PRESS CONFERENCE//INTERVIEW: Garth Brooks

An invitation of a lifetime.

"Ms. Morgan Hill Sellers, you are invited."

WHO: Garth Brooks
WHEN: Friday, May 29th, 3:00 PM
WHERE: Inside Pratt Pavilion at Thompson-Boling Arena
Please park in G-10 parking garage.
 
All media in place by: 2:45 PM
Media crew load-in time: 2:00 PM
Crews: Need to supply own power

Please RSVP if you plan to attend, and include all crew names or at least the number, as well as if you are requesting a one on one interview. 

After a minor heart attack, I RSVP'ed, asked for a one-on-one, and waited patiently for a response. 

Within minutes, it was confirmed. I would be meeting AND interviewing a guy who's music I grew up on. 

The day rolled around. Friday was here.

I grabbed my best friend and favorite photographer and off we went. 

Me to interview ; her to capture the moments.

Here is what Garth had to say:

Ps…you'll notice that a lot of times Garth turned the table on me and made me feel like the one being interviewed.

GB: Okay, first off, what is up with the way y'all are dressed!?!

Ha! Do you like it or no?

GB: "UM YES. It's fantastic. I just feel underdressed though I think!"

GB: "Okay so I was telling someone else earlier about my daughters. Y'all just reminded me of something. Our daughters had little things they could get at different ages. Like at 12 they got a cell phone but they couldn't make a call. The only two numbers in it was their mom, and myself, and Ms. Yearwood. When they got 14 they couldn't text still but they could take pictures. And it was so hard to find phones for the youngest one that didn't take pictures anymore. They had to stick to the rules. Then when they were 16 they could wear "hanging down" earrings. And then at 18 they got to get a Facebook AND they could got a tattoo. So the first child came in with a little heart like Taylor Swift has on her. Second child, same thing. Third child came in, 18th birthday, [full sleeve]. It's like really? I kinda went crazy. That's just a dad thing though. My daughter has like three or four, it's a story, on her arm. So, it's beautiful, but a little hard for dad."

What has this "comeback journey" been like for Garth?

GB: "You're scared to death if they don't show up, and you're scared to death if they do. It's been a good ride. It's been a good kind of scary. It's been a good kind of nervous. And it's been a good kind of dizzy."

Some people say you left right at the peak of your career. So why leave then? And why return now?

GB: "I raised my kids. That's what I did. Was I scared to death to leave? Sure. Um, here's the thing too, if I had left music to go do something that wasn't as fun or I didn't love as much, that would've been a sacrifice. But I left music, to go do something that puts music to shame. Being a parent, there's nothing greater than that."

So I get to see what this Garth experience is all about tonight for the first time…

GB: "Well that's because you are baby…" 

Ha! Yes, I'm 23. But my parents saw you when you were here. 

GB: "Do you still have both of your parents? Did they have fun when they came?"

They had SO MUCH fun. And they've told me to go into tonight and love every second of it. I've heard nothing but good things.

GB: "Are you familiar with my music?"

I am!

So I get to see you on stage tonight, but what is life like off stage for Garth?

[looks down at his sweat shirt and jeans and laughs]

GB: "Well, it looks just like this. I like to eat a lot. Trisha is a fantastic cook! In our place, if you had property, when I was a kid, it was because you inherited it or you were rich enough to have it. We didn't have either. So, to get your own farm…I've had my own farm now for 25 years. It's kinda where I spend my time. I just love doing that. I love my babies. Whenever they come out I put them to work because they are free labor! That's what I just love to do."

(Here's where the topic changed to time spent with the love of his life, Ms. Yearwood)

GB: "There's people who believe that if you believe in reincarnation then you aren't a Christian. I'm not sure. I'm not sure what happened in the past. I just know that if their was a past, I found Ms. Yearwood in that past and if there's a future like that, I'll find her again. So I'm with the love of my life for a thousand lifetimes. So ANYTHING with her I enjoy doing. If you are gonna be with her, then she reads a lot of books. I usually just sit across from her and stare at her. Makes her a little uncomfortable. She also loves to binge watch her stuff like Grey's Anatomy." 

Netflix?

GB: "Ohh absolutely.  That's just what you kinda do when you hang out with her. And that's how I like to spend my time."

So I work with artists on the rise, I wanna know who your favorite new country artists are?

GB: "Hmm. On the rise is tough for me because I don't get to see that many people who aren't on the radio yet. Is that what you're talking about?"

It could be. Or possibly someone who's career is just beginning. Maybe just now on the radio or releasing their first few singles?

GB: "Ohh, that's tough. REALLY TOUGH. Cole Swindell is a cool kid. He's really nice. And uh, what's his faces boy. Um, his name…

Thomas Rhett?

GB: "Rhett. Yeah. He's a sweet kid. He, Thomas Rhett, I was playing Vegas and he stood up and goes, 'I've got a question.' And I looked at him and went, 'Hey, do you know who you look exactly like?' before I even knew. He is the spitting image of his father. And, I don't know if you know this cause you're not old yet, but once you get old, everybody kinda freezes in time. So, I think his dad still looks like that, ya know? So I thought he was his dad when he stood up."

