CMA Fest 3 || The Day I Decided To Text

Just a warning to all you "non country music fans"  - this is going to be a loooong post full of country music photos, contests, and 100% goodness.  You have been warned. :)

I don't text.  I don't have a texting plan, and I don't plan on getting one any time soon.  Anyone I need to keep in constant contact with has an iPhone with "iMessage" (apples' free texting service).  So anytime I *do* send a text to someone it costs me.... not much, but it can add up.  Needless to say I only text when it's uber important.

Satruday night at CMA Fest was UBER important to me!  I received a text from CMA asking if I wanted a chance to win a Photo Fast Pass to that nights show.  Did I want a chance at being able to cut in front of everyone who had waited over an hour for each artist?  Did I want to get AHHHMAZING photos 5 feet away from these singers???  YES.  YES.  YES.  So I replied back and decided to go ahead and text just this once.  I received the following....

I couldn't believe it!!  I had to re-read the text over and over and then ask my cousin to read it himself.  The night was soooooo amazing!

Now I'm going to sound like one of those infomercials - "But wait!  There's more!".  Wait, because there IS MORE  -  I won the photo passes Sunday night also!!!!  2 Nights in a row.  Cutting in front of the lines.  Running around and around LP Field.  Getting blisters.  Back aches from hauling camera gear.  Sweating like crazy.  Missing most of the concert due to said running back and forth.  But getting photos of a lifetime.  Truly.  Here are some highlights from both Saturday and Sunday...

 

 

 

I feel horrible about this... This guy is the first person I was able to get photos of, but I have NO CLUE who he is.  I listen to Country and Contemporary Christian music.  This dude didn't fit either genre.  Let me know if you know who it is... I got a photo anyway :)





 

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban are the best guitarists I've ever seen/heard.  I was able to be up front during one of Brad's solo sections.  As Mariah Carey says "#POW"



 

 

A thunderstorm shut down CMA Fest early on Sunday night and the artists were only able to sing a couple songs each.  The Band Perry opened their 2-song set with "DONE." and brought a ton of energy to the bummed out crowd!



 

Since the night was ending really fast, security moved everyone through the lines UBER fast.  Their main order was "get 1 photo then move on".  I was too close to the stage to get a full shot before I had to move, so I had to shoot back behind me to grab one of all 3 siblings together.  I'll take it. :)



 

 

I feel really bad for Jake Owen.  He only got 1 song.  Just 1.  He was barefoot and everything for his song "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" and didn't even get to sing it.  Poor guy :/



 

Carrie Underwood closed out the music festival on Sunday night.  Once again I was rushed through the line, but I was still able to hear her "See You Again" up close by the stage.  It was THE way to end CMA Fest for me.  <3

 



 

Kelly Clarkson was on Saturday night right before my all time favorite.  I was so worried about not being ready in the front of the line for my favorite, and I was only able to grab a few photos of Kelly.  But man, she sounded AWESOME that night!  I missed her duet with Jason Aldean, but it was worth it in the end....



 

 

 

...... because Keith Urban was THE ONE person that I REALLY wanted to see.  He came up to my row in 2011 and sang "Somebody like you" (I have his sweat on my left hand to prove it...oh... and photos and video if that counts ;-) ), and this year it was my turn to do all the walking and see him.  I think I took about 150 photos during his set.



 

 

**DIES**..... his guitar playing!!! .... NUFF SAID.

 

Keith was the last artist on Saturday night and ended his set by running through the crowd, straight into the parking garage, jumping into a truck, and driving off while fireworks were going - and the whole time being followed by the camera crew.  Ultimate Exit!



 

3 Hours worth of highlights from CMA Fest will be airing tonight on ABC - will you be watching?  If you look close enough you might even see me and my cousin in the front row.  ;-)

 

Happy Monday!

~~le

LP Field || Pure Awesomeness

**Read Part 1 Here** 

 

Later Thursday evening my dad and sister met up with Brett and me in Nashville for the best part of CMA - the LP Field concerts!  I had butterflies the whole walk over the bridge and up to our seats.  I was soooooo excited!

 

I can't remember how it happened, but I handed a complete stranger my new camera so we could have a group photo with all 4 of us.  Me.  Miss "I'm the only one allowed to touch this camera".  I have no clue why - blame the butterflies - but I'm really glad to have this photo!  One of the first things I learned from a photography instructor was that you need to learn how find balance between getting that "special photo" and the risk of not wanting to damage your camera.  Her example involved a rainy night in Italy, but mine seemed equally as important.  :)   Either way, our stranger did an awesome job taking this photo and my camera is still in one piece.

 

Oh Nashville... you are BEAUTIFUL!

 



 

 

It was a *very* last minute decision to go to CMA Fest.... and our seats say it all... we were WAYYY up high!   It was really hard to get good photos, so I'm glad the mega screen was there!

 



Taylor ended her set singing the first verse of her song "Tim McGraw".... then she called Tim McGraw out on stage with her to sing Highway Don't Care - The. Crowd. Went. Wild.!!!!  (Including me ;-) )  If you look reallllllly close you can see Tim on the stage...

