Funny - after living in Iowa for 35 years I made my first trip to Sioux City three weeks ago to see Darius Rucker perform, and then found myself going there again last Thursday to see Tim McGraw in concert. Different venue this time - Tim would be in the Tyson Arena while Darius had been in a lovely old theatre.

Since school was out my youngest daughter (who just graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Graphic Design) was able to accompany me on this adventure. Annie was coming from Ames and I from Cedar Falls, so we set up a rendez-vous where our routes to Sioux City would converge. Webster City is a small town neither of us had been to but I figured both of us could find the only 'big' store in town (K-Mart). We met up just fine, feeling a bit like secret agents who should have exchanged some code words at our designated meeting place. Before we could leave Webster City we just had to make a stop at a local snack shop for beverages just because of their great name: Whoop-ti-do's and La-ti-da's! : )

A rainstorm at just the wrong moment meant we had to dash to the arena with our tiny umbrellas threatening to turn inside out in the gusting wind and found our seats not long before the start of the show. Tim is touring with 2 opening acts - The Band Perry and Luke Bryan. He has a very extensive catwalk to give as many fans that "front row experience" as possible. The walk goes out about 15 rows, meeting up with a crosswalk which then had further extensions going even deeper into the arena. He also had a platform at the very rear of the floor. I had joined his fan club at a time when he was donating the membership fees to disaster relief and was pleasantly surprised to get 5th row seats in my very first fan club presale. But then I was a little worried once the show began. The Band Perry played almost their entire set out on the mid-arena catwalk, so we mostly saw their backs. I hoped that would not be the case once Tim took the stage. Annie, like myself, enjoyed The Band Perry but voiced the thought that had been running through my mind: "The guys don't do much." It is true that they are really like a solo singer and her back-up band.

Annie really enjoyed Luke Bryan's engaging party-atmosphere performance and thought he was pretty cute. Here is a bit of his "All My Friends" complete with a butt-waggle, and also a bit of Boom-Boom from his upcoming album. Yes, he is a good performer, but much of his "party" music is not my cup of tea. My favorites are his more serious love songs.

Finally it was time for the main act. I thought the musical introduction in the darkened arena (meant, no doubt, to build the anticipation to a frenzy) was a bit much. Then Tim shocked everyone by beginning the show on the platform at the rear of the arena!! I could not even see him from our 5th row seats and there were nothing on the video screens for us front-of-the-arena folks. So we just had to listen to the first 2-3 songs - a bit of a disappointment, although I'm sure the rear arena audience was thrilled. Tim then slowly made his way up the floor and catwalk to the front as he was singing. He is looking thin and very buff (in contrast to the last time I saw him in Milwaukee when he was bulked up and in full beard for a movie role).

The show was a mix of old and new songs and Tim was pretty constantly on the move on the catwalk. He did not spend very much time at all on the stage, which was a bit of a shame for us, considering our seat location. Here are a few of my favorites:

Red Ragtop

Just the Cowboy in Me

Real Good Man

Please Remember Me

Wanna Go Crazy

Live Like You Are Dying

Tim brought The Band Perry out for a duet of Can't Really Be Gone and later, Luke Bryan for . He also sang a cover of Lionel Ritchie's Sail On and told us he had been thrilled to sing that song with Lionel for an upcoming album.

Report From a CMA Music Fest Virgin : Night 1

Got up early to catch my flight to Nashville. I made it as far a Chicago, but then was delayed for 90 minutes while they searched for a replacement plane since the original was leaking oil. When I finally arrived it was obvious that Music City was HOT and hopping and there was music everywhere. I passed a couple performing groups in the airport and another in my hotel lobby before I even made it downtown. And each morning we have even had live music in the breakfast room of my not-fancy Best Western Hotel!

Nashville was so hot and steamy Thursday - like a bathroom after a hot shower. Everyone was sweating and fanning themselves, clothes sticking to bodies as soon as  one left the air-conditioned buildings. I walked downtown to the Bridgestone Center (when did it stop being the Sommet?) and watched a little music on the outdooor plaza, then grabbed some dinner before catching the shuttle out to LP Field. I lucked out and climbed right onboard outside the Hilton, but then our full-to-capacity bus passed many long lines of others waiting for the shuttle on our way to the stadium (Note to myself: Catch early shuttle in the evening).

