Throwback Thursday - Delbert McClinton

Here's another Throwback from my good friend, JNJ!

Little background here. As I was watching Seth James singing "Cigarettes, Anger and Wine" at the Blue Light a couple of weeks ago, I remembered an interview I saw where he said, "That song was kinda like a Leon Russell/Delbert McClinton thing. If I sit down to write a song, I think, 'Are they gonna like it?'"

Delbert with Jana and Joe after one of his shows.

Another time I was in Ft. Worth at a Josh Weathers show, and between songs he was talking about his music direction and his personal direction, and he said he had the opportunity to visit with his hero, Delbert McClinton, the night before. He said after talking with Delbert, both his music and personal direction were now in focus.

These two great singer/songwriters know what should be evident to all. Delbert McClinton has influenced many people, but has never garnered the respect and admiration that he deserves. The cool thing is, he doesn't care... he just likes to write songs, sing and make people happy. I was fortunate the night after I saw Josh Weathers in Ft. Worth to go to Billy Bob's and see Delbert live. Amazing show! Now I have to give my sister Jana and her boyfriend Joe proper credit. I knew who Delbert was, and enjoyed his music, but Joe turned me on to all of Delbert. No telling how many times he has seen him live, and if he's close, they won't miss him.

The Grammy Award winning singer was born in Lubbock and then his family moved to Ft. Worth when he was 11. Starting in 1962 as a harmonica player, his music really hit the stage in the '70s, and he's been entertaining crowds ever since. A member of the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame, a lot of his songs were covered by big artists, such as his song "Two More Bottles of Wine," sang by Emmylou Harris which reached #1 in 1978.

Do yourself a favor and read up on and listen to Delbert. A true Texas Treasure!

 Givin It Up For Your Love:

When Rita Leaves (JNJ's fave):

I'm With You (Jana's fav):

-JNJ

Favorite Albums of 2012

Everybody on the blogosphere is posting their best/favorites of 2012. I decided to post what I have listened to most this year. I rarely listen to an entire album all the way through, much less over and over and these seem to have the staying power it takes to make me listen and hold on.

These aren't in any particular order because even picking 5 was hard enough, ranking them would just be impossible.

K. Phillips  American Girls

I know I just said these aren't in order, but if they were, this one would be first. In all honesty, American Girls has only left the CD player in my car long enough for me to pop one CD in, give it half a listen, and switch back to Screamin' K. Can't get enough - it's one of those albums that always has what you need to hear for any mood or situation. Every time I listen I have a new favorite song because it's just what fits the moment. If you haven't heard this album, start with "Rambler" and go from there.


Dirty River Boys Science of Flight

After listening to two EPs over and over, snatching recordings off YouTube and doing anything I could to get my hand on new DRB material, the wait for Science of Flight was well worth it. I never had any doubt in my mind that it would be amazing, but this album blew me away. I reviewed it fully here and my opinions have only grown stronger as this one has stood the test of time in my rotation in the past several months.


Turnpike Troubadours Goodbye Normal Street

I am not alone in saying this is one of the best albums of the year. It has popped up on nearly every list I have read so far and with good reason. I think this all goes without saying. I have harped on the glories of Turnpike many times before. Each album is better than the the one before, but I can still sit down and listen to every song they've ever released from start to finish and never get bored. They're music speaks for itself, but the lyrics crafted mostly by Evan Felker are a breed of their own. He can make such an ordinary situation into something special that hits home and resonates with every listener.


Six Market Blvd. Shake It Down

One of the things that has made 6MB one of my favorite bands since I discovered them almost four years ago is their diversity. Their first album, Running on Seven is one of my all-time favorites for that very reason. I was nervous that Shake it Down couldn't compete, but I have been proven wrong. It opens with the hard-hitting, bitchy "Say It," then goes to the Jimmy Buffet-esque "White Goose," to the sad, reflective "Getting Older" and then hits every nerve in between. The only thing that makes this album better is seeing the band play it live. This is one of the best bands around and you'd be silly to miss a show. I've seen them several times this year and I still can't get enough.

Shovels and Rope O' Be Joyful

This one is kind of the odd-ball of the group. But give it one listen and you'll understand why I can't put it down. It is pure fun. This duo just makes me want to stomp my feet on the front porch with some moonshine. Look them up on YouTube and watch them play. Yeah, that's two people making all that noise. If I accidentally listen to one of the songs off O' Be Joyful, you can bet I'll be listening to the whole CD on repeat for about a week before I get my fill. This is the only band on this list I haven't seen live yet but I'm thinking a road trip may be in order soon.


