I was able to get home around 10pm tonight. Let me just tell you a little of the fun-filled day we had!
Today, I woke up at 7 am and went to an appointment. Then I headed to Valdosta from Tallahassee. When I got there it was about 11 and pretty much everyone was there except Krystal and Kacey. Anyway, I met up with everyone near the stage. Just as I'm getting there, the band starts its sound check. So, I walk over and sit next to Don, who is seated in lawn chairs already set up that are owned by his son. While sitting there, we see Kaelin, and she, of course, waves to us! Don informed me that she had already been out and saw the shirts! She loved them! (yeah!) Not long after, a female comes on stage wearing camo pant, a red tank top, a camo bandana, and silvery sunglasses. This female is holding a baby in a navy T-shirt and a diaper. Well, Robert turns to me and says, "Oh look. There's Olivia." It took me a second but I replied, "Robert, that's Sara holding Olivia!" (Sorry, Robert, I had to! It was the quote of the day!) So Sara does her sound check and we all watch and listen as she sings and chases Olivia around the stage. That baby is SO cute! Rarely did she smile, but it was funny to watch her, with her stern look on her face, walk up to people like Eric and Katie (fiddle player) and just stare at them. Then when a song would finish, all of us would start clapping and Olivia would shoot her head towards us as if to say, "What do you think you're doing?" That was high-quality entertainment!
So Sara finishes and we now have two hours to kill before the show starts. The whole time we're wondering where to get our meet and greet passes. We ask everyone and their mother and no one seemed to know. So, Ashley, Levi, and I give up on that for the moment and go and get some food! We were starving! Our stomachs were even growling! Well, when we finish we find out that we have to go to the will-call window at the front of the park to get our passes. Even though we cut it close we made it for the show.
Rushlow opened for Sara. They were pretty good. I have to agree with Ashley in that they should do more of their own stuff rather than Little Texas or cover songs. So, they finish their set and with much anticipation, Sara finally arrives on stage. We, of course, give her a standing ovation. She does the following songs, dedicating Saints & Angels to us, pointing us out to everyone! (It was the shirts, I know it!):
Feel It Comin’ On
We were up close for the last song and the encore. Everyone rushed the stage, sort of. We were trying to get a set list, and Robert was successful but was ever so kind as to give it to me since I had asked Eric for one before the show started.
We then went to the meet and greet. Before we went in, we all went over to Craig Dunn (who by the way is very young!) We went backstage and Kaelin said aloud that she didn't want any trouble from the back of the line. Once the meet and greets got started, the line went pretty fast. However, when it got to Robert, the line stopped dead for about 10 minutes! I've never seen a longer meet and greet! Not to pick on him more, but we all got through. I presented Sara with the shirts for her, Craig, Kaelin, Matt, Avery, and Olivia. She was very thankful and said everyone is so sweet to her. Kaelin was in charge of taking the pictures, but sometimes took longer because she had to see what everyone was getting signed or if they had pics that Sara was looking at, Kaelin was right there looking, too! It was quite comical. We all stood to the side and waited for the rest of the meet and greets to go through. Krystal and Kacey gave Sara these AMAZING pencil drawings of the cover art of Born to Fly and Restless! They were gorgeous! So, the meet and greet ended and Kaelin told us to wait for her outside. When she came out, the first thing she said was, "OK. Who wants a picture?" We all responded with "Me!" We chatted with her for probably 30 to 40 minutes before we got kicked out of that area. She told us that the fan club party would be Wednesday, June 9th, probably around lunch. She said there would be a question and answer session and then a request time where you ask Sara to sing songs she doesn't sing on the road (i.e., Tonight, or Three Chords and the Truth). It sounds really awesome and I can't wait to go!
Before we left, Kaelin said that she was trying to get Sara to Cracker Barrel for us. She told us that when we saw her bus that we should bombard it. When we got to Cracker Barrel, however, there was already a tour bus in the lot! It turned out to be Sara's. I decided to park my decorated car right next to the bus door, so Sara could see it. We walked in to find Allison, Sara's nanny, waiting for a to-go order from Cracker Barrel. Well, no one wanted to bombard the bus or to pester Allison. So we just went to our table. We ordered our drinks and food. Don and Chuck both had approached Allison and found out that Sara was very tired and would not be joining us. We wanted to give her space so we let her be. Like I said, the Saints & Angels are not psycho fans and we don't want to do anything to portray ourselves that way. About five minutes after we ordered, I decided that I wanted to put my camera in the car since we wouldn't need it and since it kept dying on me. On my way out, I ran into Ashley and Brandon. They went with me and a few minutes later Chuck and Tiffany came out. We were talking and taking pics of the bus and of my car next to the bus. We were a good 20 yards from the door, so we really weren't trying to be invaders of her privacy or anything. I don't know about anyone else, but it seemed like we were just standing there chit-chatting. Well, Brandon wouldn't stop staring at the door. Ashley and I were telling him to quit but he didn't listen. (Typical male.) Well, just then, the bus door opened and out walked the bus driver, Allison the nanny, and SARA! We all just stood there, dumbfounded. Sara was in a very happy mood and literally leaped several times over to where we were standing. (If you've ever seen the footage of Deanna Carter winning a CMA you'll know what I'm talking about). Sara can actually jump pretty high! Anyway, we chatted with her briefly and took a few photos. The best part to me was when I was able to call my best friend, Jenny, and she got to say hi to Sara. I know that made her night! She's not a big country fan, but has loved Sara ever since I introduced Jenny to her music two years ago. In fact, Sara is the only country music name Jenny knows! We said our thank you’s and goodnights and went back into Cracker Barrel and had dinner. I do have to admit though, that I owe Robert an apology. He actually called me just as Sara came over to us, and I told him I'd have to call him back and hung up on him. Oops! Sorry. Sara actually got a giggle out of that.
Anyway, I'm still on cloud nine and probably will be for about another month or so before I go into withdrawals. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did! It was really great to see Robert, Chuck, Tiffany, Ashley, Levi, Don, Cathy, Dan, and Brandon again to get to meet Krystal, Kacey, Greg, and Chris! Everyone's so awesome! Thanks for making this such a memorable experience for me! I owe y'all one!
Wild Adventures Theme Park
WOW! What more can I say. It was a blast. It first started when we all arrived Friday, and eventually met at the Cracker Barrel for dessert. After that it was off to the hotel.
Finally, Saturday Morning arrived. We were on our way after a quick stop at the Waffle House. Once we got to the Wild Adventures, we had some time to spare before picking up the Meet and Greet passes so we rode on some rides. I remember we were on a "Big Drop" ride and I saw Sara on the stage for sound check, so once the ride was over I sprinted over to the stage. We got some good pictures there and Olivia was running around with nothing but a diaper on. She was too cute. After sound check was over we chatted with Matt for a good while and he mentioned how "Perfect" could very well be a Top 5 song soon, and that Sara was the only other female country artist besides Terri Clark and Martina to enter the Billboard Top 10 this year.
Once sound check was over we rode a few more rides and then headed off to pick up the Meet and Greet passes. We then made our way to the concert. We watched Rushlow perform the opening act, but once they ended we knew it was SHOWTIME! Sara hit the stage as beautiful as ever for a little over an hour. I know I personally used 4 rolls of film, but I am sure others used much more. I did not get a set list, so hopefully someone else can give that information. Overall a great performance. She did start laughing and said "ooops" during Take It on the Run because she missed the intro line back into the song. That was pretty cute, then the highlight was dedicating "Saints and Angels" to us. I was on the phone with Brittany during that. I also wanted to note that Sara's sister Ashley sang backup today. As usual she closed with Born to Fly and then it was off to the meet and greet.
At the meet and greet, it was much more laidback than some of the other times. The S&A all sporting their new t-shirts were greeted by Kaelin who took complete control of the M&G. Of course Kaelin was just as crazy as we were wanting to see all our pictures and everything. At the Meet and Greet I had Sara sign the field picture where she has the pigtails and posed for a picture. She also gave me a big hug and said it was good to see me again. After a few of us went through with the shirts, Kaelin wanted a group picture. So Craig Dunn came in with his camera and took a group shot for the official website. The Meet and Greet went very well and was very down to earth, even with Olivia crying.
I AM SORRY THIS IS LONG BUT IT ONLY GETS BETTER!…..After the meet and greet we waited outside to talk with Kaelin and pose for pictures with her, we discussed the after party at the Cracker Barrel. She said she was going to try to get them there. Low and behold we show up at the Cracker Barrel and WHOSE BUS IS THERE? SARA'S!!!!!! Anyway we run into her nanny in the restaurant and she said Sara was sorry she couldn't come in but she was very tired and they just ordered for takeout. Of course we understood, but we held on to hope.
Anyway me, Ashley, Chuck, Tiffany, and Julie went back outside while we were waiting to eat to see if the bus was still there. Sure enough it was. We all took photos by the bus and about the time we were going to go back in the bus door swings open and Sara comes running out skipping around giving hugs and taking pictures with all of us and telling us how much she loved the shirts and everything. OH MY GOSH I was going crazy! I mentioned to her about the Suds video coming up and she said "So Brandon do you think you could be a good redneck?" that stirred up a good laugh. Everyone said "HE IS A REDNECK!" Anyway we chatted with her some more and took some pictures, I also mentioned to her about my SE FAN license plate and she said "WOW that is awesome" and reached for a high five, so of course I gave her one. Chuck also mentioned to Sara about me and Brittany and she said "WOW you 2 would be perfect" and she said "So how old are you again" and I said "22" and Sara said "Wow ain’t that like statutory rape" joking around and we all just died laughing. Sara then posed for another picture with me and she told us how much she appreciated us and said she had to get going and hopped back on the bus. All I can say is WOW! I was skipping and jumping and "pogo sticking" all through the Cracker Barrel parking lot. It was just AMAZING! That is all I can say. I have never had so much fun and so much personal attention from Sara at any show, this by far was the best. It was great to see everyone again as well. I am sure I left alot out and there will be more to come, but I must say it honestly felt like a dream, but I am so in shock right now I cant believe it. I think I will try to sleep now but I am sure I won't. I look forward to reading the other reviews to come! SARA ROCKS! TOTALLY AWESOME!
Wild Adventures Theme Park
Well, I finally made it home after leaving about 18 hours ago. Not a fun drive..almost got ran off the road by some crazy driver only 20 miles out of Valdosta, then road construction and detours in Nashville, and then I hit good old Wisconsin where it's snowing and the roads are terrible...but I made it.
I see everyone else has pretty much covered everything from the sound check, to the show, to the M&G, to the Cracker Barrel...but I figured I'd add just a couple of my own personal highlights.
1. On top of the whole show being incredible, it was great when she dedicated "Saints & Angels" to us and pointed us out in the crowd.
2. At the M&G, I gave Sara a Birthday card I had found that was the perfect match for her. Then I told her that it was my Birthday and that I drove 1100 miles just to see her on my Birthday. She said, "How sweet, Happy Birthday" and gave me a hug. After she signed my photo, it was time for the picture. Kaelin snaps the picture but the camera doesn't flash, so I check to make sure it's set right and we try it again...still no flash. So Kaelin tells me to try to fix it while the rest of the line finishes up & we'll try it again. So I fix the problem and we try for a third time after everyone else is done, finally it flashes. Who knows, maybe all 3 will turn out and I'll have 3 different photos with Sara; that would be sweet.
3. Getting the group photo with Sara. It's gonna be so cool to see all of us on the official website in our Saints & Angels shirts surrounding Sara.
4. Kaelin was a blast as usual, posing for pictures and goofing around with everyone, she's always so much fun.
5. Not really a highlight, but by the end of the night my voice was shot from all the singin along and hootin & hollerin I did during the show.
