TL Squad •• Concert Wish List

We all have a list of artists we are dying to see perform. The TL babes always get asked the question,  "What current country tour are you hoping to catch soon…?" 

Well, here are your answers from the entire TL squad….

Christy •• My Concert Wish List:

When it comes to artists I haven’t seen live yet I can easily name who is first on the list: Sam Hunt. With the dope groove that his music has, he’s the one artist that I’ve been craving to see a live performance from.

But then there’s also the artists who I could never get enough of and therefore have to be included as well. Who are these artists you ask? Well I’ve said it time and time again but just in case you need a refresher…Joel, L&T, Kels, Brooke, Michael, and FB.

Megan •• My Concert Wish List:

Although I have seen these acts before, they were some of the first to hit my mind when asked who is on my country music wish list. I wish I could see these men at least once a year, every year, for the rest of my life.

Alan Jackson // 

This man and his timeless sound have had my heart since his album, Drive. When that album came out, I was in the 5^th grade and practically burned a hole through the thing.

Brooks & Dunn // 

Aside from the fact they were duo of the year for almost every year I’ve been alive, Brooks & Dunn songs will always bring my soul back to where it belongs.

Alan, Kix, and Ronnie produce a nostalgic feeling and seeing them live amplifies that sentiment. They take me back to my childhood like no other artists can —

They help me feel free.

Carly •• My Concert Wish List:

In Utah we don’t get much concerts, so here are a few of my wish list artists:

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE:

Duh, who doesn’t love a little FGL, joinin’ the tribe & bumpin’ the night with these two party animals? They’ve been to Utah before, and I’ve seen them 3 times, but last time they were here, was the DAY that “Dirt” was released. AKA, over a year ago!! I need some SunDaze, Smoke & Sippin’ on Fire in my life, ASAP! If you follow me on any social media, you’ll know these two men & their ladies are my mains!

BLACKJACK BILLY:

I saw these dudes in 2014 at Country Jam & have loved them ever since, sadly, I have never seen them since then either. Their vibe is so chill and I love their feel good attitude.

KELSEA BALLERINI:

Our favorite tomato here in the world of TL, whom I’ve never seen, yet LOVE, she’s a sweetheart and the real deal. Her music is so inspirational and it makes me have dance parties here & there ;)

SAM HUNT:

Two words: JULY 29. I will finally see the man behind the house party! I am so stoked beyond words. Sam has been on my radar for a minute now, and he just gets better and better ;)

Morgan •• My Concert Wish List:

My concert wish list is a mixture of acts I've already seen, combined with newbies I'm dying to rock out to in person.

Billy Currington:

If you asked me who I'm listening to the most these days: Billy Currington.

If you asked me who I think has the album of the summer: Billy Currington.

And If you asked me who I'm dying to see perform: BILLY CURRINGTON.

I mean let me be honest for a second, I would pay a ridiculous amount of money to see this guy rock out in Knoxville. I currently can't think of anything better than Jonesin' with BC.

Whiskey Myers:

This band has captured my heart. With their rock n' roll sound and deep southern roots, they reel me in within a matter of minutes. They are the type of guys that you listen to for hours without even noticing. 

 I've found myself deep in their albums for the last couple of months and I actually squealed when I found out they were going to be playing in my tiny hometown in August. 

TWO WORDS: 26 DAYS

(expect a full review of the show coming shortly after!)

Clay Walker:

My first concert.

My favorite concert.

The reason I love country music.

I've been DYING to see Mr. Walker again and it looks like I finally will in August. Clay is set to perform at Cotton Eyed Joe in Knoxville, and I wouldn't miss it for the world. 

CONCERT REVIEW: FGL, THOMAS RHETT, FRANKIE BALLARD

Florida Georgia Line [FGL] // [5.9.2015]

Merriweather Post Pavilion // Columbia, MD

Who brought the party? Damn, that was Florida Georgia Line.

[Photo from Merriweather Post Pavilion]

When you live and share bills with your concert partner, sometimes things slip your mind. “You are buying the tickets for Toby, right?” & “You can snag those Eric tickets, can’t you?” are among the common phrases in our household.

When the week before the big FGL show, only miles from town, rolls around, this isn’t what you would expect:

“Hey babe, where are those FGL tickets?”

“What FGL tickets? I didn’t buy them…”

“Ummm… Neither did I”

That night when we went to buy them, we realized it was sold out and apparently had been for weeks.

We had already convinced two of our other friends to buy tickets and join us for this show. We had already made plans to meet up with another huge group of people for a tailgate. What were we supposed to tell them?

Secondhand tickets were sitting at and actually selling for triple if not quadruple face value and this was just for lawn seats. Luckily, we knew several people in the area who could keep an ear out for us. The day before and the day of the concert, we secured two of the three lawn seats we needed. That third ticket was going to be killer.

The concert ticket gods were good to us that day. We were granted a GA PIT pass for just as much as it would have been for a face value lawn ticket.

My tailgate tribe and I decided that I would take the pit pass to jam out to the opener, Frankie Ballard, but then somehow transfer the ticket to the person to whom it was destined. We were successful. I rejoined my crew in the lawn and the biggest FGL fan I know went to rock out with them in the PIT.

Frankie Ballard [FB] //

Frankie cannot disappoint. His energy filled that entire, sold out venue, and the fans could tell. He had the whole pit rocking [which some openers cannot accomplish] and had almost every fan in the lower pavilion on their feet, dancing, and singing along.

Frankie especially caught the attention of the pavilion when he jumped off the stage to go and join them. This Sunshine & Whiskey singer not only serenaded someone, but also asked for a sip of her beer [she gladly agreed].