Honorable mentions-

Josh Weathers. Even though Big Night in the City  was released just a few months back, I can't nail it down to just one album because when I "discovered" him in April at LJT, I was listening to ALL of his music all summer long, making up for lost time I guess.

The Departed - Adventus. This one isn't on the list solely because I haven't listened to it as much as the others. Not because it isn't as good, but because it hasn't been out as long. I'm projecting that I will listen to this one as much in 2013 as I did some of the above albums in 2012.

Pistol Annies. I realize this is weird of me to be so obsessed with a girl band, but seriously... I'm obsessed. I have listened to their debut album as much, if not more, than most of the ones above, but since it technically came out in August of 2011, it doesn't qualify. I can't explain to you why I like this band so much but they speak to my soul. Spunky, twangy, sassy - they tell it like it is and make it believable (all thanks to Angaleena Presley, I do believe.)

The Trishas - High, Wide & Handsome. It took me a long time to jump on the Trishas bandwagon. I honestly think it's because I hated their outfits in the first pictures I saw of them. But with their new popularity, they have gotten significantly cuter so I gave them another shot. (Yes, I am that shallow.) Their music is kind of like the Pistol Annies but with far fewer white trash references. It's still incredibly relatable - Jamie Wilson can put any woman's feelings on paper and set them to a guitar. Combine that with Evan Felker's songwriting ("Little Sweet Cigars") and I'm hooked. 

Christmas Music That Doesn't Suck, Part 2

New Music Tuesday - Mumford & Sons, Josh Weathers

Well this weekend was full of activities which I cannot possibly re-cap properly because I just felt like it was more important to have fun than pay attention. I will say that I saw Chris Knight for the first time, and other than feeling like I should have popped 10 Prozac before hand, he was really good. And I am still loving his CD that came out last week.

I also went to the second annual JAB Fest. Mostly because my roommates wanted to go and they hardly ever want to do that kind of stuff. And also so I could say I have been to every JAB Fest someday if that is ever something to brag about. I'll just leave it at that. But evidently I missed one hell of a show by some band I've never heard of (Cadillac Black), and I heard the Hogg Maulies were good too, as usual. Creager and Morrow were a blast and those were about the only bands I watched. By the time Josh Abbott came on I was over it because there were too many frat dudes and sorority girls in my bubble. (Shocker)

ANYWHO. New music this week seems kinda scarce. Maybe because I'm being lazy, or maybe because the past two weeks were chock-full.

Mumford & Sons Babel came out. I haven't really listened to it yet. Honestly, I haven't been the biggest fan before, but they are growing on me. I'm not sure if it's my aversion to English accents or my stubbornness issues accepting bands who have the whole world on their bandwagon before me. BUT, like I said, they are growing on me.




And the only other new music I have today was kind of a surprise. I don't really know if this is considered a "release" yet. I really don't even know what is going on at all. This is what I do know: I nearly wet my pants when I saw this status on Josh Weathers' Facebook page the other day:

I didn't even know he had a new CD coming out soon. So naturally I immediately purchased it. It was in my mailbox when I got home last night and has been on repeat ever since. I will try to review it soon and get the rest of the information on how you can get it if you missed your window of opportunity. And can I just say, I LOVE how he is doing it old-school, by himself, through PayPal and shipping everything himself? I've heard that he is the hardest working man in local (Fort Worth) music and I'm beginning to see why. 

Read my live review from the Blue Light here (which I still stand by my word that it was the best concert I've ever seen there).

Josh Weathers - August 2, 2012

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you know that since their show on the acoustic stage at Larry Joe Taylor's Music Festival in April, Josh Weather's and the True Endeavors have taken Texas music by storm. I wrote about it here and I know several other websites have posted the video and gone on and on about how good Josh is. He took me by surprise at LJT so last Thursday night was my first time to see him that I was actually mentally prepared for what was about to take place.

I didn't know what type of crowd to expect. Blue Light is tough in the summer because a lot of the biggest music fans are out of town. Plus, unless these people invest as much time in finding new music as I do or were at LJT, they may not even know who Josh Weathers is because he isn't even played on the radio in Lubbock yet. The crowd was small, but I could tell right off the bat that there was a few handfuls of people who knew what was coming. I tweeted that I was almost as excited to watch the reactions from people who came unknowingly as I was to watch the band.