6. Also not a highlight, but I have to mention, but first experience with grits will also be my last. YUCK..LOL
Of all Sara's shows I've been to, this one has definitely been the best. Not just because of all that happened, but because I got to experience it with a great bunch of people. It was great to finally meet everyone who was there. I don't know how we can top this one, but I'm looking forward to the next time we can get together. Most likely for the fan club party in June (Nashville's only about half as far to drive for me too). Time for me to get some sleep now, talk to you all later.
Wild Adventures Theme Park
Friday February 20, 2004
After leaving campus I rushed home to prepare for the much awaited trip. I checked my list off twice, just to be sure I had all the necessary Sara gear. Camera..check, tickets..check, music box..check, and finally everything was packed in the truck. We pulled out of Chattanooga around 1:30pm and 349 miles later we were slipping through the security gate at Don's apartments. We were warmly greeted by Don at the door and eyed by the black cat under the bush. Don and Cathy's home is full of warmth and love, which is complemented by Cathy's decorating skills. Shortly after our arrival, Chuck and Tiffany drive up in the Ford Taurus. It was a good moment to see my dear friends again!
Cathy gave us the grand tour of the apartment, while the white cat made certain to avoid these intruding strangers. While Don arranged for the reservations at Texas Roadhouse, we continued to converse about the happenings since we last spoke. Before long, we arrived at the TR and met Greg, Dan, and Julie already waiting out front. The hour and a half wait was filled with more conversation and peanuts. For those who've never been, complimentary peanuts are offered for the patrons. While waiting, a young gentleman asked where we got our Sara shirts from, so I directed him to the official website or to see Craig Dunn at the merchandise table! After what seemed to be an eternity, the little black box lit up like the 4th of July and we were escorted to our seats.
By now, all of us were extremely famished so the food was soon ordered. I chose a monster mushroom burger, which took some manly skills to eat. As seen in Chuck's photo, the Dagwood sized burger soon overtook my skills! Yet again, the conversation was great and we looked forward to our next stop. Right down the street was our favorite and friendly Cracker Barrel. We played a little joke on the hostess. Since it was an hour before closing time, Don asked Julie to tell the hostess we had a party of 12. The hostess was in shock as she repeated..."12"?? When she realized we were only there for dessert, her demeanor quickly changed. I had a piece of Coke cake with vanilla ice-cream. My brother David and I were playing with the little wooden triangles while everyone else was in deep conversation. After several phone calls and misdirections, Brandon and his two friends arrived. This was the first time I hadn't seen Brandon in an Auburn shirt...he was wearing his black Sara shirt.
We left the CB in time for them to lock the doors and we headed back to Don's place. Chuck looked through all of Don's photo albums and I shared some of mine from previous shows. We were able to witness Don in the room where all the magic takes place..in the computer room! The hallway was lined with wonderful memories captured in photographs. After everyone else had gone to sleep, Chuck and I stayed up a while longer to talk. Finally, our weary bodies put us to sleep and our dreams were full of anticipation for what would come next.
Saturday February 21, 2004
Looking down at a plate full of grits, eggs, sausage, hash browns, and biscuits, I wasn't sure how I was going to consume everything. As Chris passed along the early FC newsletter for everyone to read, Greg was deciding whether to eat the white grits staring back at him. The excitement level was high and our attitudes reflected our enthusiasm. I still couldn't believe we were all here together for the first time and was unaware things would only get better. Leaving the CB in Chuck and Tiffany's car, we headed southward to Wild Adventures. Like a beacon in the fog laden waters, the stars and stripes flew over our awaited destination. I couldn't wait to get inside the park, but first we had to take a few photos. Chuck snapped the backside of our shirts and the music box for Sara. As we crossed the street from the parking lot, I snapped a photo of the marquee sporting Sara's name. The wait in line to purchase our tickets soon shortened and then it was into another line to enter the park. Our first mission was to locate the stage and our seats.
Unlike our experience in Jacksonville, we didn't have to sprint to locate good seats. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the 7th row, where most of us sat, was still very close to the stage. I'll admit, after the close proximity in Cowboys it would take some time to adjust to sitting so far back! I chose not to enjoy any of the rides, so instead my brother and I found some cold drinks and headed back towards the stage. Don and Julie were already relaxing and taking in the sound check. Kaelin and Allison were on stage, when this familiar woman comes out holding Olivia. I honestly confess that I didn't recognize Sara wearing the camo pants, red bandana, and sunglasses! It was amazing to catch this private moment, as Olivia pranced around on the stage and Sara warmed her angelic voice. We were sure to clap at the end of each song, in which Olivia's attention was directed towards us. You should have seen her cute, but very serious baby face. Rather than shooting a lot of photos, I sat back and enjoyed the moment.
Taking a fast forward approach, let's get to the exhilarating performance. When Sara took the stage this second time, the crowd was full of energy! All of the S&A were on their feet, yelling and cheering for Sara. I can only imagine what she thought when she saw the navy blue shirts in the crowd. This was one of the best performances I've encountered after attending eight shows. Of course, my favorite portion of the show was in dedication to her S&A! It was funny when Sara announced to the crowd she just celebrated her birthday, in which I yelled out "21!" So Sara responded by referring to her 21st birthday! Again, the photo opportunities were unlimited and it was hard to simply watch Sara perform without having the camera ready. One of the best parts of the show, was looking over and seeing my fellow S&A having the time of their lives! It is moments like these, that you want to share with others you care about. Though about an hour in length, the performance only seemed to last a few minutes.
Finally, the moment I've been waiting for is upon us! We scatter into line and wait for the giant gate to open. Once inside, we are instructed to swing the line around, so that everyone can fit inside. Each of us has our unique styles to prepare for our personal encounter with Sara. Some people are very quiet and reflective, while others are jovial and joking. In the past, I've been too nervous to say everything planned, so I decided this time would be a little different. I planned the fewest amount of words that would convey the most meaning. When Kaelin came out to instruct the crowd, she looked back at us and said she'd better not have any trouble with the back of the line! Unlike the performance, the M&G line seemed to move very slowly. Soon, it was Dan's turn and then I would be next. Just a few minutes before, Allison brought out Olivia and that was a beautiful moment. When she started crying, Sara gave her back to Allison. I'll never forget the look on Olivia's face as she peered over her mommy's shoulder at us.
Kaelin greets me with a warm smile and Sara offers me a huge hug! As I place my folder on the ground, Sara notices her photo on the back of the t-shirt. I prepare the music box for Sara and wind up the notes. As "Amazing Grace" rings in her ears, Sara opens the music box. I ask her if she recognizes the little white church inside the cover. With much surprise, she asks me where I got the photo. I remind her of the trip I took to MO, just a week before Christmas. I start to tell her why I chose this box for her, and she asks yet again, did you know I got married in this church? I responded that I did know and said it was on Sept 25, 1993. Sara quickly corrected me and said it was on the 23rd, but she was surprised I knew that much. Each time Sara asked me a question, it made it harder for me to speak, as the emotions welled up inside. So, I finally told her, "This music box is not only for your birthday, but it is to remind you of where your true strength comes from." Upon hearing this, Sara graciously thanks me for the gift. Cathy told me later, it appeared that Sara was about to cry...which reminded me of the plaque presentation. Then I reach down for my folder and get out the photo for Sara to sign. It was an 8x10 of my photo taken in front of the sign in New Franklin. Kaelin wanted to see the photo, so she steps forward. I pointed out the 6 inches of snow on the ground. As Sara signs her autograph, I told her, "We love her for who she is." Again, she says that we are very sweet. Now it was time for Kaelin to snap the photo, so I reach right around Sara and we are cheek to cheek. Kaelin was kidding that we were too close, so I step away and pretend to hug Sara from a distance. Since I hadn't seen the flash go off, I leaned in for another photo. Kaelin scolded me for that! As I turned to walk away from my friend Sara, I reached out again for another hug and my heart was full joy.
I have chosen to end this review here, because the rest of the story has already been told. I am finding it hard to adjust to life at home, after experiencing this extraordinary moment with those I have come to love and cherish. I am often reminded that we have been blessed with many things, through this special person we call Sara. I appreciate all of the planning and work Don put into this gathering and for those that made the journey to be here. I look forward to sharing many more experiences with you, as we travel this road together as friends and family.
Wild Adventures Theme Park
I left Mobile at about midnight Friday night. I wasn’t sure how long the trip would take and I knew I’d lose an hour because of the time change. I got to Valdosta at about 7:30, an hour before the scheduled time to meet for breakfast. On the trip I listened to all of Sara’s CDs so while I waited in the parking lot at Cracker Barrel I decided to listen to the local Valdosta country station hoping to hear the concert announcement that Don had mentioned. It wasn’t long before I heard it.
At 8:30 I went into Cracker Barrel. Nobody was there yet. So I looked around and waited. Then I see a guy that I don’t recognize walking up but I do recognize his shirt. He was wearing his ‘Saints & Angels’ t-shirt so I knew he was part of the group. It turned out that this was Greg. We talked for awhile and I was shocked when he told me that he drove 16 hours from Wisconsin. Then soon Dan comes up and we start talking. A few minutes later Don, Chuck, Tiffany, Robert, and Dave show up (not sure of the order of their arrival). We all talked for a few minutes and then went to get seated for breakfast. During breakfast I passed around the Sara Evans scrapbook that I got with my Fan Club membership in ’99 and the newsletter. The funniest thing about breakfast was watching Greg try to decide if he was gonna eat his grits.
After breakfast I decided to go to my hotel and check in. I planned to take a nap but after thinking about it I was afraid that I would oversleep and it wasn’t worth the risk for a 2 hour nap. So I decided to head to Wild Adventures. I got there and was walking towards the front entrance and I hear "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus" playing in the background and soon I realize this isn’t a recording. Sara is on stage singing. So I start walking a little faster, almost running trying to get there to the stage as fast as I can. But what I found when I got to the main entrance was 3 incredibly long lines. So I got in the shortest one and eventually bought my tickets.
I walk through the park looking for the stage. I find the stage and as I get closer I see to the right of the stage Don, Brandon, Robert, and Greg standing there talking to Matt. After he leaves everybody decided to figure out where to go for the Meet & Greet passes. I then meet Ashley and Julie. At this point Julie gives me my shirt.
Eventually it gets time for the concert. First on the stage is Rushlow. I didn’t start listening to country music until ’94 and Little Texas was one of my favorites. So I enjoyed this concert. They did a lot of Little Texas songs and some of their own. I enjoyed it, but that’s not what I was there for. Finally Sara came on stage for her concert. This moment was very exciting. And I could tell Brandon (sitting right behind me) was just a little bit excited too. The best part of the concert was when Sara dedicated "Saints & Angels" to us, just like she did at Cowboys in Atlanta. Also during the concert Sara was talking about how she just had her "21st birthday" recently. She was saying how she was disappointed that nobody sent her birthday cards, then she looked over at us and said, "except you guys." I thought that was pretty cool. I kinda felt like she was letting everybody in the crowd know that we were special to her.
After the concert everybody got in line for the Meet & Greet. I wasn’t able to get a Meet & Greet for this show so I decided to peep in through the cracks in the fence to see if I could see Sara. All I saw was Chuck taking a picture of me.
Eventually everybody came back out and we stood around talking. Then Kaelin comes out and was talking about the Fan Club party and also the possibility of Sara coming to Cracker Barrel after the concert. This was my first time meeting Kaelin. She wasn’t at the show in Atlanta and in Virginia I didn’t get a chance to talk to her because she was busy holding a flashlight for the meet & greet. Kaelin is so cool. I’m sure everybody that’s met her knows that. We all talked to Kaelin until the park security kicked us out. Apparently when the park closes they want you to leave. We all then went back to Cracker Barrel for the Saints & Angels party.
I had a really great time in Valdosta. I didn’t think I was gonna be able to make this trip but I’m really glad I did. The concert was great, but really the best part was meeting everybody. I really enjoyed it and look forward to doing it all again someday.
