1. Finally Seeing the Obvious…

    If you’re from East Tennessee, call yourself a fan of music, and haven’t heard of Erick Baker, believe me, you haven’t heard real music.  I know that’s kind of a dramatic statement, but it’s true.

    I first heard Erick Baker a pretty long time ago when my friend, Amy, burned (shhh… don’t tell! Actually, he knows..) me copies of the albums he had out at the time. I listened to them and thought his music was something I could live without, and I did live without it for quite some time.. and now, well, I can’t imagine that.  Again, with the dramatic.. but I can’t figure out any other way to explain it.. just how incredible Erick really is.

    So after I came home from China last year, Amy got me to go with her and her husband to his concert at the Bijou in August.  And I have to say, I still wasn’t all that convinced.  Sure, the Knoxville crowd loved him, and he had some good songs, but he was hyper.  I don’t think there was one time that he was actually still.. he was always jumping, walking, whatever.. he was moving the entire time he was on stage.

    And then we did the obligatory meet and greet after the show.  He was super nice.. like he hugged me and told me thank you for coming, signed my ticket and took a picture with me.



    So that was that.. a really nice, jumpy, hyper musician who had some pretty good songs.

    The next day I went to this huge outdoor event in Knoxville because a band (Seabird) I really liked was going to be there.  As I was walking around, I saw a familiar face.  Erick Baker was walking right towards me.  He remembered me, hugged me and thanked me again for coming the night before.  He was as nice as he could be.. and we even chatted for a few minutes, and then he had to go and sing on stage with his church group.

    Ok.. this guy’s growing on me.

    Meanwhile, I moved to the Nashville area because I’m a huge music fan, and most of my favorite musicians are in Nashville, so I thought it would be a great idea to move and get involved as best I could.

    I started selling merch for any musician who would let me, and I noticed one day that Erick was going to be playing one night at 3rd & Lindsley in early December, so I emailed him and asked if I could sell his merch for him.  He said yes.

    That night sold me. Sold. me.  Let me tell you why.

    When I got there, he was kind of running around, but when he saw me he stopped and hugged me and said thank you to me.  He went and got the merch from his car, brought it in, hugged me and told me how to go about selling it.. and then he hugged me.  I’m sure I missed a hug in that description, so just imagine a person giving you almost constant hugs.
    So he played his songs after his opener, Callaghan, and then came back to the merch table to meet and greet.  I’m sure he hugged me when he got back there.  There were a couple of girls there who kept telling me how much they loved him, and it was pretty hilarious.  They kept him (and me) there til 3rd & Lindsley asked us to leave.  When saying goodbye, he hugged and kissed me on the cheek.  Ok, who does that?  Erick Baker.  He’s the most affectionate person to random people that I’ve ever met.  And I enjoyed every minute of it.. especially when the two girls were watching him kiss me. ha.

    I finally saw the obvious.. he’s got talent. And heart.  Lots of heart.

    And he’s come back to Nashville a couple of times since then, and each time I’ve been there to sell his merch and/or support him.  Each time he’s given me something free and hugged and hugged and hugged me.

    And each time I’ve seen him perform, I’ve been impressed.  He’s got stage presence.  He brings it.  But Nashville isn’t his comfort zone.. he’s still trying to make himself known to this area.

    Which brings me back to the beginning:  If you’re from East Tennessee, call yourself a fan of music, and haven’t heard of Erick Baker, believe me, you haven’t heard real music.

    I went back with my friend, Amy, to the Bijou Theater on Saturday, August 25, 2012 to watch Erick perform.  It was incredible.  He started things off out in the aisle singing “My Two Left Feet”, and I watched the whole thing from the seats right beside where he and Donnie Reis were standing.  I didn’t stop smiling.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXCIDiq-Ntw&list=UUifrSKpfAIJG1HGfipb7iBw&index=1&feature=plcp

    Watching Erick play in Knoxville is a completely different experience than watching him in Nashville.  In Knoxville, he talked to the audience like he personally knew every single person there, gave advice, spoke motivationally (I don’t think that’s actually a word, but you know what I mean) and sang his HUGE heart out.  He got a little emotional during it all, and everyone just cheered and watched him with love in their hearts.  Nashville doesn’t get that side of Erick, and we are missing out.