Charlie Stout opened the show and there was a short break before Josh came on. I was so giddy and excited I could barely stand the wait. I couldn't help but laugh at the people attempting to two-step... they were clearly the ones who didn't have a clue what was about to happen. Finally Josh and the Endeavors took the stage and kicked off with a bluesy "Fishin' in the Dark," and went into "Better Days." I don't think he was expecting to get such an awesome response from the crowd. A small group instantly clung to the front of the stage and sang along with their hands in the air and hooped and hollered in between songs. Then Josh brought out the harmonica for his new song "Keep On," which was all pretty and happy and uplifting.

The stage-crowd started to crow a little more and I found myself on the front row before too long. I've said before how amazing Josh Weathers is at engaging the crowd and keeping them focused on him and entertained. I mean, the man got a standing ovation at the acoustic stage at Larry Joe Taylor.  This guy just has that quailty about him. He could control an entire arena, but he has found his place in little bars in Texas. He called us all out when he tried to get us to clap along, and said "all you white people - this is called soul clappin'!" and got us all clapping along as he took us all into a great cover. I'm feeling pretty lame now because I texted my friend saying he covered Alan Jackson, then I was fact-checking and realized "Summertime Blues" is NOT a country song. Sorry, I'm a child of the '90s, what do you expect? But for the majority of the crowd who did grow up in the '90s, this was so much fun.

After a few more songs, the rest of the band left Josh on stage to do a few songs acoustic which included lots of covers - and oh yes.... Josh Weathers totally Rick Rolled everyone at Blue Light. He loves him some '80s jams. I know this because he told us. I didn't know any of these songs. Sorry.

And of course he belted out the long-awaited "I Will Always Love You" that gave me goosebumps even in my drunkenness in the 90-something degree weather back in April that led to a standing ovation and hundreds of new super-fans like me. And let me tell you, I have watched every iPhone video of this on YouTube since then, and what I saw the other night was the best one yet. Maybe because it was live and he was an arm's-length away or maybe because I was in my favorite place in the world, but I swear, it was the best one yet.

I swear I wasn't trying to stick my phone up Josh Weathers' nose. I couldn't figure out how to zoom out! By the way, I wanted to tell the crowd to shut up. But if I hadn't had my mouth a few inches away from my phone I would have been woowooooing the entire time.


After that, the rest of the band came back up and this was when shit got real. I have never been so captivated or seen the crowd as into the band before in my life. Josh has a true gift. He can work a crowd. He covered "Big Night in the City" and climbed up on top of the amp and got the entire crowd - not just the stage-crowders, even the people in the back of the bar - to sing along and repeat verses. We even whispered a few verses of "Hey! Baby" back to him. It was so cool to see the entire crowd interacting like that.

Josh Weathers - rapping.

I'm pretty sure he played for at least two hours. He could have played till 7 a.m. and everyone would have stayed right there. After singing a very very fun "Proud Mary" for Lance the birthday boy, everybody started chanting "11 more songs!" which always cracks me up. Another thing to love about Blue Light. He played a few songs I don't remember and then he rapped. Yes, he rapped. Not real sure what this was all about, but I loved it. I think I missed something here because some other guy got on stage and rapped some too. This whole shebang was so unanticipated, it got the crowd even more worked up then I thought possible.

Josh finished up by playing some more of his own songs and at some point was laying on the ground singing - he is just balls to the wall non-stop. On the last song everyone started slinging beer and the crowd demanded an encore and he obliged. The front of the stage was packed with all kinds of people. Blue Light regulars, Josh Weathers fans, and people who had never heard of him before. We were like one big happy family. I have been to the Blue Light so many times and have never experienced anything close to this. I promise I am not exaggerating. I have seen several posts on Facebook and Twitter from people who were there who said the same thing.

Since that night, when people have asked me how it was, I answer, "I can't even describe it. It was just an experience you'll have to see for yourself." Which is so true. Everyone was dancing and singing and slinging beer. It was something you only see in movies and wish you could be a part of; these things don't happen in real life. But I'm still not convinced Josh Weathers is real life. I'm pretty sure he is a God. If you don't believe me, check out him out at your earliest convenience and get hypnotized yourself.

Best LJT 2012 Performance

Last week I posted a recap of my trip to LJT and said I would have to come back and post about the Josh Weathers performance that shook the earth. Well, ever since I left LJT, all i have listened to is Josh Weathers. I now own all the CDs and have listened to them all countless times.