Wild Adventures Theme Park
After reading all of your excellent reviews on the Valdosta experience, there are not many stones left unturned as far as written descriptions go, so I’ve channeled most of my energies this time toward putting together a 40-page photo flipbook that visually represents most every aspect of the largest Saints & Angels convention to date. I hope the photos convey how this past weekend resembled a group field trip (without the bus!). From Friday afternoon to Saturday evening, we all discovered that we get along just as well face-to-face as we do over the internet…..perhaps better, considering that Julie didn’t give Robert a virtual bloody nose! LOL
But, seriously, I do hope it is apparent by these photos that we all had good, clean fun before and after the show as we enjoyed one another’s company. I tried to include just as many of those type shots as I did of the concert photos because I really want to convey what a fun time we had as a group. As I’ve said on many occasions, just being at a concert with the group makes it so much more enjoyable because each person's enthusiasm spills over to the rest of us. I feel that I have a fairly good grasp of each S&A "testimony" of how they fell in love with Sara, and to see all of your faces at the show & Meet and Greet is an experience I'll never forget.
I'll also never forget Brandon screaming into his cell phone right after our chance encounter with Sara in the restaurant parking lot. I think a few hungry people got back in the car and left at that point.....LOL. I can honestly say that I have never seen anyone more excited in my life. Brandon responded as if he had won the lottery. That's what a few minutes with Sara will do to you.
Other memories I’m left with include getting off the Cheetah roller coaster and hearing Sara‘s voice calling out to us from across the theme park. Tiffany exclaimed, "She’s doing her sound check!" so we raced across the park to see Sara effortlessly hit all her notes while managing to follow Olivia around the stage. Valdosta proved to me once again that family comes first in Sara’s life, as Ashley, Matt, Kaelin, Olivia, and Ashley’s little one were all on stage for the sound check, playing their part in this whole operation that draws thousands every year, and still manages to be just a larger-scale version of the Sara Evans Show that started when the Evans family was still living at home. The tours have extended outside of Missouri, and the venues are now stadiums and coliseums rather than lodges and retirement homes, but the formula remains unchanged: When one buys a ticket or a CD to hear Sara Evans, they get practically the whole family. And Sara wouldn’t have it any other way.
My other lasting memory, also from the sound check, was during the warm-up for "Backseat of a Greyhound Bus" when Sara sang "sweet baby girl….she found a brand new world." At that moment, Olivia was standing on stage in front of her mommy, and Sara looked down at her, as if to sing those words to her own sweet little angel. I believe that moment crystallized what that song means to Sara, in addition to providing me with a greater appreciation for the song, as I will always visualize that moment when I hear BOAGB. If we had left the park following the sound check, I still would have felt that the 750-mile trip had been worth it after witnessing such a personal moment between Sara and her daughter.
Finally, I will always think back fondly on the moment Sara took the time to come off her bus and speak with us again in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel following the show. Next to meeting Sara backstage, there's no where on Earth where the probability of seeing her is greater than at a Cracker Barrel! (Ref. Tiffany’s chance encounter @ C.B. in early 2002)
Rather than attempting to put into writing what this latest Cracker Barrel encounter was like for me, I have chosen to re-print what I posted the night it happened, when the feelings and emotions were fresh. I leave you with these thoughts….
Just sitting here by myself on Don's computer at midnight. Robert and his brother Dave just left, and Don, Cathy, & Tiffany are now in the bed. I'll just post a few paragraphs about the after-party and then head to bed myself. Obviously more will follow when we get back to TX Monday, and I'm sure those who don't have to drive as far will be posting some reviews on Sunday.
I thought I should break the news that Sara did come to Cracker Barrel where Don, Cathy, Dan, Robert, Dave, Brandon (& his 2 friends), Ashley (& friend Levi), Julie, Chris, Greg, Tiffany, and myself met for the after-party. What a surprise it was when we pulled into the parking lot to find Sara's bus parked behind back (thanks to Kaelin recommending that Sara stop there for dinner after the show). Before you get too excited, though, I should mention that Sara was only there for take-out. I was actually talking to Brittany on my cell phone when we discovered that Sara had come, at which time she screamed, and then I had to clarify that Allison (Sara's nanny) had just spoken to Don and said that Sara wanted to eat inside the bus. This was disappointing to us, although it was hard to ask for anything more after the best Meet & Greet I've ever been a part of. But, as you might imagine, it's hard knowing that Sara is parked out behind the restaurant where you're eating, and you can't see or talk to her.
To cut to the chase, Tiffany and I walked out to my car to retrieve my camera so that I could take a few shots of our group eating inside. While I was at our car (which was parked next to Sara's bus), we saw Brandon, Julie, and Ashley walking toward us. They wanted a few photos of themselves posing next to the bus, so we snapped a few. While they were posing next to it, we could see the blinds opening. Ashley noticed Sara inside, wearing a green t-shirt. We couldn't tell if Sara noticed we were out there, but the bus driver definitely knew because he glanced over at us in the parking lot a few times. Since we were all wearing our new Saints & Angels shirts (thanks to Julie), Sara would have immediately recognized us, even in the dark. Plus, we had just met with her backstage not 45 minutes earlier.
As the five of us chatted among ourselves, not really even thinking we were being noticed by anyone but the bus driver, all of a sudden the door to the bus opened and the driver stepped out. My first thought was that he was going to tell us not to encroach the bus or something, given the fact that he didn't know what our intention was. However, about twenty seconds after the bus driver stepped off the bus, what to my wondering eyes should appear but SARA EVANS!!
Sara and Allison hopped off the bus....and when I say Sara "hopped" off the bus, I mean that she literally hopped like a rabbit off that bus. She exited her bus with more energy than when she walks onto a stage before thousands of screaming fans! It was truly unbelievable how high she got off the ground when she did her initial pounce after her feet touched the parking lot. It was "cheerleader Sara" all over again. Even better, it was a Sara who was treating us much the same way Kaelin does: as friends, not only as fans. It was Sara dressed down in her street clothes, taking an opportunity to pose for yet another few photos with us and chat for a sec. But this time there were no policemen, road managers, or long M&G lines pushing us through. It was just us for a few magical moments in a dimly lit parking lot behind the Valdosta Cracker Barrel. For those who know about my wife Tiffany's first chance encounter with Sara at a Cracker Barrel, you'll know that this truly was an instance where lightning struck twice.
This two to three minute experience, while thrilling to say the least, was bittersweet at the same time. For, as Brandon was doing cartwheels and screaming in jubilation on the way back, we also knew that everyone else was inside with no clue of what had just transpired. I wanted to be excited about what had just happened, but how could I be when those around were sure to feel that they had missed out? Everything we have done on this trip had been as a group, and now a small band of us at the right place happened to get a few extra moments basking in Sara's radiance. I can't tell you how guilty I felt walking in, though, knowing that everyone else was not able to share in this spotlight. If I had been in their place, it would have been very difficult to share in the happiness of a few when it seems that a separate private party was taking place in the back that the rest of the group was unaware of. So, my heart sunk as I thought of how to approach this upon walking back in. At first I felt it best to only mention that we had retrieved my camera and had talked among ourselves in the parking lot, both of which are true, and neither of which would have caused anyone to kick themselves for missing Sara. However, I think Don could easily read it on my face (as it was probably pale), and he asked me, "Did Sara come out of the bus?" I hung my head and said, "Yes". I was still in a state of shock, and also disappointment that more of us were not able to experience it.
Don reassured me that I did the right thing by not running back in or paging everyone to have them rush onto the scene in the middle because it may have overwhelmed Sara, and possibly caused her to regret coming out to see us. It was obvious that she wanted to bounce off the bus and then bounce back on it just as quickly. If I had run in, by the time everyone arrived back in the parking lot, I'm sure she would have already boarded the bus again. She had Olivia on there with her, and we respect her preference to take her meal with her daughter. In affording her that privacy, it would not have been for the best to hold up Sara any longer. We were just fortunate to get what we did.
Even as I write this, with the reassurance from Don that we did the right thing, I can't help but feel down on behalf of the remainder of our group. Don & Cathy especially should have been out there, given the fact that this is in their town, and at the Cracker Barrel Don manages. I can only hope that more opportunities for personal interaction present themselves in the future for those who remained inside this time.
Night all!
ASU's Gammage Auditorium
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I did not know what to expect when I found out that Sara was going to be Sean Hannity's "special guest" at March 5th's lecture in Arizona, but I wanted to go because Sara in Arizona is always a great time! I didn't know how many songs Sara was going to perform if she was going to perform at all, or when she was going to perform, so my friend and I decided to make it a fun trip. I was sick, so I wasn't all there (medication works wonders) but it was a GREAT time!
We didn't know where our seats were going to be until we got there, but when we did... WOW! SECOND ROW CENTER! There were drums and Matt's guitar on the stage behind five chairs, so I was excited to see that she was going to sing a few songs! A few of the talk radio hosts came out to open the show (which was a little boring after they ran out of jokes) so I was anxious to get to the 'concert.'
When they introduced Sean, there were roars of applause and he talked for a little while. Shortly after, Sara came out and stole his thunder! I was SO excited that she was FINALLY going to sing!! :D She sang six songs (if I remember correctly, remember the meds) - all FABULOUS!! They were--in an order that might not be correct--Born To Fly (I got waved at here! Good times!), I Keep Lookin', Perfect, I Could Not Ask for More, Suds in the Bucket, and Long Train Runnin'. Sean came out during LTR to 'sing' along. The crowd got really involved during this song after she showed off her range of holding those notes (we all know how the end goes!!)! She was nothing short of fabulous!
She talked about her flight on lovely Southwest Airlines (no first class, first come first served seating) and how Olivia wouldn't stop screaming (oh how we love babies on planes) and Avery swallowed his spit down the wrong pipe and got sick EVERYWHERE. It was rather amusing, if I do say so myself, but I felt so bad for little Avery! He had to ride the rest of the flight naked (with the exception of mommy's jacket! awww). She's such a joker too! She got mad at the cameramen for being so tight on her face…she said her outfit needed to be shown as an outfit! It was so funny..... then she said that she'll never wear the shirt she was wearing on camera ever again because she looked like a zebra in it! She said she was going to fire her stylist! I thought she looked great, but she still made us crack up! She should do some standup!!
When Sean came on after her, I could see that she and Craig were sitting backstage watching (I could CLEARLY see Craig, and Sara's white pants). She did have a signing after the show, and I was all ready to stand in HER line, but they ended up making her line and Sean's line the same line and it was FOREVER long! I took some pics and got another wave, but since I'd already had her autograph and no photos were being taken (and the fact that I really needed to be in bed) we decided to head home. I'm REALLY glad that she decided to come, and that my radio station spilled the news early so I could get some tickets! What a great time!!! :D
Grand Ole Opry
First off let me say, I visited the doctor this morning and was diagnosed with having bronchitis. I've been coughing for 3 weeks now, since the show in Valdosta!! My church elder suggested I see a doctor, who used to attend church with us. Since I don't have health insurance, I am very, very grateful that the church will pay the doctor bill! Secondly, I was totally surprised when Brittany called and asked if I wanted to attend the Opry!! I had just taken some NyQuil and was quickly falling asleep. Needless to say, the excitement counteracted the effects of the NyQuil!
I left Chattanooga around 1pm and everything was fine until I hit traffic about 30 miles south of Nashville. I finally arrived at the Opry Mills Mall just shy of 3pm (Eastern time). The OMM is a massive collection of shops and people, but I have yet to understand the attraction girls have with shopping :) I called Brittany and finally met up with her at some urban clothing store. Her friend Megan was trying on clothes. After her mother, brothers, and sister arrived, I sat with her brothers while the ladies finished shopping. Jay and Robby were quite interested in telling stories about four-wheelers and their dad's trucks. We left the mall to head downtown and my directions ended up putting us north of Nashville on I-65. Brittany's mother made the appropriate corrections and headed in the right direction. We finally arrived downtown and found a place to park. Megan and Brittany went to find this shop near HardRock that sells cowboy hats. We tried to get into Big River Grill (the same place we met Kaelin), but the wait ended up being an hour.
