Country Concerts in MN: Chuck Wicks

My friend Jamie and I will be at it again next weekend! We are going to be at The Cabooze in Minneapolis On January 10Th to see Chuck Wicks. Chuck Wick was a participant on the reality show Nashville. It got cancelled in early 2007 after only 2 episodes. Later that year Chuck signed a record deal with RCA Nashville. His debut single off of his Starting Now album was "Stealing Cinderella." "Stealing Cinderella" was the biggest debut for any new country artist in 2007. I love this song and think it should have peaked higher than #5 on the country charts. His second single, which I also love, was "All I Ever Wanted." This song also broke the top 20 and peaked at #14 on the country charts. In August he start dating fellow country artist/Dancing with the Stars performer Julianne Hough. I'm hoping she might make a surprise appearance. I am so excited to hear Chuck Wicks two great songs and many I haven't heard from him yet. I already know I will have great stories to tell all of you after the concert since I will be with my concert friend Jamie. We walk away from every concert with interesting stories if you haven't been able to tell.

Best albums of 2008

My next few blogs are going to a "Best of 2008." Please comment and let me know if I forgot anything on these next few blogs. This one is what I think were the best Albums of 2008. My personal favorite would definitely have to be 'Love on the Inside' by Sugarland. During the last few years they have become one of my favorite bands and I love almost everything they release. A close second was 'Fearless' by Taylor Swift. Taylor yet again released an album with great boyfriend/break-up songs that are so much fun to sing along with. The next three all tie for third in my book cause all three albums have amazing country songs on them that raced up the charts this year. To start out with is 'Learn to live' by Darius Rucker, then 'Lady Antebellum' by Lady Antebellum, and last but not least 'Play' by Brad Paisley. I won't leave out the two Greatest hits albums released this year by Dierks Bentley and Rascal Flatts. All of there songs on those two albums bring back so many memories. If the albums of 2009 are half as great as the 2008 albums it will be a very good year to look forward too!

Country Concerts in Wisconsin: Country Splash 2009

About a month ago my friend Jamie (who I go to all my concerts with) mentioned something about a concert called Country Splash. At that time I told her I would love to go cause I would go to any concert with her. But, this morning on my hour and half trip to work I heard an advertisement for Country Splash. At that moment I knew why Jamie sounded so excited about it a month ago. The line-up is amazing.. Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Miranda Lambert, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Clay Walker, Luke Bryan, SheDaisy, and Darius Rucker are the artist that have confirmed so far! I would travel to the Apple River in Wisconsin to see anyone of these performers, I just can't believe they will all be there at one time. The concert is held from June 18-20 and I don't know how I am going to hold my excitement for that long! If any of you have been to Country Splash in previous years please leave me a comment and tell me what it was like. I'm sure I will be writing about this subject a lot cause I am to excited to not think about it.

Country CD's

Christmas is only 10 days away and I'm 95% sure I know what I am getting. The only thing I asked for was a CD player for my car. My CD player broke a couple months back and it has not been fun being forced to listen to only the radio! I was trying to think of the best Cd's I could ask for from my siblings and extended relatives and so far I have come up with this....
1. Rascal Flatts - Greatest hits
2. Taylor Swift - Fearless
3. Sugarland - Love on the Inside
4. Dierks Bentley - Greatest Hits/Every Mile a Memory
5. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
That's my top 5 list as of right now. I am so excited to listen to Cd's in my car I am willing to listen to pretty much anything besides the radio. If you have any suggestions please let me know cause I could def use them.