Before LJT I had really no clue that Josh Weathers was anything other than a name. I'd never really listened to him and certainly hadn't seen him live or heard him on the radio. I mentioned before how when he was playing I was pouting and pissy because the people I was with had lollygagged and made me miss the Damn Quails. I was listening to Josh and was impressed but wasn't paying that much attention. But still, it didn't take long for Carter and I to determine that he was in fact surprisingly good and sounded like a cross between Uncle Lucius (good) and Jonathan Tyler (amazing). We were impressed enough at that point to know we needed to do some homework when we got home, but it wasn't until the next song that we realized we would become H-U-G-E fans overnight (or in the matter of minutes). At one point he was just running all over the stage, pouring his heart and soul into a song and then....

THEN.... then. He did this:

At first I was like.... ummm, really? I mean I know it's a Dolly Parton song but Whitney Houston just died and I am so over that song. But then it just got better and better. And then he got a standing ovation. At the acoustic stage at Larry Joe Taylor. I didn't even know that was possible. And then, he's just such a good entertainer and so engaging, he got everyone to stay standing for the rest of his set. I think every person there had chills an even the drunk and hungover ones who weren't paying attention paid attention to him after that. I don't think I've ever heard a guy sing I Will Always Love You before, and normally I would think that was a joke, but after seeing that, well, Dolly better watch out. The boy's got the voice of an angel, and the soul to match. I will be buying every song he makes for the rest of his life. I hope he come somewhere I can see him again soon. If not, I guess I'll just have to go to him!

LJT 2012 - What I Remember

Last week I attended my first ever, but the 24th Annual Larry Joe Taylor's Texas Music Festival. I have heard of it for years and been dying to go but this was the first year I got the balls to actually go. I wanted to go last year but didn't realize it until all my friends left down and I was stuck in Lubbock and they were all having the time of their life. I am not gunna lie, I was scared shitless, but I think the excitement was a little stronger. I didn't have a plan, I just rode down there with a friend who happened to be leaving the same time as me and just figured I knew enough people going that I would be fine, and I was right!

Here is a little recap of my favorite moments - the ones I remember anyway - of my days at LJT!

Wednesday:

Missed the acoustic stage that day, and I REALLY wanted to see the Dirty River Boys but I know I'll get many more chances. I also missed Thom Shepherd, who I just recently got in to, and Ray Wylie Hubbard which is a complete bummer because he is a legend and I've never had the chance to see him.

I also missed Johnny Cooper, and I actually like his bee-bopping little self. He's different and the kid's a genius. Missed Cory Morrow, nothing new there, I'll get another chance for both of those.

I'm kinda sad I missed Great Divide on their reunion tour for my second chance to actually see them, but I can't lie, I was kind of a late comer to jump on that bandwagon. Like, I didn't even listen to them till they were over, so really no hard feelings there.

Me and Corey got there right at Kevin Fowler took the stage. I have never seen the Redneck Messiah live, but I've always heard he puts on a helluva show. I am not the biggest fan of his music because every song is either about beer or redneck women - which are both things i identify with - I just have a higher IQ than that. I miss his old stuff. That being said, LJT is the place for songs about beer and rednecks, so I really did enjoy his entire show. He certainly does put on a hell of a show. The man's an entertainer! No wonder he gets away with re-writing the same old songs over and over. Oh, and HELL YEAH, I like beer.

The Redneck Messiah and Carter's Rita Ballou koozie

Next up, Josh Abbott. I've seen him a million times, ever since he was just "that boy from Idalou." I always claim to not be the biggest Josh Abbott fan, but his concerts are always good and his songs are always good. I really do like his brand new album that just came out and I scrame (past-tense for scream) Flatland Farmer at the top of my lungs. Everybody else sings about cows and this boy sings about cotton and I love that. That's my thang.

Thursday:

Missed the entire acoustic stage Thursday because some more people were showing up and we were just distracted. Didn't miss much. Didn't really know anybody playing except I'd heard of Zac Wilkerson since he won the Blue Light singer/songwriter competition, and of course Gary P. Nun, which I can do without.

We got to the main stage during mark McKinney's show. He's kind of like Kevin Fowler, his songs are all about beer, the river, and rednecks. Again, LJT is just the right place and time for that kind of music, so I enjoyed it. Nothing special though.