    So please, heed my words and listen to the guy.  If you’re like me when you first hear it, give him another chance.. and another and another.. keep giving him chances until you realize just how talented and wonderfully gifted Erick is.  You won’t regret it.  Trust me.  I don’t.

  2. Tin Pan South with MCU

    Well, I’m slack-alacking with my blogging.. but I’m gonna try and remember all the details I can.  I mean, it was a long time ago.

    March 31 was the last day of Tin Pan South, and it was pretty awesome.  I decided to go back to the Hard Rock for the “Music City Unsigned Presents” show.

    I parked kinda far away and was a little nervous walking over there by myself, but I was good.

    The guy who stamped my hand was the same one from the Dave Barnes/Brandon Heath show, and he definitely remembered me and said hi and asked how I was.  HA.  Funny.

    So I went in and sat down alone, but after a few minutes, I noticed that there was a guy I had met on Wednesday night on the front row, and there was an empty seat beside him.. so I walked up there and asked if I could sit there.  He said yes.

    I said hi to John, Justin and Tim, and then the show got started.  The musicians were Andrew Ripp, Amy Stroup, Sandra McCracken, Justin Tam, Angel Snow and Waterdeep.  It was a big round, but it was a great round.

    Of course, I love Andrew Ripp, and I am a huge fan of Amy Stroup.. I couldn’t figure out who Sandra McCracken was for the longest time, but I have some of the stuff she did with Derek Webb, so I was excited for her to be there.  Justin and I are like BFFs, I mean, for real.  Angel Snow is a new favorite of mine thanks to my friend, Matt Haeck, and Waterdeep… well, they were really unique. ha.

    Anyway, here are some of my pictures


    Justin Tam and Angel Snow



    Amy Stroup


    Andrew Ripp


    Justin and Mike Butera

    Here are some vids:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3z9yRFrn1w&list=UUifrSKpfAIJG1HGfipb7iBw&index=11&feature=plcp (Andrew Ripp singing a new song: When You Fall in Love)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLGkfJUthDQ&list=UUifrSKpfAIJG1HGfipb7iBw&index=1&feature=plcp (Angel Snow being amazing)

    I immediately wished I had recorded the song that Justin and Mike did together.  It was so good.  Justin said they just recorded it!

    It was one incredible night..  After the show I talked with the MCU guys and then headed out.  I ran into Andrew Ripp, and he asked me if I liked the show, and then he was gone.

    I made it safely back to my car, obviously. :)

  3. Oh Dave…

    davebarnesmusic:

    I finally found Constantine.

  4. A Piece of Furniture…

    March 30th started in Murfreesboro, and I made my way to Nashville some time after lunch.  I honestly don’t really remember what I spent my time doing that day other than going to Crema and seeing Justin Branam (but not saying hi because he was with a girl), but I do know how that night went.

    I got to the Listening Room, and I found a free, good place to park.  I was sitting in my car when someone waved at me.  It was Gabe Dixon’s wife.  I got out and said hi, and we talked for a minute and then she started introducing me to people who were walking up to her and saying hi.  Someone mentioned that the show was sold out.  I got nervous because my ticket said it didn’t guarantee admission.  So I mentioned it to Amanda (Gabe’s wife), and she was like, “But you have a ticket.. you should be able to get in…”

    Gabe came out to their van and started trying to unload.  Amanda asked him if he had all the cords and wires he needed.. he kind of sighed, and she said he hated it when she called his stuff “wires”.  ha.  She said, “Brenda’s here!”  He said, “Yeah, hey!  How are you?” (or something to that effect)

    So I ended up walking into the venue with Gabe, Amanda and his parents.  A guy at the door said, “Hey guys, hang on.. I don’t know who you are.  Are you all with the band?”  Gabe’s wife said, “Yeah, we’re with the band” and we all went in.  Pretty sweet.

    We weren’t sure about seating, so they all went to the bar.  I just stood beside them because there wasn’t another seat.  Amanda reintroduced me to Gabe’s parents, and then they offered to buy me something to drink and dinner.  I declined.