Next, we ran back to the Opry, just in time to get seated before Pam Tillis started playing. It was very odd seeing our Bethany with Pam!! Our seats were rather high up in the auditorium, so I had to rely on the big screens to really see Sara. Since Brittany was down on the floor taking photos, I called Brandon on Brittany's phone and Chuck on my phone. You've never been to a concert until you see Brittany in action! In the rush, I had forgotten to get my camera but I am confident in Brittany's skills :) Sara sang Perfect, Suds, and BTF. The show was too short, but it was great to hear Sara again...even though it was only 3 weeks ago since Valdosta! On the way out of the Opry, this guy from Nashville Star asked if we wanted to sit in the audience. So, we watched NS live until we were too hungry and tired to watch anymore. It's funny you can't hear the commercials during the breaks :) My girl Rachel wasn't voted to the next round, so I was disappointed. She's the one who works at the Cracker Barrel. After the show, we headed to Waffle House for dinner. Brittany's mother not only paid for my ticket to the Opry, but she paid for my dinner...so many thanks to her!!! Overall, it was a good time and a nice ending to my spring break.
Chip-In's Island Resort & Casino
Hey everyone! I've returned from my back-to-back nights of seeing Sara perform and I have a little review, some funny stuff, and a bit of news to share with y'all.
Friday Night:
7:00 - The band hits the stage and I notice who I think is another different fiddle player, but I later realize that it was Katie again, she just had a different hairdo. They start the intro to "Feel It Comin On" and out comes Sara. She looked amazing as usual. She was wearing jeans and a white tee shirt with something printed on the front of it that I couldn't quite make out at first, but I was soon able to see that it said "This Is What Perfect Looks Like!". I couldn't agree more.
I noticed her voice sounded just a bit different at first, but it soon was sounding as incredible as ever. She later mentioned that she was coming down with a bit of strep throat. That was when I found out a bit of news, she said she had gotten sick this past Monday while shooting her NEW VIDEO in the cold and rain. She didn't say the name, but I knew it was for "Suds". Later in the night, just before she sang "Suds", she confirmed that this was the song they shot the video for and that it was the next single to be released on April 19th!! So everyone get ready to push "Suds" to the top of the charts!
Another highlight of the night was when she mentioned 80's Rock and then sang "We Got The Beat" and "Take It On The Run". When she was done, she said "Any more requests?", and someone yelled "POLKA". She started laughing as the band broke into a little polka beat, then she joined them by singing the first verse of a polka version of "When The Saints Go Marching In". When they were done she said "See, I grew up singing in bars, so I do all kinds of requests". Just then, someone else in the audience yelled "Free Bird". Once again the band started playing the intro to "Free Bird" and Sara joined in and sang the first few lines of that one too, then she stopped and jokingly yelled at the band for starting her out in the wrong key. Pretty funny stuff.
One other funny thing was when she mentioned that just before the show, she was working on her makeup and feeding Olivia chicken tenders & french fries with ketchup at the same time. Just as she finished her makeup, Olivia said "Mama" and smeared her ketchup covered fingers in Sara's hair. So she apologized if she looked gross, but it was because she had ketchup in her hair. Then, later in the show someone gave Sara a big chocolate Easter Egg with her name on it. She said it was so beautiful, she could never eat it, instead she said "Maybe I'll just smear it in Olivia's hair." Then she had to assure everyone she was just kidding...maybe!
After the show, I still wasn't sure what was up with the meet & greet, so I went up to the stage to see what I could find out. I was told that there was only 3 people with meet & greets so they didn't really announce anything. The other two people had letters regarding it, but I didn't have anything. I gave him my name and told him to check with Kaelin to be sure. He told me to wait there. While I was waiting the band came back out on stage to straighten up, so I talked with Eric for a minute and got his set list. The other guy then returned and said "yeah, you're ok" and also since there was only 3 of us, my sister could come back too. We went onto the stage and around the corner and there was Kaelin. One of the other two people kinda looked at me funny when Kaelin came over said "Hey Greg" and gave me a little hug and I introduced her to my sister. She asked me where exactly I was from again since I'm at such a wide range of shows. I told her Wisconsin and that they hadn't come close enough to me for a while so that's why I have to travel so much. She said they were coming to WI later this summer, and I told her I would be there. Then she went to check if Sara was ready. I let the other two go in first and when they were done, me and my sister went in. I don't know why, but for some reason I was sooo nervous. I'd never really felt like that any other time I'd met Sara. She said "Hi Greg" and I said "Hi Sara" then I noticed Matt sitting behind her working on a laptop, I said "Hey Matt" and he gave me a wave. I had Sara sign an 8x10 of my M&G photo with her from Valdosta. She said it was a nice photo and that it looked pretty recent and asked where that was, so I refreshed her memory on the Valdosta show. I wanted to ask her about the "Suds" video, and tell her I hoped she'd feel better, but like I said I was so nervous my mind went blank. Before I knew it, Kaelin took our picture and we were saying good bye. I waited while my sister took her turn. We then all said our good byes and out we went. On the way out, we ran into Eric again, and I got a picture with him too. Then we were off on our 4hr journey home.
Saturday Night:
7:00 - Once again the band takes the stage and starts the intro to "Feel It Comin On". Out comes Sara, and I could hardly believe my eyes. As usual, she looked absolutely gorgeous, but I had never seen her in such an outfit before. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail, and was wearing a black top with an extremely short denim skirt and about 4 inch high heel shoes. A couple songs into the show, she joked how just before she came onstage, her assistant (Kaelin of course) told her she was going to come out to the front row and make sure you couldn't see anything. A few ladies that were in the front row told her that she was ok, to which Sara replied "I'm alright, ok good, I'm only going to ask the women!"
Nothing much else different from the night before, she mentioned the "Suds" video and single again. She also said after Easter Sunday, she's taking the family and going to Florida for a vacation since she hasn't had one in like 2 years.
My major drama of the night came about 3 songs in when my camera went completely dead. I had taken about 6 pics and the battery just went dead without warning. Worse yet, I had no extra battery with me. I quick ran out to the casino gift shop to see if by chance they had any, but no such luck. I had to settle for a crappy disposable camera that cost like $8, what a rip off. So, unfortunately I don't know how good any of my pictures are going to turn out from either show since my camera was so low on power. If I get any decent ones or any I can doctor up in photo shop, I'll pass a few along for you all.
So, this weekends lessons learned were:
Here's the set list for both nights for those interested:
Feel It Comin On
Thanks for reading, hope everyone enjoyed it...
Wavestock
Wavestock was GREAT! The atmosphere and music was awesome! The stage was laid out on a meadow surrounded by woods and the stars were hanging over our heads. We got there a little late because we had to watch the Cubs game on WGN, but we got there in the nick of time.
The security people did not have my name on their list for meet and greets sooooo.... I approached some other people and they were very helpful. As I waited for Sara's new assistant (I think his name was Steve or Scott?) to approve my m&g, I chatted with some of the press/news people. The press people were so nice. This just made my day......I was talking to this young woman (news reporter) about her college and she asked if I was finished with college yet! I just started laughing and said, "Girl, I'm 29". She replied, "Are you joking, I thought that you were my age, 23". (Maybe this Mary Kay stuff that I use really works! lol!) Anyways, I told her that she made my day and now it didn't matter that I was about to meet Sara for the first time. Me and this young reporter hung out for 45 minutes just shoot'n the poop. The reporter was just going on and on about how cool Sara was. Quite honestly, I think this reporter was a bigger fan than I was! As we waited we saw Avery and Matt playing in front of the bus and then we saw Olivia yelling/baby talk at her brother from the inside window of the bus. It was cute.
The M&G was held before the concert and eventually we were called back to a tent by the buses. Sara's new assistant was very nice. As I waited for Sara, I got my picture taken with our future Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels (Republican nominee). Mitch also got to meet Sara too. Everyone in the meet and greet tent were chatting and having fun except for one person. This person seemed a bit umm...."different/weird"...kind of scary actually. I really felt sorry for Sara to have to talk to this person. Other than that, it was great! Sara signed my ticket and I got my picture with her. I was surprised that I was taller than her. I gave Sara a basket made by my friend at church which was filled with the best candles made in Indiana and a small sack of great coffee. Sara was very appreciative of the basket and was very kind just as everybody has said in the past. My husband could not be with me for the M&G because he wasn't a member, so he waited for me at our lawn seats.
After I got back from the M&G, I grabbed my husband and we headed to Sara's merchandice tent and finally met Craig. It was nice to meet Craig. Craig was telling us that tonight was the first concert for the new summer tour set up (they changed the music around for the summer shows). We didn't talk long to Craig, but it was still nice to meet him.
Finally, it was time for the show. Ricky Van Shelton took the stage first, then Sara, and Kenny Rogers headlined the show. We had to leave as soon as Sara was over because we had to get to bed at a decent time for church. I felt bad for Ricky Van Shelton because hardly anyone clapped for his performance...poor guy :( Ricky's music was nice...nothing great....just not a big fan of his.
Set list....(not likely in order and I might forget a few songs too)
1. Rocking Horse
I might be forgetting a song, but I think that covers most of if not all of the song list.
Our seats were nice with the exception of having to move away from the drunk (preppy-frat/sorority-30 somethings). They stood the whole time acting like 5 year olds. Beer was 5 bucks per cup and these preppy people were bringing back 12 beers at a time. They made 6 trips to the beer stand!! You do the math...these folks were loaded with money and were drunk!
It was a great fun, and a relaxing night. Well worth the $67.00 . In reflection, I don't think I'll do another M&G. I don't think it's bad that people want to meet her more than once, it's just that one time is good enough for me. I'm really not into meeting famous people--it's just not me. (I hope that didn't offend anyone here) If Sara is still singing by the time I have kids old enough to walk and talk, then maybe I'll take my kids to meet her. If my future kids don't ever get to meet her; I know for sure that they will know her music.
Thanks for reading. Hope you all have fun at Fan Fair. I hope Marteen's wedding was PERFECT! :)
Cowboy's Dancehall
The show last night at Cowboys was great!! Although I did not have a meet and greet for this show I had an awesome time.
It started off when me and my friends Ricky and Jeffrey headed off to Atlanta Friday afternoon. Robert called me along the way to say that he had arrived and we were just a couple of miles behind him. We were fairly early, so we met at Hooters for dinner before the show. Of course the only reason we chose Hooters was because of their great wings! HAHA!
Once we finished our dinner, we headed on over to Cowboys which was in the same parking lot. When we got inside, we walked around a bit and then Craig came up and talked to me and Robert for a few minutes before setting up the merchandise table. We also got to talk to Eric (guitar player) as well, haha, who proved he was the ladies man dancing with all the girls. After a while it was getting closer to showtime, so we moved down to the dance floor area, and luckily got front row center stage!! We talked with Matt briefly before the show and then he headed back up on the stage to set up for the show. I really hope these pictures come out well because I was so close. This was the best spot I have ever been in for a Sara show.
We waited anxiously for the show to start and FINALLY she came on stage. Once on stage, Sara was waving to the crowd and INSTANTLY spotted me and Robert on the front row. Her eyes got REALLY BIG and that big ol' pretty smile came on her face and she mouthed “Hey” to us and gave us a few waves. You could tell that she was showing more now, yet she still looked and sounded great. Honestly I think it was the best she ever looked at any show I had seen her. She looked stunning.
