Brett Eldredge at a Brewery

Today's concert adventure was a little different from the norm. I drove up to Petaluma, CA where Brett Eldredge was playing a free show at Iguanitas brewery. I've been waiting to see Brett for almost 2 years now since we missed him because my car broke down....he came to the Rodeo Club in September and couldn't go...so I finally got the chance to see him again today!! The venue was really nice and of course it was at a brewery so I had to sample some brew....The show started at noon so that was a little strange too! I love Brett Eldredge's amazing voice and songs and can't wait to see him again at CMA fest hopefully!!

Took a few videos including my favorites "Bring You Back" and "One Mississippi". Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/dierks8706/videos?view=0

Locked and Reloaded Tour!!

Sooo...where do I begin?!?! What an amazing night!! I somehow scored meet and greets with both Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley! So lucky! WARNING: This blog might be very long and picture heavy.....I'm still on a concert high lol! Dave and I got to the venue about half an hour before doors, waited in line, found our seats and it was time for me to go for my meet and greet with Dierks Bentley!

As many of you know, I am a die hard Dierks Bentley fan. I made the mistake of counting how many shows I have been to earlier in the week and I'm up to 29! I haven't seen him in like a year and half either so I was way excited. I wore my "I'm With The Band" shirt to see if he would remember me.....there's another story behind that but sure enough he did! The meet and greet was very organized this time and the fan club members were brought backstage first. We did a group chat with Dierks first and then a group photo. Then the 8 of us lined up and got individual pictures taken with him and talked. My turn came up and he asked me what my name was again! Then he asked me how I was doing....bad idea...I started babbling about how we moved out to California from IL yada yada yada....but he seemed to be interested in what I was talking about. Normally I'm too shy to say anything during meet and greets but this time it felt like we were talking a lot!! Before I left I had to ask him what his next single on the radio would be. I had heard him say in a radio interview that it was called Bourbon In Kentucky but I had to confirm! He thanked me for being a diehard fan and it was time to go! I've been a fan of his for years and THIS is why I've stuck around so long. His music is awesome and he is so awesome to his fans!

I got back to my seat as Joanna Smith was taking the stage! She was pretty good but she didn't play a song I like called Poor Lil Heart :( Her other songs were great though and can't wait to hear more from her!

Randy Houser was up next! I caught most of his set before I went back to meet Miranda Lambert! He was awesome! Loving his newer stuff, Runnin Out Of Moonlight and How Country Feels. I have a feeling those songs will take him somewhere!

When it was time for me to go back to meet Miranda, the paper inside the envelope said if you put your pass on upside down on your left leg you get a little prize...so I did! Those of us that did that got a guitar pic! Pretty cool! Miranda's meet and greet went pretty fast but I had her sign a locked and loaded poster that I had from that tour that I had Dierks sign already. She was like "wow this is old!" lol! Got a picture with her and that was it! She said she liked my shirt too!

Time for Dierks!!! He put on an awesome show as always! He opened with Am I The Only One and closed with Home. I loved when he introduced his band that he showed like baby pics of them, haha too funny!! Then he made fun of himself with his hairstyles since he recently cut his locks again :( He sang a new song that will probably be on his next album called I Hold On. Loved it! Can't wait to see him again!!

 Girl that he brought on stage during Lot Of Leavin Left To Do.....kinda funny picture...she had just turned 21!

 Dierks running around in the crowd!

 This is my favorite picture, love the lighting behind him!!

 Dierks and the guys getting ready to play a bluegrass version of Settle For A Slowdown.

I did take a few videos but it's not letting me insert them into the blog...you can find them on my youtube channel at this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/dierks8706

In between Dierks and Miranda's sets a group called the Jukebox Mafia played a small set right in the middle of the venue. I couldn't really see them but they played a great mash up of cover songs from different genres, not just country! They got everyone into a frenzy, dancing and singing. They were a lot of fun!!

Time for Miranda!! She played a lot of her hits along with some non single tracks off the Four The Record album. At one point during the show she squashed pregnancy rumors by saying that her belly was just cheeseburgers! Love how Miranda tells it like it is! She brought the Pistol Annies out to do 3 songs with her and at the very end of the show....Mr. Blake Shelton came out to sing Boys Round Here!!

Itz Just What We Do!!

Last night Dave and I went to see Florida Georgia Line and Chris Cavanaugh at the Rodeo Club in San Jose! I was expecting this show to get sold out fast so I bought my tickets way early when I got tickets to see Love and Theft and Jerrod Niemann too! It was a pretty packed house!! We got there a little before doors opened and grabbed a spot on the side of the stage in the front. Opening for Florida Georgia Line was Chris Cavanaugh! I had seen him once before a couple of years ago opening for Jake Owen in Pontiac, IL and remembered he was pretty good. I think he was even better this time!! He sang quite a few of his original songs along with some covers of Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney and Brooks and Dunn! Here is a song he sang of his called Fishin' For the Beer.