    They went and sat down kinda front and center.  Amanda told me I was an honorary family member that night, and she saved a seat for me.  Yes!  They all ordered and Gabe’s dad insisted I get something, so I did.  And then we hung out.  I looked at pictures of Gabe’s niece (or nephew.. I can’t remember. ha.) and just chilled with the fam.  Amanda told me that Gabe played with Vince Gill the night before and that he just kept talking about how good Gabe was.  So excited to hear that.  Gabe’s fantastic.

    The show was great.. We had a good time.  Marshall Altman, Dylan Altman, and Ruth Collins were all performing too.  They all seemed to know and write with each other quite a bit.  It was pretty cool.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=For44jFJElY&list=UUifrSKpfAIJG1HGfipb7iBw&index=10&feature=plcp

    When the show was over I stood up and turned around and said, “Your husband is incredible.”  I’m just so captivated by Gabe’s talent.  Man he’s amazing.

    So anyway, the rest of the night I just hung out with them til it was time to say goodbye.  They’re really nice people.  And I got VIP treatment for sure.  Such a great night.

    While I was standing there with them after the show, I told them that I just enjoyed being around them.. and it made me think about Juno when she says that she just likes being a piece of furniture in Mark’s weird life.  I feel like that kind of describes me.  I just want to be a piece of furniture in Gabe Dixon’s life. ha.

    There you have it.  Tin Pan South night 3 (for me).

  5. Guys Are Guys and Words Rhyme

    I got up early the morning of March 29th, and I did laundry and then packed and left for Murfreesboro.  The plan:  spend the day with Lynae and then head to Nashville with her and her cousin and watch an amazing Tin Pan South show featuring Dave Barnes and Brandon Heath.

    We hung around her apartment, made a trip to Wal Mart (and bought too much candy) and then picked up some pizza for dinner.  We took it back to her apartment and ate.  And then it was time.

    We loaded up in my car and headed to ole Nashvegas.  We parked (and paid way too much for it) and headed to the Hard Rock.  I gave Lynae and Mandy their tickets and we figured out where to go.

    So I was excited.  I was being really friendly with the guy who stamped our hands.  He was nice and played along.

    We got in line and waited.  And then the doors opened.  We tried getting as close to the front as we could.  We didn’t do too badly.  I had to sit in the middle of two seats to see over the guy in front of me.  It was all good though.

    The group included Lee Miller, Dave Barnes, Brett James and Brandon Heath but before they started we heard a guy who won the songwriting contest that year.  They said thousands of songs were submitted.  I’m sure that guy thought he was hot stuff.

    And then they played.  It was a hilarious night.  Brett James was really loud and kept

    calling Lee Miller “El Presidente”.  It got kind of annoying after a little while.  They all played really well, and they seemed to have a good time together.  I think my favorite Lee Miller song was when he was singing about the statues that are in the middle of Music Row.  It was pretty hilarious.  Dave did some good ones.. my favorite part was him forgetting the words to the song “Until You”. (Check it out here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmZvWxXBzls&list=UUifrSKpfAIJG1HGfipb7iBw&index=3&feature=plcp)  Brett James did “Cowboy Casanova” (sung by Carrie Underwood) and sang it exactly like Kings of Leon sound.  It was so funny.  Brandon did a song called “Paul Brown Petty”, and it was so so sweet.  I loved it.

    The reason for the title is in a story from that night.. Lee said that if there was a sweet song written by a guy on the radio then somewhere there’s a dirty version floating around that was written first.  His reason:  Guys are guys and words rhyme.

    Those are kind of highlights.. it was just a great set.

    After the show we were determined we were going to say hi to Dave since we hadn’t been able to at the past few shows we’d been to.  So we were standing there waiting when this guy came up from behind and yelled at him.  I said, “Seriously?” but didn’t think I said it that loud.. apparently I did because he turned around and said, “Sorry.  That was rude.”  And then he turned out to be Chuck Wicks.  I have no idea who that is, but Lynae and Mandy knew him.  So they talked to him for a second and got their picture taken with him.  I took the first one, and he said “Is it good?”  I was like, “You’re not going to smile?” so I took another with the smallest possible smile he could smile.  He asked if it was better.  I said yes.  It really wasn’t much of a smile though.