Worlds Toughest Cowboy Rodeo

The Worlds Toughest Cowboy Rodeo is coming back to Minnesota and I am so excited to go to the event. Just incase there is one or two of you out there that don't know what the Worlds Toughest Cowboy Rodeo is I will fill you in... Toughest Cowboy is the closest you will get to the real American west. It tests strength, endurance and genuine grit as twelve cowboys compete in three gut-wrenching, roughstock disciplines—bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding. These are the only cowboys in the world who dare to ride two broncs and one bull in the same night. It is not for the weak—an iron man competition where only the strongest will endure to be crowned the Toughest Cowboy Champion and walk away with the deed to their own Wyoming Ranch. This is a rodeo event like no other. In addition to the Toughest Cowboy competition, the event features the world’s most-famous cowboy, Whiplash “The Cowboy Monkey”. Whiplash has thrilled fans around the world with his dog-riding cowboy antics. Adding to the night’s entertainment there will wild chuck wagon races and electrifying women’s barrel racing. After the dust settles the party continues with the post-rodeo “Party on the Dirt” concert. This year’s tour includes performances by Nashville’s Music Row 2008 “Breakout Band of the Year” Whiskey Falls and Grammy-nominated songwriter Keith Anderson, who is best know for his hit single “I Still Miss You” and his recent release “Somebody Needs A Hug.” I went to this event two years ago and everything about it is amazing! The cowboys are thrilling to watch, Whiplash is hillarious, and the concert in the dirt is so much fun. It is a huge red neck party that I can't wait to be a part of again. I just purchased my Worlds Toughest Cowboy tickets. The Xcel Energy Center tickets are available for the two nights they will be here which is January 30th and 31st. I hope to see all of you there!

Gretchen Wilson 2

What can I say about the Gretchen Wilson concert besides that it was crazy. The opening band was awesome! They sang some great cover songs and def got the crowd pumped up for Gretchen. Lindsay, Amber, Jamie and I did a little of our own "pumping up" before Gretchen came on stage at the bar! They bar at the Myth is awesome it doesn't take long to get a drink and they def aren't shy with the alcohol. Gretchen Wilson sounded amazing, better than on her Cd's. She sang all of her hits and a few new ones. Everyone there was loving every song. Minus the one a**hole bouncer(don't ask to borrow a flashlight from the big/fat bouncer to find your friends missing earring!) everything about the venue was amazing yet again. It has such a fun atmosphere. We were so close to Gretchen that she waved at Amber and I. I would go back to the Myth Nightclub to see Gretchen Wilson or any other country performer in a heart beat.
A few more tips about the Myth Nightclub:
1. If at all possible don't bring a coat the coat check is not worth the hassle.
2. Drink slowly and avoid the shots. The bartenders at the Myth are not shy with the alcohol. They give you huge shots and put a lot of liquor in your mixed drinks.
3. If you go with multiple people have a buddy system it is easy to loose friends for hours in that place (love you Jamie!)
4.(this is only for country concerts I have been told) Make friends with the people around you! Everyone is there to have a great time and it is much more fun if you are able to party with a lot of people!
5. AVOID the very large bouncer. He is easy to spot and he is extremely mean and will try to kick you out for looking at him the wrong way or singing a song a little too loud. Just trust me on this one if he comes by you stay silent and look at the ground. Besides him all the bouncers are awesome so don't be shy to ask them a question or have fun with them!

Country Music News: Does the Grammys really know country music?