Next, one of my favorites, Turnpike Troubadours. They kicked off their set with their new song, Gin, Smoke and Lies, and I was pumped. They were fantastic, as always. I would mary Evan Felker in a heartbeat. My friends joke around about me having a Turnpike fetish, but that's another story.

Somehow I made it up to the very front of the stage for Aaron Watson. Not sure how that happened but I think it had something to do with my boss, who also had tattooed her campsite to my arm earlier int he day when i went to her camper to take a shower and a *glorious* nap. Aaron Watson kind of irritates me. He is corny and sappy, and he may mean it, but I think he found a goldmine in little girls who just like to swoon and he does everything he can to make them swoon and it works. He ain't stupid, but I'm not either. Not falling for it. Moving on. (But I WAS really close!)

Lady's Man!!

What a great boss!

After Aaron was Wade Bowen. I vaguely remember a few of his songs, but I also think I was taking a little capnap on a cooler at that point. He always sounds just like he does on the radio so it was a snoozer, so naturally I took advantage of that.

Randy Rogers was next, and I was just exhausted at that point. I hadn't slept hardly at all the night before and I was just over it. I tried to stick it out and listen to his whole set, but if I am not either as close to the stage as possible or completely have a "fetish" for the band, I find it very hard to pay attention, especially if I've been drinking. So somewhere in his set, I begged my friend Keely to put me to bed in her parents camper. They fed me fajitas and put me to bed and it was the best sleep I've ever gotten.


Friday:


I was so excited for the acoustic stage on Friday because I was FINALLY going to get to see the Damn Quails. I jumped on that bandwagon in the very beginning and I still haven't gotten to see them. Everyone else acted excited to see them too, but we had some more people show up that morning, so between everyone lollygagging, we didn't get there until their second to last song. So I had to hammer some beers to stay friendly. Don't judge.

Next up was Josh Weathers. I had heard of him and maybe listened to him a few times on Spotify, but didn't know much else. HOLY SHIT. He blew me away. I was sort of ignoring him at first because I was ticked about missing the DQs and some hot shirtless guys were nearby, but then I paid a little bit of attention and me and Carter decided he sounded a little like Uncle Lucius and Jonathan Tyler. *WINNING* He straight up took us to church. I've never seen anyone with so much soul in my life. He was sweating and running all over the stage and jamming like nothing I'd ever seen. But more on that later. In fact, an entire separate post on one particular song he sang. I'm waiting because I could go on for days about it and I'm hoping a video surfaces soon.

Whew, enough about him. Clay McClinton was next, and I didn't listen or care because I was in a Josh Weathers hangover. Max Stalling was next, and he was good, which I figured he would be, but then we left somewhere in the middle of his set to go get ready for the main stage and missed Radney Foster.

The opener at the main stage was the lovely Charla Corn. I have never seen her and I usually hate women but she is growing on me. She effortlessly belts out the songs she wrote, that aren't about beer and rednecks and I can identify with. She is a winner in my book. Even if I do want to steal her job at The Ranch.

Six Market Blvd. was next and I have been DYING to see them for YEARS. They kicked it off with their new single, Say It and it rocked. Being from Stephenville they had tons of fans there, so the energy of the crowd was unbeatable. They rocked. Can't wait to see them again. They played some new stuff from Shake It Down and left me longing for May 22nd so I can hear it all.

Mike McClue was next. A guy I work with got me and my best friend Lindsey up to the front of the stage again, but I just wasn't that into it. He is good and different and all, but I was a little very drunk then and not paying much attention.

Mike McClure

Roger Creager was the same deal, good, but nothing special. I was too busy having fun with Lindsey and I can see him any time.

Creager!

Then it was time for Reckless Kelly. Let me tell ya, Lindsey and I have a thing for Reckless Kelly, but I'm not going into that story now. Basically we were just so super pumped to be seeing them again together and we were having so much fun. They put on a great show despite what they've been through lately and it was great to see them in the shirts and ties for the occasion (6MB did that too, and maybe some other bands, sorry if I didn't notice). [Google Mark 'Gus' McCoy if you don't know what I'm talking about.]

Then, closing out the night was Pat Green. He was one of my very first Texas music loves and I have for some reason never gotten to see him live. I heard last year he got booed off the stage, but I think he's made a big comeback and he's back to his old self now. He played a great show and I am SO glad he's back. I have decided that Carry On is probably my all-time favorite song of all-time. Lindsey got some cute tall boy to put me on his shoulders so my short little self could actually see him sing it, then we danced for a few songs and it helped make my first Pat Green experience even better! That was probably my favorite day at LJT all around.