    And then there we were.  Dave said hi to us, and he said, “I haven’t seen you in a long time… like a fortnight.” to me.  Ha.  And then he said he had to go because he had valet parked.  He said, “You want a picture?” because he saw my camera in my hand.  Yes please.  Walking up there Lynae asked me if I had my camera out.  I told her yes and assumed she would just use my camera to take the pictures.. so I tried to hand her my camera, but she had hers.  I was kind of confused and said, “I don’t know what’s going on right now.” to which Dave replied, “That made me laugh that you said you didn’t know what was going on right now.  That gave me a weird joy.” and then we took the picture.  I was excited because I made him laugh.  YES!

    And then Lynae and Mandy got their pictures taken with him.  Man he’s great.

    And then we met Brandon.  He remembered me from the night before, and Lynae and Mandy told him they loved his song PBP because it reminded them of their granddad.  He thought that was really great.  He’s a sweet guy.  We got our pictures taken with him as well.  And then I told him what I said to Matt Wertz the night before. (Is it weird that I kind of want to kiss you right now?) and he said, “Well I’ll tell him that kissy face says hello.” ha.  I was like, okay.. and then I reminded him of my real name.  Funny.

    I debated on catching Dave for a real conversation because when we walked outside he was still there, but Lynae convinced me that we might be considered a little pushy if we did that.  So we went on home after stopping and getting something to drink.

    It was such a good night, and we all stayed up til at least 2 am just looking at pictures and saying over and over how good it was.. not to mention Lynae’s other cousins were there acting hilarious.

    And so that’s Tin Pan South 2012 night #2. :)

  6. Wertz Wednesday

    I got a text from my friend Lynae telling me that Matt Wertz (http://www.mattwertz.com/) was playing at the Rutledge that night (March 28), and I immediately decided I was going.  See, it was Tin Pan South week, and that means that it’s all about songwriters in Nashville.  Matt is an amazing singer/songwriter.

    I left Mount Juliet and headed to the Rutledge.  I walked in, paid and got a stamp on my hand.  When I got in the room, I saw John and Tim from Music City Unsigned/Musicians Corner.  John said, “Brenda, did you pay to get in?”  I was like, “yeah..”  He told me to get tickets from him after the show for the rest of the week.  I mean, ok!  So I sat on their row because they had extra seats.

    The show started, and Matt decided to introduce everyone.  The show was done in a round, and there were 5 people on stage:  Jonathan Singleton, Matt Wertz, Jaron Boyer, Angelo and Kylie Sackley.  So they took turns singing songs that they had written.  Most of them have had songs cut by big name musicians such as Faith Hill.  It was pretty cool to hear the song done by the actual songwriter.  Loved it.


    This picture is Matt holding Jonathan’s iPad because he kept forgetting the words to the song he was singing.  It was pretty hilarious.


    (L to R) Jonathan Singleton, Matt Wertz, Jaron Boyer and Angelo


    (L to R) Jaron Boyer, Angelo and Kylie Sackley

    So, of course, I enjoyed the night.  It was so good.  Just a lot of fun.  I high fived Tim and then followed John so he could say hi to Matt, and then we went to his car.  He gave me like 5 tickets.  Pretty exciting stuff.

    I went back inside and decided to say hi to Matt because I didn’t get to when John talked to him.  He asked me where we had met before, so I told him all the places I could think of, and then I said hi to Brandon Heath (http://brandonheath.net/) who was helping Matt with his stuff.  And then I asked Brandon to take a picture for me.

    And this is where I don’t know what happened to me.  There’s something about Matt when he’s singing that just makes me melt.  I think in an every day situation I probably wouldn’t be super attracted to him, but that guitar and the songs just make me swoon.  So I said, “Is it weird that I kind of want to kiss you right now?”  He said, “It is a little weird.  My girlfriend probably wouldn’t be too happy.”  And then I realized what I had done.  I said, “Well now that I’ve been creepy, I’ll leave you alone.”  He assured me that I wasn’t creepy, and I told him it was nice to have seen him again and left.  Ok.. what. in. the. world. was. I. thinking??  I have no idea.  But I definitely crossed a line.  I was just so caught up in the moment.  I never say/do things like that.  Ever.

