Country Musicians

Maybe you’ve noticed that I’m an avid Country fan by reading a few of my hubs. If not, well, it is true – I love country music. I haven’t always though. I used to like that pop-type genre of garbage with a bangin’ beat, which is fun to drive around in the summertime with the windows down listening to.

I’ve come to realize though that country music is just as fun and probably more fun. Something’ about driving around in a beat-up pickup, just like Taylor Swift’s music video for Tim McGraw, listening to some good old back country hick music really gets me going.

I haven’t been to a whole lot of live concerts but the funny thing is – the ones I have been to have all been country, even back when I wasn’t a country fan. I figured this was hub-worthy. Enjoy!

I saw Martina McBride back in 2008 and the best part is that the tickets were free. As luck would have it I got them through a partnership with a local radio station where they were giving away free tickets to a select number of people.

Martina has been active in the country music scene for years now, making her debut back in 1992 with her single “The Time Has Come,” yet I wasn’t all that familiar with her. In fact I was like, who are we seeing again? However, I went to the show with my free tickets and it rocked.

We got bleacher seats but hey, they were alright, what did we expect? Even from this distance away I spotted Martina’s vibrancy and energy and certainly could hear her outstanding vocals.

The next concert was completely unexpected. It was a Thursday night about 4:30 pm on a warm day this past summer, and as I’m gearing up to head home from work come 5 o’clock, a female customer approaches me. She has two concert tickets in hand and tells me that she can’t go to the 7 pm show that evening and would like to give them away. I lean in to read the names on the tickets. Toby Keith with guest star Trace Adkins!

Once again, I’m only a mild country fan at this point as I had just begun listening to country radio fairly recently and wasn’t familiar with hardly any country stars - but I did recognize these two names.

I got excited. I graciously took the tickets and told the woman that I’d make sure they were used. I turned around after she had left and I’d realized that somehow, none of my coworkers had seen this exchange. I suppose I could’ve tucked them into my pocket but then I’d be concert bound with a guilty conscious.

I spoke up, and flaunted the two tickets in my hand and the funny thing is – nobody was interested! I guess I don’t work with a lot of country fanatics and that is okay. With that being said, two hours later I was inline at the pavilion! Wooooo!

I had picked up a girlfriend of mine on the way as I called her five minutes after leaving work to see if she wanted to go. She said she had plans with the boyfriend but would try and get out of it. Less than five minutes later she called back – had cleared her plans, and we were golden.

The show began with Trace Adkins front and center on stage, his long ponytail as his trademark! I recognized a few of the songs being played but my definite favorite by him that night was This Ain’t No Love Song. He also played Ladies Love Country Boys and Honky Tonk Badonkadonk. He rocked the place for a good 45 minutes and then the man of the night was up.

Toby Keith rocked the house right from the beginning when he drove his pickup on stage and got out the back of his pickup cab and began strumming and singing. This was unbelievably awesome. His hit “How Do You Like Me Now” and “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” were my faves by Toby.

This show was awesome and looking back it sure does seem that this show is what really turned me into a country fanatic. I guess you could say those free tickets were the best present I’d ever gotten from a customer before. Six years in retail and maybe, just maybe, this concert made possible by the greatest customer, made it worth it.

I know it was Toby’s show as Trace was the mere opening act, but since I knew more of Trace’s songs ahead of time I enjoyed him a bit more. Both guys are extremely talented country artists and maybe someday I'll get to see them perform again.

Plainly the price of concert tickets is a bit ridiculous, so I’ll be here waiting patiently to snag up my next batch of free tickets! The radio stations are constantly giving away tickets and boy I’d love to see tSwizzle next.