Saturday:


Saturday's acoustic stage wasn't near as good as the day before. I think I stayed for part of Tommy Alverson and went to rest in the shade with my friend Bailey and "refresh" for the mains stage later. I wish I could have seen Josh Grider who opened it, I've liked him ever since he won the Billy Bob's thing last year and the Galleywinter guys always make a big deal about him, but whatevs. I wish I could have heard Walt Wilkins too, but I'm not too crushed.

Now this was the day I have been waiting for for MONTHS. The main stage started with Lubbock-boy (I know he's not really from Lubbock, but he got his start here) William Clark Green. I love me some Will Green and he was awesome. I was up at the front of the stage with a tons of Lubbock people so the energy was awesome and they did great. We were passing around a bottle of American Honey (my FAVORITE) and slapping the bag, so I was getting pretty sloshed at this point. Not to mention it was day four of this and I was hot and hungover and exhausted. But I couldn't be bothered because....

Me, Will and my friend Skylar

COOOOOODDDDERRRR GRRAAWWW!!!!! They are my second favorite band of all time (second only to Ragweed of course) and they broke up when I was practically still a baby and I was so so so sad. I have said for years if I could see any band it would be them, but it would never happen. Well I guess I got my wish! They were incredible. They kicked off with my favorite song of theirs, State Line. They played all the best songs, Llano Estacado (yes, I was really born on the Llano Estacado), Dirty Little Hometown Girl, Whiskey Bent and Hellbound, New Dress,... I could go on and on. Definitely a memorable and once in a lifetime experience and if I didn't go to see any band but them, the entire trip was worth it.

Pretty damn close to the front, I'd say!

Best concert ever.

Now, after all the celebratory drinking with my Lubbock peeps, I needed a little catnap... there's a big chunk after the CG show that I don't remember, but I know I took a nap in a lawn chair, woke up, had a hot dog and a Diet Coke, and I was good to go! Sometimes I just need a little "break." And I'm sorry to any of my new friends who I scared the shit out of, but thankful for my friends who know that's just me.

I was a new woman after my nap and hot dog, and I missed most of the Tejas Brother and Brandon Rhyder. I vaguely remember hearing them, but that's about it. I heard the Tejas Brothers were awesome though! Brandon Rhyder always sounds the same and he is good and all, but not very captivating. He's radio music.

Daryl Dodd was playing about the time I rolled back around. Hearing his music on the radio, I thought he would be a hokey fat old man. Nope, he's hot. He was awesome. Very entertaining and I want to see him again soon. Carter said him and Josh Weathers were the two most surprising and impressive shows. Interesting.

See? Hot.

Jason Boland was next, and I'd seen him a few times before. I love Boland because he is constant and never changes, but again, unless I'm front and center (like I was the last two times I saw him and LOVED him), I just can't get into it. They could have been playing his CD over the stereo and I'd never know the difference.

Larry Joe Taylor closed the show, of course. You can't say no to Larry Joe, in the words of Double D (Deryl Dodd)!! He only played a few songs, and then called everyone back out on the stage. This was another one of my favorite moments. He took us to church with everyone taking turns singing lines of By and By. I think they were making stuff up that had to do with LJT, but I couldn't understand very well. All I know is it was awesome. And adorable little Kylie Rae Harris ended the song and let me tell ya, that girl's got some pipes on her. It was awesome. I swear that song went on for about 30 minutes, but it was alright with me because I didn't want the night to end!

All in all, LJT was a blast and truly the time of my life. I really thought I would not have fun camping out with a bunch of boys and be so done by the second day and find a ride home and never go back. It was kind of the other way around though. Carter was saying that we aren't going till Friday next year, and I want to go on Tuesday!! I could have stayed another week. I am all rested up and I want to drag everyone to Crude Fest in a few weeks for round 2! I have never had so much fun packed into 5 days. It was my kind of fun all the way around.

Red Dirt Randy. I LOVE him! Carter said, "Hallie, that's you in 40 years." I think he may be right!

I'm not the only one who takes power naps in the middle of a crowded concert. 

I love this. Ready to go back right.now.

Love these girls!!!

Lindsey and some co-workers and I front row!

Good times with some of my favorite people!

Thanks for the good times Larry Joe and see ya next year!!!!!

Yeah, that's Carter's 1961 Luxury Liner. Be jealous.