Play Some Skynrd

The opening band last Friday night requested that this song be recorded.



Slamabama

A Fun 25th

The wife and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary on August 27^th. While I'm not sure how my wife puts up with me it's easy for me to feel blessed that she does.

We went out for lunch on the day. However the 29^th turned out to be the day she really liked. Montgomery Gentry was playing in Rockford, Il. I bought tickets from a scalper broker on the 28^th. Front row. Similar to the last time we were there.



The show was fun. The boys know how to put on a performance.







Since it was our anniversary we decided to try something. We made a sign asking Eddie Montgomery for a anniversary present.

He was nice enough to answer our request.



There was a bit of an issue with some A** who came flying in from the side and grabbed the hat when Eddie was tossing it to us. We separated him from the hat and security escorted him out. (It pays to make friends with the security guards) Everyone around us had seen the sign and knew what was going on so a number of people had our backs.

We stayed around after the show for a bit - talking to Bo and K-Man. We even got on the Jim Beam bus for a bit and had a beer with a few of the boys. Real nice people. Soon it was 1:15 am and it was time to go home. A long tiring day. But my sweetie is happy and that makes it worth it.

BTW - Eddie - you saved me several thousand dollars. Thanks!

Day at the Races - Part 2

As I said before - Thing1 and I were there for racing. And looking at race cars. Thing1 found a truck he'd like to drive home.



Whereas my chosen form of transportation was just a bit faster.



After wandering the booths for a while and checking in with the wife and her sister who had staked our front row for the Montgomery Gentry show we went in to watch practice and the time trials. We are Tony Stewart fans so I did my best to get a picture of him flying by at 180+. Took ~15 trys to get a full frame picture.



After the time trials there was a USAC midget race scheduled. According to the track announcer the MG concert was to start after the race was over so Thing1 and I settled in to watch the race. About 10 laps in my phone rang. It was the wife trying (talking on a cell phone while cars fly by at 175 is difficult...) to tell me that the opening band was done and that I should get down there. Thing1 stayed to watch the race while I shoved my way up to the front where they were.

Time to step back a few hours: the wife and her sister met a couple of guys from Iowa named Randy and Travis that were there to watch the races. Neither had seen MG before so they asked my wife how they could sit that close as they wanted to go inside. Well my wife simply said "It'll cost you". One of them reached for their wallet and said how much? My wife just smiled and said "Beverages. Beer or water every hour or so" And so the wife and her sister drank for free all day. Randy/Travis brought them beer every hour and they joined us up front with their friend Doug. Nice group of guys. I hope our paths cross again some day.

And then it was time for show. I'm am not a huge fan of country music but the boys put on a pretty good show.








This is Eddie Montgomery with a flag my wife gave him. She was hoping to get it back but it didn't happen.





I stopped taking pictures around the time of the encore. People were pushing their way up so the guys formed a wall around the women to keep the crowd back. It was pretty wild there for a while. I was sure that a big fight was about to break out as some people would not take no for an answer.

In the end we survived. A fun but very tiring day.

Day at the track - part 1

We spend Friday at Chicagoland Speedway. For Thing1 and I it was for racing.



For the wife and her sister it was Montgomery Gentry



Both were fun. The MG concert was far more dangerous...

Nectar of the Gods - Part 2

My sister-in-law gave the wife a modded bottle of Jim Beam for Christmas. Well - yesterday the wife got to show the boys her present at the Montgomery Gentry fan club party in Nashville.



They got a pretty good laugh out of it.

Another MG Concert

Thats what the wife was up to this weekend. She was off with her sister, her niece, and a friend to see Montgomery Gentry at the Holiday Star Theater. Since she won't drive to Indiana, Thing2 and I got to go along and hang out with my sister-in-laws husband.

Before the show they managed to run into the K-Man. He plays keyboards for the boys. The wife had bought a bottle of Wild Bunch wine as a gift.



Then it was off to meet other MG fans at a local bar and then on to the show.





Afterwards they managed to close down the bar in the hotel. Good thing they had booked a room so they didn't have to drive anywhere.

As for the me, thing2, and Matt - well our day wasn't as exciting.

A Message from God

As we walked into the Ash Wednesday service tonight we were handled a couple of pieces of paper. The wife got two of these:



I leaned over and said that God knows you're getting together with the Montgomery Gentry 'Townies' next week and he wants you to know he's paying attention.

Another Month, Another MG Concert

The wife was on the Montgomery Gentry fan club site last night and someone posted about a MG concert at the Holiday Star Theater in March. Online purchases started today. There was nothing close starting at 12:00 noon. The wife was bummed.

So she's sitting on the couch surfing the Ticketmaster web site and finds three seats in the 4th row - but she only wanted 2. She released them and went back for 2 - nothing close. Frustration was setting in. I headed into my office and hit the TM site. Using a couple of tabs I got holds on 2 individual seats for her and her sister. A couple of clicks later and they were mine.

Tabs are cool!

Swag

The wife is a member of the Montgomery Gentry fan club and won some stuff in a random drawing.

 

It made her day. Maybe her week!

I sent Thing1 the picture and he commented:

What is the square plastic thing? I've only seen them in history books.

From Thursday

I was going through the wifes pictures from the Montgomery Gentry show on Thursday and this one just jumps out.



A great shot!

