Play it again... and again... and again...

Music.

I don't know what I'd do without music. It truly is food for my soul. It can make me dance.

It can make me sing.  It can make me laugh. It can make me cry.

I can hear a song and it transports me back to a moment in time.

I can't imagine my life without music.

 

I've always enjoyed live music and while I love all types of music, Country is one of my favorites. 

 

On May 30, the Evil Red Genius and I went to Jiffy Lube Live to see Luke Bryan.

I had seen Luke one time prior when he opened for my all-time favorite, Tim McGraw, two years ago. I liked Luke but after seeing him open for Tim I was hooked! What a down-to-earth fun dude!!!

He may not have the best voice out there but he is an incredible entertainer. Plus he sings songs that every day people can relate to!

You can't go to a Luke concert and be unhappy - it's just not possible!!  

 

I like Jiffy Lube Live as a venue. I like that I don't have to get on a highway to get there. I do not like; however, the traffic on a Friday night to get there nor do I enjoy the 1-2 hour wait to get out of the parking lot after the show. But we know this is par for the course with this venue and you take the good with the bad and believe me, there was much more good than there was bad on this night!

 

Even though we only had an hour before the show started, we still planned to tailgate. It may have been stressful but we enjoyed our J.Lohr Cab in red solo cups (dear God, that was against everything I believe in!), chicken salad sandwiches, cheese and chocolate! 

 

Of course it wouldn't be part of my life if it wasn't an adventure though, would it? 
Of all the places in the parking lot, where does PWC's finest decide to park their cruiser?
Yep, right next to us... and they turned off the engine and hung out for almost 40 minutes.
What are the odds? Meanwhile, some underage drinkers are acting like fools right around the corner, no doubt.  We, rebels, survived though, drank our entire bottle and were roaring and ready to watch Luke "shake it" for us!

I had already gone against all my best instincts and drank wine out of a red solo cup (by the way, I may be the only one on the face of the earth who can't stand that Toby Keith song) so why not keep the nonsense going!!?

 Yes, kids, that is a plastic carafe of a ridculously-overpriced Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Cab with two plastic cups!!

When in Rome.....

 

 

 

It didn't take long for me to get over the plastic part.

Why?

Because Lee Brice came on right before Luke and because of the beautiful 50 year old man (who didn't look a day over 40) sitting next to me.

 It's too bad that not only was he married, but his wife was super cool.
We did dance though and he asked me where I was when he was single.

Story of my life. But I digress...
 

There are many reasons why I love music. Sometimes it's the harmony, sometimes it's the beat, sometimes it's the instruments, sometimes it's the lyrics.
A song with fantastic lyrics will send me into a euphoric oblivion.

We missed Cole Swindell but can't say it bothered me any.

Lee Brice, though, that's a different story.

 

"Never let your prayin' knees get lazy... and love like crazy!"

"I don’t dance, but here I am, spinning you around and around in circles. It ain’t my style, but I don’t care. I’d do anything with you anywhere. Yes, you’ve got me in the palm of your hands, cause I don’t dance. "

Then there's my favorite Lee song which stirs such emotion in me and brings me to tears because I feel my Steve's presence every time I hear it. Hearing Lee sing this live was so emotional for me.  Not only did Steve die suddenly, and too young, but my dad bought his truck.  I drove his truck one time down to the new house (a place he loved dearly as well) and sang this song at the top of my lungs. So powerful.
 

"I drive your truck. I roll every window down and I burn up every back road in this town.

I find a field, I tear it up til all the pain's a cloud of dust.

Yeah, sometimes I drive your truck."

 

Then there's the party anthem, the song that my father despises, the one that you just can't help but get on your feet and sing along to at a live show, especially after a bottle and a half of wine!

 

At the parking lot party (whoa oh oh oh!)
Tailgate buzz just sipping' on suds
Ain't never too early
To light one up, fill up your cup
Cause there ain't no party like the pre-party
And after the party the after-party
At the parking lot party

 



 

Cheers to you, Lee Brice!!

Great opening act!

Now bring on LUKE!!!



 

 Just an aside - it's not easy to carry a plastic bottle of wine, two plastic cups and still stand up, dance, sing and scream at the top of your lungs. Then when you sit down you have to worry about fools walking by you and kicking over your wine. So I became resourceful and put my plastic cup in its own holder on top of the plastic carafe. Mama, didn't raise no fool!

 

Oh Luke, instant happiness.
Pure fun.

 Boot stompin', hand clappin', booty shakin' music!!

That's my kind of night!

He sang the oldy but goody sing-along-songs which I knew every word to and sang at the top of my lungs.
 

"All my friends say, I started shooting doubles when you walked in......All my friends say....

YEAH YEAH YEAH!"

and
 

 "Rain makes corn. Corn makes whiskey. Whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky!"
and

"Baby, is someone else calling you baby? It's driving me crazy... this being in the dark. Goodbye ain't never easy, so break it to me hard. If you're over my love girl, lay it on my heart. Don't try to save me. Is someone else calling you, baby?"

I never said that he was a genius lyricist!! But he sure knows how to get the crowd going!

 

 

 

Then there are the newer songs which are just as good, if not better, yet still catchy.....

 

Like the one that gets all the "country girls" dancin' and Luke's signature tight-jeaned gyrations started which makes everyone, including me, lose my voice.......

Shake it for the birds, shake it for the bees
Shake it for the catfish swimming down deep in the creek
For the crickets and the critters and the squirrels
Shake it to the moon, shake it for me girl

or the one that makes me swoon and brings back memories of a forbidden time often forgotten......

You got your hands up
You’re rocking in my truck
You got the radio on
You’re singing every song
I’m set on cruise control
I’m slowly losing hold
Of everything I got
You’re looking so damn hot
And I don’t know what road we’re on
Or where we’ve been
From staring at you girl
All I know is I don’t want this night to end
 

There's just something to be said for speakers going boom-boom, loving me like you loved me when you loved me and you didn't have to try and crashing my party any time.

Then there's the heartfelt ballad about his lost siblings which give me chills and pulls at my heartstrings:

So long my friend
Until we meet again
I'll remember you
and all the times that we used to...
... sit right here on the edge of this pier
and watch the sunset disappear.....
and drink a beer




Then, of course, it wouldn't be a party if it wasn't for a little catfish dinner.

Ain't that right, my friend, Evil Red Genius? 
(insert hysterical laughter here)

 

"Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without."

 ~Confucius 

 

No doubt, we both walked out of that pavillion a "little drunk on Luke" and high on summertime, longing for him to "play it again, play it again, play it again" and again and again and again.......