Concert Story #5: Nashville Now

My ticket stub with Pam Tillis's signature upside down on it!

#5

Nashville Now

Pam Tillis and Bill Ray Cyrus

Celebrity Theater

Opryland USA

June 24, 1993

Age 10

Five weeks in and I'm already out of order!  While searching for some photographs I found this ticket stub for attending a taping of the show Nashville Now.  While it's a taping of a television show and not a concert technically, both Pam Tillis and Billy Ray Cyrus performed at this taping, so I'm including it!  In the summer of 1993 my family took a road trip from Wisconsin, down through Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.  When we were in Nashville we visited the Grand Ole Opry, Dollywood, and Opryland USA, which is where Nashville Now was tapped.

Already a country fan, I was super excited to see not only a television show taping, but also, the great Pam Tillis.  "Cleopatra, Queen of Denial" had just came out that summer and I was obsessed with that song.  I couldn't believe my luck that she just happened to be performing at the same time we were there.  The legendary Billy Ray Cyrus* also performed during the show as well.  After the show both Ms. Tillis (she was such a idol to me, there's no way I can call her by her first name alone) and Billy Ray Cyrus gave autographs to the crowd and were incredibly nice and gracious.  Getting Ms. Tillis' autograph on my ticket (which is upside down you may have noticed), totally made the road trip for me.  

Now here are some truly terrible photographs from the tapping, remember, it is 1993 here, no iphones or fancy cameras for this family.

*I'm almost positive Billy Ray Cyrus performed at the taping.  I think my excitement for Ms. Tillis was so overwhelming my memory is a bit foggy again, but I think I remember my brother meeting his hair idol at that time!

You can probably see Ms. Tillis the best here, with the guitar

EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2015

This year I finally made it out to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  I am a huge lover of space and the great unknown, so this airshow has been on my list of must see's for years, especially since it's just 90 minutes away from me!  We went on Sunday, the last day, which must have been the wind down, but in a way it was perfect.  The weather was worm and gorgeous, there were a lot of people but after dealing with the Summerfest crowds, there were not too many people.  Food prices were very affordable and I also enjoyed that you could bring your own food and drink in as well.  

Here are some snapshots from the air show, I hope to get to go back and see the legendary night show one year as well!

Concert Stories #4: Reba McEntire

Linda Davis signed my ticket stub!

Reba McEntire

Opener: Bill Engvall

Special Guest: Linda Davis

Wisconsin State Fair

August 14, 1994

Age 11

Reba McEntire is by far my favorite female country singer.  My family and I saw her at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1994 (and if you’ve read my other four concert stories you’ll notice my family is big on the state fair – it rules).  This concert is very fuzzy for me due to my age.  I remember we sat on the track off to the side, but don’t remember Bill Engvall at all, which is a bummer because I love stand-up comedy, but I do remember that big red hair of Reba’s!  My favorite song of Reba’s is of course Fancy, probably not the most appropriate songs for an 11 year old to like but oh well!  My other favorite songs of hers are The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia and The Greatest Man I Never Knew.  I love how feisty Reba is when she sings and whenever I hear her music it brings a smile to my face! Now I’m guessing that night Linda Davis came out and also opened for her and sang the duet Does He Love You with Reba on stage.  I can’t tell you for sure, but I do have pictures from getting to meet Linda!  Given that black strap around my neck I must have taken more pictures, but these are the only two that I have lying around.

UPDATED: I found a picture of Reba in all her glory!!!!

There she is! Red hair and white sparkles with the spot lights shining down!

Linda Davis signing a fans hat! I'm on the right side with the glasses and short hair waiting patiently.

