Blake Shelton presented by Gildan

I bought tickets to see Blake Shelton presented by Gildan in November, and the show was last Sunday so I've basically had these tickets for 6 months.

photo from: blakeshelton.com

I actually bought the tickets for Blake's opener, Chris Janson, rather than Blake...

but even with that, I was very happy with the show.

"135 pounds of skinny Williamson County white boy" opened the show and blew everyone away. This kid can play harmonica like nobody's business, and he makes it cool, too.

Chris' presence is one of a kind. Sorta quirky (awkward motions and dance moves) but every bit charismatic and adorable. He probably has my favorite stage presence out of everyone, to be honest. I could see him being the same off stage as he is on stage.

Not only is his presence great, but his voice is absolutely great, too. He can belt like no other. He hits those high notes and everyone cheers.

(fav picture from the night)

He sang his hits: Buy Me A Boat, Power of Positive Drinkin', Holdin' Her, etc. as well as some covers by the greats.

Chris delivered. 100%. No doubt.

He thrives off the energy of the audience yet spoon feeds it to them and plays to the rafters. Props to Blake for getting such a high quality opener, but not props to Blake for taking 48 minutes to take the stage :))

Literally. 48 minutes of waiting. It didn't even take the crew that long to set things up. My father, who used to tour, explained to me that the crew was done after about 20 minutes, when they sat down and chatted with those around them.

Once Mr. Ego took the stage, all became well again. He had to create his own energy, since everything Chris had brought up had simmered back down, but Blake did it.

He sang his hits and his classics (Baby, Austin, Who Are You When I'm Not Lookin, etc.) as well as his newer stuff (Mine Would Be You, Neon Light, etc.)

Blake's voice in person is niiiiiiice. I've always thought his voice was charismatic but in person, oh my goodness, it's like milk and honey.

The. Best.

Austin is personally one of my favorite country songs of all time. I LOVE that song. As Blake started into his "classics" portion of his show, I annoyed the stuffing out of my dad by not really whispering "Austin! Sing Austin! Come on!! Sing Austin!" and when he did, I was on cloud 9. 

Favorite song of the night. 

Blake's voice was just as excellent as his transitions. Sure, he does the same set, give or take a song or two, every night, but the transitions were wholeheartedly him. With a little profanity and effect of alcohol, Blake seemed right at home. He mocked a couple in the front row and just was a fun, crowd pleasing personality. 

Since it was a Saturday night, Daddio and I headed out after Austin, since we had to rise early for church on Sunday.

Blake really didn't fail to please during his set; it was before his set that was the most disappointing.

If Blake would fix his transition timing, I would totally see him again.

In the end, I got to spend time with my dad and see one of my favorite artists, so can I really complain?

Kacey Musgraves on the Rhinestone Revue

It is always a good thing when I get a phone call at the end of 4^th period with a 615 area code because that can only mean one thing: I won concert tickets.

This particular time, I happen to have forgotten that I even entered for these, but I was still excited when I found out I was seeing Kacey Musgraves at the Ryman on the Rhinestone Revue tour.

And it was every bit as spectacular as it sounds.

My mom and I do our best to keep up with ABC’s Nashville, so of course I was familiar with the talent of the first openers, Lennon and Maisy.

Being on "Nashville," they have filmed a few scenes on the legendary stage, so they did have a leg up on their successors, nerve wise.  They were as calm and collected as could be. With some help enhancing their stage presence, Lennon and Maisy could headline some big tours one day. Without a doubt.

From watching "Nashville," I knew they could sing, but after seeing them live, I can attest to Maisy’s unreal range and Lennon’s natural grit. They only sang a handful of songs, but their standouts were “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and “Call Your Girlfriend.” Their cover of Cage the Elephant's “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” had the entire venue on their feet. Really. They got a standing ovation. They’re absolutely incredible.

Andrew Combs on the other hand...I wish I could say the same about the Hank Williams wannabe.

With a crooked hat and outlaw stage persona that I just don’t think matches his sweet, down home character off stage . As a musician, he was good for the first few songs, but they soon all sounded the same. Slower, indie vibes and the same chord progressions were all I got from him.

(His drummer did have a thing with his left foot that he would shake/tap it ridiculously fast regardless of what tempo the song was. It made his set more entertaining for sure.)

After a 30 minute set change, it was finally time for Miss Kacey Musgraves to take the stage.

Y’all. She is so ridiculously talented. It is absolutely absurd. Listening to her live in comparison to listening to her album, there is no difference. She is so true to her simple “Dime Store Cowgirl” sound and roots, both live and recorded. Between songs, she was sure to give the song’s background or thoughts about her nerves, boots, or personal trainer with her standard colorful vocabulary, giving her not only a better and more memorable stage presence than her openers, but also coming off as one of the most personal artists I’ve seen. I really love seeing artists for who they are, so for there to be no censor really earned some brownie points with me.

