Miranda Lambert and Friends at UNI in Iowa

Last week was a big week for Country Music on my campus - 2 country concerts within 3 days at a school where concerts are few and far between. The Band Perry and Thompson Square performed on Thursday night and Miranda Lambert appeared on Saturday!

Miranda's show was scheduled in our basketball arena, seating about 7000. I had purchased a floor seat in a presale and thought I would be sitting in the 11th row. But apparently I did not look at the seating chart properly, or the wrong chart was posted, because I was surprised to see a General Admission area in front of all the rows of seats. So I was actually sitting in what probably would have been about row 21 if the entire floor had been reserved seats. So, a little disappointed, I made my way to my middle of the row seat. I hoped the performers would make good use of the catwalk that was in place so that they would be a little closer to me.  I didn't know then that my seat location was not going to be my main disappointment later in the evening.

Miranda had two openers - Josh Kelley and Justin Moore. I wasn't really familiar with Josh but discovered he had quite a voice and was pretty cute. He sang us a couple song from his new soon-to-be-released album. I especially enjoyed his song about his recently adopted baby daughter Naleigh Moon -  a beautiful and very touching piece. Since I don't keep up with the gossip pages I didn't learn until later that Katherine Heigl was his partner and the mother with babe in arms that he sang sweetly of.

Justin Moore was up next. I had seen Justin play a couple times at last year's CMA Fest and at Country Concert in Ohio, so I was more familiar with his set. Besides his rowdier songs he has a heartfelt song that is a tribute to his grandfather and a great ballad called Outlaws Like Me.

It was a night for mentioning baby daughters. Justin, like Josh, recently became a proud father and shared what a change it had made in his life. To my shock he then appeared on the catwalk with his baby daughter in arms (with her big pink protective headphones on) and sang his entire hit "Small Town USA" holding her, walking from the catwalk to each end of the stage in turn!! I was amazed that she did not freak out in that context but she just gazed at Daddy's face (probably wondering why his lips were moving but she couldn't hear him - lol). Quite a cutie!

Justin includes the end of a rifle barrel as the double "O" in his last name  in his big "Justin Moore" stage backdrop. It also includes, off to one side, "NRA" in big letters. Miranda makes reference to shooting guns both in her songs and as she chats with the audience, and has a microphone stand fashioned out of a rifle. Do you think the NRA provides concert sponsorship just the way that the rum and beer companies do??

Then it was time for Miranda to come on stage! Seats that had been empty during the openers were suddenly filled and there was quite a buzz in the audience. Miranda grabbed the audience right away by starting out with Kerosene. Everyone was on the feet and singing! I sang along loudly but discovered something unfortunate. Now the rows were full and little movement was possible and the couple right in front of me was very tall. I usually don't begrudge the standers who are enjoying the show. But this couple seemed not to pay much attention to the show. They were more interested in standing up and making out. When they did I could not see between them and could not see around them!! So for most of Miranda's set I was stuck just listening, not able to see her, which had me fuming in my seat. Not able to see her or her band, I couldn't really enjoy when they rocked out. There were only a couple songs (when the couple ahead of me took a beer or bathroom break) when I was able to really enjoy Miranda. Happily at least one of these few times was during y favorite The House That Built Me

UNI really sang along sweetly - the stadium rang with our voices. I also saw a bit of Gunpowder and Lead, but overall I "missed" most of her set. : (

Miranda shared a cute picture of she, Blake and their dog during the show and flashed her ring at us while speaking happily about her engagement. She was a little appalled at the cold Iowa weather and said she hoped she'd be back during warm whether when she could enjoy Iowa a little more.

Country Thunder 2010 - Florence, AZ!!

My hubby is typically not very organized when it come to shopping for Christmas or birthday gifts. He shops sporadically - when he has a little time while traveling or when he happens across an interesting catalog or website. He’ll often buy what he thinks is cool, or artsy, or funny, without thinking about who he might give the gift to until much later. He’s never been one for checking names off a list or keeping track of his purchases, so he might end up with many presents for one daughter and few for another without intending to - in fact, he is as surprised as they are! We had one of these “surprises” Christmas of 2008. Lying in bed after a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas Day of celebrating with the family, eating too much and opening presents, Jim asked if I had had a nice Christmas. I told him yes - it was wonderful to have everyone home for the holidays! And, I said (not able to stop myself), “it was a very nice jar of jelly.”  “Jelly?” he asked with a blank look on his face. “Your Christmas gift” I said. “You got me a jar of jelly.”  “There was more, no?” he said. “Nope, just a jar of jelly.” Inadvertently I had been the ‘victim’ of Jim’s haphazard shopping style!

Well this Christmas Jim went overboard to make up for the lonely jar of jelly. I was completely taken aback when, on Christmas morning, I opened a box with contained tickets for Country Thunder for me and my daughters, airline tickets and a rental agreement for a RV to camp at the music festival grounds. Bless his heart - he had looked up where Keith would be playing and arranged every aspect of the trip!! What a man! (I’ll take a jar of jelly anytime if this is what follows!!)

The school year is not yet over for me so I had to do some juggling to find substitutes for my classes while I played hooky in Florence, AZ the end of this week. Thursday morning three Walsh women flew into Phoenix from Iowa, Ann Arbor and Chicago (my youngest couldn’t leave college at the busiest time of the semester so had to miss this event). Enterprise Car Rentals gave me my choice so I picked a fire engine red rental car for us and off we went to pick up the RV. Of course none of us had ever driven anything that large so this was an adventure in more than one way. Sara stepped up to the plate and did a terrific job driving the 50 miles to the concert venue. We did, however, call upon the skills of a more experienced and helpful gentleman to back the RV into our campsite at the very crowded makeshift campgrounds that totally surround the Country Thunder performance area.

Today we heard but didn’t see Jo Dee Messina’s set as we got settled in (perfect concert sound at the campground), then headed over to catch Gary Allan and then Miranda Lambert. It had been in the nineties midday but cooled down nicely for the evening shows. The Country Thunder stage has a long catwalk but neither Gary nor Miranda made full use of it. They came out on the first 20 feet or so, but never went the full length (I’m betting things will be different tonight when Keith plays!). Security periodically cleared away fans that tried to stand up front or along the catwalk even though the performers were actually saying things like “Don’t let them make you sit down!” and “There is more of us than them - go on and stand!” I think they would have liked a lively group of standers upfront because the reserved seat section was generally a group of quiet sitters! They better not expect me to sit tonight!

Both Gary and Miranda put on terrific shows. I must say though that I prefer their hits and softer country sounds to a few of the louder, harder rock numbers - especially when you are sitting in front of those giant concert speakers!! Whew - my ears were ringing several times during the night! Some of my favorites:

Gary - Right Where I Need to Be 

Gary - Half of My Mistakes

Gary - Songs About Rain

Miranda - More Like Her

Miranda Singing Blake Shelton’s Home