So after I landed in Detroit around 9:20am on Friday the 20th, my parents took me to IHOP for brunch on the way home, and our waiter was amazing, as were the strawberry cheesecake pancakes I ordered. (Seriously, if you get the chance try those & put some cream cheese frosting stuff on there too, yum) Anyway, got home, showered, got dressed in a cute little summer dress to wear with my cowboy boots & proceeded to wait 2 hours for one of my best friends to show up so we could leave for the Armada Fair to see David Nail. I wanted to be really early to get a good spot by the stage, but it wasn't as crazy as a few years back when Rodney Atkins played, and we had some time to explore the fair a little. I made a friend ;)
Now David Nail's management team has this deal that if you buy $50 worth of merchandise you get a meet & greet pass, and my friend Kim had bought stuff online so she had 2. Unfortunately there were 3 of us, so I bought a t-shirt & Tami bought a cd, and success, 3 passes & we all got to see David before the show. 
I was 2nd in line, and he looked at me and said, "You didn't come all the way from the Caribbean again, did you?" He didn't remember my name, but I felt so special that he recognized & remembered me. We got back onto the field & right next to the stage to enjoy the show. Unfortunately there was an obnoxious teenage boy next to me that I had to resist the urge to smack (lol, ok, you know I'm not really that violent, but I was super annoyed). Overall, the show was a lot of fun, and I danced by the stage with my girls. 
After the show I got a set list & a picture with the gorgeous keyboard player named Eric. And Kim got a drumstick because Eric the drummer remembered her from another show.
2 days later was the Thunder Country Jam in Grand Rapids, featuring Tommy Steele, Sarah Darling, Due West, Ash Bowers, Thompson Square, Chuck Wicks *heart*. Since it was a 3-hr drive I left home about 8:30am (though I was hoping for 7 or 8). When I got there I had to park 4 or 5 blocks away before joining my friends in line to get in.
Alea & me: 
Alea, Glenda, Kim, & I got in and managed to get front row on the far right. Other than an elderly man on the other side of the park I'm pretty sure I was the only one dancing for all the bands all afternoon, hahaha. The show started at 1pm with Tommy Steele, and I got a drumstick & had him sign it. Good start off to the show. I thought he was good. Next was Sarah Darling, and I got an autograph & picture with her after she was done too. Then Due West, and wow, think I'm hooked. Didn't buy the cd there because it was $20, but I'll probably buy it on itunes now because I couldn't find it at Best Buy or Meijer or anything. And when I went over to meet them they were super nice and said they were glad I was having a good time because they saw me dancing and they love that. If you haven't heard it you should look up a song called "Between the Bible & the Belt" hahaha I mentioned that I was hoping for a guitar pick, and Brad took one out of his pocket & they all signed it.
Due West performing:
Then I missed part of Ash Bowers' set waiting in the line to meet Due West, and was sort of sick of going through the crowd for the meet & greets, so I didn't meet him, just danced along to his singing. Thompson Square wasn't really my cup of tea, and I was getting impatient for my Chuck Wicks. I'd been waiting over a year to see Chuck again! Lots of new music, some of which I'd heard on youtube. Sadly he didn't play "Over & Over", which I love & fear won't be on the new album. :( Anyway, at one point during his set he hopped off the stage and walked down the photo lane in the middle of the audience.
After he was done I was pretty worried that I wouldn't get to give him the calendar that I had made for him (filled with fan photos) because he wasn't doing his typical meet & greet. The radio station had mentioned that he might show up in the VIP section, which they gave me passes too, so I headed over there. Then I happened to see Alea over by the buses, and she waved me over. She'd told Chuck I was trying to give him a present so he was going to wait for me. In the mean time, while I was walking over there a bunch of people had gotten in line to see him so I waited in line. I harassed him for not remembering my name (because when I saw him last year he insisted he WOULD remember, and I KNEW that wouldn't happen with such a long time between shows - dang island life), and gave him hugs & his present. Pretty sure he thought it was pretty cool. We chatted a little, and then I hung out with Alea & finally got to hold & hug her gorgeous baby, Kelton. Had a woman tell me how beautiful my baby was. haha Little Big Town had started playing by that point so Kelton was my little dance partner. *heart* After Chuck greeted the last few fans that were waiting I went & said goodbye & he gave me another hug & a kiss on the cheek. Such a sweetie. Hopefully it won't be so long before I get to see him again.
Finally went back up with Kim & Glenda for the rest of the show, and Alea & her family left. I was surprised to discover that I really did know more of Little Big Town's music than I had thought, and the guy on our side of the stage, Philip, had an excellent stage presence. He recognized Kim & Glenda, and even from the stage was just friendly. He threw a guitar pick to Glenda, but it fell on the ground & between some cracks so I waved for another & he pointed at me & threw it. So both Glenda & Kim got their guitar picks. I was also impressed that the band waved off security to allow a mentally disabled woman to come closer to the stage for photos. They shook her hand & took pictures with her camera. Pretty sure that woman had the time of her life. On the music side, love "Little White Church". Whew, if you made it through all that, kudos to you! Thus concludes my accounts of my break concerts. :D
I'm glad you had a great time at the concerts! Michigan misses you!
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