She sang her old hits, her new hits, and other people’s hits. Doing an acoustic rendition of “Merry Go Round,” a disco dancing performance of “Pageant Material,” and a jamming cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs” gave a different feel for every section of the concert.

Her “No Scrubs” cover was my favorite performance of the night (only second to her acoustic, tear inducing edition of “Merry Go Round,” of course).

Her stage décor was so perfect for the theme of small town pageants with streamers and a disco ball.

And yes, her band is wearing pink light up suits.

 The Rhinestone Revue was easily one of the most dazzling nights of the year (ha, pun totally intended) and reminded me that there’s still hope for me even if I’m not “Pageant Material.”

Stay sparkly,

Lauren

Kelsea Ballerini with CMT Next Women of Country

Friends and family always make comments to the parents of a baby about how they've grown since the last time they saw each other, and that is exactly how I felt on Tuesday night.

Tuesday night, Kelsea Ballerini, headlined her first show! Never the less, it was in Nashville, too!

After following Kelsea's career and getting to know her more and more over the past two years, I have seen the many ways that Kelsea has grown as both an artist and a person, and seeing her go from Soundcloud demos to artist parties to headlining her own show was so incredibly cool.

Right now, Kelsea is out with Jana Kramer on CMT's Next Women of Country Tour, an all women tour promoting the up and coming female talent in country music. 

At the Nashville show, Jana was not able to preform, but she did make an appearance when CMT's SVP of Muisc Strategy came out and announced the 2016 tour, which is including (L-R) Brook Eden, Cam, Clare Dunn, and Ruthie Collins. 

The show opened up with Carly Pearce and Hailey Steele, who both have loads of talent. Carly Pearce can belt like nobody's business and her rendition of Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" was cute as can be. Check her out for yourself and see what you think. Here is her on Tuesday singing "Just Another Girl."

But finally, my girl took the stage.

With teal guitar in hand, she began to rock. She did crowd pleasers from her EP like "Dibs" and "Yeah Boy" to kick off the night but also sang from her new album, "The First Time," as well as two that aren't on the album, "High School" and "Graffiti." 

One of the other girls in the audience videoed them, so if you're curious, you can check out "High School" here and "Graffiti" here. 

High School always has been a personal favorite of mine, so seeing it live was more wonderful than words.

Turns out Kelsea had more than just the surprise of "High School" and "Graffiti" planned...Maddie and Tae came out and sang "There's Your Trouble" by the legendary Dixie Chicks. Purely acoustic and raw, Kelsea, Maddie, and Tae all proved their talent. 

In honor of her first album coming out this Monday, Kelsea had to do some from there like "XO," "Stilettos," and "Peter Pan." 

I can not tell you how excited I am for this album to come out. It is so Kelsea and so true to who she is. I can't wait to watch the world fall in love with her like I have.

"The First Time" is available starting May 18th on iTunes, and you're really missing out if you don't get it. It does have upbeat songs for jamming like "XO" and "Peter Pan," but it also has very vulnerable and relatable songs like "Secondhand Smoke" and "The First Time." 

To end the show, she sang "Love Me Like You Mean It" (which is currently #9 on the country charts!!) and the entire venue sang along. I had tears in my eyes as she stood on stage with tears in her eyes and listened to everyone sing it back.

Coolest moments ever.

Kelsea most definitely lived up to all expectations I had on stage, but she far surpassed all expectations off stage.

As soon as she came off, I was greeted with "Lauren, I'm so glad you're here! I love you a lot for coming!!" and a hug before I could even open my mouth. 

Kelsea is on her way to do great things, mark my words, friends. She's going big places and I'm so thankful to be along for the ride.

Be sure to follow her on Twitter, Insta, like her on Facebook, and download "The First Time!"

NRA Country Stage

As part of the N.R.A. Convention this past weekend, live music was a must, and it was in Nashville after all so country was the obvious choice. (Not to mention what genre majority of the members of the N.R.A. favor)

Outside the doors of the Music City Center, there was Freedom Festival on 5th Avenue. At Freedom Festival, there were food trucks and more vendors lining the street, along with a stage. 

The earlier it was in the convention, the smaller the acts were, but Sunday afternoon, "Redneck Crazy" singer, Tyler Farr made an appearance. 

In my visits down there, I got to hear several of those acts and was impressed with the voices and song writing skills of all of the artists. 

Aaron Goodvin

On Friday, as my dad and I navigated through Freedom Festival, I got to hear Aaron Goodvin. I have to admit- I was familliar with his songwriting but not with him. Aaron wrote "Carolina Eyes," that was recorded by Scotty McCreery, "Dozen Roses & A 6 Pack," which Cole Swindell cut (my personal fav), "Out Like That," which was recorded by Luke Bryan and so many more.