    Here’s a link so you can watch him for yourself, but it really only works when you see him live.. you just can’t handle how amazing he is.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzexZH0dexM&list=UUifrSKpfAIJG1HGfipb7iBw&index=4&feature=plcp

    And so I drove home talking to Lynae about the whole thing.. kind of still on cloud 9 but slightly embarrassed at myself.

    There you have it.  Wertz Wednesday. :)

  7. On the List

    Well Gabe Dixon told me at his last Nashville show that he’d start asking me more often to sell his merch for him since he knew I liked to do it so much.

    I saw a tweet on March 2 from him that said he needed merch help for all his upcoming shows including one in Nashville.  On the one hand, I was like, “Come on, Gabe!  You’re supposed to be asking me!” but I decided to just immediately email his manager and ask her if I could do it for him.  She said absolutely, and I was excited.

    A few days later I got an email from his manager saying that they worked it out to where I didn’t have to sell for him, but I was still on the list.  Hold the phone.  What?!  I immediately turned on the excited hands and flipped out.  He’s literally one of the nicest people EV. ER.

    So I met my friend Lynae on March 13 at Marathon Music Works.  We went to the door, showed our IDs, got a stamp, and then went to the “guest list” line.  I told the lady behind the desk my name and she eventually found it and placed a smiley face on our hands.  We showed our hands to the bouncer guy and went on in.

    Well it was completely a standing venue, and we weren’t exactly early, so we got as close as we could.  Side note, every time I see a show that’s standing only I tell whoever I’m with (or think to myself) that they should make you line up shortest to tallest because I never have a good view if I’m not there super early.

    Anyway, we listened to Gabe, and he was fantastic.  I mean, that’s no surprise.  I got pretty mad at the crowd though because they were being really loud.. and a dumb guy yelled and told him to get off the stage.  People are stupid.  It was amazing, otherwise.

    David Nail got up next, and the girls we were standing beside were apparently there for him because they. went. nuts.  He was good.  He did the song “Pumped Up Kicks” really country.  I didn’t even know what the song was til he said “pumped up kicks”. ha!

    By the time Gavin got on stage Lynae and I had decided that we were exhausted and our feet hurt.. plus the sound was TERRIBLE.  They turned it up way too loud, and I couldn’t even hear Gavin singing most of the time.  We stayed for a little while though just so we could say we had seen/heard him live.

    Gabe left after his set, so we didn’t get to talk to him, but I texted him and thanked him.  He said, “No problem.  Hope you’re enjoying the show.”  Did you catch that??  I texted him.  Yeah, we’re friends. haha.

    Lynae and I decided to go get something to drink and then we went home.  It was a good night.. and I am so grateful that I know Gabe, who is one super nice guy. :)

  8. Rhyming is fun!

    My friend Matt Haeck (http://music.cedarway.org/matthaeck/Home.html) texted me and said he was having a last minute house show at his place on Sunday night, February 26th.  He invited me to come and bring friends.

    I finished working and headed to his place in East Nashville, unfortunately, alone.  None of my friends could or wanted to go.

    I thought I was okay with going alone.. til I got there.  I walked in and didn’t know a single person.. except Matt.. who just so happened to be surrounded by people in the kitchen.  And I felt really awkward.  It was kind of overwhelming and intimidating.

    And then a guy said hi to me.  His name was also Matt, and he seemed to be in the same situation I was in.. completely alone.  So we talked and passed the time.  Turns out he was born in Guam, moved to Sri Lanka.. and he seemed really cool.  Matt Haeck hugged me and thanked me for coming.

    The show got started, aka Matt said, “Hey, thanks for coming to my house.”  Matt played a song first, and then his friend Daniel Whittington (http://www.danielwhittington.com/) played some. 

    Matt brought Angel Snow (http://angelsnow.net/) up, and she sang “Cotton Dress” with him.  Incredible.  She did her own stuff, and I was really just completely captivated.

    And then he had his friend Kate Tucker (http://katetucker.net/) come up and play.  They did some stuff together, and I was, again, completely captivated.