 



And then she called out Keith Urban... annnnnd the crowd got even louder!  It was pretty EPIC!

 

Eric Church

 

 

Randy Travis

 

Ok, I have a confession - I didn't like Hunter Hayes before CMA.  To me he was just a country version of Justin Bieber.  Boy, was I wrong!  This guy is SUCH a true artist!  He put on a better show than Taylor and was one of my favorites from all 4 nights!  I'm definitely a fan now!

 



 

 

When Hunter sang "I Want Crazy" everyone stood up and started dancing.  The whole upper section started shaking and moving... fun? yes. scary? ohhh yes. ;-)



 

Lady Antebellum put on a very fun show!  It was really neat to be able to hear the "full versions" of the acoustic songs that we heard earlier at Fan Fair!



 

Don't forget to check back later this month for part 3!  Seriously... you won't want to miss it.

~~le

Finally || CMA Fest 2013

These photos are about 2 months old, but I personally didn't even get to see them until this week.  Everyone kept asking me if I would show them my CMA photos and my answer was always the same - "Sure!  Once *I* get to see them."  A couple months ago my computer decided that it was out of space and wouldn't let me unload my 90GB of photos.  Yay.  Just what I needed after 3 of the best concerts evah!

Thanks to a fantastic 2am post in a facebook group my problem was solved and I now have PLENTY of free space!  I'll share the awesome tip later on.  (Hint, it only applies to LR users.) :)

I'm so excited to FINALLY share these photos!  I'm dividing my CMA experience into 3 posts, and trust me, you will NOT want to miss part 3!

 

My cousin Brett and I drove into Nashville *early* on Thursday morning to get in the huge line for Fan Fair and it was totally worth it!  We were able to hear Lady Antebellum's "Close Up" performance and interview.  It was sooooo good!

 



We got in line for a "no namer" autograph signing, and realized when we got home later that night that Mark Wills wasn't a "no namer" after all and that we had heard his songs before... oops ;-)



 

Ronnie Dunn also had a "Close Up" interview and spoke about his photography!

 



 

I'm only including this because it was soooo funny to watch!  I have no clue what flying dogs have to do with country music... at all.  just sayin'.  :)

 



 

Trace Adkin's tour bus was on display in the Fan Fair and we were able to take a mini tour through it.  It. Was. Huge. And. Uber. Fancy.

 



 



Even though we were melting from the heat, Brett and I wondered through downtown Nashville and stopped off at different outdoor concerts.  Love and Theft was my favorite :)

 



 

Come back tomorrow for part 2 - the LP Field concerts - in my mind the BEST part of CMA Fest!

Happy Friday

~~le

 

Finally Home ~ July Goals

As you can see in the title "I am finally home".  June was a month full of music, travel, and new adventures, but there really is no place like home.  Bingley gave me a huge welcome and snored for 2 nights in a row just to get back at me.  Thanks bud. :)   To top everything off, I came home to find that the blackberry and blueberry bushes are completely loaded and I will be canning jam sometime soon.   I just love SUMMER!

My sister has been in Indiana at a vocal intensive and I was able to drive up to see her during her first performance.  After she sang we went out for homemade ice cream, sushi, homemade ice cream (yes, twice ;-) ), and a mini photo shoot by the lake.  Here is a link to her YouTube channel if you would like to see the videos from her recital.

I have a few things that I need to get back in order, so the only goal for this month is "get things back to normal".  I have some really exciting posts coming up and I can't wait to share them!



 

Happy Monday!

~~laura elizabeth

CMA Fest Here We Come!

Last summer my cousin Brett came up to Tennessee for a visit.  We did everything from cleaning out the chicken coop, daily animal chores, cooling off down by the bridge, weeding the garden and proving to him that we have zero cell phone reception at our house.  It seemed like we spent the first couple of hours trying to locate more than "1 bar".  <--- never going to happen

Two of my favorite things we did while he was here were going to the Country Music Hall of Fame and of course fishing at our pond.  I really loved the Taylor Swift exhibit at the museum - ahhhhhmazing costumes and dresses!  I'll share more photos from the museum later on.

Yes, I know - I am only 5' 6 1/2" and he is very tall :) .... and the 1/2 inch *does* count.

My philosophy is to catch one fish - just one - and then I am done for the day.  Brett didn't see it that way though.  We ended up fishing for over 1.5 hours.  I caught my 1 fish and then went back to the truck and waited for Brett and Lizzy to finish.  I don't take naps, but I seriously almost fell asleep while waiting.  The weather was amazing!  I can't remember how many fish the two of them caught, but I do know that Brett won at catching the most!

If you ever come over to go fishing with me all you have to do is remember one thing - the green worm with the bright yellow tip is MINE.  Please don't touch. :)  The fish LOVE it!

Ever since Brett's trip, he and I have been texting back and forth "hoping" that we could go to the CMA Music Fest this year since it will probably be my last in Tennessee.... and last week we finally ordered the tickets.  We are SOOO excited!  I can't wait to share more!  In about 2 months Brett is coming up and I seriously can't wait!  We had a blast last year and can't wait to "top it" this summer with the CMA Fest.

~~ le