Aaron's voice was great and his songwriting won me over. Keep an eye out for "A. Goodvin" in your album booklets because there's a chance one of your favorite songs comes from him.

Check out his website and Soundcloud to listen to his demos! "Woman In Love" is my favorite.

Also be sure to follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and like him on Facebook so you can stay in the loop!

Levi Riggs

I set out Sunday afternoon with the intentions of eating at Demos' and seeing Tyler Farr. Demos' almost always has a wait so my friend, Ann Catherine, and I booked it from church to downtown. We ate in about an hour (I recommend the soup) and then walked down to the convention center. Tyler didn't come on till 1, but this guy named Levi Riggs came on at 12:15, so AC and I got to listen to him. Ann Catherine recgonized his song "My Best Friend's a Girl," but in all honesty I was clueless. 

Levi has a smooth voice and just seems so comfortable on stage. 

His Soundcloud is only full of previews of his songs, but his iTunes page is loaded. I loooove "My Best Friend's a Girl." I just think it's adorable and I most definitely added it to my love songs playlist.

Hit him up on Twitter, Instagram, and like him on Facebook for more!

Tyler Farr

As my dad says, "sometimes the smaller show is the better show," and I think that is the case for Tyler Farr.

I saw him back in February on the Burning It Down Tour with Jason Aldean and wasn't too impressed. Though I was not an crazed fan then and I'm not a crazed fan now, I found myself dancing around in my room to "Hot Mess" and tearing up to "Hello Goodbye" quite often. 

When I saw him in Feburary, he didn't impress me vocally or with his stage presence, but today, I saw a whole new man. 

On the smaller stage on 5th, he seemed much more in control and at ease than on the catwalk in Bridgestone. He simply just sounded better and was much more enjoyable. Ann Catherine and I were up close and personal within 3 feet of the stage and could see behind his sunglasses to see him looking out into the crowd. He acknowledged his big fans and chatted with everyone in the crowd between songs, which I know for sure made their concert experience much more memorable. It's the little things like that that help you brownie points in my book.

It was a short acoustic set, so he sang "Whiskey in my Water," "Redneck Crazy," and "A Guy Walks Into A Bar." He also debuted a song off his new album (which hits April 28, 2015!! It's called "Suffer in Peace"). This song was called "Why We Live Here" and a classic song about America and those who defend it. If the rest of "Suffer in Peace" is anything like "Why We Live Here," it will be a good album. 

In a smaller setting, Tyler flourishes and proves he has real talent. 

The meet and greet line was free so AC and I hopped in it and met Tyler after the show. Nice guy with lots of talent. 

Tyler's first album is available here on iTunes and his sophomore album that I mentioned earlier is available for pre-order here. 

His Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook should have a video up soon recapping this show that I could be in so keep an eye out for me if you watch it :)

Big thanks to N.R.A. Country for a great weekend of music and to the N.R.A. for a really cool convention.

Stand up and fight, y'all.

xo

lauren

Alan Jackson and the N.R.A.

Besides "U.S.A.," there are hardly 3 other letters that southerners whoop and hollar more than N.R.A. 

For those who are unaware, N.R.A. stands for the National Rifle Association. It is basically an organization of people who love the 2nd amendment and protecting what America has always stood for.

This weekend, the N.R.A. held their yearly convention in Nashville, so I decided to seize the day and go see what the convention was all about. 

Guns. 

Simply put, lots and lots and lots of guns.

I think my jaw dropped when I walked into the exhibitors hall.

Think of a room the size of a warehouse and then triple that and fill it with guns, knives, tactical gear, and fishing equiptment, from big names like Smith & Wesson and Glock to one man, small business stalls. That is what the N.R.A. Exhibitors hall held.

There were 9 acres of guns.

9 acres. 

It was absolutely insane.

Crazy.

Good crazy though.

In very few rooms have I felt as safe as I felt in that room.

Besides the exhibitors hall, there were leadership conferences featuring political leaders from all over the country such as Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin. There were also concerts appealing to N.R.A. members, AKA country and rock and roll music. On Friday night, Bocephus (or Hank Williams Jr.) preformed and on Saturday, Jeff Foxworthy and Alan Jackson preformed.

Sadly, I didn't get to see Hank Jr., but I did get to see Alan Jackson, who I could rave about for hours -- absolutely phenomenal.

(Side Note: We went to Ted's Montana Grill for dinner before the show, and now I'm curious why more resturants don't serve bison. Their naked bison burger is my recommendation. Simple but so good.)

After an introduction to the N.R.A. Board, the pledge, the National Anthem sung by a talented veteran, a prayer, and a segment honoring Jon Morris, Jeff Foxworthy kicked the night off.

Hilarious guy who is not afraid to embarrass himself. Slightly inappropriate at times, but flat out hilarious.