Yesterday the Grammy nominations were announced and I am not to impressed with the nominations in the country categories. Before I start explaining myself I will tell you who was nominated in what categories....
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: "For These Times" Martina McBride, "What I Cannot Change" LeAnn Rimes, "Last Name" Carrie Underwood, "Last Call" Lee Ann Womack, "This Is Me You're Talking To" Trisha Yearwood. Best Male Country Vocal Performance: "You're Gonna Miss This" Trace Adkins, "In Color" Jamey Johnson, "Just Got Started Lovin' You" James Otto, "Letter to Me" Brad Paisley, "Troubadour" George Strait. Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "God Must Be Busy" Brooks & Dunn, "Love Don't Live Here" Lady Antebellum, "Every Day" Rascal Flatts, "Blue Side of the Mountain" SteelDrivers, "Stay" Sugarland. Best Country Collaboaration With Vocals: "Shiftwork" Kenny Chesney & George Strait, "Killing the Blues" Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "House of Cash" Gearge Strait & Patty Loveless, "Life in a Northern Town" Sugarland, Jake Owen & Little Big Town, "Let the wind Chase You" Trisha Yearwood & Keith Urban. Best Country Album: That Lonesome Song by Jamey Johnson, Sleepless Nights by Patty Loveless, Troubadour by Geaorge Strait, Around the Bend by Randy Travis, Heaven Heartache and the Power of Love by Trisha Yearwood........I hope after reading the nominees some of you can understand what I am talking about. I want to know how it is possible for Jamey Johnson to get nominated for Best country Albums and artist like Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Keith Urban, or Dierks Bently didn't. Jamey Johnson has had two songs that have broken the top 20 country charts and the highest was "In Color" which only reached 11. Many amazing artist such as Dierks, Kenny, Keith, Toby, and so on weren't nominated for anything. This leads me to believe that the Grammys know nothing about the country world and stick to the older artist that have been around forever even if they haven't had a hit in years or people that have worked with the older artist a.k.a Jamey Johnson. Don't get me wrong I love George Strait and Patty Loveless and they deserve every award they get but so do the newer artist that are blowing up the charts!

Gretchen Wilson continued....

I just learned today that if you Bring a new, unwrapped toy donation for the U.S. Marine Corps. Toys for Tots campaign you'll be entered to win a meet & greet with Gretchen Wilson! I am def. going out and getting a toy tonight to bring with me cause not only will I be helping out kids in need I will also get a chance to meet Gretchen Wilson at the Myth Nightclub!....Wish me luck :)

Country Concerts in MN: Gretchen Wilson

I finally got my Gretchen Wilson tickets in the the mail on Friday! Since then I have been counting down the hours till I get to see her at the Myth Nightclub on December 5Th which is this Friday. I am going with the same girls (Jamie, Lindsay, and Mary) that I went to the Chris Cagle concert with so I already know we are going to have a great time. Don't worry like always I did a little background check on Gretchen Wilson, cause I like to know everything about the performer I am going to see, and this is what I learned. Gretchen Wilson was born in Pocahontas, Illinois to a 16-year-old mother. Gretchen and her mother lived in trailer parks and relative poverty. Gretchen began singing in small bars around the St. Louis, Missouri area at age 17. In 2000, she met John Rich, a member of Big & Rich, who invited her to become his songwriting partner. Wilson signed with Epic Records in 2003 and recorded Here for the Party. This album had the #1 single "Redneck Women" along with many others. On September 27, 2005, Gretchen released her second album All Jacked Up. It peaked at #1 on both the Top 200 and Country album charts and sold 1 million copies. Her newer albums and singles haven't done so great but Gretchen Wilson has proven herself to be tough and can deal with any situation so I know she will have a huge come back. I am so so so excited to see and hear her on Friday!!!! There are still Gretchen Wilson Tickets out there and it will totally be worth the money to go. If you are unable to make it, like always, I will let you know how it goes.

