Part 3 - "It just don't get no better'n that."

Part three of thishereblog is dedicated to life outside of the comfort zone.

Traffic picked up about three hours outside of Nashville. I pulled over in Kentucky to get gas and a taco truck blocked my exit.

The lady in the car beside me looked at me, and we instantly started laughing.

I tweeted: I just got blocked by a taco truck at a gas station as I was trying to leave. I’m pretty sure there’s a metaphor for life in there somewhere. #allthetacos

The amount of traffic was insane. There were carloads of women dressed like hipsters, hippies and hobos, which means one thing.

Eric Church is near, folks.

The night of the show, I parked at the stadium with no problems. I made note of the stall I parked in (#35) and I went about my night.

The first sign that something was amiss? The security guard at the gate told me that my ticket required another entrance.

I thought I had bought a seat a few rows up on one side of the stage. I don't usually like floor seats because I'm so short I can't see anything in front of me.

The security guard said I needed to switch lines and get a wristband to gain access to the field.

All right, I guess? I didn't put much thought into it.

Maybe I have to cross the field to get to my seat?

Once I found the right gate and the wristband, I took my seat on the football field. Another security guard (with beautiful blue eyes, I might add) asked me if I planned to jump on the stage during the show.

I looked at the main stage, and made a joke that I couldn't jump that far.

That's when Beautiful Blue Eyes pounded the black thing right beside him. That black thing turned out to be the stage.

My response was something like: "Holy shit. That's the stage?"

Black thing = stage.

Red dot = me.

--

During the song Some of It, EFC came to our side of the stage.

I grabbed my phone and started recording.

And just like that, my favorite singer was right in front of me, with no one in between us, singing one of my favorite songs. If you're wondering, his voice is even better in person.


What really makes you a man
Is being true to her 'til your glass runs out of sand

Some of it you learn the hard way
Some of it you read on a page
Some of it comes from heartache
Most of it comes with age

And none of it ever comes easy
A bunch of it you maybe can't use
I know I don't probably know what I think I do
But there's something to
Some of it

The very southern guy sitting next to me tapped me on the shoulder. 

"Ma'am," he told me. "It just don't get no better'n that."

I know, southern man. I know.

---

Tangent time!

The cool thing about going to concerts alone is that venues tend to have pretty good single seats available.

Meaning, when couples buy their seats, a seat is usually left between them. 

At one point that night, I looked up at the stars and around at the 56,000 people dancing and rocking out. 

I cried out of happiness. 

I kept thinking about how I felt like a very small fish in a very large sea.

I also lost my car in the parking lot after the show. (It turns out that there are different lot numbers, and there are a whole lot of spots marked #35. Oops.)

I heard my favorite Eric Church song in Nashville on a perfect night on a perfect trip.

I had no idea I bought such a good ticket.

Beautiful Blue Eyes: "Well, consider this the best mistake you've ever made."

It wasn't until I saw a photo from up top that I realized how lucky I was in buying my seat.
When the lights finally went down, I looked around. Holy shit, I thought.

EFC opened the concert on our side of the stage. No one around me even saw him walk up to the mic. All of a sudden, he was right in front of us.

After a few songs, he started to talk, while slowly looking around at the more than 56,000 people in the NFL stadium.

His first thought when he saw all of the people (in his words): "Holy shit. Son of a bitch."

:)



--

There were six seats in the row I was sitting in. A very nice woman, around my age, dragged her parents to the show from Florida. Beside them was a couple from Chicago.

A concert is only as fun as the people around you. My row was a blast and my new found friends talked to me the entire night.

Yeah there was the occasional drunk alcoholic idiot who couldn't keep it together, but it was mostly fun. There was also a drunk guy dressed like a priest. The security guards danced in the aisles with him.

Like I told my Mom: It's Nashville. Anything goes.

(The irony is not lost on me. The priest went to Church.)

And, might I add, Beautiful Blue Eyes security guard knew the words to every single song that night.

That was not lost on me, either. Everyone loves EFC.

---

I'll also point out that there was a couple in front of me making out the whole show and I did not toss my cookies like I did in January.

Yea progress!

I'm getting better at this whole life thing.

--

Life is not always pretty, but dammit, it can be downright beautiful sometimes.

The song that got me hooked on EFC was Record Year.

After looking at my video for this song I took in Nashville, EFC changed some of the lyrics up. He changed to word 'if' to the word 'when.'

I fell in love with his music because of this perfect break up song.

His change to the song was brilliant.

When you find your way back 
I owe you a beer
For my record year

It just don't get no better'n that.

--

Since you turned the tables on me

I've been steady and learnin' lonely
Keepin' this turntable spinnin'
Everything from Jones to Jennings
Slowly plannin' my survival
In a three foot stack of vinyl
Since you had to walk on outta here
I've been havin' a record year

I bet you thought before you left
I'd just sit in silence by myself
Turn this house into a jail
Dyin' slow in a livin' hell
But love's got a funny way of keepin' score
And your leavin' lit up my scoreboard
I usually make it through side a sober
All bets are off when I flip her over
One bourbon, one scotch, one beer
I'm havin' a record year

Quarter notes and Hank's half time
Are poundin' on this heart of mine
Song to song, I pass my time
With these speakers on ten
Your good and gone keeps me up all night
Along with Songs In The Key Of Life
I'm either gonna get over you
Or I'm gonna blow out my ears
Yeah, you're out there now
Doin' God knows how, and I'm stuck here
Havin' a record year

Your leavin' left me goin' crazy
I'm countin' on a needle to save me
I drop it in the groove
And we go 'round and 'round
And down in a spiral
I guess I really oughta call and thank you
I rediscovered Red Headed Stranger
Got down with old James Brown
And found New Grass Revival
If you find your way back, I owe you a beer
For my record year

Quarter notes and Hank's half time
Are poundin' on this heart of mine
Song to song, I pass my time
With these speakers on ten
Your good and gone keeps me up all night
Along with Songs In The Key Of Life
I'm either gonna get over you
Or I'm gonna blow out my ears
Yeah, you're out there now
Doin' God knows how, and I'm stuck here
Havin' a record year
Yeah, I'm havin' a record year