I don't think a smile left my face while he was on stage. Reliving a colonoscopy and demonstrating cat puke, Jeff was a great entertainer.

Then came Jon Pardi. I was not impressed sadly. I've listened to Jon for a few years now and I enjoy listening to most of his music, but live, I was just not impressed.

Vocally, his performance was below par. He blamed the pollen outside, so I'm giving little grace for the pollen count. Raspy, under pitch, and talkative is how I would describe Pardi. His struggle of reaching the notes caused the background vocalists' harmonies to sound off, too. His band wasn't bad at all though. Really good band, actually.

His sound was fine if you like no variation. I personally thought all his songs sounded the same. There were a few distinctions, but for the most part, they were the modern talk-sing that I do not favor. (Ironic that this style is paired with the classic Alan Jackson on tour?) The only song it felt like Bridgestone sang along with was "Missin You Crazy."

Being on stage, Jon did not look natural at all. He seemed as if he was trying to push himself with interaction between the   fans.

I've listened to Jon's album a few times and have a few of his songs on my regular playlist, but I was ultimately disappointed with the performance.

Alan Jackson on the other hand.....

The Man.

The Myth.

The Legend.

I absolutely loved his show. Alan's older style of stand and sing is my preferred show style. He was focused more on the music than on the crowd's reaction and interaction than his opener. For the most part, he stood in front of the mic stand and sang his heart out. If George Strait is the King, then AJ is the brother waiting for the throne.

Really, it was a great show. His band was on fire with a heavy steel guitar part and extremely talented fiddle player. His old music videos were the only enhancement to to the band, Alan brought Bridgestone alive.

Though many of the songs played were much older than I am, I still enjoyed the set of hits. I think my favorite song he sang live was "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning" simply because of the audience's reactions. In the room filled with mostly N.R.A. members, the song caused tears in my neighbors eyes and salutes towards our military from those in front of me. To me, a quality performer must be able to deliver feel good tunes and the tear jerkers, which Jackson could definitely do. With those heartfelt tunes like "Remember When" and "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning" to party tunes like "Goodtime" and "Chattahoochee," Jackson had the entire audience was engaged and singing along. He also used his collaboration with the Zac Brown Band to bring the energy back up after the more emotional songs with a *guest appearance* by Zac Brown ('s hat). 

Fun show. Fun night.

As a whole, attending the N.R.A. Convention was super cool and if it ever comes back to Nashville, I'm definitely going. Lots of guns and country music made a happy girl.

Burning It Down Tour 2015

Jason Aldean "burned it down" last night in Nashville. 

See what I did there? 

Jason Aldean with Tyler Farr and Cole Swindell stopped at Bridgestone last night. Lots of lights, lots of pyro techs, and lots of loud music, which sounds like a good night if you ask me. 

Tyler came out and ran around the stage. Being the first act, he sang to half empty arena, but by the time his set finished, Bridgestone was packed. In comparison to his released studio tracks, he didn't sound too hot to me. Pushed and unsure are two words I'd use to describe Tyler. Vocally, he tried to do some runs and hit some notes that he shouldn't have. He also seemed unsure of what to do with the room on the stage, which didn't help his stage presence much. He did set the mood for the show very well though. Overall, Tyler wasn't my favorite, but has potential.

Then Cole Swindell came out and every girl swooned and every guy raised did a 12 ounce curl. Cole was incredible. From the first moment his intro video played, the energy in the arena soared. Cole came out smiling with a huge stage presence. The entire crowd was dancing, and I don't think it was entirely because of the alcohol. He has a great voice that sounded almost exactly like he does on his albums. Since Cole is a songwriter turned singer, he sang some of his writes like "This is How We Roll" and "Roller Coaster." Besides singing "Roller Coaster," He also has some Luke like dance moves that were adorable. I was genuinely impressed by how much talent he had. Cole is definitely one of my new favs. 

And then came Jason...I have listened to Jason for as long as I can remember. Dirt Road Anthem is one of the first songs I remember bragging about having it memorized.

  It was crazy cool to see him live, and I was not disappointed. Awesome pyro techs and lights only enhanced the true talent Jason has. His albums and his live voice sound exactly the same, which always impresses me in this day and age. Though his voice was the same, many of his songs seemed "amped" up with higher tempos and heavier drum beats. It wasn't bad, but it was almost like it was a remix on certain tracks. 

Jason didn't talk much between songs, which is up to you if it's bad or good. With a 22 song set and encore, you definitely get your moneys worth. If for no other reason, the concert was well worth it's cost because Randy Owen of Alabama came out and sang a few songs. Jason has always liked the band Alabama, so seeing him on stage with Randy was a really cool and special sight. 

As the night went on, the artists got more and more talented and only confirmed that concerts with loud music and lots of lights are my happy place. 

~lauren