| Becky |
06-13-2005 02:42 AM |
Oi---you two.... OUT! You have your own thread for this flirting! LOL
(Just kidding, you're always welcome!)
Okay, here are some trip details:
Our vacation pretty much consisted of eat, sleep, Keith, eat, sleep, Keith. Not a bad week. Ha ha.
Seriously though, we saw Robin on Monday night and he was really good, but I admit I liked his singing covers more than his originals. We stayed up too late Monday night, went to the Pancake Pantry for breakfast/lunch on Tuesday then went to Wild Oats (AKA Keith's Grocery Store) and got coffee and scones. Tuesday night, we went to an Irish pub that made us all really really sleepy, then walked around downtown, up and down Broadway, hit the souvenir shops, heard Josh Gracin singing some by standing outside a club, and then TRIED to go sleep since we had to get up early the next day and failed miserably because we were too busy joking around.
Wednesday was the fan club party at the Ryman. Doors opened at 8:00 AM. It was WEIRD to see a couple thousand people standing outside the Ryman at 8:00-ish in the morning. They provided breakfast and were taking photos and stuff (not with Keith--there's no way he could do 2500 meet & greets in one day). Sharon, the FC president came out and made her speech and Keith came on about 10:00 (meaning next year, we sleep late). We met up with Colleen in line and were all sweating like pigs by the time we got in. It's HOT in Nashville. I met several people I had hoped to meet on this trip, but I STILL haven't managed to get up with Julie from Texas! It's like phone tag, only with concerts.
His first song was "Song for Dad"--just Keith and his guitar. Needless to say, I cried like a baby. I couldn't even get my bearings to take pictures or call Karen or anything. After that song, I called Karen so she could hear some of it since her mean old husband wouldn't let her come. I think calling Karen is the only way I even know what the set list was. Hearing Song for Dad really rattled me. I'm not complaining, not at all. It wasn't a bad rattle, just not quite what I was expecting to be hit with first thing.
He also played Days Go By, You're My Better Half, It's a Love Thing (very cool--request from a couple in the audience), Raining on Sunday, Whenever I Run (which was fabulous to hear live), Making Memories of Us, Who Wouldn't Want to Be Me, and Jerry sang People Get Ready and it was cool to watch Keith get lost in the guitar. Keith played his ganjo on Somebody Like You and Lovesick Blues. He was yodeling again... the way he manipulates his voice is ubersexy. I can not believe yodeling turns me on (hangs head in hillybilly shame. LOL) I think Morgan got a kick out of how, um, attractive I find Keith with his ganjo. I only took 29 pictures of that. He also played Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville," but changed the lyrics to make it Monkeyville.
Chris, Chris, and Jerry were with him. Steve and Chad didn't come. There was a sign that said Balcony Girls Like it on Top and it seemed to take Keith a few seconds to get the message, but he cracked up and said, "me too." Someone threw a bra onstage and Jerry put it on the mike. Keith said they'd play a grooving song and find out who it belonged to. Someone else brought him a banana, but I never was quite sure what the sign was that got her on stage. He put the banana on top of the bra, but then took it down--said it was too suggestive. LOL Someone had a sign that said, "Talk Kangaroo to me" and he said, "Get in my belly, pouch, actually." He pulled a good one at the end of the show. People were yelling, "Show us your ass!" and he turned around, but HE had a sign that said, "Shame on you!" and held it over his butt. He was very playful and seemed very overwhelmed that so many people showed up. He said he would play all day, but there was some other fan club getting ready to use the place (but they suck anyway). LOL Sharon said it was the only time the Ryman was sold out for a FC party. Talk about a loud crowd--get a few thousand fan club members together! Someone had a car tag that said, "I love my fans." He asked if it was for him and since it was, he asked the person in the balcony to fling it onstage. They played some fun music while she wound up. She got it onstage and Keith said, "That was bloody dangerous. You could have put someone's eye out!" LOL I guess she asked if she could come onstage and he said, "Can you fling yourself down here?" At this rate, the FCP will be at the Gaylord next year and Titan Stadium in 2007.
After the FCP, we went to the Pancake Pantry again. Then we went to the hotel and went to sleep. Lorrie called while we were sleeping, but Yvette and I couldn't really make plans until everyone woke up, so we wound up going to an Italian place called that was pretty good. I think we went back to the hotel after that. We were exhausted. But we wound up staying up until 4:00 AM talking and joking around like girls having a slumber party. Some housekeeping woman had the audacity to wake us up at the crack of noon the next day. LOL
We went to Shoney's for lunch, back to the hotel because it was raining, then to the mall. That night Yvette and I went to the CMA Festival. We had decided to leave after Keith's performance, but I had told her earlier I suspected he would be last. He was. The other acts included Trick Pony, Phil Vassar, Julie Roberts, Dierks Bentley, Sugarland, Dolly Parton, and Lea Ann Womack. Jamie O'Neal sang the National Anthem. I really enjoyed all the performances. I wish we'd arranged to stay for the whole festival. There are a ton of other acts playing over the weekend that I would have loved to have seen. Since Keith was the last act, he played the longest--Days Go By, Better Life, Making Memories of Us, Better Half, You'll Think of Me, Who Wouldn't Want to Be Me with a bit of Beatiful Day, and Somebody Like You. He's fabulous as always. He was the only artist to cross both sides of the stage (it was divided in half so that one act could be set up while the other played) and the only one to brave going into the audience. That's why I say he's a rock star in disguise. He pulls the same tricks to interact with the audience that Jon has always done. I think he was a bit overwhelmed by the response. It was pretty evident by the crowd reaction that he was the biggest draw of the night. It was a thrill to see Dolly, but she only did 3 songs (Train Train, Viva Las Vegas, and Rocky Top). I think of all the other acts, I liked Trick Pony best, but I really did like everyone. Dierks is going to have another huge hit with his nasty new song "I Wanna Lay You Down." It's hot.
After the show, Yvette and I got turned around walking back to the stadium and it made me quite nervous. I wanted to go out with everyone, meet up with Colleen, and see Scott Dorman again, but I knew I had to take a shower and get some sleep since I had to be at the airport by 10:00. I hope I remember to book a later flight home next time. Nashville is a town that never sleeps.
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