Jewel

Sorry guys yet again I have to vent about another cross over artist. On the way to work today I was listening to K102 like always and I heard one of Jewels songs. In no way is she country to me and I don't understand why she is getting air time on K102. Don't get me wrong I don't hate all the girls music. When I was 12 in 1997 I did enjoy bopping along to "You Were Meant for Me" and "Who Will Save Your Soul." But, I don't understand where her new found love for country came from. In 1998 she received much criticism after singing the national anthem at the XXXII Super Bowl. She forgot the beginning of the anthem and it didn't help that she was lip-syncing so everyone heard the words but magically her lips weren't moving. I don't know many country stars that would do any of the above. Her first country album, Perfectly Clear, was released on June 3, 2008. To my surprise it debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Album Charts. But not to my surprise, the next week it dropped down to #25. Its lead single, "Stronger Woman" was released to country radio on January 17, 2008. Its peak position on the country music charts was three months after it was released at #13. I know there are some of you out there that think i am crazy so please let me know I love to hear opinions that aren't the same as mine and who knows you might convince me to not turn the station every time one of her songs comes on. Also, for those of you who love the country Jewel I found out that you can get Mystic Lake Showroom tickets to see her on January 27. This is one country concert you probably won't see me at.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has no reason to have "teardrops on her guitar." Her sophmore album Fearless was a smash hit! It was released in the United States on November 11, 2008. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. Its sales of 592,000 was the best single week for any country album in a year. She released the lead single from the album, "Love Story", which reached #2 on iTunes Store Top Downloaded Songs and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Taylor Swifts personal life has been a little rocky lately. Swift confirmed in a 2008 interview with Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show that she had dated singer Joe Jonas and that he "dumped her over the phone in 27 seconds." Swift wrote the song "Forever & Always" about Joe Jonas, and the song appeared on her album, Fearless. It was the last song that she had recorded, and it was a last minute addition to her album, making it 13 songs total. 13 is also Swift's "lucky number". I have a feeling Taylor isn't thinking about Joe Jonas anymore. Her album will continue gain more sales as she releases more amazing singles. The girl is unstoppable at this point which I am happy about!

The Myth Concert experience

On Friday night three of my girlfriends (Lindsay, Mary, and Jamie) and I went to the Myth Nightclub to see Chris Cagle. I didn't know what to expect because, like I said in my previous post, I have never been to the Myth Nightclub before. I have heard some not great stuff about this club. I heard that the security is awful, that it gets extremely packed, and a few other things. I was happy to learn that none of this was true Friday night. My friends and I had the time of our lives! It is a fairly small club so you are really close to the performer and that is one of the things I loved about it. The opening band was a no-name band from a small city in Wisconsin. They were okay but, since you were so close to the band and felt like you were partying with them it didn't really matter what they sounded like. Chris Cagle sounded amazing and everyone there was so hyped to see him. It almost felt like a house party with everyone having a great time together and Chris Cagle just happened to be there partying too. I can't wait to go back there for the Gretchen Wilson concert on December 5th.

A few tips if you plan on going to the myth:
1. Get valet parking it is only $10 and it is totally worth it
2. Make friends with the bartender and bouncer it makes everones night more pleasant
3. Girls if you wear heels make sure they are comfy cause I got in trouble for taking my heels off for 2 seconds.

Kenny Chesney

I use to be Kenny Chesney self proclaimed biggest fan. I have seen him four times in concert and sang along with every song every time. He has a song for almost any event that might happen in your life that you can relate too. Lately I have had a change of heart. When my friend, Jamie, told me that she hated Kenny's new CD I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Jamie is the one who I would go to the concerts with and she loved Kenny as much if not more than I did. I decided to take a listen for myself and sadly I had to agree with her. His new CD is defiantly not music you expect to hear from Kenny I could barely call it country. It is mostly Caribbean/island music and there aren't any amazing "ballads" like there were on his previous albums. This week Kenny did win Entertainer of the Year award at the CMAs. He joined Garth Brooks as the only artist ever to claim the trophy four times. This win surprised me a little bit because I haven't heard much from Kenny lately. But, there is no doubt that he does put on an amazing show and I hope he comes back to his county roots soon.

“Country Music’s Biggest Night.”

