Against the Wind



Freedom Hall. Leave those cell phones shut, I'll stick to the old-
fashioned lighter :)



"Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then

Against the wind

We were running against the wind

We were young and strong

We were running against the wind."

-Bob Seger

"Against the Wind" (1980)

I love concerts.  My very first one was the Wrangler wearin', mullet sportin', linedancin' Billy Ray Cyrus, when I was no more than three or four years old. I don't remember much of the show except for crying because I didn't think we were going to find a parking place and thinking life couldn't possibly go on if I didn't hear "Achy Breaky Heart". 

Since then, I am glad to say, I have been to many more--and better--concerts than Miley's good ole dad.  A concert is to me, one of the most exhilarating, sing-a-long(ing), dancetastic things ever.  To be in a venue with thousands of other people who share the same love for that particular artist and know all the lyrics to their songs is a feeling like no other.  It's a spectacle that cannot possibly be explained to a non-concert goer.  The rush that comes when you first set eyes on the person whose songs you echo in the shower and whose videos you watch on tv is unbelievable.  My little neighbor, Daniel, put it best the other day when we were discussing this particular subject.  He said that when you see an artist in concert for the first time it's so unreal because you're actually seeing them for yourself and they suddenly become real people whereas before the seem like such stars and so far away from where you are.

Narrowing down my choices of top concerts were hard but here is what I finally decided:

1.) Reba McEntire (Lexington, KY) - By far the best concert I've ever been to.  This country girl is a true performer and gets into character for each song that she sings.  Best concert songs: "The Greatest Man I Never Knew" - if you didn't know the back story, this song is about her father.  She held everyone in the palm of her hand as she sat on a stool and sang...many a tear was shed, I guarantee it.  "Does He Love You?" -Duet with LeeAnn Womack.  Live was even better than the recorded version because of how much power Reba put behind every word.  "Fancy" - What's not to love about this song? This was her encore and she was driven to the stage in a taxi cab like in the music video, where she emerged from the door in her red dancing dress and took stage.

2.) Bob Seger (Louisville, KY)  -(See my concert review at the bottom). Top Songs: "Turn the Page" - That lone saxophone playing was enough to send chills down your back as Seger tells of life on the road.  "Against the Wind" - ...how could you not love Bob Seger singing it live? "Night Moves" - The music goes down to Bob's lines "Woke last night to the sound of thunder, how far off I sat and wondered..."  The crowd singing in unison to Seger was absolutely amazing.



Hullabalou



3.) Loretta Lynn (Louisville, KY) - With temperatures in the mid-nineties and the heat index even higher, the Coal Miner's Daughter performed her heart at at the Hullabalou Festival.  She allowed fans to shout out what they wanted to hear and told stories to them about the songs which allowed for a very personal feel.  If a fan would yell their admiration she'd reply back in her eastern Kentucky twang, "I love you too, honey." Top songs: "Fist City" - She's got just as much spunk singing this song of whippin' an old gal for messing with her man as she did when it was recorded in 1968. "You're Looking at Country" - words never rang more true.  "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Does this even need an explanation? :)

4.) Billy Joel and Elton John (Cleveland/Cincinnati, Ohio) - Two superpowers taking the stage for three hours of pure joy.  Sir Elton and the Piano Man put on a heckuva show and sold out to whole-house audiences.  One of them alone would have been a treat but to have them both in front of you was insane. Best songs: "Piano Man" - they shut off the music and quit singing a whole verse to let the fans sing. To hear everyone knowing the words and to think of how many times they've sang along is always a highlight for me at any show. "Bennie and the Jets" - B-b-b-Bennie and the Jets...try getting that one out of your head.  "Only the Good Die Young" - It makes me dance a little, what can I say?

5.) The Spice Girls (Chicago, Illinois). Random, right? This concert was a blast.  It had nothing at all to do with singing ability or how good the songs were...because let's face it, the Spice Girls are lacking a little in both departments.  But this did have everything to do with being nostalgic, jumping around like little kids, and singing at the top of our lungs.  :) Top Songs: "Stop" - knew all the dance moves and totally impressed the kids in front of us. "Lady is a Vamp" - It's just plain fun to sing.

Runners up: Alison Krauss, Ben Folds, and Celine Dion.

Here is a concert review I found that I had written for the school paper while I was in high school:

He’s the man who caused Tom Cruise to dance in “Risky Business” and the one who gave Forrest Gump music to run by.  He’s a multi-platinum album seller and has sold nearly fifty million records worldwide.  He’s the ‘ramblin’ gamblin’ man himself: Bob Seger.



Louisville, Kentucky 2006



After being in retirement for ten years to spend time with his children and not releasing any new material, Seger is back and better than ever.  After his new CD “Face the Promise”, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard chart, hit the shelves in September, fans knew a tour was long past overdue.  The excitement spread like wildfire when the Hall of Famer announced tour dates and cities and when tickets went on sale people scrambled to buy them.  One concert in Seger’s home state of Michigan sold out within four short minutes, another sold out in seven.  Yes, one could definitely tell that the tour and CD were going to be smash hits, something Bob Seger is quite familiar with.

The three concerts taking place closest to Austin? Indianapolis. Cincinnati. Louisville.  When Bob rocked Freedom Hall he proved to fans that at sixty-one, he hadn’t lost his touch.  When the saxophone sounded, the crowd went wild as Seger wowed them with “Turn the Page” and then brought the house down with “Old Time Rock and Roll”.  Lighters and cell phones illuminated the arena when “We’ve Got Tonight” was played and excitement was in the air as young and old alike sang with Seger in overpowering unison.  The echoes  of the amplifiers rang in everyone’s heads at the end of the night as well as a replay of Seger’s spectacular performance.

“He was amazing,” concert attendee Charlie Fraley commented, “I was afraid that he would come out and do all his new stuff but he mixed the hits in with it. I especially loved when he sang “C’est la Vie.”

Plans to film some of the performances to make a DVD and live CD are underway.  “Face the Promise” as well as his older hits can be found in stores near you.

<3 Kellie