When I was in the latter years of high school, I began to ditch the sounds of Nirvana and Alternative Rock, replacing it with a love for outlaw country music. And among the outlaws, my two favorites became Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. I desperately wanted to meet the man, a man who inspired me deeply with both his unique songwriting abilities, as well as his distinctive. I decided that my life would not be complete without first meeting Willie Nelson.

Some of my friends shared my love for Willie, so we attended the now defunct but once very popular Fourth of July picnic held in Luckenbach, Texas. I was totally blown away. The man was so old, yet he was still up there churning out songs like a pro. He played fast from one track to the other, much like the Ramones. As a result, then, his sets were short in length, but very worthwhile, as he played all of the top favorites of his fan base.

After the concert, which was held in Midland, Texas, my friend and I went backstage to the famous tour bus of Willie's, the Honeysuckle Rose. As we came to the bus door, Willie soon walked out. He was totally cool and allowed us to take photos with him. My friend's photo came out fine, but mine was a little blurry. I was heart-broken. I felt as if I had been robbed of a photo that would mean so much to me...one that I could actually frame and put on a wall without totally embarrassing yourself. And by embarrassing yourself, I mean that the photo was so distorted it resembled abstract art, not me meeting my lifelong idol.

So, while I got to meet Willie in Midland, I did not get the photo I wanted, however he did sign my ticket stub.

I saw Willie several other times after that, but did not have any luck getting close enough to him to ask for a photo. Well, I finally got that opportunity when I went to see Willie Nelson at The Backyard in Austin, Texas. Again, he was phenomenal! But, instead of focusing solely on the show, I was exploring a way to get a backstage pass for my cousin and I. Turns out, I hate kiss a heavy-set chick to get the pass. And while she wasn't my type, and I was totally not turned on to the idea of "making out" with the girl, I was giddy over the backstage passes she gave me. I gave one to my cousin and kept one for myself.

Soon, we were backstage. We hung out by Willie's bus and waited for him by the door. The security tried to run us off very quickly, but we would simply sneak into the shadows and hide until the guard went away. When the guard would leave his post, we would go back to the front of Willie's bus. Finally, Willie came out and said some kind words to bothe me and my cousin. Then he allowed my cousin to take a photo of Willie with my digital camera. I then took a photo of my cousin with Willie. After that concert, I can say that everyone who is a Willie fan should see him live at least once.  It is very rewarding. 

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