This blog will be a little different than most as I had the fortunate opportunity to see Blackberry Smoke twice within a week of each other. And chalk it up to being busy with real life (or lazy), I'm going to blog about both at once. Shoot me now.
3.16.12- Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC. We were not able to leave Greensboro for this show until 6pm. So with and an hour drive ahead of us, I was nervous about obtaining the ever elicit "rail space" in front of the stage. Jay will tell you, I FREAK out until we get our spots and I know for sure I will be able to see. Hey, being just a little over 5 foot tall I deserve to freak a bit. As we were driving into Raleigh we hit a little traffic congestion and as it turns out was due to an Elton John concert that night. But that evening, the traffic gods smiled upon us and we got there well before the venue opened.
Once inside we got comfortable as we knew it would be a long wait until BBS took the stage. The first opening band Scarletta was forgettable at best. They were a young band best suited for dancing with the stars due to their heavily choreographed routines and artificial poses on stage. And that's all I'm saying about them. The next to take the stage was Tim Montana who we enjoyed a bit more. His style of music was kind of like a mix between grunge and country. Yep, someone was able to do that. I was very entertained by his guitarist that looked like a cross between Elvis, Unknown Hinson and Billy Ray Cyrus - FOR REAL - LOOK!
Finally, BBS took the stage. I think this must have been one of their first weekend shows at the Lincoln Theatre and just had to be sold out. It seems the word in NC has spread like wild fire and their fan base is solid in the Tarheel State. I think everybody abided by the old bring a friend adage. We also met a number of people who had just got into BBS because they had seen the Direct TV show that has aired many times. Either way, the crowd was excited and a good vibe in the air. The one problem with going to see a band sooo many times, is that their set list becomes predictable. This is NOTHING against the band and it's understandable why they keep the same set list. All musicians for the most part do this. However, we did get to hear Testify which we hadn't heard live very often. After playing Sleeping Dog, Charlie proclaimed, "I hear Elton John is in town. I bet he never said stink on shit!" Ha, somehow I think Mr. Starr is correct about that one. Quickly, becoming one of my favorites is Whippoorwill that Charlie wrote for his grandmother. Just before playing this one, Charlie requested "Hey, Mr Light Man, make it cool and spooky in here". The lights went low and Mr. Light Man created a spinning star effect throughout the theatre. The night ended with the band playing White Lightening dedicated to a wheelchair bound fan.
3.24.12 - Georgia Theatre, Athens , Georgia. So fast forward a week later. Jay and I are southbound and down headed to Athens. (Yes I know it's eastbound and down - but it's my blog so today its southbound and down.) We had just attended the Zac Brown show in Columbia the night before - which I will write about later. We were fortunate to be in attendance for the DVD filming of the Georgia Theatre show last summer and were excited to be heading back. This time we had plenty of time to get in line for the show - but I was still stressing. The doors opened at 8:00 pm so we arrived at 6:30 pm and were excited to be first in line. Whew! Soon after taking camp in front of the door we were joined by a nice couple Mike and Tonya who had seen the band only once at the Buckhead show. They were fans of being up front and in the crotch as well! Soon the line formed, however a number of folks headed to the roof top bar. The rumor spread that they let everyone up there in before the line at the door. We asked an employee at the Georgia Theatre and he assured us that this was incorrect and everyone would be let in at the same time. We soon found out he was wrong. Mr. Doorman came to the door at about 7:50pm and said "you two- (pointing to Jay and myself) come in". He then explained as it turns out, that the bar DID let people in early. BOO to the Georgia Theatre for not making this policy public knowledge. BOO! As it turns out, we were still able to get up front but several people who had waited behind us specifically to get a seat, did not. I have no doubt that they waited longer than most people in the bar. It just made me sad for them.
First in Line
The opening band was Thomas Wynn and the Believers from Orlando. Unlike, many people in the crowd I did not find them to be unbelievably awesome. They were a good bar band. Other than the harmonica player, there was nothing out of the ordinary about them. The harmonica player on the other hand was A-MAZ-ING!
As we were waiting for the stage change we found out that almost everyone around us had been at the live DVD taping. And we had all stood in the same general area. It was a pretty cool realization. BBS took the stage around 10:30pm and the energy was incredible. There was something in the air - an electricity. I can't put my finger on it, but it seemed as the theatre itself was alive. Maybe it's because they had just sold out the Georgia Theatre for the second time or because their families were there, but the band seemed to be having the times of their lives. The time flew by and before we knew it, they were taking their bows.
Here is where I will depart from the usual replay of the night. Jay asked me on the drive home what made me love BBS and their music. After thinking for a bit, I came to this conclusion. To say the band is humble, is passe at this point. I think a better description is that they are real. Real people with real lives and real families. And they share all of this with us. They do real things like shop for shoes. Upon arriving in Athens, we went to eat and them had some time to walk about town. Jay wanted to go into a specific shoe store that had a number Vans in the window. As we were shopping, we ran into Paul, who immediately said hello to us. I stuck out my hand to shake hands with him and he hugged me. Like a long time friend or a family member. And this is what makes BBS special. We are all friends with them on Facebook. We are watching their children grow up. We see the birthdays, holidays, etc and everything else that makes this band real We ARE a part of their lives. And we are making friends with each other because of this common bond. So we are in turn becoming a part of an even bigger family with each other.
So to their families- Thank you. Thank you for sharing your loved ones with us. We know it means missing special time together. Missed parties, school plays, ball games, recitals, etc. We know you are sacrificing a lot. In turn, please know that their music is something special. It makes our lives brighter. When we go to a show, we are able to turn off our problems and get lost in the moment. When we listen to a cd, we are reminded of more carefree times in our lives. So to the wives, girlfriends, and children of these amazing musicians - thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope one day we can repay you.
