Tallahassee/Flora~Bama/Orange Beach

Wow! Where do we start? It was a once in a lifetime weekend with the No Shoes Nation and Kenny Chesney! From an unbelievable day tailgating in Tallahassee to the most amazing and magical performance by Kenny in Orange Beach!

We went into this past weekend knowing that this was going to be our final two shows for this tour. We knew we were going to make the most of it. Little did we know that Kenny seemed to be on that same page. Thanks to Danny and Ashley for hosting us at their awesome tailgate in Tallahassee! You know it’s going to be a good night went you meet so many amazing people in the lot and you see all the No Shoes nation flags flying! For the this show we were separated due purchasing Michelle a different ticket, not knowing until later in the year whether she could make it. So… Michelle and Deborah Jane were comfy in their seats and Connie and Karen were able to walk right into the Sandbar and get a spot at the stage just as David Lee Murphy began performing. An unheard of feat! It was such a small little sandbar and everyone was so amazing around us! It was special to be able to watch our girl, Anne from Finland, see her first Kenny concert! It was awesome to have her right next to us with Karen singing every song! Kenny was so full of energy and loving being back in Florida!

Next morning Karen and Michelle headed back to Orlando. Deborah Jane and Connie headed off to surprise everyone at the Flora~Bama for the No Shoes Radio songwriters showcase pre-party! Wendell Mobley, Casey Beathard and the amazing Brett James playing all the hits they wrote for Kenny… There Goes My Life, Boys Of Fall, Don’t Blink, No Shoes No Shirt were just a few of the songs they sang! To here the stories behind the writing process was so awesome! It was in the beginning that we noticed five stools with only three singers. Let’s face it… you always hope Kenny might just pop into the Flora~Bama and sing for 150 people. But, really? We were dreaming, right? NO we were not! In walked Kenny Chesney with David Lee Murphy. Looking chill and so very comfortable, with Bailey by his side, he took a stool and began to belt out… SITTIN HERE AT THE FLORA~BAMA! It was a dream come true and we were front and center for something so special! It felt like our hearts were going to explode! Top Kenny Chesney moment ever for Connie, with over 60 shows under my belt… yes, and a few happy tears! He sang Everything is Gonna Be Alright with DLM and that was it… before you knew it he was whisked off the stage. Back on his boat headed to his tour bus to prepare for his show that night at the Wharf in Orange Beach. Meeting the songwriters after the show and being able to tell them how important their music was to us, was so special. They were great guys, very humble and gracious!

On to the Wharf, our girl Natalie still needed a ticket and like always The No Shoes Nation stepped up. The wonderful person who won the tickets at the Blue Chair Bay party… You are truly what the No Shoes Nation is all about… without hesitation she was so amazing to give Natalie her extra ticket! Sorry we did not get your name! As Deborah Jane and Natalie headed to their seats, Connie walked down to get into the Sandbar. Quickly finding our WTTS crew (as Andy calls it). They were holding ground as DLM was taking the stage and welcomed her into their space. Emily, Stacey, Drew, Tony and Andy… you guys are rock stars! Spending the evening with you all, singing our lungs out and dancing was icing on the cake for such an amazing day! Kenny was certainly feeding off our energy! I have been to several of the Boston/Gillette shows and they are amazing, but Orange Beach and the Wharf was truly magical. Kenny was so happy and when he decided to sing “Songs For The Saints”… well I really have no words! Another special moment between the No Shoes Nation and Kenny! Someone posted on our page that she didn’t like hearing everyone else sing because she couldn’t hear Kenny in the videos. Well, We are here to tell you, Kenny LOVES when we sing the songs back to him and that is so much a part of what the No Shoes Nation is built around! Hearing an amphitheater full of people singing a song that means so much to the islands and it’s recovery was very emotional! We are hoping he adds it to the set list for the rest of the tour so many of you can feel what we felt in Orange Beach! It was breathtaking!

Now the Post Kenny Concert Depression (PKCD) is setting in for us! It’s OK, we have all of you to help us get through it. There is still a whole month left of the tour, so please share with us you adventures. To everyone we met this past weekend… you guys have truly filled hearts with love! Meeting so many people that “GET IT” is such a blessing and thank goodness we have Welcome To The Sandbar to share this passion with you all. Checking e-mails last night we were surprised to have had a special message from John McInnis who owns the Flora~Bama, He wrote to tell us what a good job he thinks we do with Welcome To The Sandbar. No way, right? Well, thank you John, for all you do for Love For Love City and the No Shoes Nation!

This video certainly represents our weekend!