    Matt has a band, Dirt Heavy, and he had a band mate, CT Stephenson, come up and play a couple songs with him, and then Daniel played a couple more songs.

    Matt ended the night with his song, “Lucky Cigarette”.  I can honestly say that I loved each song that was played that night.  It was an amazing show.

    I met Angel and Daniel, and then I met a random friend of Matt’s named Linda.  He introduced her to me, and I was waiting for him to introduce me to her, but he didn’t.  I was thinking he was drawing a blank for my name, but he just wanted me to rhyme my name with hers real quick. ha.

    Anyway, I headed home after that.  I’m pretty sure this was in the top 5 experiences I’ve had in Nashville so far.  Incredible talent.

    And if you wanted to check these people out (which you DO), you can get some of all of their stuff for free on noisetrade.

    http://noisetrade.com/matthaeck

    http://noisetrade.com/danielwhittington

    http://noisetrade.com/AngelSnow

    http://noisetrade.com/katetucker

  9. Heartbreak Yellow

    Saturday, February 25th was not the most exciting day of my life.. but that night was one of the best nights I’ve had in Nashville so far.

    I basically spent the day trying to figure out how to waste time til about 9:00 that night.  I managed to do okay til a couple of hours before that time.  I was even a little bit productive.. I went to the Apple store and got my computer fixed for free since it was a quality problem, and while I was there, I saw Tim Schurrer of Sure Management who just so happens to be Steve Moakler’s (http://stevemoakler.com/) manager and just so happens to know me.  He waved at me, and we talked for a little while about music.  He’s a really nice fella.

    I got to 3rd and Lindsley a little before 9, and I waited in the cold for the doors to open for Andy Davis’ (http://www.andydavisonline.com/splashpage/) cd release show.  Steve Moakler had been there for the show before and walked out.  I regret not stopping him to say hi.. why?  Because the girls in front of me were literally freaking out that he walked by.  They were talking about how much they love him.  It’s ridiculous that I want to be the envy of college girls. haha.

    So anyway, I went in and found a good seat at a table kinda close to the front.  Seth Philpott (http://sethphilpott.com/) came from backstage, and he was saying hi to some people.  I was debating on if I should say hi when he was like, “hey Brenda.  Is anyone sitting there?” and he and his girlfriend came and sat with me.  (YES!  I’m not sitting alone anymore AND I have one of my favorite musicians sitting with me!)

    We talked til the show started.  He said he was still trying to think of ways to get me involved with the music business, and we just kind of talked about what had been going on in our lives.  Good times.

    So Andy came out and just played straight through his new cd, Heartbreak Yellow.  His live shows are amazing.  He makes me melt when I see him sing and play live. ha.  He had Jeremy and Richie Lister (from the Sing Off) come sing with him for “Sweet Lorraine” and some other stuff.  He actually started singing “Saturday Night” (since it was, in fact, Saturday night) with them and just awkwardly ended it in the middle.  Pretty funny.  He did “Story Just Starting” completely solo without his band.  And then he said if we yelled he’d come back out and do some more songs.  He came back (of course) and played “Good Life” and “Brown Eyes”.  Incredible.

    I looked over at some point during the show and realized Erin McCarley (http://erinmccarley.tumblr.com/) was sitting beside Seth and talking to him.  I love her.  She also brought Jeremy and Richie over after their stage appearance.  They left before the show was over though.

    When it was all over I talked a little bit with Seth, his girlfriend and Erin, but I mostly just listened and soaked it all in.  Tim Schurrer came over to the table and said hi to Seth and me.  It was really cool.  Erin left and hugged me bye.  She said she hoped to see me again soon.

    I decided I’d head out a little later, and Seth grabbed my hand and said for me to remind him to email me about any opportunities he heard about and told me to go talk to Andy.

    So I waited for Andy to have a free moment from all his fans and said hey.  I told him he was looking a little skinny, and he said he might just go eat some pizza because I said that.  We talked about me helping him with whatever I could and hopefully meeting up after this tour he’s about to do is over.

    And then I headed home.  On cloud 9.  I was basically surrounded by amazing artists all night.  Great. Great. Night.