My seat in the 21st row of the lower bowl towards the stage end of the stadium was good compared to the rows and rows of seats in the 2nd and 3rd levels above me, but it was still too far away to really see the performers. So I relied on the video screens (which my camera often did not like - CMA Fest has what they call a “photo line”. Fans line up out in the lobby sometimes an hour before a performer comes on, then that line is led down the stadium stairs, right in front of the stage, and up the opposite side of the stadium. The line keeps moving, so those folks only have time to snap a photo or 2 of the artist before they are herded along. But those constant flashes means the lightling on the performers is constantly changing, making my camera unhappy).

The evening began with the Marines presenting the flag and the Oakridge Boys singing the national anthem. They followed the presenting of the colors with a rousing round of “Elvira” to get the audience going (very successfully!).  Then we heard the sound of somebody switching country song to country song on a radio (like the music that preceded Keith Urban’s Til Summer Comes Around in concert) and out came Danny Gokey, looking much hotter than I recall from American Idol. He look slim and toned (with a build not unlike Keith’s) and was brave enough to wear what looked like a woven or detailed fitted leather jacket throughout his performance despite the sweltering heat!! (see clip) He modeled Keith in other ways - a swinging wallet chain a big belt buckle and a scruffy beard, but had kind of a longish flat-top hair cut. He has learned to be a more animated singer, moving much more than he had in the past, but those moves do not yet always look fluid and natural. I haven’t kept up with his new music, so was not familiar with his songs, but did like “My Best Days are Ahead of Me” and  “I Will Not Say Goodbye”. As the newbie on the night’s roster, Danny only sang 4 songs.

Then we were treated to Alan Jackson. in his American flag teeshirt, whom I had never seen perform live before. Definitely a slow talkin’, down home country guy whom I enjoyed very much. He began his set with “Good Time”. After that he had a little story or a little something to say about almost every other song. He prefaced his playing of his very first hit with ("Its really an honor to still be playin' at this thing - hard to believe it has been 20 years" with words of thanks to fans and to country music. He also made us laugh by telling us that it was actually his second release - the first release "died a terrible death on hte charts."! I enjoyed listening to his southern drawl and learning a little about the origin of some of his hit songs: Small Town Southern Man, Cowboys Don’t Cry, Daddy Won a Radio (his daddy won the family's first radio at the pepsi plant where he worked), I’m a Country Boy, Chattahoochee. Alan stood for the first and last few songs, and sat down with his band for several songs. A great set and I was so glad to finally get to see him live! I can't say the Fest cameraman is the best - they don't seem to know how to switch focus so when one of Alan's band would play an extended bit of fiddle or guitar, the camera stayed fixed on Alan just standing there! That also happened with some of the other performers.

Next up was Tim McGraw! As many of you probably saw on the CMT Awards show, Tim is looking hotter than a pistol. He has slimmed down from his last movie role weight and looks to have the physique of a guy half his age! Yum! And he knows he looks great and picked a white v-neck shirt that just brushed the top of his belt buckle when he was standing normally, but inched up to reveal 3 inches of tanned, hard flat belly with the least little move that he made. It drove us ladies crazy! (BTW - the next night as the audience was texting in messages to the big screens between acts, we all appreciated the text message: Keith - please wear a shirt like Tim McGraw’s last night!” hee hee). Tim did a longer than average terrific set and moved around more than any other performer at CMA fest - making his way over the obstacles to the stage edges and even coming down onto the wall immediately in front of the moving photo line, slapping many hands from out there. He did all of the hits we were hoping for and did stop to chat with the audience a little as well. I’m so glad that this was the year that he returned to the Fest after a decade’s absence (maybe that is why he seemed to have more time than other artists, even Reba and Keith?)  Later in the evening they brought Tim out into the middle of the floor seats to film him introducing Carrie Underwood specifically for the upcoming CMA Fest special on ABC. He hammed it up out there between takes (I think they did 3 takes to get it right!). I’m sure the fans surrounding him were delighted to have him out in their midst.

