I’m squeezing in the last bits of summer and spending as much time as possible before I leave Shreveport to work on a boat for six months. My love affair with live music isn’t something that’s a secret around this here blog, and neither is my favorite price: FREE! I combined both of these loves yesterday when I went to a free country concert on the State Fairgrounds. Not to mention, my friend, Rachael and I were front row the entire time, which was glorious.
The headliner was Joe Nichols, but admittedly, I was more excited to see Maddie & Tae. My #3 go-to karaoke song (just behind “Baby Got Back” and “Gunpowder and Lead”) is “Girl in a Country Song,” and I was pumped to get the chance to see it performed live. Last year when I visited Nashville, I saw their display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and fangirled too hard. Imagine my excitement at seeing them in person. *squeal*
Maddie & Tae are even more adorable in person than I could’ve imagined. They made eye contact with and waved to so many people in the crowd. They told the sweet stories behind their songs and mentioned that they write all of their own. They also sang a cover of “Boomerang” originally sung by Jana Kramer, but the two of them actually wrote it.
During the middle of their set, the weather decided to go crazy because we’re in Louisiana and it does that way too often. Lightning caused them to stop in the middle of their set, and we waited for the storm to pass before they could go back on. They sang all of my favorites, including my current anthem “Waitin’ On a Plane,” which is about a person who is ready to get out of their town, embrace the unknown and make their mark on the world. Ahem. Me.
After they left the stage, Joe Nichols came on, and I didn’t realize how many songs I knew by him. I love like “What’s a Guy Gotta Do,” ” The Shape I’m In,” “Gimme That Girl” and “Size Matters.” He even sang a super twang, country version of “Baby Got Back.” Yaaaaas! Also, when I was taking pictures of him, he knelt down in front of me, winked and waved at me. I melted a little and then was sad that I wasn’t recording it instead. Now, I’ll just have to relive the moment in my head over and over again.
It was a really hot day for an outdoor concert, but I still had so much fun, and when it started sprinkling, the crowd welcomed the cool rain. I’ve been listening to Maddie & Tae for the past 24 hours, and I’m not even ashamed.
What was the last concert you’ve been to? Are there any concerts you’re looking forward to seeing soon?