GB: "Also, There's a little girl who's touring with us: her name is Karyn Rochelle. Phenomenal writer. Phenomenal singer. And there's a kid named Mitch Rossell who is a hell of a songwriter." 

But rest assured,  just because Garth could see someone like Cole Swindell or Thomas Rhett making it big in Nashville doesn't mean he's looking to retire anytime soon. 

So, just how long does Mr. Brooks see himself doing this?

GB: "Touring? Well first off, that's up to God and the people, always. And then it's up to me. It's up to my wife…because I'm married. It's up to her. I hope her answer is 'till the day I die.' I really do. I sat on the sidelines for 15 years and watched it, and I never wanna sit on the sidelines again." 

There you have it, the legend known as: Garth Brooks.

"This tour and these crowds, yeah, they've put the 90's to shame."

Here's to great music, GB's contagious energy, and many more world tours in the future. 

Thanks for the interview, Garth. And thanks for the memories. 

Morgan Hill Sellers

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

CONCERT REVIEW: Thomas Rhett & Chris Lane

1|31|2015
Live At The Joe

Thomas Rhett & Chris Lane

Cotton Eyed Joe|| Knoxville TN

Prior to show…

I was lucky enough to be allowed exclusive access to Chris Lane's soundcheck a few hours prior to the big show. [and bring a cool TL inspired cookie cake. #TLlovesCL] 

It was cool to see just how much truly goes into setting the place up before a big show. I also loved being able to see Chris and his band on a more personal level. They share an incredible bond. After just a few minutes with them, you could tell they were much more than bandmates, they were brothers and friends.

Anyone who follows Chris Lane on social media will understand my excitement when I say these three words:
I  M E T   L O U!!!!!!!!!!!!
…and YES she is just as cute as she looks!!

And for those of you wondering who Lou is…read this and fall in love!! 

"This morning I was homeless and hungry. This afternoon I'm loved and cruising down the road on a big tour bus." 

#LouisianaLane #LouEasy #RescueLou

Chris Lane

Chris Lane has been one of the new artists on my radar for a while now. I had the chance to interview him [here] almost a year ago and I've been a HUGE fan ever since. When I found out he was coming to open for Thomas Rhett I literally jumped for joy. 
I'm willing to bet most of you all know Chris because of his single Broken Windshield View. I know that it had quite a bit of exposure here in Knoxville so I imagine y'all maybe jammed to the tune too without even realizing who the man behind the song was.

Chris Lane puts on an incredible show. I love the classic Chris songs and dancing along to Broken Windshield View, but I'm totally 'fangirling' over all the new tunes he's layin out.
This show made me even more excited for another EP/album!

This guy has an amazing heart and an incredible work ethic. Can't wait to see what the future holds for this guy!
Sidenote…Chris Lane looked pretty good in an orange TN shirt on stage. 
[even hours after we lost to Auburn]

Thomas Rhett

After Chris Lane got the crowd groovin' another artist took the stage.
Thomas Rhett. Ya ever heard of this dude? [if you say no, you live under a rock]

This was my first time seeing T Rhett headline and oh my goodness was it the greatest thing I've ever witnessed. 

First and foremost, is it even considered a bar concert if someone doesn't cover Friends In Low Places? 
Cause T Rhett checked that item off his concert list. 
And it kinda had me sayin' Garth who?
Seriously, the covers are worth starting the review with. We had Friends In Low Places obviously, but the highlight of the night for 99% of the crowd? Yeah, that'd be an Uptown Funk cover. With his fedora in place and his dance moves on point, T Rhett showed Bruno Mars what was up.

Favorite Performances /&/ Best Moment

We had a Parking Lot Party 
We talked about what to do with our hands.
We strived to get us some of 'that' 
And we considered what it would be like to throw back a can with the Man upstairs. 

While those performances blew me away, hearing the words "That Ain't My Truck" made my heart flutter and gave my belly butterflies. All my friends refer to me as the "90s queen". Seriously, was there anything better than the 90s? Anyway, Thomas's dad, Rhett Atkins, recorded this little ditty in '95 and it's constantly on repeat for me! Having T Rhett AND his dad sing that song on stage in my hometown really changed my life. I am currently still getting cold chills thinking about it. There's just something about hearing one of your current favorite artists sing a song with another artist whom you've loved for years and years. 
It just so happens that this time those artists are also father and son. 

[[quick recap]]

Thomas Rhett can do NO wrong in my book. 

Anyone who can give me chills, make me cry, and help me revive my love for 90's country deserves a sold out show…
THE BEST PART? 
I get to do it all over again this weekend.

Stay tuned...
T Rhett Round Two 
2|6|2015
Thomas Rhett & Chase Bryant
Cotton Eyed Joe || Knoxville TN

slideshow crowd photos provided by Q100.3 Country
header photo provided by Brad Parker edits made by The Tennessee Life