Throwback Thursdays

Hello Hello!

Welcome back to another TBT ACM Edition!

2013

I think this was one of my favorite ACM years. First, it was the first really organized ACM weekend with the inaugural Party For a Cause at the Orleans. While a lot of people weren't crazy about the location (it's a bit off the Strip), I really loved it. It was still small compared to the newer festivals and I used to work at the Orleans a million years ago so I knew the ins and outs. They actually had a really extensive weekend itinerary so it was like having everything planned out for me and in one easy to navigate place!

I went to my first Florida Georgia Line show here (like 20 FGL shows ago). We also saw a bunch of other great artists (like Dierks Bentley) play in a smaller, comfortable setting.

I attended the Chris Young fan club breakfast with a small group of members and he actually was eating at my table so we got to chat which was awesome. I even had a super up close view for the private acoustic set. So much fun!

Thompson Square is always sweet.

This was the first ACM Fan Jam I'd ever been to and it was such a blast! We got to watch FGL win their first ACM award and accept it at the Fan Jam, saw the whole show on a huge screen, watched all the Best New Artist nominees perform live, got to watch Brad Paisley play with John Mayer and Dierks Bentley, and then got a special Brad Paisley show immediately following the broadcast!

Probably my favorite event of the whole weekend was the ACM Presents show which was a big Tim McGraw special. I'd bought a ticket at the very last minute and it was such a good decision! Since it was a TV special they were recording, they had everyone fill in the seats in front. This meant that even though I paid for a nosebleed seat (MGM Grand Garden Arena is not small), I got to sit in the ninth row just to the side of the stage with only a large crane blocking me. Such an amazing night!

Throwback Thursdays

Good morning!

So in past years, the end of March/beginning of April has always meant ACM weekend. It's been my second favorite part of the year for a long time. This year looks amazing but I'm actually not even going to be home for part of it (oops) and I'm not even sure how much of it I'll see next year with all kinds of plans in the works. That said, I put together a couple posts of my favorite throwback moments from the ACM weekends of past in the weeks leading up to ACM 2017.

2012

My first time actually seeing some of the craziness of the awards weekend. My friend Katie and I ventured over to the market where we won meet and greets to see Chris Young. 

I want to say this was the first year it started turning into a festival. 

I spent a lot of time around Mandalay Bay that year with the BBQ in the parking lot, the RAM Ride and Drive, and the fun festivities and market area. 

And of course, take all the goofy photos we could at the booths. 

A bunch of us also ventured out to Fremont Street to see Luke Bryan!

Solo Birthday Part 02

Hey guys!

So onto the second half of my little birthday celebration. Lynn and I literally walked out of the Cam gathering and right into our next adventure. We had both gotten VIP passes for Kelsea Ballerini so we were super excited for the private acoustic set.

No joke, Kelsea is seriously adorable. Just the sweetest person ever. There were less than 50 of us in the showroom for the private set so there wasn't anywhere to stand that didn't have a great view. She sang Peter Pan and her unreleased song High School and answered a ton of questions and just chatted with everyone for a while before taking pictures with everyone. She was wearing the Stuart Weitzman boots I've been coveting so we had a very geeky girly moment complimenting each other's footwear (she liked my blue glitter shoelaces with my Navy shimmer Keds and Cam had also squealed when she saw all the sparkly laces). When we left we had some pretty adorable exclusive goodies and I still hit the merch stand for some fun pieces.

The show started shortly after and I have to say, it was a really great show. I had seen Kelsea play the year before and you could tell she was still getting used to the crowds. This time she really knew how to hold the attention of everyone in the room. 

Overall, such a fun night and a great way to celebrate my birthday!

Solo Birthday Part 01

So as always, NFR was in town last month and of course, it's my favorite time of the year. In addition to rodeo, it's my birthday! There are always so many great shows during or before my birthday and this year was no exception. Unfortunately, I didn't get out too much because I was so busy with work; however, I made sure to book at least one really fun night out for myself.

I don't have that many friends who are super crazy about country music so I've gotten used to going to shows alone. Besides, I'd rather go alone than miss out! The Orleans was hosting Cam and Kelsea Ballerini so I bought myself a couple really great VIP packages so I could celebrate my birthday in style. It was such a good idea!

The first half of the evening was Cam. I picked up my pass and actually ran into a friend from out of town who often does VIP events too so I wasn't completely alone!

We shuffled into the theatre early for a quick meet and greet with Cam. She was absolutely the sweetest! She and Kelsea are both nominated for Grammy awards but are just some of the nicest most humble women I've ever met (the same goes for Maren Morris who I got to meet in October). She was in a giraffe onesie and told us all how she had her entire crew and band dress up in onesies since it was the last show of her Burning House Tour!

We all sat down for a little Q&A session and got some fun insight into her favorite songs and her writing process. It was a super intimate little gathering and a lot of fun. 

Cam put on such a wonderful show. Her set is gorgeous and super dreamy and she has such a beautiful voice. She and her band even changed back into onesies for most of the show! Too cute!