During the show, she sang many songs (setlist at bottom) and I called Brittany throughout the show for about 15 minutes and then I had to let her go because it was so loud in there that I couldn’t even hear. Some of the highlights of the show, included her joking on her pregnancy, the acoustic version of "No Place That Far," singing directly into people’s cell phones, and the Odoul’s moment. For those of you that do not know what Odouls is, it is a non-alcoholic beer. Anyway, Sara commented that she needed a beer and she wanted an Odoul’s. Someone bought her one and she had it on stage. I can't remember if she ever took a drink from it, but I took a picture of her with it. The show was wonderful.
After the show, we stayed around and I managed to get a set list as well as that famous Odoul’s bottle!!!! It is now MINE!! Haha! I also talked a good bit with Matt and Katie after the show as well. Matt said Kaelin chose to stay home and watch a movie. Not too long after, Robert headed back home and me and my friends stayed a while. The band came back out later and partied and danced some. I was able to finally meet the whole band. They were all so cool. I really wanted to ask Katie to dance with me, but I couldn’t work up the nerve!!
Finally the band left, and we stayed until they closed. We got home really late last night. I had a blast though. It was one of the most fun shows I had ever been to being so close. The only bad note, was on the way home today, I got myself a speeding ticket for 55 in a 40, but OH WELL! I didn’t let it spoil my fun weekend. Overall it was a great show and I had a great time.
SET LIST
ENCORE
Franklin County Youth Fair
Okay, I'm assuming I'm the first person back since we only had an hour and a half drive home. Mark, Jacki, and the boys should be back, too, around this time. John O and Marteen and Jason don't live too far away in the St. Louis area, so they're probably home, or close to being home anyway. Tom was driving back to Chicago tonight, so he had about 6 hours. And, Britt, her mother Dawn, her sister Ashley, her twin brothers Jerry and Robbie, Brandon, and Robert were going back to KY as far as I know, so they had quite a drive, too (5-6 hrs). Danielle... I'm not sure if you were going back tonight, so... fill us in when you get there! lol
Onto more important things. Whhhhhhhheeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrreeeeeeee to start??? lol
Okay... Brandon, Robert, Brittany, and her clan got to Columbia yesterday (Fri) afternoon around 3:00. They went and got rooms at the hotel, then Dan and I went over to see what the plan was. Mark came shortly after and we decided to leave for the tour. 'Cept my friend, Katrina, was shopping, so we had to wait for her 'cuz she wanted to go to New Franklin with us. SO, we take Britt, Brandon, Robert, and Britt's family around downtown Columbia and show them the University of Missouri campus, the stadium, basketball arena, and all that jazz. Time to leave Columbia... but Mark already had other plans, so he had to leave and go home (to a baseball game, I believe). SO, we leave for New Franklin, Me and Dan in my car, Robert, Brandon, Britt, and her family in their car. We stop to meet Katrina and do a Chinese fire drill (where everybody jumps out of the car and switches seats, yanno? lol) So, Dan goes with Mom and the boys (and sister Ashley), and Katrina and Britt go with me. Our first stop was New Franklin and the sign. We parked at the Casey's and everybody had their pictures done in front of the sign. :) Then, we decided we wanted to see a little more of New Franklin, so we went and checked that out. They checked out the Post Office where Sara's mom works and went by her old high school. The twins were getting hungry, so we go thru' Boonville (nothing to see, except point out the casino!) on our way up to a "grill" place to eat. We get there; it's closed. lol So, I take Katrina back to her car and meet up with the rest of the bunch (minus Brandon 'cuz he said he didn't feel well) at Applebees for dinner. Eat. Drink. Go home. Pass out. lol That was pretty much the evening. We didn't get to take Britt and Brandon to see Boonesboro or the church or anything, but Mark took them this morning; I'll let them tell you about that since I wasn't there. While they did that, I took Mom and the rest of the Lanham clan to the Harley Shop here in Columbia. ;)
THEN, from the Harley Shop, I went home to change and pick up Katrina. Dawn and the kids went, I think, to Wal-Mart to buy the boys some MU Tigers hats (yay boys!!!) then they came back to the hotel. Mark had gone home to change and get his family. SO, we pretty much left without them. :) Me, Katrina, and Britt rode down together in my car; Dawn had the rest of the crew with her! It took about an hour and a half to get down there. But... here we go... once we got down there, it took us 15 minutes to FIND the fair ('cuz Union is, as Britt put it, "a butthole of a town." lol) When we actually FIND it, they tell us that since we don't have parking passes, we have to park "down yonder". At this point, I was kinda irritated (that parking kid is probably afraid of me, now.) We go park 12000 miles away from the park and walk up to the gates. Mind you, it's SO SO SO SO SO HOT AND HUMID. It sucked so bad in the heat. We get our tickets and run into Uncle Bill and Aunt Shirley (the ones who were sitting up by us in the left front at the FC party.) So, we go into the grandstands.... decide to leave chairs and go somewhere else. lol Me, Kat, Dawn, Ashley, Robbie, and Jerry ran to Wal-Mart to get Kat and I chairs ('cuz we're retarded and forgot ours) and get the boys these little fan-misters that they can harrass everyone with at the show. lol Then, we went to Subway and went back to the park. Tom, Mark, Jacki, the boys, and Danielle had arrived at this point and we'd met Mr. John O. :) So, we were all just hanging out, sitting around at this point since we still had a few hours before the actual show. Billy Currington came on and did his sound check. Then, he did his concert.... or was that first part actually a part OF his concert? lol j/k Marteen and Jason arrive and we're all here! (So, recap the S&As in attendance: me, Katrina, Mark, Jacki, Joe, John (Columbia); Tom (Chicago); Marteen, Jason, and John O. (St. Louis); Brandon (AL); Robert (TN); Britt and clan (KY); Danielle and friend (AZ) So, it was a great turnout!)
We were sitting to the left of the stage (if you're looking AT it.) There were about 10 rows of chairs set up, front-and-center and fenced off for the VIP section; most of which was her family. We were sitting right behind Uncle Bill and them on the side, which was cool. We were all about 3-4 rows back, so it was close! Before you know it, Sara's on!! I'll let them go into more detail about the show itself since they all have the setlists and stuff. There were a few things worth mentioning now, tho', 'cuz they were really funny. It was extremely hot and muggy, as the sun went down. Bugs were flying around everywhere. First off, right after the second song (Perfect, I think), Sara leaves the stage and the band keeps playing the super extended long ending of the song. She comes back onstage, and they finally end it. She starts to introduce her next song saying how it was written for a 7-month pregnant woman who has to run off in the middle of her show to "pee" on her bus. She's like, "I Feel It Comin' On!!" lol It was funny. She got irritated by all the bugs out there, too. She was singing a song and she started pulling on her hair and messing with it. So, she finished the song with her hair all messed up and sticking out, and she goes, "I had a BEETLE in my hair!!" Another time, she was singing and she kept messing with her arm. So, after that song, she's like, "I think I just got bit by some vicious monster. Is that bad for my unborn baby?" lol There was also a point where she was just talking to the crowd and a bug whizzed by her and she was jumping and screaming. lol She was hilarious about it all, as usual!!! lol She kept talking about how Matt and she used to sing songs together when they were little, and their mom used to make them do (and I quote!) "incestuous love songs." lol Then she started that song from Grease, "Summer Lovin'". She said they can't even LOOK at each while they're singing that stuff nor for the rest of the night after the show. So, that was funny. You guys know how she is... she's always cracking jokes about all kinds of stuff. lol She said she has 10 weeks left before the baby's due. Another funny thing: one of the first things she said when she came out, after saying "Hey" and "How ya'll doin'?" and that stuff... she goes, "So... I'm pregnant." lol Then, she goes, "Yep, Craig did it again!!" She made a lot of pregnant jokes all night long. She mentioned Olivia during the concert, and how she had just run off the stage, onto the bus, to do her "pee break." She said that Olivia was back on the bus stuffing HER face with fried chicken and mashed potatoes and stuff. She's like, "WHERE did she get that?" and looks around at her band. "Did she run over to KFC??" lol She did end with "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" (Belinda Carlisle from THE GO-GO'S!!!!) which I am TOTALLY ECSTATIC about!!!!! :) "Tonight" and "Nope Lace" ("No Place") were COMPLETELY breathtaking acoustic. And when she started into "Saints and Angels", she looked over towards all of us and blew a big kiss. :) The entire show was unbelievably AWESOME as you'd expect!! (Tho' we did get rained on a little!)
It was awesome to see Marteen and Jason, Brandon, Britt, Dawn, Tom, Mark and Jacki, and Robert again!! Danielle, Ashley, Jerry, Robbie, and John O., it was good to meet you guys! (Even tho' we never technically met, Danielle and John??) Hope everyone else makes it home safe so you can add to my review. :)
Franklin County Youth Fair
We just made it back and Brandon and Robert left about 5 minutes ago. Robert has about 4-5 hours to go and Brandon has 6... poor guys! The trip was so much fun! We saw all her family running around the place. I talked to Avery and got an autograph from him and a picture taken with him. Sara saw his autograph on the poster I had her sign and she said "That is so cute!" We also got to see the sound check and she came out with her hair thrown up and sunglasses but Olivia decided she wanted them and took them off of her. My mom and Jess and Katrina didn't get to see soundcheck because they thought stuffing their faces was more important! Can you believe that? Olivia said hi to her "Papa" in the mic and before the show Alison took Avery and Jay and his daughters plus Sara's sister Allyx (is that how she spells it?) and her friend in her own band, Kelsey, to go ride the rides. We stopped to talk to them and found that Allyx plays guitar and mandolin and she does look like Ashley (from the board) soo much! She said that they talk about her looking like a girl named Ashley but they have never met. We talked to Uncle Bill and Aunt Shirley and they are the nicest people. He told us that he thinks Lesley is the best singer of the bunch and when she sings, the hair on your arms will stand up. He said she is better than Sara! lol She must be dang good. He introduced us to Pat and Melvin Boggs (Sara's mom and step-father). Pat said that Sara told her all about us so I hope that is a good thing! :) I was able to get a set list so here is EXACTLY what it says..
Rockin' Horse
Encore: On the Radio
My favorite songs were Tonight and Heaven is a Place on Earth. They were awesome! Yall should have seen Sara running around and screaming because of the bugs! She was scratching her head so much that you would have guessed she had lice or something. lol We were really looking forward to hearing Caged but they did "Feel it Comin' On" instead. The M&G was before the show on the side of her bus. Union is a butt-hole town! We had to bring our own lawn chairs and set them up unless you wanted to sit in the wooden bleachers hundreds of feet away. You could sit on top of the big hill in the boonies or sit in the grass. The stage was very small.. and we had some of Sara's family sitting in front of us in their lawn chairs and most of them were sitting in the VIP section which is about 10 rows, in front of the stage. I saw that Avery got in trouble and his dad was talking to him. I wanted to get my picture taken with him while he was helping Craig set up the merchandise but Craig wouldn't let me back there and wouldn't let him outside the gate... so Avery decides to crawl under the gate lol and I said "No, you're gonna get stuck!" and then Craig comes running over and just lifts him up for the picture. I gave Sara's niece my lil scrapbook and Craig said she looked at it on the bus! So that was cool! One thing that I did miss was seeing Kaelin. It's just not the same without her there, and we told Matt to tell her that we missed her and he said that he did too. :( Then I met Billy Currington and he is soo cute! Wait til you see him in person! My mom told me that he is my "cup of tea" lol she's weird.. I used about 2 1/2 rolls of film in Boonville and the rest during sound check and the show. I got a few songs on my tape recorder thanks to Tom for picking me up 2 AA batteries. Now I know to always carry them with me! :) It was great to see everyone again and nice to meet Mark and his family and Danielle and her friend. Mark and Jess are great tour guides, by the way! I bet yall can't wait to see the pic Danielle took with Sara! I will let her tell yall but it was my idea! :) Sara looked gorgeous on stage and at the M&G and she is really showing now. I believe she said she had 6 weeks left??? I wish I could go to Boonville and I could probably talk my mom into it but they are really strict on the under 21 rule. Pat said that they won't even let Allyx and her band play like they were going to. I think it's a little ridiculous! Well thanks to everyone for a great time and if I think of anything else I will be sure to post! Pictures are coming too! Lots of them!
