“The “Welcome” In Welcome To The Sandbar”
Wow… what an amazing weekend we had in Tampa, especially after three long years of Kenny Chesney not touring. We really didn’t realize how much we missed not only Kenny, but the No Shoes Nation!
It started with the pre-party that No Shoes Radio and Blue Chair Bay had the night before the show. We loved seeing all our Sandbar t-shirts and so many of you coming up and saying hi! The next day our tailgating was beyond our expectations. So many of you stopped by and played games, had a drink and enjoyed the fun. We finished the day in the sandbar at the show with some very special friends. So many amazing people we call family from all over the country. We are simply humbled by the love we felt all weekend. You all are our “people.” It’s a special friendship that might have started through Kenny’s music, concerts and love for the No Shoes Nation but it’s become so much more! Watch the video below to see all the fun first hand!
At our Lot 6 tailgate we had the opportunity to chat with so many new and longtime No Shoes Nation members. There was one special conversation with David and Charlotte that stuck in our head. They have been with us from the beginning of Welcome To The Sandbar. David spoke to us about several moments he witnessed over the weekend where he was reminded that the most important word in Welcome To The Sandbar is “Welcome.” It took us back for a moment. He had overheard several people saying how “welcome” they felt joining us throughout the weekend. Reinforcing what our goal was when we started this journey 9 years ago! As that conversation sunk in, we realized one word truly did describe this amazing community we built. A place for all fans to be a part of a community that “gets us!” We looked at each other and said… that’s it… Welcome To The Sandbar has become way more than just about Kenny. It’s about each and every one of you! All this time, we’ve been welcoming fans to join us on our crazy adventures, and sharing the love that the music brings to us. We gladly receive every fan into our world. We foster the love of Kenny’s music and the lifestyle of living life to the fullest.
The moment we felt most connected to the fans was when Kenny entered the stage and we could feel the energy of the No Shoes nation exploding onto him and his band. The feeling was just like Kenny said himself… “a tsunami of energy and love”. We get emotional thinking about it still! Kenny’s boundless energy at 54-years-old, was a site to behold. There were moments the crowd seemed to overwhelm him with our energy but it seemed to also fuel him into the next song. Being in the sandbar close to the stage and amongst so many singing and dancing to every song was an electric feeling.
Although many were upset that Kenny opened once again with Beer In Mexico and kept his basic set list from years prior, it was extremely clear as we looked around that only a small percentage would have even noticed. We were all simply grateful to be living in the moment and enjoying life through all the songs.
Something that we will always be grateful for was meeting Rebecca at our tailgate. She hung with our crew for most of the day and we could tell how excited she was for her 1st Kenny Chesney concert. All of us agreed we would take care of her in the sandbar since she was solo. We were overwhelmed with excitement when Kenny pulled her right up on stage to receive the autographed No Shoes Nation helmet. Knowing someone so deserving was the one to be chosen made us so happy.
Many of us have special reasons why we love particular songs. We literally “live” through certain songs. Hearing “We Do” live for the 1st time was magical. That song is our gift from Kenny. We can ALL relate to it. Kenny is the person up on stage delivering the music to us. He is a very private man and knowing this we try to keep our blogging and updates truly about the music. Ultimately the music is what binds us. Clearly Kenny’s connection to his audience is what keeps us coming back for more and more. As the tour moves forward all we can do is wait for the next show… Nashville for us. We want to wish Kenny, his band and crew a happy, healthy journey throughout the United States. We want to also wish all of you the best of luck at each show and to remind you all to sing loud for us that can’t be there.
Connie & Michelle