I got a few pictures of him but the lighting for his set was kinda bad......but here's one I took of him anyways lol

Then it was time for Florida Georgia Line!!! I was so excited to see them finally for the first time! First got introduced to Cruise when Jake Owen tweeted about it and have been a fan ever since! It was a full band show and it was LOUD. I still can't hear right.......next time I will be bringing ear plugs! (dang I think I'm starting to get old...) Their set was full of energy! The first song they did was Itz Just What We Do and they kept the energy going with Party People and Tip It Back! I seriously would not remember the order or what songs they played if I didn't have the set list sitting right in front of me LOL! During Get Your Shine On they called a friend on stage....Stephen Barker Liles from Love and Theft!! Saw them two weeks ago lol!! It was awesome!! I'm really hoping to see these guys again at CMA Fest and totally seeing them open for Luke Bryan at Shoreline this summer! Florida Georgia Line has come to party and I think they will be here to stay!

                                            The guys from Florida Georgia Line! Tyler and Brian!!

                                              Stephen Barker Liles from Love and Theft!

                                             Stephen and Tyler!!

I got a set list and a guitar pick from last night's show too :) Thanks to me sweetheart Dave for getting them for me!! (They were both on top of the small roadcase Dave was standing behind)

"You got me runnin out of air"

Last night was another great show at the Rodeo Club in San Jose, Love and Theft! Opening before them was Canaan Smith and Jesse Rice. I had work/training until 8 last night and I rushed to the venue afterwards because I had a M&G with Love and Theft. The email said to be there by 8:15 to pick it up. So I picked it up and the little paper said it was at 9...so I had plenty of time to get there! lol! I wandered around a little, grabbed a Corona and bought a poster from the merch booth for them to sign. Dave is in LA for work so I was there by myself.....it was ok.....missed him though!! Jesse Rice performed first and I had heard of him and his brother from other people. He was pretty good! He is also cowriter of Florida Georgia Line's song Cruise!! I get to see them in less than 2 weeks for the first time! Pretty pumped for that!! Here is a little video of Jesse singing Cruise:

Right after Jesse was done we headed back for the Love and Theft M&G. I had never had one at the Rodeo Club and it was held behind the stage with the line streaming back into the kitchen area of the venue. It was different! When it was my turn I got up to them and shook their hands...it's been a while since I've seen them/met them so I didn't expect them to remember or know me at all. I asked them if they had fun at the Acm's and their response was "A little too much fun". They were very chill and signed my poster and took some pictures with them. One with my camera and one with either the venue's camera or their management....not totally sure....lol! Also not sure why I didn't have my arm around Eric!!

After the M&G I passed Canaan warming up with his guitar....waved and said hi and moved right along...kicking myself for not getting a picture with him!! I found a good spot in the front, kinda on the side of the stage behind Love and Theft's sound board. Had a better view than last time seeing Jerrod there but no one really complained about all the butt shots I took LOL! Canaan's set was pretty eclectic. I really like his style of music, it seems more popish than country in my opinion but I think it fits more in the country format than he would in others. Would love to see him again!!

Next up was Love and Theft!! It has been SO long since I've seen them in concert, let alone a full set! They played a good hour and a half with a great mix of songs from their first album and second album! They brought Jesse and Canaan back up with them to sing Fishin' In the Dark!! Another crazy part was towards the end when they played Girls Like To Shake it. A group of girls came on stage to dance....not sure if that was planned or not but it looked like it. Then chaos ensued when more girls from the crowd on the other side of the stage were coming on stage to dance too. Now I don't think that was planned!! Their manager and others came over to prevent more from coming on stage....they weren't doing any harm but umm dancing all over poor Stephen...LOL! It was fun and crazy and an awesome night!!!

"Hey Hey Hey, what's so wrong....with one more drinkin song!"

Went to see Jerrod Niemann last with The Henningsons at the Rodeo Club in San Jose! Still a little groggy from last night but it was so fun!! Forgot what it was like to go to a concert then go to class the next morning...lol. Dave and I got there and there was an open table where we could still see the stage. We sat there for a while until the show started and my pictures were turning out crappy. So we got up and went up to the stage...still not a huge crowd there yet. We stood on the side of the stage so we saw a lot of backside but it was cool to see the crowd on the other side's reactions. First up was The Henningsens!! I totally forgot they were from IL until they mentioned it! Hey we're from there too! lol! They played about 6 songs and then it was time for Judge Jerrod! I took a little video of them singing their current single American Beautiful.