Franklin County Youth Fair
WOW! What a trip!!! I first want to send a very special thank you to Brittany and her mom for allowing me to go with them to Union. I had so much fun. Yall are great and thanks so much for putting up with me and letting me go along with yall. It all started out on Thursday afternoon when I left for Louisville. I arrived about 9 Louisville time and went to my hotel and crashed. Just my luck I had got a stomach virus that night which lasted the whole weekend, but I tried not to let it spoil my fun. I was so mad that I had to be sick on a trip that I was looking so forward to. Needless to say, I got very little sleep Thursday night from being sick.
Friday morning, I got up early, still not feeling very well and met up with Robert at Arby’s and shortly after we headed to Brittany’s house. Once we got there, we spent some time talking and playing with Brit’s new puppies. After we got all situated, Brit, her mom, her sister, her 2 brothers and me and Robert loaded up and hit the road for the trip to Columbia, MO. We arrived in Columbia that afternoon and Dan and Jess and Mark came by the hotel and we started out on a tour of Columbia and shortly after went to New Franklin. On Friday we visited some of the sites downtown such as Sara’s high school, the New Franklin Post Office and the world famous sign. FINALLY I GOT MY PICTURE WITH THE SIGN!!!!!!
As we were leaving we decided to go to Boonville to eat, but the restaurant was closed so we came back to Columbia. At this point, I was still not feeling good and not wanting to eat anything, so I had everyone drop me off at our hotel while they went to eat. I felt so bad because I couldn’t spend time with everyone, but I really wasn’t feeling very good at all. After sleeping pretty well on Friday night, I woke up feeling much better Saturday morning. Mark came by the hotel and took me and Brittany and Robert to a few more sites in New Franklin and Boonesboro that we didn’t get to see on Friday, such as Sara’s childhood home and the church where Sara went and was married at. It was so great to finally see all these places in person.
After arriving back at the hotel, we all loaded up and headed for Union to see the wonderful Sara in concert. We got to Union really early, long before the concert was set to start. When we got there, Sara’s Uncle Bill and Aunt Shirley instantly spotted me and Robert and we talked for a while and hung out with them a good bit during the day. They are such great people and we could tell that they really liked us, because everyone they talked to they introduced me, Robert, and Brittany to. They were telling everyone, "These guys Brandon, Robert, and Brittany are great people and true fans; we see them all over the road." That was a special moment. We also talked to Matt briefly and also met Sara’s brother Jay and sister Alex.
Later during the day, Sara came out for sound check and instantly spotted us in the crowd watching, and spoke to us on the microphone asking us all how we were and telling us how great it was to see us all there. Some of the highlights of sound check were Sara holding and dancing with Olivia on stage. Also during sound check we spent a few moments talking with Jay and Craig Schelske. Both were super nice people. I had met Craig before, and he actually remembered me because of all the Auburn stuff. Actually, people were asking about me because of my hat haha!
After sound check, we introduced ourselves to Avery who was just a little polite boy. He is so nice. He even autographed some stuff for us and was more than happy at the attention and taking pictures with us. We also met Sara’s mom Pat who was very nice, and mentioned to us how Sara is always talking about us and how great we are to travel and see her like we do. It was so neat to meet so many of her family members and friends.
Closer to showtime, Craig Dunn was setting up the merchandise table with his little helper Avery. Avery was carrying around the change box for Craig and asking people in the band for change, and he came over by me so I gave him 50 cents to add to the box. He is such a sweet little guy. He was so well spoken and it was so cute how he would spell his name out loud as he signed some stuff for us. Craig Dunn had to hold him up for the pictures with us, because he had strict orders from his mom to not go outside the gate, but boy did he try haha! He loved all the attention so much. We also took a sneak peek of Avery riding some rides at the fair.
Shortly after setting up the merchandise table, Craig gave us our Meet and Greet passes and it was time for the moment we had all waited for. Once I got back, Sara seemed so happy to see me as well as the other S&A in attendance. She told me, "I see you met my mom today, she was telling me that she had met you earlier today" The M&G was pretty quick, but I was able to get Sara to sign our picture from Valdosta as well as give her a card that a kid from my work made for her. She really liked that a lot. Of course, I also got a picture made with her. It was so great to see her again.
After the show started, the setlist was changed just a little, because this time she did "To Be Happy" and threw in "I Feel It Coming On" more or less as a joke. She referred to this song as the song for "A woman who is 7 months pregnant and has to pee in the middle of a performance." Everyone was laughing because she had to leave the stage during Perfect to go use the bathroom.
The show was wonderful! Our seats were great, and Sara could easily see us. As she sang Saints and Angels she blew kisses to us. Earlier in the show, I also got a wave and smile from her. I am so glad that I got to make this trip. Even though I wasn’t feeling very great, I had so much fun. It was so nice to meet Sara’s family and friends and see how down to Earth they were and how friendly they were, much like Sara. I would have to say the highlight, though, would be meeting Avery. He is awesome! It was also great to see Tom, Jess and Dan again, as well as meet Danielle, Mark and Jacki and their sons, and Marteen and Jason. After the show we drove all night back to Louisville and then I headed home this morning, and stopped once to take a nap since I was so short on sleep, but I made it home around 2 today. I had so much fun. I cannot wait to go back to her hometown again sometime. It felt so great to see where she was from and learn about where she was born and raised. I had so much fun, and once again a very special THANK YOU to Brittany‘s mom Dawn. You truly are great! Thank you so much for allowing me to go with yall. Robert it was great to see you again too. I am glad you managed to fight sleep and make it home safely as well. Brit, you are awesome, I cannot wait until we get to go to another show together sometime. Just seeing your Sara enthusiasm is just as exciting as seeing Sara perform. Thanks for putting up with me! Overall this was a great trip. I got all my pictures developed today, and once I get time to get them scanned I will share them with all of yall. Thanks to all the S&A for making this a special trip for me as well.
Franklin County Youth Fair
Sara Evans was outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jessica called on Friday to let me know that Robert, Brandon, and Brittany and family were almost in Columbia. I met them at their hotel at about 3:30 PM. As Jessica said, we decided to give them a brief tour of Columbia (primarily the Mizzou Campus) while Jessica's friend, Katrina, had a chance to catch up with us. By the time we were through, I had to get to a previous commitment (the small group ministry that Jacki and I lead were doing dinner and a minor league baseball game - as if you care), so I had to bug out. Robert called the next day and invited me to come along to do another Howard County tour. I drove over to pick up Robert, Brandon, and Brittany, and drove around Howard County - including a trip to Boonesboro to see the Christian Church where Sara and Craig were married, a stop in the Boonesboro Country store to get something to drink (and Pepto Bismol for poor Brandon), and a drive through the Missouri River Bottoms that were flooded in 1993 and the subject of "The Week that the River Raged"
I think the Jessica, Brittany, Brandon, and Robert group beat us to Union by about 1 hour. The temperature was in the 90s and the humidity was about 80%. There wasn't much shade at the fairgrounds, and there wasn't any breeze. Needless to say, it was sweltering, and most people were sweat soaked. There really were very few people at the fair at that point. They had a small rodeo: mutton busting for the youth and bull riding. The bulls weren't very good - several wouldn't buck or would only buck a little. You had the sense they were just too hot to be bothered with it.
Met Danielle (from Arizona - not used to the humidity) and friend for the first time! Didn't meet John O. John O. were you there? Spoke briefly with Sara's mother Pat - noticed where Sara gets a lot of her mannerisms, etc . . . . Also met Uncle Bill and Aunt Shirley! Very nice people!
I can't add a lot to the description of the concert:
I was soo happy to finally meet some more S&As! Danielle - all the way from Arizona! I don't know if anyone has ever left Arizona just to go to Union, MO!!! I wish Brandon had felt better. Did y'all know he is a big Auburn fan? Brittany is so dedicated to Sara and so cute, it's no wonder she's Sara's pet! BTW, Brittany, you owe a debt of gratitude to your mother, Dawn, for bringing you to Union. Not many mothers would indulge their daughters to that extent. You're very lucky!
Somebody from Union is going to get on here and get mad, but I tried to tell y'all when this show was announced that Union, well, lacks charm. It's basically a rural town with enough influence from the City (St. Louis) to dilute most of the rural Missouri values. When I see Gretchen Wilson get out of her truck in the trailer park, it reminds me of Franklin County, Missouri (I have deep roots in that county on my mother's side) In fairness to them, I think the biggest problem with the day was the oppressive combination of heat and humidity. Furthermore, they aren't used to welcoming outsiders to their fair. Sara attracted people who've never been to Union. They don't usually have to give people directions or provide them with parking. Also, the people at the front gate were kids, who were more interested in seeing who from their crowd was at the fair, than being hospitable. The people inside were very friendly and courteous to us. It was just too hot!
Can't wait for Boonville!!
Franklin County Youth Fair
The concert was so much fun but it was HUMID!!! EW!!! I thought I was going to die, seriously.
We got to see sound check! My feet were BURNING!! Sara came out and sang 2 songs and sounded SO good. Olivia wanted to go up on stage with Mom, so she let her up there, and Olivia basically took over! She grabbed the mic, and grabbed Sara’s sunglasses. She is just SO cute and is growing up so fast!! Awww… and AVERY! What a cutie!!! I asked him why he didn’t sing anymore and he said that he didn’t want to do it anymore. Awww… and his favorite song that his mom sings is "I Keep Looking." He was helping sell Sara’s merchandise. Sara was so super fabulous and so cute with her pregnant belly! She’s due in 10 ˝ weeks! Holy cow! It was so cute, during Perfect, she rushed off the stage and then came back and talked about how being 7 months pregnant makes you have to pee at random times and then she went into "I Feel it Comin’ On"! HAHAHAHA! She joked about getting hit by bugs, said there was a beetle in her hair, and totally screamed when a bug flew at her. It was hysterical!! She went and put ointment on during one part in the show… I wanted some dangit!! She went right into her encore, though, because it started to rain so she wanted to beat it. The moment she went off stage, the rain stopped. Bummer.
Billy Currington was there too and, WOW, is he HOT! Hehehe… yes very nice to look at. There was a rodeo and a carnival too and those were lots of fun except the carnival was kinda creepy…. It was so redneck and so funny!!
I got to talk with Eric for a little while, too, so that was a blast! We talked about when they came to AZ for the Sean Hannity show in March, and when they came to my work last September. He said he loved that show, so that was totally awesome! :D I loved how he talked to us forever it seemed like. I told him to come to AZ all the time, so he said he'd see what he could do. ;) He gave us a guitar pick after the show too, YAY!
I met the S&A’s!!!! How NICE you are! Seriously!! I mean, you all were so much fun! And TOM! I can’t believe you gave me your extra M&G pass! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! So, yes, I got to meet Sara again!! Hehehehe Of course we did another crazy face (it wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t) and THANKS to Brittany for the idea… I had no idea what to do!! :p I thought it was so funny that everyone called me the crazy face girl!! LOL!! I got to take some crazy pics with the group too, so YAY!!