It's finally here "Country Music's Biggest Night" a.k.a the 42nd Annual CMA Awards. Hosting this magical event is the reigning CMA Male and Female Vocalists of the Year, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. Just to get everyone ready for the big night I will give you a little background on Carrie and Brad. Paisley has stated that his love of country music stems from his maternal grandfather, Warren Jarvis, who gave Paisley his first guitar at eight years old. by age thirteen, Brad was an opening act for country singers such as The Judds, Ricky Skaggs, and George Jones at the Capital Music Hall in Wheeling, West Virginia. His debut as a singer was with the label Arista Nashville, with the song "Who Needs Pictures" (released February 22, 1999). In May of that same year, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Seven months later he had his first #1 hit with "He Didn't Have to Be." Since then Brad has released 5 extremely successful albums. His most current single is "Start a Band" which he sings with Keith Urban. He’s been nominated for a whopping 38 CMA Awards since 2000, the year he won the Horizon Award.
Carrie Underwood is an American country pop singer and songwriter. She rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, and has become a multi-platinum selling recording artist and a multiple Grammy Award winner. Her debut album, Some Hearts, was certified seven times platinum and is the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. Her second album, Carnival Ride, was released on October 23, 2007. It has so far sold about 2.3 million copies and has produced four number one country hits, "So Small", "All-American Girl", "Last Name", and "Just a Dream." "Just a Dream" is now one of my favorite country songs and the music video is just as amazing as the song.
With backgrounds like this you have to expect an awesome show. I can't wait to see who the winners are and how good people do on there performances!

Birthdays and lash outs in the country world today

Today seems to be a busy news day for country fans. Lets start with the happy news... It is Miranda Lambert (1983) and Chris Cagles (1968) birthday today. Since I just wrote about Chris Cagle because I got Myth nightclub tickets for his concert on November 14th, I will write a little bit about Miranda Lambert. Lambert grew up in Lindale, Texas. In 2003, Lambert auditioned for the talent competition Nashville Star, eventually becoming a third-place finisher on the show. On September 15, 2003, she signed with Epic Records and released her first album, Kerosene, in 2004. I was addicted to this album I was some how able to relate to most of the songs. Even till this day if I hear a song from that album I have a flash back to what was going on in my life back then and how the song related. Some of the amazing songs that came off that album were; "Me and Charlie Talking", "Kerosene", and my favorite "Bring Me Down." Her second album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was released in 2007and has already had a few top 40 hits. "Famous in a Small Town", "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend", and "Gunpowder and Lead" are going to make this a very successful album for Miranda.
On to the bad news....
Toby Keith is not very happy with the CMA's today. Toby has been recognized by Forbes as the biggest income-earner in the business at the moment, but he’s nowhere to be found among the CMA nominees. Toby tells reporters, "How can you be the No. 1 ticket-seller, No. 1 album-seller, Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year?, BMI Songwriter of the Year, American Music Awards winner, Billboard — all of them — and not win? And then they blackballed me. These last two, three years, I haven't been nominated." I am by no means one of Toby Keith's biggest fans but on this one I agree with him. I love watching all the country award shows, but they always seem to snub a few people. With almost all the award shows I never see Dierks Bentley which is absolutely crazy to me and this time countries biggest seller isn't nominated. I will always love the country community but sometimes you have to wonder what is going through there minds during award seasons.

Chris Cagle

I am slowly going to spend every cent I have on country concert tickets. But, luckily I am okay with that cause there isn't anything else I would want to spend my money on. I just bought Chris Cagle Tickets he is coming on November 14th these tickets were only $55. Like I usually do I will give you a little background on Chris Cagle. While working at a restaurant, Chris was discovered by an agent of the newly-formed Nashville division of Virgin Records, and was signed to a recording deal with the label in 2000. Cagle's rendition of "I Breathe in, I Breathe Out" became his first Number One hit in early 2002. By the end of the year Play It Loud, his first album, had been certified gold in the United States. Capitol released Cagle's second album, Chris Cagle, in the middle of 2003. His second consecutive gold album, it produced the Top 5 singles "What a Beautiful Day" and "Chicks Dig It", as well as the #39-peaking "I'd Be Lying." After his vocal recovery, Cagle began work on his third studio album, Anywhere but Here, which was released in 2005. "Miss Me Baby" served as the album's first single, reaching a peak of #12 on the country music charts. "Miss Me Baby" is my favorite Chris Cagle song and the main reason I bought the tickets. His most recent single release is "What Kind of Gone" and it topped the country charts at #3. I can't wait to hear these songs and many more when he plays at the Myth Nightclub on November 14th.