Lady Antebellum was up next and did their usual fine job. I think they only did about 4-5 songs though, so position in the CMA Fest program does not necessarily indicate set length, especially when they are doing a little extra television filming. 

Last up was Carrie Underwood. She too must work hard with a personal trainer because she is totally toned and showed it off in her short shorts. She performed all her big hits, but again I don’t think her set was as long as Tim McGraw’s. Nevertheless it was a very late night, with the concet ending at 1:00 am. When a stadium of 41,000 empties it is total traffic and bus chaos, however, so I decided to hike back to my hotel. And a hike it was!! The bridge over the Cumberland was the first ‘mountain” to scale, and then the sad realization that, since my hotel was on 7th Street, that means seven long blocks uphill from the river - a second ‘mountain’ that I almost thought I wouldn’t make it up after my long day. I was so soaked with sweat, hair matted to my head in the heat, that I had to shower, but then collapsed into bed at 2:30 am! (Should have gone through a conditioning program before attending the Fest!!!)   Videoclips coming.......

Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw Amaze Madison

I had been too long without a concert and had no hope of satisfying my KU cravings until March. When hubby was going to be gone for a weekend I decided to take a roadtrip for another combo of artists I enjoy - Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw.  I joined Lady A’s relatively inexpensive fan club in hopes of getting a better seat and bought one for the Madison, WI show. Strange thing about the Lady A presale (don’t know if this was also the case for those in the McGraw fan club)- presale tickets were offered with NO seating info! You had to order a ticket sight unseen and did not know its location until you picked it up at will call the day of the show! I hoped that what I had heard from others about the newer artists often offering good seats was true and went ahead with the purchase. The folks sitting next to me had bought their tickets in the McGraw pre-sale, so it appeared the Lady A and McGraw fan seats were intermingled.

The drive to Madison is a pretty one - winding four-lane cut through Wisconsin’s rocky (sandstone?) hills and the afternoon was bright and sunny. I couldn’t leave town until after my last class of the week, so my timing was a bit tight. I checked into my hotel and walked the half mile to the Alliant, freezing my ears because I left behind my hat. I accidentally managed to briefly “attend” the Tim McGraw backstage experience. Well, actually, I was on the wrong side of the mere curtain that screened off the event and was just 10 feet from Tim singing “Don’t Take the Girl” to his fans. Then I headed into the arena and they turned out the arena lights for the opening act just as I reached my seat. 

The Alliant Energy Center (or what used to be the Coliseum) in Madison is one of those round space-ship looking arenas - medium sized, with very shallow rise lower riser seats (almost like elevated floor seats). My will call ticket was a decent floor seat in row G of the rear floor seats. Too far and too many heads for a good view of the stage but not too far from the end of catwalk that Tim and Lady A used some of the time.

The opening act was the Lost Trailers, a band I had seen once or twice before. Not too much of their own music grabs me (partly because it is unfamiliar but also a bit twangy for my tastes), but I do enjoy their covers. This time they chose to sing my favorite Jason Mraz song “I’m Yours” and that was really fun.

Lady Antebellum had a fun prelude to their appearance on the stage. The video screens showed someone doing a Google search of “lady” and brief flashes of other “lady” related entertainers (Lady Gaga, Lionel Richie’s Lady, Styx’s Lady, Tom Jones singing She’s a Lady, etc.) before finally finding Lady Antebellum. The members of Lady Antebellum looked and sounded great. They began with “Stars Tonight” from their new album, with its concert appropriate lyrics “everybody’s singing, everybody’s screamin’. A good song, but since their album is so new I’m afraid there weren’t too many singing during that or the other new tracks they performed (besides Need You Now), but I guess that is part of the point of touring. They got a great response to all their better known songs and the crowd was on their feet throughout. They also totally rocked the audience with a terrific cover of R-O-C-K in the USA. I do wish that they would chat a little or tell a story or two to let us know them a bit. Charles did mention that they had a special guest in the audience - Bob Seeger. Hillary and Charles (what a cutie) also managed to slap quite a few hands while performing (although nothing like the number of fans that McGraw later made contact with!!). Lady A is still performing without any special staging or effects, other than moving out a piano for a couple songs. Hilliary and Charles did begin Need You Now standing on opposite ends of the crosswalk that ran from the left risers to the right risers (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CECpC4TWi48 )

 and then joined midway at the climax of the song - that was nice. They closed their set with “Run to You” during which Hillary accepted a cowboy hat from a fan. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Q5Hd41rug  Too bad the brilliant lights on them wash out the videos something awful.