The Henningsens- American Beautiful

This was probably the first time we have ever seen Jerrod Niemann perform a headlining show. We've seen him open up for Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley and he was pretty good. He was even better last night!! Jerrod put on a very high energy show and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I took quite a few videos last night because my pictures were turning out like crap from being on the side of the stage. I always try to take a video when he sings Bakersfield when I've seen him in California. The crowd went nuts when he sings about San Jose (of course) and I just love it when something like that happens! It's like being in Boston when Kenny Chesney sings Boston (if you know that song lol). He sang a new song called Hey Beach Baby that he said he wrote a couple weeks ago! It was pretty good, high energy singalong song! Jerrod sang quite a few classic country cover songs like Ring Of Fire, Louisiana Saturday Night and Family Tradition. He closed the show with a Stevie Ray Vaughn cover that I've seen him do before in the opening shows. The best part is when his guitar player plays his guitar behind his head! Didn't get a picture of that this time because I was dinking around with Instagram again....lol I finally gave in a downloaded that app! I guess that makes me a hipster now right? 

I thought taking a sideways picture would be cool and I think it turned out good lol

Ring Of Fire

One More Drinkin Song

Lover Lover

Louisiana Saturday Night

Hey Beach Baby(New Song)

Bakersfield

Also got a personal update, non concert related.....Had a second interview at Al's Beef today and I think it went well! Actually I know it went well because I have orientation Saturday night! :) We'll see how I like this one, hopefully they are ok with me taking time off for all these concerts......

When dreams turn into dust, give up if you must

I realize that I may never get far with my music, but I love to do this. Playing guitar and singing is something I love to do. I may not be great at it but I appreciate the support you guys have given me throughout the years. I do have one confession to make...I'm scared to death to play in front of a crowd so I never have.....besides my high school graduation party! lol.....The youtube videos and ustream shows are a way for me to get my music out to ya'll without being scared. I started this post as a FB status to my FB friends. It got a little long and looked more like a blog to me! Writing songs recently has become difficult because I'm not sure what to write about. Writing mushy, cheesy love songs have never been my strength! haha! I would love to write some more happy, upbeat songs if I could.

School so far has been going good. I have a quiz in biology that I'm not exactly prepared for but we'll see how it goes lol. I just turned in my first english paper that I've written in a while. I feel pretty good about it but we'll see how my teacher likes it. The last english paper I wrote at Rock Valley in Rockford, IL was a failure......I should've listened to my friend when she told me several times not to take that professor! I have a presentation in my Nutrition class Monday on the nutrition and culture of the Amish. For my part I am doing cooking utensils and prestige foods of the Amish. I am trying to make Amish friendship bread....the started takes 10 days to make and I'm currently on day 7 of it. I have to stir it 10 times a day! We'll see how this turns out lol! I can't believe spring break is almost here too and that we are almost halfway through the semester! And I haven't skipped a class yet :) I also got an email the other day from Al's Beef that they are FINALLY getting close to opening. Three months after my interview and I finally might have a job! Sounds crazy but I'm not sure that I want it now. It would be nice to have a little extra money in our bank account but I'm afraid that it might take away from my focus on school. Hopefully when I start, I only work like 20-25 hours.......we'll see about that!

Can't wait for June.....Dave and I are going to Nashville for CMA fest!!! I am so excited and get to see my parents too :) Also got 3 concerts coming up in April and possibly 2 in May! So be on the lookout for some more concert blogs!! That extra money from that job might come in handy for my concert addiction.....lol.

Climbing up a mountain and 5 years together!!!

This last weekend was pretty fun! For Valentine's day Dave and I went to see Silver Linings Playbook....mostly because I made him take me out because I bought a new dress lol. It was an alright movie, I kept feeling really bad for the guy (bradley cooper) in the movie though! On Saturday we went on a hike at McKnee Ranch a little outside Pacifica. The guys kept telling me this was a grueling hike but the view was worth it at the end. They weren't kidding! 4 miles uphill and 4 miles down. I kept stopping going uphill because it was just so strenuous! The higher we got up, the hotter it got too because the sun was beating down on us. We finally made it to the top and the view was gorgeous!

                                             Me at the top!!

                                                   At the start of our hike, view of CA 1

                                                    One of the many hills......

                                                        View from the top!

                                                         During one of the rest breaks.....thought I was gonna die lol

                                                Dave and I at the top :)

Then it was time to come down......I fell a few times, I really need to invest in hiking boots! One of the hills towards the end that we came down I just slid down on my butt! Thankful for that extra padding lol! I am still sore today but it was a beautiful day!!

The next day was our 5th anniversary together :) I made him a really cheesy picture montage of the last 5 years and he loved it. I put it on youtube and because I put some songs on it, I started getting copyright crap.....so it's blocked on mobile and in some countries lol. Oh well!! Here it is if you want to watch all 12 minutes......We didn't do much yesterday but went to lunch at Chili's and did some shopping at World Market. I got a couple bottles of wine, trying to try different kinds. One of them was made with grapes from Spain! Excited to try it!