We woke up Tuesday at what we thought was 9, but it was almost 11~~ We hauled butt to get ready and drove to Boonville to hang out in Sara’s hometown! It was so fun!! We went to New Franklin and took pictures by her sign and went to the post office where her mom works and I bought a postcard and stamp from her!! WEEEE!! And I mailed it to me from there!! YES!! Haha I turned my shirt inside out because I didn’t want to look all crazy in front of her.... ;) Tom had Jessica call me and she gave us directions to Sara’s childhood church so we saw that too! THANKS JESSICA!! It was SOOOOO much fun and I wish we could’ve stayed longer!! Funny story… we were at McDonalds in Boonville saying goodbye and a Greyhound bus TOTALLY drove by us!! ROFL!! Of course I got a picture of it!!
Bele Chere Festival
Wow! It was an amazing evening! Sara, as always, looked so enchantingly beautiful and her performance was very powerful and touching. The crowd was electric and huge as it filled easily close to a mile of College Street where the Celebration Stage was set up. You could not even see the road or grass because it was all people. Without question, North Carolina loves Sara and Sara really appreciated all the love she got at the concert last night. And now, on with the full story (pretty much) and review.
The Bele Chere Festival is a three-day long (Friday to Sunday), free, outdoor event with live music, food, games, and other entertainment. They usually attract 300,000 people over the three days. I guarantee you the highest attendance day for this festival was yesterday, mainly when Sara performed. It was like a bunch of arena crowds were just standing on the street. It was so cool! So, being that this was a first-come, first-serve standing/seating event, I left at 5 AM and arrived around 9 AM. I changed into a more appropriate attire and then went to a local flower shop to buy a rose for Sara. It was a whitish-pink, blushed rose that looked really beautiful. The guy who wrapped it for me put it in a nice clear wrap and put a lavender bow on it. Sara really liked it.
Then, I figured I’d find the Celebration Stage. So, I am walking down College Street when all of a sudden, I see Kaelin and Matt walking on the other side of the street heading towards Beanstreets (a restaurant). I yelled “Kaelin!” but I think my soft voice was unheard. So, I turned around and followed them right into the place and introduced myself while we all ordered at the counter. They are SO nice! They evened recognized me, which was cool. I spoke with Matt about the tour and he said it was going great and that no problems had occurred. I was happy to hear that but I also mentioned hearing about the food poisoning incident in Detroit, due to a turkey sandwich at the Detroit airport. He said, fortunately, it didn’t last too long and mainly involved vomiting. I told him and Kaelin that I study these kinds of things in school and that when I heard about it, I wanted to find out who was responsible for making Sara sick because I was mad. Matt and I also discussed a little bit about Asheville and Chapel Hill and Kaelin talked about the evening concert with Sara. Gosh, Kaelin sure is beautiful, too! We all ordered our breakfasts, I did not want to intrude so I let them eat by themselves. It was so cool, though, to meet them. I was surprised to see Kaelin there, but, of course, it was a pleasant surprise.
Onward we go! I did see Olivia and Avery on stage before the sound check. They were with their nanny. I didn’t actually get to meet them but they sure looked cute. Olivia was playing with a little Magna Doodle thing and Avery was playing around with the band, and Kaelin and the nanny. Sound check was from about 1 to 2 PM. Sara did not come out but the rest of the band worked on getting their instruments sounding great. The sound check was awesome! Katie did a lot of singing besides playing the fiddle and guitar and everyone was just rocking on stage! They even tested the bubble machine for Suds In The Bucket and it worked “Perfect”. Not many people were around for the sound check. In fact, when it ended, I clapped for a while and they smiled and Matt pointed out to me so I threw my arms into the air for a little woo-hoo! It was funny! At least there was one dedicated fan there to see the sound check!
Now, it’s about 4:15 PM, and I am waiting by the stage figuring out when to park my chair and sheet in front (many thanks to Robbie for the brilliant idea of buying a chair). That $8 chair turned out to be priceless! So, two young girls and their mom show up with similar items and they ask me if I am here to see Sara. And I said “Yes I am”. They were, too. So we set up our chairs and sheet front and center. We knew we might look funny then but in a few hours we would look like geniuses. This was their first Sara concert and they definitely had a blast! A friend of mine, who I met at Sara’s Fan Club party last month, came from Nashville, Tennessee and arrived around 5:30 PM. Interestingly, we were the first two in line for the Fan Club Party. She was so nice! She brought me an autographed picture of Sara singing Happy Birthday to my mom, a tape of some Sara concerts, and pictures from the party, using that fancy professional camera. We had time to talk and play some cards while some other acts performed. We had never heard of these other acts and you could tell the people who set up right after we did were there for Sara, too! While sitting there, we saw Craig Dunn, our beloved website designer. So, we introduced ourselves, chatted, and got pictures with him. He is so nice as well!
Finally, on to more Sara fun! The Meet and Greet was actually about a half mile away at Pack Place. Thus, Anne and I were weaving through the crowd to get there for the 8:30 PM Meet and Greet. Sara was so sweet with everyone and it was just awesome meeting her again for the second time in six weeks! I gave her the rose and another gift and got a great picture with her (I sure hope it turned out, I am getting the film developed right now.). She autographed an 8*10 of the Fan Club Party Meet and Greet picture of me and her. I now have it next to my computer monitor. When school gets me down, I can just look at this picture and smile. Who needs Prozac?!? Sara is all I need.
Then, Anne and I, after the Meet and Greet, had to weave our way back through the massive crowd to our seats up front. Fortunately, the two girls and mother we met helped defend our seats, as they were surrounded by people, mainly lots of teenagers. Most of the teenagers were really cool and we were able to get back to out front and center position to enjoy the best concert I ever attended. We were no more than 5 to 6 feet from Sara’s microphone! I could read the playlist from where I stood and Eric (who plays guitar and mandolin in the band) gave me the playlist after the show ended. I also caught a guitar pick he threw to me! That was great because I wanted to get some picks at the booth but the line was huge! Now I have a pick, I just need a guitar now.
Sara came out around 9:30 PM and performed for about 75 to 80 minutes. It was so awesome! Seven months pregnant and she was really moving out there and belting out her beautiful music. It was really powerful, strong, and energy-filled. Not enough superlatives to describe it! She was very nice and funny with the crowd. She told the story of how she got married at age 13. Hilarious! She mentioned Matt singing the incestuous lyrics. Too funny! She also mentioned the two glasses of wine and pointed to her pregnant tummy! Craig did it again, she said! So funny! She caught some flowers from people in the audience and was waving many times to people. I got a few waves myself. When she performed Born To Fly, I held up the same sign I held up at the Fan Club Party. After she sang “Is there a brown-eyed boy in my future?”, I held up my sign that said ‘Brown-Eyed Boy’. She saw the sign and gave me one of her trademark smiles that weakens your knees, and she waved to me as well. I also got laughs and smiles from Katie and Matt who also saw the sign. I think they liked it, too! Unfortunately, she did not sing “Caged”. I heard that from the sound check when Matt said they wouldn’t be doing it. It’s okay, though. Here is the playlist (To Be Happy was skipped but, hey, seeing Sara makes me happy so I can certainly live with that ).
Playlist:
ENCORE
And so the concert ended around 10:45 PM. I stuck around with Anne and was able to get the playlist and a guitar pick (which says Sara Evans on one side and Eddie Ball on the other). Then we walked to our cars and found our ways back home. I got back around 3 AM, slept till about 9 AM, and am finishing this up around 11:20 AM. Sara adrenaline trumps sleep. Plus, I am getting the pictures developed. I have no clue about how to get any on the site other than submitting to Craig, but I will see what I can do to get pictures up as soon as possible.
Sara is off to New Jersey now and then to Royal Oak (near Detroit … beware the turkey sandwich, Sara!) on Sunday. I wish her and her family and friends, and the band, and of course Kaelin and Craig a safe trip to the remainder of their tour stops. I know we are all looking forward to the birth of her third child. It is so amazing how much work and effort she is putting into her tour, especially at seven months pregnant. I don’t know anyone else who would be so devoted to her fans than Sara and I feel that is part of what makes her so special. Thanks to everyone who helped put together the concert at Bele Chere. It was an amazing experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life. God Bless!
SBC Bricktown Ballpark
First of all I had a great time. This was the Twister's 101.9, tenth birthday bash. I’m not sure how many people were in attendance, but the man behind me was guessing at 10,000. Before each act, they were sling shotting t-shirts to all levels on the stadium. I didn’t catch one, but did buy one of Sara’s 44 shirts. Craig Morgan was originally scheduled to perform but was not there. Not sure why, but I sent an email asking and I’m still waiting for a reply. I was really looking forward to seeing him. The show opened with Catherine Britt. She is from Australia and had a lovely accent. She did a strictly acoustic set. Also she is releasing her first American CD sometime soon. I don’t have all the songs she sang, but one song was called "Hot Doggin" which she co-wrote as a tribute to Hank Sr. The crowd loved it. Her last song was a gospel song call "I Saw The Light" and the audience loved it too!! Next up was Julie Roberts. Julie did a quite a few songs including "Breakdown Here", "Rain on a Tin Roof", "The Chance" and several others. This was the first time Julie had ever been to Oklahoma and also singing in a baseball stadium. Julie also will have one of her songs in an upcoming movie that has Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Lopez. (I forgot the name of the song) The only problem I saw with Julie, is the people in my section got bored with some of her songs and quite a few didn’t think she could really sing. I was sitting with a lot of Travis fans, so I’m not sure what other areas were thinking of her. I think as Julie gets more songs and upbeat songs under her belt, this may change. Next came Sara and the audience went crazy over her. She was so cute and being 8 months pregnant and joked about it. She opened with "Rocking Horse". Partial set list included: No Place That Far, Born to Fly, Saints & Angels, I Keep Looking, No Place That Far, Backseat of a Greyhound Bus, Perfect & Suds in the Bucket. All I can say about Sara is she is PERFECT. When you hear this lady sing live with that perfect voice of hers, you know she is the real thing. I cannot wait till she returns to Oklahoma City again. The way Sara talks about Craig and her kids, you know just how much she loves them. I sure hope this lady is up for a CMA this year. Sara has earned it. Travis took the stage last and it was around 10:15 when he started to play. Travis opened up with "Put a Little Drive in your Country". Due to the fact it was so late, we only stayed for part of his show. If it hadn’t been that we had to get up so early the next morning, I probably would have stayed. In all it was a great concert and the weather was no nice. I will be returning to Sara next time she is in my area.
SBC Bricktown Ballpark
OMG!!! SARA EVANS IS SO GREAT!! Ok, so me, my sister and Cynthia ran to the stage, and got FRONT ROW CENTER! I KNOW! It was awesome. Some Australian girl came first. She was really good; I forgot her name though! But i gotta pic with her! Then, Julie Roberts! But it was meet and greet time, so I missed most of her performance. Oh well! Soo, when i got to meet Sara, it was so awesome! GET THIS! She freaking REMEMBERED ME DANIELLE AND SHANNA!! She was like "Oh! I remember you t shirt girls!" Then she told me it was nice to see me again! LOL! She was so wearing my pink heels again too! I wish I woulda worn mine. Oh well. THEN, I go back down to see the end of Julie Roberts, and she came down to take pics and stuff, so I got one with her too! She is SO sweet!....Then, it's the moment I was waiting for. SARA EVANS! YES! And she wore the same thing she wore in the meet and greet that she wore for the show!! How un-sara-like! Ok...so her concert was awesome! I can't believe I got front row! She looked so pretty! There were lots of drunk people there! Like, Sara was saying she was pregnant, and this guy was like "ITS MINE!!" AAHAHA! It was funny. and the guys next to me fell in love with Katie, the fiddle player LOL. She said lots of funny things.....like, she asked the audience who was pregnant, and this guy was all "MEEE!" and she goes "Uh, you're pregnant, sir? I hope that all works out!" haha...Then this lady really was pregnant, and Sara was like "Are you sick a lot" and the lady said she was and Sara goes "Ok,good." hahaha. Oh and she also said that she didnt know what she was having, and she asked the audience what we thought, and someone goes "TWINS!" and she's like "Whoever said twins, I think you are gonna have to have the police escort you outta the building" hahha. She sang SO GREAT! AWW I LOVE HER!!! And omg she took "I Feel It Comin On" outta the set! awww. Oh well, that's not my fav anyways. Well, the concert is over and I'm sad, but Katie and Matt came out to talk! And i got a pic with Katie, so that was cool. I was like "My name's Katie too!" and shes like "Really? oh thats great!" And the guy next to me asked for a kiss on the cheek, but she said no, lol. Ok, but yeah, next up is Travis Tritt. That is when I went home sooo yeah, I'm gonna get my pics developed tomorrow to show you guys! They are awesome! OH I forgot! I was taking a pic of Sara and she WAVED to me while i was taking the pic! She's so awesome!