And She's Gone

They are off to see the boys



The wife (center), her sister (right), and a friend are off in the limo to see Montgomery Gentry at the Rosemont Theatre. From the front row...

Me - Thing2 has a choral concert tonight.

Montgomery Gentry - Again

They are playing the Rosemont Theater in October. The wife wants to go. I don't so she talks to a friend and she'll go. Then her sister calls and wants to go. Why do I care? Cause I'm supposed to find 3 tickets in the first 5 rows!

Ok - no problem. The wife is a member of the fan club and there is a presale. Good shot there. However the presale is run by Music City Networks and they keep changing the time when seats go on sale. First 8:00 CDT on Friday. Great - no problem. No tickets available at 8:00. Then they post a message - 9:00 CDT on Friday. Crap! I've got a meeting to attend. So I go late to the meeting and still no tickets. Luckily for me it's a short (and frustrating) meeting. At 9:26 they post a message - tickets at 10:00am CDT. And it really happens.

Except the tickets start at the 8th row. Oh well. I resign to paying scalper, I mean ticket agent prices next week.

So today I'm painting the front door and I decide to check Ticketmaster at 11:00. Three tickets - way in the balcony. Two tickets - back of the main floor. Single ticket - front row just left of center! Bought it. Check again and get another front row just right of center. Will I get lucky and get a third?

Nope. Ended up with a 10th row just off center. But every one is happy and I don't have to pay scapler prices!

More money for knives!

Montgomery Gentry

The wife is a big fan of the boys AKA Montgomery Gentry. Their music speaks to alot of different people. I can listen to most of it as, to me, it's not really country. More of southern rock - like Skynrd. She had come across a pair of front row seats (at slightly more than retail) so off to Rockford we went.

The part of Rockford that the show was in is a business district. Weekends are quiet. Spooky quiet. We got there around1:00 pm and found nothing to do. Walked around a bit and decided to get a beer.



J-Bears is a nice small bar run by a die-hard Bears fan. $1.50 drafts were nice. Had a few and decided to walk around some more. Turns out the boys were doing a sound check so we kinda slid in between a couple of trucks and watched. The MG people didn't care. They just asked us to stay off to the side and be quiet. The wife was really happy.



After an hour or so one of the event staff kicked us out. The wife noted that all the men that had asked us what we were doing there acepted the fact that one of the crew told us we could stay. The one woman to come by kicked us out.

As we left we ran into a couple from central Wisconsin. They too had come early expecting to find things to do. We pointed the way to J-Bears and off they went. We headed back to the car to get something and ran into 2 girls from Madison and another group from Addision. Talked for a minute and off we went to bar. Beer and Pizza soon ensued.

One of the girls from Madison, Kimberly, had won a meet and greet with the boys. The wife was really jealous but wished her well. For some reason Kim asked for our cell numbers.

We left the bar to go get an umbrella from the car as a drizzle was starting up. Ran into the girls again and they asked if we were headed back to the bar. Sure - why not?

At the bar Kimberly pulled the envelope out and was showing it to the wife. She asked her to listen closely as the instructions were very specific. It took a second for it to register. Kimberly gave the wife the meet and greet pass. What an Angel!



Kimberly is on the right. Turns out they are huge MG fans and have met them a few times. A random act of kindness for a total stranger. Made the wifes day. Mine too as I'm not going to be able to top this for the rest of year so no more shopping!

After we got into the park the wife headed off to the meet and greet. She said the boys were total gentleman. Eddie remembered her from the sound check and seemed upset that she had been kicked out when we being quiet. After a few autographs and pictures it was over.



The opening act was Paul Thorn. Great performance and excellent songs. Ended up buying his CD/DVD (watching the DVD right now). If he shows up in your area go see him.



The park where the show is held is right along the Rock River. Lots of boats came by to listen. Can't see anything but no doubt the music was good.



In case you're wondering - its the Stars and Guitars festival



And then it started...















Two hours later it was over. Excellent show. It seemed as if Eddie recognized the wife as he looked right at her and sang to her a couple of times.

Outside there were a couple of bikers on custom Harleys awaiting autographs. I don't think they got them. Shame as the bikes looked as nice as the girls...



And in case you don't know who sponsors Montgomery Gentry - take a guess.



Headed for home around 11:30. Talked to a cop and asked the best way home. He advised not taking the way we had come as it was, as he referred to it, a part of Hell. Instead we took Business 20, found a McDonalds to get a shake (one of 5 we passed before getting to the Tollway) and headed home.

A pretty good day.

Late night

The wife managed to score a couple of front row center (well slightly right of center) seats for one of her favorite bands, Montgomery Gentry. A little bit out of the way in Rockford but nothing terrible. Drove up early thinking there would stuff to do but other than hit the local bar, J-Bears (highly recommended), there was nothing. So we hit the bar :-)

Great show. Back home around 1:00am (real late for old people like up). The tickets were expensive but worth the money.

More pics later...

Country Music Awards

I was watching this for a bit waiting for 24 to come on. With Jeff Foxworthy as host it was good clean fun. He had a line that just fit.

Sure I listed to rap music. Daily. At every stop light and stop sign

I can relate to that. :-(

While I'm not much of a fan of the genre I enjoy Montgomery Gentry, Big and Rich, and Toby Keith. So when countrys boy band, Rascal Flats, won for best duo/group I realized that too many teenage girls listen to country. At least 24 is on soon...