Crossing over to country

I have contemplated whether I was going to write this blog or not. I finally came to the decision that I would put my opinion out there about this topic and see what all of you are thinking about it. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a "pop" star crosses over to country because they can't make it in the pop world anymore. The only exception I have is when someone does a duet with a country star for one song and then goes back to there own type of music. Like when Nelly did a duet with Tim Mcgraw on "Over and Over again" or Kid Rock with Sheryl Crow on "Picture." The newest artist I cant stand hearing on K102 or any other country station is Jessica Simpson. Yes her song "Come on Over" is a little catchy it still is not a country song in my book. She recently got "booed" at one of her first country concerts she preformed. She is also disliked by Dallas Cowboy fans. She is dating there quarterback Tony Roma. She seems to be bad luck since every game she goes to Tony doesn't play his "A" game. I just don't appreciate when an artist who has never showed any interest in country music crosses over just to make a little extra money or to get a little more fame. Maybe I am being closed minded let me know what you think of the cross over artist.

Country Stars and Politics

Since it is election day I thought I would talk a little about politics. Most people believe that all country stars are Republican. I did a little digging and found a few that aren't just for you Democrats out there. Toby Keith is a life long Democrat and has said "I am very impressed with Barack Obama." Also, power couple Tim McGraw and Faith hill are Democrats. And then there are the outspoken Dixie Chicks. They almost lost all of there fans and music career a few years ago for a political comment. The lead singer announced at a concert that she was ashamed that President Bush was from Texas. Don't worry my Republican country fans you still have many singers on your side including John Rich who sang at a rally for Mcain.
In the November issue of Redbook there were many country stars showing there patriotism. Reba McEntire, Martina McBride and Taylor Swift share the cover of an issue that aims to celebrate freedom, patriotism and the American experience. None of them said who they were voting for. They all sent out the same message that it is extremely important to vote, and I agree with them. I hope all of you reading this that are 18+ get out there and vote today.

CMA Awards

I am so excited about the CMA Awards! They are going to be on November 12th at 7 pm. This year Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will be hosting which is awesome since it is two of my favorite artist. Preforming this year will be Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban. All of which are nominated for an award. Taylor Swift was just in the Twin Cities at the Xcel Energy Center with Rascal Flatts. I was unable to make that concert but I will luckily get to see her preform on Wed. I can't wait to see who wins awards and who puts on a better performance. Let me know who you are excited to see perform

Reba and Kelly 3

So I finally got to go to the Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson concert and it was totally worth the wait! My friend Jamie that I went with was running a little late. I was worried that we would miss part of the show but luckily I had valet parking passes. This is the first time I ever bought valet parking passes and I couldn't imagine going to another concert without one. I was able to pull right up to the Target Center and they took my car and parked it for me. Jamie and I ran inside grabbed a beer and went to our awesome seats. Barbra Jean from the hit show Reba open the concert with a comedy act for about 45 minutes. She was hilarious I found out she was born and raise in Minnesota. She joked around with the audience and talked about why she is proud to be from Minnesota. Kelly and Reba came out on the stage and for 2 hours sang each others songs together and sang a few on there own. They weren't great performers but both of there voices sounded better than they do on the radio or there Cd's so that made up for it. I got to hear every song I love from the two of them and a few great songs that I have never heard. I could go on forever about the concerts but those were just a few of the highlights of my night. I hope they come back to the Target Center or even the Xcel Energy Center so that I can see them again.

