“The Reality Of The Here & Now & That Rock And Roll Show This Summer”
We recently read an article from The Foo Fighters, David Grohl. He was explaining his need to connect with his fans during this time of the unknown. It broke our hearts to know how difficult it was for Kenny to postpone the tour. He misses us as much as we miss him. That connection with the No Shoes Nation is a raw and special thing that needs to be fed with a live audience. We began thinking about all of this craziness and how the same holds true for us, the fans, Needing to connect to our favorite artist and the tribe we call The No Shoes Nation. Here is out thoughts using David’s theme put into a fans perspective. It started with…
What were your summer plans this year?
How about some backyard pool parties with your family, a beach getaway with friends, a tailgate before a live Kenny concert with the No Shoes Nation? One thing is for certain, we know Kenny’s music was part of your plan in some way!
Connie and Michelle know exactly where we were supposed to be this summer: Nissan Stadium Nashville, TN with Kenny Chesney and roughly 60,000 of our closest friends. We were going to be celebrating Connie’s 51st Birthday which happened to fall on the day of the Nashville show. A party with our No Shoes Nation brothers and sisters, on a hot summer day in June. It was set to be an epic affair shared by tons of our sunburned and sweaty tribe, singing along to songs from a new album right there in the “Here and Now.” Celebrating all things Chillaxification in of course “The Sandbar”.
Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has us in an unheard of lapse in years of concert going. Is it possible that after seeing Kenny in concert every year since 2000, that 2020 will be the year of a no-show for us? Don’t get us wrong, we can deal with the face masks, washing our hands until they are numb and staying 6 ft. apart from people. We can even deal with not having a cold beer while bellying up to a bar, but no concerts? We are in need of a big weekend of rum drinking, sweaty hugs and ear-piercing live music. The kind of concert that gives you goosebumps, has you dancing like no one’s watching and has your soul smiling with pleasure! Where you literally forget the reality of our crazy lives and completely live in the moment.
As you all know, there is nothing like the vibe, energy and atmosphere of live music. It is one of the most self gratifying experiences you will ever feel. To be able to see your favorite performer onstage, doing what they love the most… sharing music with their fans. It’s simply not the same as watching rerun videos from past concerts on YouTube and Facebook. Kenny… our most beloved artist becomes larger than life in person, up on that stage. The anticipation of Kenny walking out onto the “T” as the curtain comes up on a hot summer night in Nashville has us waiting like kids on Christmas morning ever since the dates were announced, tickets bought and plans were made.
Kenny always manages to remind us that behind every summer there will be that escape for one night where he gives us everything he has. He puts on those faded perfect fitting stonewashed jeans, hook bracelet, very sexy tank and his straw signature cowboy hat and completely rocks our entire world for 90 minutes. But, it is the connection with the audience that transforms us to a magical place. With the first lyric leaping from his lungs, he totally sucks 60,000 people into a huge sing-along. An entire stadium joining into a kumbaya of sorts.
We are lifelong concertgoers , We feed our souls with live music. It’s what we love and something we have been blessed to share with so many others over the years. Many times you will find us pressed against the front railing or stage of a Kenny show. We have belted out our favorite songs in the 300 section too. But, our favorite place is snug in the Sandbar with the crowd, dancing away to dangerously loud levels of music while lost in the rhythm. We have made lifelong friends with total strangers and gathered into sweaty embraces as we sang “Get Along” arm-in-arm. We have also sang at the top of our lungs with people we may never see again. All because we were celebrating and sharing in the moment. That is the amazing power of Kenny’s music and his connection with the No Shoes Nation. Music is the one thing that truly connects us all. We know you have felt it too and understand it.
With Kenny you can take away the fireworks and confetti that may be seen at a rock concert, and replace all that with our tribe…our people…the No Shoes Nation. We have experienced so many unforgettable nights with Kenny over many summers. Connecting with Kenny and the entire band live on stage is the reason we continue to crave the live music experience. Every show becomes a lesson in intimacy, not just with Kenny but with the band, the audience and the music.
What are we to do until we gather again? Knowing we cannot be together for that rock-and-roll show this summer, we are reminded that we are all just people that love music. People that need to connect with one another through that music. People that get it. It’s what we try to explain to others who have never experienced a Kenny Chesney show. We are one big family. This is exactly why we will hold onto our tickets to those postponed shows knowing that next year on a date unknown we will all be joined together again. It will most likely be the most powerful concert that any of us will ever dream of. To know we have those tickets waiting to be used is a guarantee that the day will come when we can gather again under those stadium or amphitheater lights.
Don’t worry, we have each other, No Shoes Nation. We have Kenny, his music and the idea that we will gather again for an explosive night of love, music and living life. In today’s world of social distancing, it’s hard to imagine sharing these experiences ever again or anytime soon for that matter. We don’t know when it will be safe to return to singing at the top of our lungs, feeling the goose bumps, hearing the new music, our minds escaping, our souls bursting with life. But “We Do” know that we WILL get to do it again, because we have to. It’s not a choice we have as a member of the No Shoes Nation, it’s what “We Do.” We need these live music moments to reassure us that we are not alone. That we are understood by others in our tribe. We have a need to share our souls inside the music, the moments, our life with the people who get us. We need to have our voices singing together as one under our No Shoes Nation flag. We need to feed the relationships that we build together summer after summer. We will surely build on those relationships again when the time is right!
Because Who Lives Like We Do?
WE DO!
Love and miss you all,
Connie & Michelle