Neshoba County Fair
Ok...well, I woke up at around 8 and got ready and stuff, then went to go pick up Lacie and Kyndal, while Momma finished gettin ready. So after all that, we headed out for the 3 1/2 hour drive. Nothing really exciting happened on the ride. Ok, so we get to the concert place, and we get to the "Grandstand", where Sara was gonna be set up at. I had NO idea what to do, so I called Brandon...and you know where he was? Directly in front of me, sitting with Chris. I thought that was funny. This was about 2:00 or so, and they didnt let people set up their chairs til around 4:00...so me, momma, lacie, and kyndal just went around lookin for stuff to do. We found rides. Well, we all wanted to do it, and I just KNEW if I rode them I would get sick. I mean it dont usually happen, but I just had a feelin. Well, they were all like "Hunterrr" cuz they thought I was scared, so i HAD to ride it then. And guess what. I got sick. I didnt puke or anything tho. Haha Anyway...at about 3:30 (I think), we went over to Brandon and Chris again to ask if we needed to go ahead and get our chairs. They said yes, so momma went to go get our chairs (:D)... and get this, she volunteered to do it. She told us to just go stand in our spot if she wasnt back in time. Well, she got back in time...and we were just all bored, and then they opened the gate. MY GAH! People went psycho! Pushin and shovin... I felt sorta bad because there was this woman that was trapped and bein tortured by the stampede. Well, me, kyndal and lacie lost brandon and chris in the jungle...so we just sat our chairs in the best possible spot. We didnt get too bad of seats tho. You'll see in the pics :). Which by the way...we left our digital camera at home. So momma went to walmart like 15 minutes up the road. Well, we got our seats planted and so we were just sittin around until 7:00 until the M&G's were goin through ... so I bought that $10 poster for her to sign, and then waited in line. In the line...WOAH! I heard her voice. It was so weird because I had been waitin 2 years to meet Sara, and then there I was. It just didnt seem real. But I was disappointed in the meet and greet. I know it wasnt Sara's fault, but they shoved us in there, let Sara sign whatever, took a pic, all in a jack flash, and then shoved us out. Buttt...I got my "To Hunter Love Sara Evans" autographed poster, and picture with her, which I hope to God it turns out. Warning: I dont take good pictures. Haha. Oh...after the M&G, I went to find my chairs w/ Lacie and Kyndal attached to em, and sat down until Sara came out. The band cranked up, and then, there she was! Haha. It was so weird! But I took 2 (disposable) cameras worth of pictures. She looked awesome, sounded awesome...just awesome. I didnt get a set-list or anything, but I'm sure Brandon did, so you might have to get it from him if he got one. She only sang her singles tho, which by the way..."Tonight" is the next single. Well after she sang all of her singles, "Born to Fly" bein the last one, all of her band and her exited the stage, so we all thought it was over. We folded up our chairs, made a little ways through the crowd, and then they started cheerin again. So
Kelseyville, CA
February 7, 2004
Submitted By Rob
I Keep Looking
Rocking Horse
Saints & Angels
No Place That Far
To Be Happy
Take It On The Run
Backseat Of A Greyhound Bus
Perfect
Suds In The Bucket
Could Not Ask For More
Long Train Runnin'
(encore) Born To Fly
Redding, CA
February 8, 2004
Submitted By Lisa
Valdosta, GA
February 21, 2004
Submitted By Julie
I Keep Lookin’
Rocking Horse
Saints & Angels
No Place That Far
To Be Happy
Take It on the Run
Greyhound Bus
Perfect
Suds in a Bucket
Otis Redding (write in)
I Could Not Ask for More
Doobie Brothers
Born to Fly (Encore)
Valdosta, GA
February 21, 2004
Submitted By Brandon
Valdosta, GA
February 21, 2004
Submitted By Greg
Valdosta, GA
February 21, 2004
Submitted By Robert
Valdosta, GA
February 21, 2004
Submitted By Chris
Valdosta, GA
February 21, 2004
Submitted By Chuck
Hey all,
Tempe, AZ
March 5, 2004
Submitted By Danielle
Nashville, TN
March 13, 2004
Submitted By Robert
Harris, MI
April 2-3, 2004
Submitted By Greg
Having never been to this venue before and not knowing exactly where it was, I decided to allow a little extra time to get there and it's a good thing I did. What I had figured to be about a 3hr drive turned out to be just over 4hrs. I was getting a little worried and just when I thought we were going to miss the show, the Island Casino finally came into view with about 10 minute to showtime. My sister and I quickly parked and ran inside. I went straight to the ticket window to check on my meet & greet pass where they told me they had no passes and knew nothing about it. More worries for me thinking there was a possibility I had missed it already, but we had to find our seats which we did with just 5 minutes to spare.
Nothing too much out of the ordinary to report about this show, just a couple little points of interest. I'm going it alone because my friend that was going with me had something else come up and had to cancel last minute. This time I gave myself plenty of time to get there and arrived with over an hour to spare. No M&G or anything to worry about tonight, just go and enjoy the show. I'm in the 2nd row for this one, so it should be great. I go in and wait patiently about 15 minutes before showtime.
1. Always make sure to give yourself plenty of time when going somewhere you've never been before.
2. Always have a backup battery or two for your photo equipment at all times.
I Keep Looking
Rocking Horse
Saints & Angels
No Place That Far
We Got The Beat
To Be Happy
Take It On The Run
Backseat Of A Greyhound Bus
Perfect
Suds In The Bucket
Otis Redding
I Could Not Ask For More
Doobies
Born To Fly (encore)
Waveland, IN
June 5, 2004
Submitted By Lesley
2. Perfect
3. Saints and Angels
4. Backseat of a Greyhound Bus....or as my husband says.."the Cherry-dress song"
5. No Place That Far
6. I Could Not Ask For More
7. Suds
8. CAGED!!!!....and it sounded AWESOME!!! It was one of my favs!!
9. BTF
******* She finished with some 80's songs (Jess you're gonna love this!)
10. On the Radio (?) I didn't remember this song, but she said that this was an 80's song. It had some disco-funk to it...it was cool...the band sounded GREAT with this song!!!!
11. Belinda Carlisle's...."Heaven on Earth". Sara did it better of course! lol
12. Sitt'n on the Dock of the Bay........that song was way COOL! I'm telling you all, Sara can do soul/blues music too.
Kennesaw, GA
June 25, 2004
Submitted By Brandon
Rockin Horse
I Keep Looking
Saints and Angels - no dedication to us, but she did point to us before she sang it
Perfect
Caged - I love this song and live it was even better. THEY ROCKED on this one
Tonight- great song live, never expected her to do this one
No Place That Far- Acoustic Version (I loved how on the setlist they put NOPE LACE)
Suds - The Bubble Machine was the highlight!
Backseat
To Be Happy - (She didn’t do this song although it was on setlist, kinda sad because I love this song)
I Could Not Ask For More - (She told the story of her kids, Craig, and how this song was a dedication to all her fans)
Born To Fly
On The Radio
Sittin on the Dock of the Bay - AWESOME!!!!
Heaven is a Place on Earth
Union, MO
July 10, 2004
Submitted By Jessica
Union, MO
July 10, 2004
Submitted By Brittany
I Keep Looking
Saints
Perfect
Feel It Comin' On
Tonight (my moms fave!)
Nope Lace (Matt's idea to change the name)
Suds (Cool bubble machine!)
Greyhound
To Be Happy
Could Not Ask
BTF
Dock of the Bay
Heaven is a Place on Earth
Union, MO
July 10, 2004
Submitted By Brandon
Union, MO
July 10, 2004
Submitted By Mark
- During the sound check Sara walked over to our side ("stage left" per our resident performance professional, Marteen), and was looking at us and almost seemed to be trying to get our group's attention, but most, especially Robert and Brandon were so excited by Sara's presence that they were lost in chatter and didn't notice Sara's attention - I yelled "Hey guys - Sara's trying to get your attention!!!" which, of course, awoke them out of their stupor. Sara waved at us and said "Hey Everybody!!", and we, of course, said "hey" back.
- Tom, Robert, Brandon, and I talked with Craig S. and Jay Evans for a while, and took some photos; Jay was looking forward to opening for Sara in Boonville in August; I was glad to finally meet Craig Schelske - we talked politics for a few minutes;
- Newlyweds Marteen and Jason showed up in time for the meet and greet and the concert (Marteen couldn't get off work any earlier); Marteen is making plans for her future in Nashville, and we're all very excited for her!
- By the time of the concert, the place was basically packed. Before the concert, the fair was pretty bare.
- The incestuous love song from Grease was "You're the One that I Want" ("I got chills!! They're multiplyin'!"), not "Summer Lovin" - Sorry Jessica.
- Sara dispensed with the encore formalities because it began to rain at the end of the concert. I have a hunch she also cut some of the songs/instrumentalities short because of the threatening weather.
- I've been to a lot of concerts in my life and seen some pretty big named stars; last summer, we saw Martina McBride in concert. Great concert. I've been told she is THE BEST, has the most powerful voice, etc . . . . I love Martina. Really. But she ain't the best. Sara is SO GOOD live, it's scary. This was not anywhere near the best Sara concert I've ever seen, but it was still one of the best concerts I've ever been to. She is that good! Considering she was dealing with heat, bugs, and a baby in her womb, it was just incredible! Jacki, Joe, John, and I were all very excited after the concert, and very pleased we'd endured the drive, the wait, and the heat!
Union, MO
July 10, 2004
Submitted By Danielle
Asheville, NC
July 23, 2004
Submitted By Brian
Rocking Horse. I LOVE this song, of course I love all her songs. I especially like it when she sings ‘midnight blue’!
I Keep Looking. Such a fun song!
Saints and Angels. Of course, she has to sing this masterpiece!
Perfect. This song gets my heart pumping and a big smile on my face.
Feel It Comin’ On. Very powerful and emotional song. The crowd was captivated.
Tonight. You thought her smile was the only thing that can weaken your knees? Have you heard her sing this? I’ll be playing it more here that is for sure.
No Place That Far. My favorite song of Sara’s. It can bring tears to my eyes.
Suds In The Bucket. The Bubbly Beauty left her suds in the bucket here. It was awesome! Pink lemonade is yummy!
Greyhound Bus. Another wonderful song and even more so when she sings “she started to show …”. Beautiful, beautiful song and so well done!
To Be Happy (she skipped this one but I am still happy)
Could Not Ask For More. She told the crowd to grab someone by them, who they knew and wanted to know more, so I held my hand out for Sara. Hey, it was worth a try.
Born To Fly. This brown-eyed boy definitely enjoyed the song that got him hooked on Sara!
On The Radio. She really dances so amazingly in these songs, especially this one. Wow!
Dock of the Bay. A real summer song classic!
Heaven Is A Place On Earth. Wow! Incredible last song to sing. My sister will be jealous when I tell her about this.
Oklahoma City, OK
July 29, 2004
Submitted By Shelby
Oklahoma City, OK
July 29, 2004
Submitted By Katie
Philadelphia, MS
July 30, 2004
Submitted By Hunter
