Today I’m recovering from a whirlwind trip to vegas and back in about 16 hours with 9 hours of driving, and 7 hours of concerts and poker. I’m tired. Beyond that, though, I’m very excited. Last night, I was front-row for CDB and Montgomery Gentry. What we have here is one of the true legends of Country Music as well as the top Country-Rock duo performing today.
Yes, I know that’ll disappoint many FGL fans out there, but those boys can’t TOUCH Troy and Eddie.
The show was incredible. On Charlie’s second song, he noticed me singing every word back at him, acknowledged it, and tossed me his fiddle bow. It now holds a proud place on the wall with my guitars.
About 9 years ago, I went to a show Rascal Flatts was headlining. I didn’t go to see them. I went because one of the featured acts that night was a young singer-songwriter on his way to stardom. That was Blake Shelton. At the end of his set, Blake walked to the front of the stage, handed me a guitar pick, and said “Hey man, hold onto this for me.” I still have it.
Now, this blog isn’t just a chronicle of the pieces of memorabilia I’ve collected from my country music brethren. It’s the sentiment behind both of those things that really matters to me. Those guys connected with me at their shows. Though Eddie and Troy didn’t toss anything out to me, they both interacted with myself, my friend Berwin, and many of the other fans around us. They weren’t simply singing out into the ether. It wasn’t “Look at me” - it was more “Let me look at YOU.”
Many of today’s artists seem to want everyone to praise them for being on stage. They deal in adoration. They appear to want people to care about them before they care about those people who have paid their hard-earned money to be at the show. I don’t get that. Garth Brooks, Charlie Daniels, Montgomery Gentry - these are artists whose shows I’ve attended in the past few weeks, and all of those artists put their fans first. They connect, they take the time and make the effort to do the SMALL things.
Today, Blake Shelton followed me on twitter. Sure, that doesn’t seem like much to a lot of people…but he’s a guy who does it right…and taking that small step really means a great deal to me.
As I progress in my own career, I hope I will always remember these simple things that my heroes have done, and that I also will do things the right way.
Yeahcomeon.
- Dukes
Thoughts of a Country Artist
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Garth Live From Vegas - AGAIN
I hadn’t seen Garth brooks in 16 years until July. Now I’ve seen him twice in six months. The experience was no less awesome the second time, I’ll tell you that. And in this one, I got to see even more of his personality. I’ve been around televised musical performances for years now, and there all generally pretty similar. The talent arrives on set, goes on stage, does the performance, and that’s it. They leave. If they’re doing multiple performances, they generally talk to the stage managers and such on breaks.
Not Garth.
No, Garth Brooks talked with the audience, introduced himself, shook hands, took pictures, even played not-for-air songs just for the crowd who was there to be with him. The man can’t help it - every show he does has to be its own animal. It has to be for the fans who are there in the room. You can watch him twenty times, and get a different show each time. Oh sure, the same basic script is there…maybe even the same setlist. But, there’s always something new. There’s always something different. Some joke, some spontaneous moment, some song that he hadn’t planned but just HAS to play.
And that’s going to make that experience unique. It’s going to make it something that you have, and he has, and the two of you share - forever.
Still learning from that guy.
He came down into the audience at one point, to shoot a “podbuster” in the middle of commercials. As he passed me, he put his hand on my back and said “Thank ya bud.” He’ll never remember that moment - but it will stay with me til there’s dirt at my door. Once again, Garth found a way to connect solely with me - and it gave me pause.
I wonder if some kid will be thinking similarly of me in thirty years. Who knows? I doubt I’ll be touched with anywhere near the success and fame that Garth has been - but I do hope that I can affect someone out there the same way he has me. THAT, my friends, is a gift that keeps on giving.
Yeahcomon!
- Dukes
Not Garth.
No, Garth Brooks talked with the audience, introduced himself, shook hands, took pictures, even played not-for-air songs just for the crowd who was there to be with him. The man can’t help it - every show he does has to be its own animal. It has to be for the fans who are there in the room. You can watch him twenty times, and get a different show each time. Oh sure, the same basic script is there…maybe even the same setlist. But, there’s always something new. There’s always something different. Some joke, some spontaneous moment, some song that he hadn’t planned but just HAS to play.
And that’s going to make that experience unique. It’s going to make it something that you have, and he has, and the two of you share - forever.
Still learning from that guy.
He came down into the audience at one point, to shoot a “podbuster” in the middle of commercials. As he passed me, he put his hand on my back and said “Thank ya bud.” He’ll never remember that moment - but it will stay with me til there’s dirt at my door. Once again, Garth found a way to connect solely with me - and it gave me pause.
I wonder if some kid will be thinking similarly of me in thirty years. Who knows? I doubt I’ll be touched with anywhere near the success and fame that Garth has been - but I do hope that I can affect someone out there the same way he has me. THAT, my friends, is a gift that keeps on giving.
Yeahcomon!
- Dukes
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