My Summer Country Concert Series RECAP

FALL has officially arrived...although the daytime temps are still up there, it's great sleeping weather!  Even though I'm not actually doing much of that lately.  I have been back at work for a few weeks now and have realized I am totally slacking on the blog-front!  I really just can't seem to get settled into the year yet! I am a little overwhelmed, am doing a lot of after care, and like I said, am not sleeping!!  And people have noticed!  Don't you just love when people tell you " you look tired??"  Me either!!   HA!  The school nurse told me that since I no longer sleep, I am officially OLD!!  And to that I say thank you very much!!  UGH!!  But anyway...

I have teased a recap of my own summer concert series on the blog a few times and now that FALL is here and summer has officially come to an end (I'm typing and crying into my pumpkin ale!) I thought now would be as good a time as any!

Summer for me has always been a trip to the beach in North Carolina and one concert: Kenny Chesney!!! (It also used to be a cruise at the end of the summer, but since I've been on my own, it's been a few years since I've cruised!!) This summer, neither of those things came to be.  Kenny was not touring this summer and my family has decided to spend Thanksgiving down in the Outer Banks!

So I guess you could say that instead of one huge stadium concert this year, I went to SEVEN closer to home!!  I didn't really plan to go to seven, it just happened that way. And truth be told, it should have been 8, but I am still so upset about that one, I can't bear to discuss it!! HAHAHAHA!!

All of the shows were country!  It's my favorite type of music.  And I really do think more people like country these days than those that don't.  I like it because I can sing along!  And let me tell you...I sing along!  It's really cool too that we have so many venues close to home.  I saw shows at a local amphitheater, the beach, the Garden and the very first country show at the Barclays in Brooklyn!

The first show of the summer, May 30th, was Rascal Flatts, with Sheryl Crow and Gloriana at the Beach.  I had seen Rascal and Gloriana before but never Sheryl Crow so that was pretty much the highlight for me!  I went with my best friends.The bad news was that it rained and it might have been a little FREEZING...BOOOOO!!  But we made the best of it!

The next show was quite the surprise!  My mom ended up getting free tickets to the Band Perry at a local amphitheater, which we than ended up going to three more times!  A local radio station puts on a slew of shows there throughout the summer!!  The Band Perry was pretty freakin' awesome!  They were headlining the show that night and I got to see them again when they opened for Blake Shelton at the Garden on August 1st!

After the Band Perry at the amphitheater, we saw Darius Rucker and Joel Crouse (My sister's ABSOLUTE FAVE!!!) a little later in July. For Meghan, it was the best day ever!!  We met and had our picture taken with Joel!!  Meg took one by herself, then graciously let Mel and I hop in!  HA!!  And really, who doesn't love Darius?!?! HOOOOOTTTTIIIEEEE My pics of him were too blurry...thus un-blog-worthy!!

For my bestie and I it was part of a whole, 2 shows in a weekend, 3 in a week,  sorta deal that included Darius and Joel on Saturday night, Lady A with Billy Currington and Joel Nichols on Sunday night, and then later that same week, on Friday, our FIRST EVER BLAKE show at The Garden!!  And his first ever there!  He was AWESOME!!  Can't wait to see him when he comes around again!  And he sang Austin in a mullet....my night was made!!  My bestie and I realized that after three shows in a week (and two tailgates and a way too happy, happy hour before Blake, we might just might be a little to old for this!! (I might be crying again in my pumpkin ale!)   But in the words of Joel Crouse the week was EPIC!!

Yes, we were totally photobombed!  And then I photobomed some people...

After such a wild week, we got a break....until August 16th!  This time,  my entire family and best friends all went to see Little Big Town and Eli Young Band!  It was a fun time...and what would turn out to be my last show of the summer at the amphitheater. :(  Until next year Dierks!!

The last show of the summer was the biggest and most long awaited!!  Just this past Sunday I saw LUKE BRYAN at the Barclays! (With Lee Brice and Cole Swindell...who's new song I LOVE!!)  The first country show ever and my first show there!!  It was pretty amazing!!  And DAMN.... LUKE IS HOTTTT!!  Truth be told I've seen him before, but this show blew the other right outta the water!! We had the closest seats ever and I could swear Luke looked right at me a few times!! And then there was this....I mean really!!!

Unbelievable way to end an unforgettable summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think in 2015, the only show I'll be able to afford is KENNY!!! LOL

Thanks for reading and letting me share a bit of my summer with you!  Even if you aren't a country fan like me, I hope you found something in here to make you smile!



Now here's to FALL!!!  Skinny jeans, riding boots, infinity scarves...and the BLARDIGAN!!!

Katie 

Linking up for Manic Monday with On the Daily Express and More Pieces of Me