4th Of July Weekend in Music City

>I arrived in Music City on the 4^th and in time to walk down to Riverfront Park to take in the free concert and famed fireworks display. I had pleasant thoughts that Keith and I might enjoy the same explosive light show. Well, probably not, because Riverfront Park was so jam packed with every inch of not only the lawns but also the sidewalks and road filled with families and couples there to celebrate Independence Day. So unless Mr. Urban had a safer viewing spot for he and Nic they probably made do with Franklin fireworks. I was thinking that someone who had access to the closed LP Field stadium right across the river from where I was sitting would have a great (and private) show, but saw no signs of activity over there. The fireworks were quite spectacular and I was safely back to my hotel before Mother Nature put on her own light show with a thunderous downpour.

Luckily the 5^th dawned bright and sunny and I did a little lazy wandering to pass the time before concert, got some barbeque at Rippy’s Ribs and then hiked across the Shelby Street pedestrian bridge to LP Field, enjoying the views of the Cumberland River on the way. It was a hot one today and more than once I wished for a brief shower to cool things off. Not just the performers but the entire audience was drenched with sweat and fanning themselves during the early performances and I think we all breathed a collective sigh of relief when the sun finally went down and we could groove a little more comfortably! It seemed Gary was moving a little more slowly today (the heat does that to you). He did do an extra song though– that whiskey drinking song he also did when opening for Keith, where his key-boardist plays the keyboard with a bottle of Jack. Leann was back in spike heels and a slinky black dress today (but did end up in bare feet before she was done, so maybe her toe is not completely healed). I really do enjoy their music but today, more than ever, I felt myself counting the minutes until it was Keith’s turn. Hence Sammy’s performance seemed to drag on and on!

I was in the 7^th row of the risers closest to the stage today. Although I had considered myself lucky when I got floor seats at the other stadium shows I went to, today made me change my mind. Unless one is lucky enough to get in the first several rows of the floor or very close to the sandbar fence, I’m now convinced the close risers give a much better view than trying to peek through masses of heads. From my seat I could also see the side of the stage where a chef in a white hat was grilling for the crew and a bar/canteen was set up for them as well (maybe this was Kenny’s ‘party’ area?). I was pleasantly surprised later to find that the ramp leading to that canteen was the way the stars entered and exited the stage so we had a little “preview” before the rest of the audience saw them up on stage! When Keith walked up that ramp my section squealed in delight and Keith waved to us before he disappeared into the backstage grill area.

I guess because middle Tennessee is at the eastern edge of the central time zone, it was already dusk when Keith came on tonight and much of his performance took place after dark, which was different than usual. Again, during the break, they used his big screen to show beautiful views of the colorful audience, then (after a brief blackout) ran the video of Keith walking down a road towards us which got the crowd worked up to a frenzy. Keith appeared on stage wearing an off-white tee with something like “Someone went to Florida and all I got was this teeshirt” on it and those lovely old patch pocket jeans with all the frayed, torn spots worn white – the larger tear beneath his left back pocket kept catching my attention!

Today I responded to the video screen prompts to text message Leann or Keith to win a visit backstage or a seat upgrade, respectively. For a change I actually got multiple text message responses from each, but, alas, did not win anything. WSIX also had another contest during the show to win a trip to another upcoming stadium show. For that one, at least, we got to see them pick the lucky winner.

Back to Keithy – big beautiful smiles as usual. He immediately had the audience on their feet and rocking with him in DGB and WTBE – so much so that you could feel their rhythmic movement in the CONCRETE risers!! (a bit disconcerting to say the least!). He dedicated Better Half to his “very very very very very very pregnant wife” and after one of the “You’re my better half” choruses he yelled “You better believe it!” I could see the right side offstage area and do not think Nic was there tonight. Also Keith didn’t make any of those sidelong glances or nods like he sometimes does when she is there watching him. In Better Life, after “We’re headed for a better life” he threw in a “You know sweet mama”. He wished everyone a belated happy 4^th of July and mentioned that they had “blown up a lot of things last night” so perhaps he arranged their very own fireworks.

As usual Keith thanked everyone who traveled a long distance to the show - especially since “they probably had to mortgage their homes or sell their cars” to pay the gas prices. He asked how many of us were from out of town and, after a pause, added “That includes Franklin” (in which case he is also from “out of town”)! More than once during the evening however he said how good it was to be able to play music “at home in Nashville”. He did not quite make it through the band introductions tonight. He introduced Brad and Brad sang his little solo, and later introduced Chris M., but he never got around to the other guys so they did not do solos. I was personally distressed to see that Brian – formerly quite a cutie – now has shaved the sides of his head leaving just a Mohawk, which I didn’t like at all!

Tonight many people in the audience were wearing something with flashing colored lights (necklaces, hats, etc.).Because of this when Keith came down the runway for ROS in the now dark stadium the red, white, blue and white flashing lights throughout the stands looked pretty cool. So he commented that the audience was looking good and feeling good ( and sang a little line about “we’re feeling good” before he got down to the business of singing ROS. No guitar riff play before YLGIMS. Instead he walked out on the catwalk and went right into the YLGIMS beginning (maybe because it is a current hit). He made a very short trip offstage – he jumped off the stage and was almost immediately mobbed so his security boosted him up onto a chair in one of the front rows, where he played briefly before returning to the stage.

Keith closed with SLY and hopped and circled his way back down the catwalk to the stage. The applause and whistles and screams were just terrific when they made their bows and finally left stage. And then my section gave one more round of squeals when we were able to watch Keith walk down the backstage ramp into the depths of the stadium.

My only disappointment – no duet with Kenny tonight. I had thought for sure that they would do one for their “hometown” but instead Kenny brought in Jennifer Nettles for a surprise appearance. Even though I loved her singing “Stay” I kept hoping that there would still be time for Keith to reappear, but no such luck. Ah well – it was still a great show!