Johnny Cash

I know this might sound a little crazy to some of you but I am convinced that Johnny Cash is haunting me. Every time I turn on the radio one of his songs is on or Heidi Newfields song "Johnny and June" is on. Every time I turn on the t.v. Walk the Line, which is an amazing movie, is playing. Also, I just received the movie Walk Hard, the Dewey Cox Story in the mail. It's a movie that makes fun of Walk the Line. It is hilarious I watched it twice in one night and laughed till I cried both times. So, I thought if I blogged about Johnny maybe he would leave me alone for a little while. On October 14th "At Folsom Prison" was released. It include 31 previously unissued songs that Johnny performed at Folsom Prison. I saw it at Target yesterday for only $9.95 which I thought was a great deal. I could go on for hours about this amazing man and everything he accomplished. If you haven't seen Walk the Line I would highly recommend renting or buying it I guarantee you will love it.

Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson 2

My friend Jamie and I are getting so excited for the concert on Friday it's pretty much all we talk about. So, I figured I would stop bugging my co-workers, friends, and family and blog about it. I have looked at Kelly and Reba's website at least once a day since I got my tickets and they talk about what a success the tour is. They have been selling out shows around the country and had to add more dates. I am already looking forward to more country concerts and there isn't much out there on the Target Center schedule. I will keep looking into it and update you on the shows I find. Luckly, there are still Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson tickets available and they are dropping in price a lot if you want to come join in on the fun! In a little more than 24 hours I will stop bugging people about how I get to go to the concert and I can start bugging people about how much fun it was!

Brad Paisley

I don't know if any of you have heard yet, but Brad Paisley got arrested. When I heard this I was completely shocked! I almost changed my cats name because I named him Paisley after Brad. Luckily, his arrest wasn't real. It turns out Brad is a huge prankster when he is on tour. He hired a man to dress up like a condom and swing about Jewels head during one of her concerts. Jewel decided to get him back. She hired two retired cops to "arresst" Brad when his plane landed in Nashville. Once the cops had him in the car they told Brad he was arressted for excesses noodling. Brad replied by saying, "Noodling? On the guitar? You know what, I am guilty." I no longer have to change my cats name and am actually even happier that I named him Paisley after hearing this story. :)

Loretta Lynn

This month is turning out to be a great month! Not only do i have Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire tickets, but I just got Loretta Lynn tickets! She is playing at the Mystic Lake Casino Showroom on October 25th and i am so excited to see this great legend. She has been making some of countries most powerful songs over the past four decades. She is very well known for "The Coal Miners' Daughter" which was a hit single, an album, a best-selling autobiography, and an Oscar-winning film. She recently did a duet with Jack White which was a huge success. Anyways, if you are a country fan like me you already know all about Loretta Lynn. I can't wait for her concert and I will let you know how awesome it is.

Valleyscare

I know this isn't country related but I just wanted to quickly let all of you know about my trip to Valleyscare. I got there at about 7 p.m. and didn't really know what to think because I have never been there before. The second I walked in I knew I was going to be having a great night. All the main rides were open and they added many haunted houses and mazes. It actually was pretty scary but it was so much fun! If your bored on the weekend I would def. suggest going to Valleyscare because it is totally worth the drive and the money. P.s. make sure you go on the new rollercoaster, the renegade, you don't understand how fast it actually goes until you expeirience it yourself!

Little Big Town

I wasn't feeling so hot this morning on my way to work today. I didn't get enough sleep last night (turns out 4 hours isn't enough), I had a stomach ache, and in general was just not ready to start the day. Luckily K102 played one of my favorite songs and it totally picked me up and turned my attitude around. They played "Boondocks" by Little Big Town. Right away I text my friends Joel and Kristen cause I always think of them when I hear this song and started singing as loud as I could. Singing along with the end of the song could cheer up anyones day i am almost positive! I decided I would do a little research on the band to find out more about them. They officially became a band 10 years ago in 1998. Karen and Kimberley sang together at Samford University and in 1994 moved to Nashville. By 1998 Jimi and Phillip finished the band and they have been inseparably ever since. There 2005 album, The Road to Here, was a smash hit and went platinum. There newest album, A Place to Land, is also amazing. It has already had great hits like "I'm with the Band" and "To know Love." Unfortunately they will not be coming to Minnesota any time soon. But, Little Big Town opened for a lady some of you might know named Martina Mcbride. Martina will be performing in Minnesota tomorrow! The Treasure Island Casino tickets are going fast so I am hoping to pick up a pair today.