Getting my ticket signed by Linda Davis! (me in the yellow hoodie and my brother is to the right of me)

Concert Stories #3: Richard Marx

Richard Marx

Wisconsin State Fair

August 9, 1994

Age 11

My sister was a huge Richard Marx fan and I can’t blame her.  I was so into the song “Right Here Waiting” as well, I could still sing that song today!  Dramatic arm movements, loud passionate singing, dancing in the car...okay okay I’ve gotten off base here. This concert was my sisters idea and I lucked out and got to go with and bring two of my friends Laura and Sam, along with my mom (yet oddly I don’t remember if my sister even made it?).  I’m almost certain that for the both of my friends, this was their first concert.  We had decent seats in front of the stage right on the track (main concerts at the Wisconsin State Fair are held on the Milwaukee Mile, a one mile racetrack).  Marx was great and it was the first concert I got to “party” with my girlfriends and I remember thinking I was just sooo cool and had such a great time!

Sooner or later I will have some photos to go with these stories.  I know they are somewhere out there and probably a real gem with my awesome 90s fashion sense.

UPDATED: Found those photos!

Beautiful wicked sky last night

Storms rolled through Wisconsin last night and this was the sunset and storm clouds came.

Concert Stories #2: Garth Brooks

My actual concert stub from almost 23 years ago!

#2

Garth Brooks

Opener: Martina McBride

Wisconsin State Fair

August 14, 1992

Age 9

My earliest memories of the music I really really loved were Garth Brooks and Mariah Carey.  I have yet to see Mariah in concert but I got to see Garth Brooks play the Wisconsin State Fair in 1992.  Apparently Martina McBride was one of his openers and I will tell you that I love her so much yet I don’t remember her performance at all.  I do, however, remember Garth.  I went with my parents and another family we were friends with.  We sat in the bleachers, up near the top in the corner, far far away.  Luckily, with the way Garth Brooks performs, every seat is a great seat.  He had such energy and it was electric!  He ran around the stage, climbed up the side of the stage, and was so exciting to watch.  I hope I get to see him again in my lifetime, to this day The River is one of my top 10 favorite songs.  That night was such a beautiful memory of happy moments with my family.

p.s. Do you see the price on the ticket?  $14.00 to see Garth Brooks?! Such a deal!

My Concert Stories #1: New Kids On The Block

Everyone loves music, I mean, have you ever heard of someone not liking music?  As a painfully shy kid growing up, music was one of the few things that made me feel free.  It made me  - and still makes me – feel like a bird in the big beautiful sky with not a care in the world.  Thankfully, with age and some wisdom, I am not as severely shy as I once was as a child.  Music, however, still continues to be my joy, my release, and my freedom. 

I am extremely blessed that my family shares my passion for music and concerts and also supports me (i.e. comes with me) in my love of concert going.  I have seen some amazing and of course some “interesting” ones and have had a variety of experiences along the way.  My hope is to share a concert story each week with you.  June 30, 2015 marked 25 years for me as a concert hopper, so please keep in mind some of my stories may be short and fuzzy as I’m old people!!!  I hope you enjoy some of them, whether it’s a silly recap, my lack of memory, some bad fashion, or some terrible photographs. 

I hope these memories make you think back on your concert stories and smile.  And if you don’t have any yet, get out there and create some!

Now on to my 1^st concert ever!

#1

New Kids On The Block

The Magic Summer Tour

Alpine Valley Music Theater

June 30, 1990

Age 7

Impressed with my musical taste already? Don’t worry, it will just keep getting worse, I am a child of the 80’s .  My first concert ever, that I know of, but am fairly certain of, was New Kids On The Block at Alpine Valley and I’ll pawn this one off on my older sister who was obsessed with Jordan Knight (I may have had a Danny doll though…wait! Don’t leave yet!!! Please don’t judge my taste!).  As I was 7 at the time the only memory I have was sitting in the parking lot after the concert and traffic was at a standstill.  I think we even stayed parked for a while.  The other reason I don’t have any other memories is because I slept through the concert (and this won’t be the last time I do this either!).  That’s right, my parents sure wasted their money on my ticket.  In my defense, I was little kid, it was probably way past my bedtime by the time NKOTB took the stage and we were in the lawn sprawled out on a blanket.  Who could resist a nap over loud music and screaming teenage girls?  Sadly no pictures with this one given my age, but I will forever find it hilarious that I slept through all of those screaming girls.