  10. NTB/Ben Rector

    A while ago, my friend Lynae emailed Needtobreathe (http://needtobreathe.net/tour2011splash/) and asked if we could sell merch for them at their Ryman show on February 24th.  Their people said we could.  I’m not a huge NTB fan, but I was excited because Ben Rector (http://www.benrectormusic.com/) was opening for them.  He might be an awkward person in life, but he’s magical on stage. Ha.

    So I went to her place on Thursday evening, and we hung out.. I spent the night, and then we spent the next day together just hanging out and waiting for the show.

    We made our way to Nashville, and we got to the Ryman kind of early.. at least we thought.. so we took a walk around downtown and then headed back up.

    The email we had gotten said that the doors opened at 7:30 and we should be there 30 minutes before.  There was a huge line around 6:30.  We decided to go ahead and call the contact we had.  Good thing we did, because the doors opened at 6:30.

    Hampton came and got us and gave us a sticker.  The ticket guys tried to stop us, but he was like, “They’re good!” and we followed him up the stairs.

    We didn’t even have time to look at everything before people started coming.  We had a legit credit card machine instead of an iPhone/iPod and a square reader.  Too bad it didn’t really work that well because the wifi in the Ryman is sketchy.  You’d think that since it’s the Ryman we would have been good.. apparently not.

    There were CROWDS of people.. and they were just dropping money like it was nothing.  People were spending at least a hundred dollars at times.  It was crazy.  NTB made a killing before the show even started.

    Things got calmer during Ben’s set, but not enough for me to go in and watch him.  I just got to hear him.  Man, he’s sooo talented.

    Between Ben and NTB it got crazy again.  It was really awesome because people were buying lots of Ben’s stuff after they heard him.  I think he did really well for himself.

    Things got quiet when NTB was about to get started.  I was talking to Ben’s merch people when Lynae said, “Brenda, look around.”  Steve Moakler (http://stevemoakler.com/) was standing over to the side talking to some people.  So before he went back in, I said hi to him.  He knows me, but he never knows my name.  I didn’t say anything this time though.  He’s a really nice guy.  

    Jake Ousley (http://jakeousley.com/) was also there.  He didn’t come over (and I didn’t yell at him because I’ve never actually met him in person), but he sure did stare at us.  I think he was looking at my shirt.  I was reppin’ Andrew Ripp (http://www.andrewripp.com/fr_news.cfm).  They’re good friends.

    Lynae went into the show for quite a while, and I just hung out and talked to Ben’s merch guys.  One of them was named Jackson.  He was really nice, and we talked a lot.  He said he saw Dave Barnes (http://davebarnes.com/) earlier in the day at Wal Mart and talked to him.  I was like, “Seriously?  That’s like my goal.. to know Dave Barnes.” Ha.  We had a lot of fun talking.. well, at least I did.

    I popped my head in there for a few minutes.. and it was incredible.  I like NTB, but I’m not a huge fan or anything (as I said before), but the atmosphere was in. cred. i. ble.  It was a packed house.  Absolutely packed.  Seriously, incredible.

    I went back out to the table and just hung out.  Lynae said, “Brenda.  Matt Wertz (http://www.mattwertz.com/) just walked by.”  And lo and behold, there he was.  He kinda walked up to the table for a second.  I said, “Hey, Matt Wertz!” and Lynae said, “Matt Wertz!”  So we talked for a few minutes, and then he went back inside.  She went back inside not long after that too.

    And then it got crazy again.  SOO much merch.  SOO many people.  And then we were done.  We counted out the shirts, cds, bracelets.. and then we helped pack some stuff up.  Darryl, the guy who we were supposed to contact, told us we could go.  I said, “Would it be tacky to ask if we can have something?”  He said, “No, not at all.  Take what you want.”  So we both grabbed hoodies.  Lynae got a cd.

    It was a really really awesome night.  Seeing some of my favorite artists and meeting some really nice guys.. it was just good.  If you’ve never heard of some of these people, check them out.  They’re all so talented.. and even if you’re not a huge fan of their music, you can’t deny that it’s awesome that they write their own music.

About me

Just writing when I feel like it.. You know.

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