He played his biggest hits: Young & Crazy, Sunshine & Whiskey, and Helluva Life as well as a party favorite, Drinky Drink. This Michigan native was born into rock & roll and won’t ever leave the stage without honoring that, so Frankie and his crew jammed out to a classic before saying goodbye to the crowd.

Thomas Rhett [TR] //

This man is a firecracker, a dynamite, and anything else that you can think of that involves heat, flames, and smoke.

TR blew the crowd away with some of his first singles like Something To Do With My Hands, Beer with Jesus, and It Goes Like This. Rhett also lit up the stage with his latest hit, Crash & Burn.

What I love about Thomas Rhett is, that even though I was in the lawn at this point in this show, his energy was able to reach every fan from the front row to the top of the lawn!

                                                  [PC: Heather Hettchen // @heather_hetch]

Recently, I have been impressed with an artist’s choice of covers to play while onstage. TR’s version of Uptown Funk sure brought the party to an all time high. Because Thomas Rhett leans towards this funk sound in his music anyway, this was more than an appropriate song for him to cover.

FGL //

Believe it or not — this was my first time seeing Florida Georgia Line. That is not to say that I have not been tracking their career, because believe me, I was jamming out to their first EP long before Cruise hit the radio waves, but for some reason, I hadn’t made it to one of their shows.

 

[PC: Heather Hettchen // @heather_hetch]

The boys did exactly what I was expecting them to; they threw a party. FGL played everything from their greatest hits, to fan favorites from the latest album, and covers from everything from Dre to Garth.

They started their show with Every Night and walked off the stage for the first time, but not the last, after This is How We Roll.

When they came back for their encore, I was not sure what to expect. The boys played Sundaze, Party People, and covered snippets from four different songs. The cover montage crossed genres like rap, r&b, rock, and country.

FGL closed the show with the song the jumpstarted their career; Cruise.

All I have left to say to FGL is, dayum, baby, dayum, you boys sure know how to throw and party.

What I Wore //

For this show I chose my black cut off jeans and my License to Boot [LTB] Whiskey Bent and Hellbound tank. Because after all, it is an FGL show, I tied my Tribe Kelley Inhale Good Vibes flannel around my waist. LTB’s fringe necklace completed my look along with a few boho bangles and I was ready for the night.

 

Concert Review: FGL, Frankie Ballard, and T Rhett

1.15.2015

Huntington Center || Toledo, OH

Night One of the Anything Goes Tour

Frankie Ballard, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line

Frankie Ballard: I just cannot get enough of FB, hence why this was my 6^th show of his. This guy cannot give a bad performance. Watching Frankie perform refreshes my soul because he gives so much of himself to his fans during his set and overall with his music. Whether he’s singin’ one of his #1 songs or killin’ it on his guitar, he does something to me that few other artists have the ability to do. I might be a little biased when I say this, but keep an eye on this guy…this is only the beginning for him. He’s on the fast lane to becoming a superstar, and I’m betting this is gonna be a big year for him. He’s also one of the sweetest guys you could meet, so he’s more than deserving of the success.

Thomas Rhett: I had no expectations when I saw Thomas Rhett’s name on the lineup for this tour, I had never seen him perform prior to this show but I love gettin’ in a jam sess when he comes on my radio. Let me tell ya, he blew me away from the minute he stepped onto the stage. His set list included a few songs from his upcoming album that’s comin’ later in the year. He also mixed it up by closing out his set with a song that’s been playing everywhere, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk. He had the hat, glasses, and the dance moves. That boy can dance. Ps. His wife was in attendance looking beautiful as ever.

Florida Georgia Line: Prior to the show I had seen the guys once while they were out on tour with Jason Aldean. Well, they gave him a run for his money. FGL puts on one of the best shows in country music. It wasn’t just a concert; it was a party with thousands of their friends. That’s what they make it feel like. They do not leave that stage until they have given the crowd every ounce of energy inside of their body. Not only can you see the passion they have for what they do, but you can feel it when you’re watching them run around from the farthest corner on one side of the stage to the other so they can engage with as many fans as possible. BK dances around that stage with so much soul that you can’t take your eyes off of him because he captivates you, and Tyler has got some dance moves of his own that captivate you in a different kinda way but he also reaches down into his soul to hit notes that you didn’t even know were comin’. And when they come together on stage to do their so called “bro country” thing, the room is in awe. The chemistry between them while performing is something so special to watch, as they pass each other and bump fists you know you’re seeing two best friends living out their wildest dreams together. The highlight of the set had to be when BK & Tyler went off of stage only to come back on with swim trunks and Jordan’s. It was time to get our Sundaze on. Following that the guys did a mashup of  Eminem’s Forgot About Dre, Wiz Khalifa’s We Dem Boyz, Garth Brook’s Friends in Low Places, and Bruno Mars’ Treasure. They didn’t forget to give their beautiful women a shout out for putting up with the crazy life they live; B.Cole was in the crowd, Hayley was with family in Cali.

The best part of my night was before the show even happened, at the FGL Anything Goes VIP Party. I was able to meet the guys and it was unbelievable. The party also included a short acoustic performance, where they performed four songs.

It only felt right to rep my dope Tribe Kelley threads to the show so I chose to pair my “One Hit” tee with a TK ball cap, some ripped up black skinny jeans, a hooded jean jacket with some plaid patches, and my favorite Timberland boots. BK even digged the choice.

I have nothing but positive vibes and mad love for all of the guys on this tour. I’ve been a fan of each artist since I first heard their songs, but with this show I have only fallen deeper into their music. Their passion for their music and their fans inspires me. It just does something to me when I’m watching an artist do their thing up on stage, and the feeling it gives me is indescribable. I could watch every night of this tour and never get tired of it. 

xox
Christy