A heavy canvas curtain had kept most of the stage hidden during the first two acts. During Tim’s opening they projected his enlarged shadow, with his distinctive cowboy stance and hat, on the curtain, eliciting screams even before the curtain dropped. He riled up all the ladies in the crowd by starting out with a provocative rendition of “I may be a real bad boy, but baby I’m a real good man.” I’d have to say, though, that there was much closer to an even distribution of males and females in this audience than I am used to, as well as more older couples, so the screams weren’t deafening: ) As he walked forward from the rear of the stage I thought Tim was wearing a leopard-spotted  black on white shirt, but once he came out on the catwalk I could see it was more of a multi-color seventies style shirt with flowers and stars among those spots. I must say that at first, from stage, he hardly looked like the Tim I expected. He has a pretty heavy dark beard (maybe for the film he is working on?) which really changes his appearance, especially from a distance. (I personally will be glad when the beard goes away).

Tim has an exceptionally wide, unbroken video screen this year, with a top edge that sort of stair-stepped down towards either side. Something about the screen gave it a bit of an “infinity” feel to it, like I was really looking off at the horizon. There was a catwalk that came out nearly to the center of the arena, as well as a crosswalk that paralleled the stage that allowed the performers to walk towards the risers on either side.

Tim’s second song was 1-2-3 - Like a Bird I Sing. I don’t know if his staff had scoped out the audience ahead of time, or if they had guests near the catwalk, but just a couple lines into this song Tim leans down and scoops up a tiny girl in pigtails and a pink cowboy hat from the audience who, not only seemed unruffled by this, but also vigorously sang along with him as he crouched beside her. See my brief YouTube clip at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVamD8hldUo

Tim then sang many favorites (Where the Green Grass Grows, Let It Go, She’s My Kind of Rain, I Like It, Back When, BBQ Tee-shirt, Just to See You Smile to mention a few. A couple times during the show Tim would sit at the end of one of the walks with his legs dangling down among his rapturous fans. He signed lots of autographs while performing  (wonder what they actually look like when he is on the move like that!). About midway in his set he brought out a stool and his guitar and a tall narrow fluttering curtain was lowered behind him. That flimsy moving curtain became kind of a translucent video screen projecting a huge somewhat ghostly image of Tim playing his guitar. See my clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rmqLRUE6Xg

Tim did tell us a few fun stories. His first solo acoustic number from his stool he said was the first song he learned to play on the guitar. He went on to say he had gone to a pawn shop and traded his high school ring for a used guitar “ so I could get laid.” LOL “And it worked1” LMAO “For a while anyway.” He also talked about performing for twenty years, claiming 20 years ago he was in 7th grade (see clip at my blog) - LOL. After that he then brought out the Warren Brothers to accompany him on several songs. They cracked the audience up by immediately beginning to sing the chorus from Taylor Swift’s “Tim McGraw”. Then one of them said that Tim had paid them to write that song for Taylor (LOL).  Once they got serious, Tim and they did a beautiful rendition of the Warren Brother song “Blank Sheet of Paper”. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inb6GOS2Lls

I was totally surprised later when Tim began singing Elton John’s Tiny Dancer!! See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-qK3AVBm9A  I learned later that is not something new, but it was new and unexpected for me, a latecomer to country music. Then more favorites, finally closing with one of my favorites, the inspirational “Live Like You Were Dying” (just what I am trying to do). Tim, by that point, looked cutely casual with one of his shirttails sticking out  instead of his usually carefully tucked appearance. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjSWKNe6jys  It was a great evening and temporarily eased my concert yearnings.

Postscript: I could see my hotel in the distance when I left the arena. I and many others angled across the parking lot in that direction, only to find ourselves nowhere near a cleared exit or path. So, rather than backtracking, I chose hiking across a snowy field and over a mountain of plowed snow to reach the street ---COLD piggies for sure since I had no boots!

Tim talks a little (below) and sits among fans (next after that):