"Johnny and June"

My new favorite country song of the month has to be "Johnny and June" by Heidi Newfield. I was not suprised but happy to hear that it finally broke the top 10! I did a little research on this song and found out that Heidi actually spent some time with Johnny and June Cash when she was with her old band Tric Pony. They all recorded a song together. Heidi said she learned so much from spending that time with them that she could have never learned from watching a movie or listening to music. For months I didn't know what one of the last verses was so I also looked that up just incase any of you were wondering the same thing. "More than life itself, no one else, this endless promise, they don't make love like that anymore, is that too much to be asking for...."

Country concerts coming up!

I am so excited! I just bought my Target Center tickets to see Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson. They are performing at the Target Center on October 24th. I saw them perform together on GAC and it was amazing. They sing each others famous songs together and the songs sound better than when they originally sang them. When I heard they were going on tour together it took me about 2 seconds to realize I needed to go. I will make sure to tell all of you out there how awesome the concert was and I will post some pictures. After buying my Reba and Kelly tickets I thought I would do a little research to see who else is coming to the great state of Minnesota and this is what I have come up with so far.... Martina Mcbride at Treasure Island on Oct. 18th, Loretta Lynn at Mystic Lake Showroom on Oct 25th, Chris Cagle at the Myth on Nov. 14th and Gretchen Wilson at the Myth on Dec. 5th. The best place I have found to buy tickets is through a local ticket company in the cities called Ticket King. There website is ticketkingonline.com. That is who I bought my Reba tickets from and they still have plenty left.

Feelin Great in '08

Since I just started this blog I thought I would get everyone caught up on my summer 2008. I went to the most amazing place this summer for the first time called WeFest. I showed up Thursday night at about 10 pm just in time to see Rascal Flatts. They put on an amazing show and it set the tone for the whole weekend. I was surrounded by thousands and thousands of people who all loved country music as much as I did, and were singing along to every Rascal song as loud as I was. Throughout the weekend I was able to see Kenny Chesney, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, and many more. My favorite moment of WeFest that will stick with me forever was listening to Sugarland perform "Stay" in the pouring rain. They sounded amazing and the rain some how added the seriousness of the song. When there weren't concerts going on I walked around the campsites meeting hundreds of people who all had the same mission, to make this weekend one that they would never want to end and would never forget. I def. saw a lot of weird things one being the pool filled with pudding, or the largest slip in slide I have ever seen! I can't wait for the next WeFest and would suggest everyone go because it is worth every cent!

I Love Country Music

One of the reasons I love Country Music (I am thinking about starting a list of 102 reasons I love country music to fit with my blog title and with hopes of getting recognized by the Twin Cities premier country radio station K102 - wouldn't it be cool if I was on the radio?) ok, back on task - One of the reasons I love Country Music is that there are so many stars, you have the good girls like Carrie Underwood and Faith Hill and then you have the bad girls like Miranda Lambert and Gretchen Wilson. It's that interesting mix of talent that keeps country music fans hooked on everything from gossip (who's dating / divorcing who?) to new album releases (Taylor Swift in November, Shania Twain maybe never) to who is wearing what and winning what. There is plenty to blog about! Stay Tuned for updates!

Welcome to my Country Music Blog

It seems everyone is blogging these days so I thought I would join the masses and start me own country music blog...if you know me, you know I love country music so it makes sense. This will be THE (thee) place to read about country music gossip, country music tours, country music tickets and more! Check back often and leave me comments! Country music fans always have opinions, don't be shy about sharing them...I'm not.