Wow! What a blast we had! OMG!! Thanks sooo much to the guys and RCAKaren for this awesome opportunity! I can die a happy woman!!! lol Well, lets begin, I left to scoop up my bff Jacque around noon and we hit the road for Columbia! Once we got to Walterboro, we stopped off at a gas station and I was harrassed by this one scrubby man..ew *shudders* he was freakin breathing down my neck, I was scared so we practically ran out of the door! Then, Jacque, smart Jacque wanted to go across the street to McD's to grab something to eat (which she shoud have done before we left!) and I will tell you, that was the LONGEST wait in a fast food line EVER in my LIFE! Literally 20 minutes, everyone was getting pissed and started leaving the line! By this point I am freaking out b/c it takes 2 hrs 30 min to get there, it was 2pm and we had to be there for meet and greet by 4:30 and we still had to do hair and makeup ahhh!!!! So, we get back on the road, drive about a mile and Jacque screams, "I left my bra at home!!!! Find a wal-mart asap!" ....(grrrr!) So, we pull off into a wal-mart right off of the interstate and she says, "oh, wait! I found it!" ....(double-grrrr!!!!) Fast forward to hotel check-in... we got there around 3:15 after I sped the rest of the way there. Hair, makeup, painted nails, and we were off! The hotel was literally right next door to the venue which was great! The walk alone had me breaking a sweat so I started to panic about my hair getting messed up! haha. Then, we walk around the venue and see Rhonda hangin by the buses, didn't talk too long then went into the venue. Saw "Conley?" from the forums, which was AWESOME! Then we went to the front of the line to try and figure out where to be, where to stand, etc. FREAKED OUT b/c I forgot to print out my VIP confirmation ahhhh!! But they had me on the list so it was cool! Met a guy and gal, can't recall their names, she said she read my entry...anyways, they were so cool! lol, good times Then I met VenusCat- LOVE YOU girl, SO sweet!!!! Waited until like 6pm or 6:30 and then they let us in for soundcheck. We were told to go up the steps...what a frightening walk that was (so nervous!) The view was GREAT up there!!! First thing I noticed was no JP..bummer. Anways, the guys were already playing and I got out my camera and started snapping and zooming and flashing.. then my batteries went dead! FULLY charged batteries, dead! My flash was on but for SOME reason my pics came out sooo dark, I've been working on them for the longest to try to get them brigter...they are terrible pics! So sorry you guys! So, after about 10 minutes, they had us line up against the wall and the guys came upstairs to sit at the table for autographs. The people who were running the meet and greet anounced NO GROUP PICS!!!!! BUT, it's ok b/c what would I have done with dead batteries anyways? ... ... Then he added, "Keep the line moving, go through quickly, we can't have anyone stopping, get one thing out for them to sign and have it read" So I grab my cd cover and quickly made my turn to the table. First was Brian, I swear I do NOT sound country but I said to im, "Thanks for coming to South CarOliiina!" with the countryest accent imaginable! Don't even ask where that came from! LOL Then Joey, then Chris (told him the same thing as Brian minus the accent) Then Josh and we were OUT! It was so quick but swear you could not get the smile off of my face! I needed to be smacked I was grining so big! haha! So, when we came back out, the line had moved up to the front by the door and I spoke with Conley again, showing her how dark pics came out (briefly) before my batteries went dead for te last time. So, as we were talking, some HUGE guy started running off at the mouth at us for "cutting the line" and Conley had my back!! She was all, "They are the VIP, the are allowed to be up front!" You are awesome for that!!!! So, I was ignoring him and he just kept making a scene so I was like, OK, I'm outta here! We wanted to go over next door and have a drink before the show and SIT! We had a great time at the bar! After a lot of thinking, we agreed to just go into the show right when CR came on, I honestly didn't feel like punching that guy in line! j/k.. (i'm not violent) ... But I will tell you that was the WORST idea EVER!! As we approached the door, security was carrying out some huge guy, telling him not to come back in and the guy was going crazy! LOL..it was funny! We walked into the venue and could NOT move an inch! No one would even let us get upstairs! You could not even see the stage standing in the back!! Everyone was jammed packed all the way out the doors! We smashed our way up the stairs, grabbed a drink and stood about five rows back...UPSTAIRS! Couldn't see a thing...not a thing.. but I heard it! LOL ..people were stupidly drunk, throwing things onto the people below, falling, smacking, ugh! It was soooo incredibly hot! gees! THEN, before CR even left the stage my friend started having a panic attack and was about to vomit from not being able to move and from the heat! So, shes like I have to go now, I'm gonna be sick!!! Double UGH!! So, I gave up the spot I had upstairs to walk her out of the building to get air and THEN I heard Crashed come on and the crowd screaming and I was like, "Jacque, I'm going in NOW, I'm sorry!" And I ran into the building, pushed my way upstairs, found another spot, two rows back and started dancing and jumping and waving my glow stick and singing! LOL From that point on, I was in my own world...spinning and swaying..HEAVEN! And I was the only one around me that knew every single word to all the songs! Yeah, I looked like a big fan, hah! Didn't take pics b/c I didn't have a view and plus, I have great memories in my head forever now!!!The only thing about the spot that I was in was that there was a huge beam so I couldn't see Chris.. not once! But its allllll good cause I had a great view of everyone else! I was sweating, gettin gmy hair all messed up but hey, I was lost in the moment. When I looked down at the front row, I thanked the lord it wasn't me! I might have passed out with all of the bodies smashing them towards the stage and from the intense heat! After they finished "Home" and "left the stage" the woman in front of me left and I grabbed her spot so fast!!!! Then they came on with "There and Back Again" and after that, I practically ran out of the venue to beat the crowds and get back to Jacque, aww.. I am such a good friend! LOL Let me say this, CR=AWESOME! WAAAY better than I imagined! Such great stage presence and energy, wow! I grabbed their cd on the way out! And our boys, OMG, I know Chris was "sick" but DAMN did they ever sound GREAT! To the "T!!!!" Sounded just like the album, I almost forgot he was sick! The crowd showed soo much love, everyone was so loud OMG! I know I was! HAHA! I had such an amazing night...best day/night of my LIFE!!!!! SOOO greatful for the VIP, that was incredible... once in a lifetime... stunning! I met some great people, had a BALL, and can not WAIT for Wednesday to do it all over again!!!!! ...oh, heavens..! I am in la-la land! I will post my the pics I do have from soundcheck below but I must warn you, they are not very good, but I PROMISE to get awesome pics next week! ...promise! Scouts honor!!!!! hah http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0483.jpg
My VIP experience!!!!
Wow! What a blast we had! OMG!! Thanks sooo much to the guys and RCAKaren for this awesome opportunity! I can die a happy woman!!! lol Well, lets begin, I left to scoop up my bff Jacque around noon and we hit the road for Columbia! Once we got to Walterboro, we stopped off at a gas station and I was harrassed by this one scrubby man..ew *shudders* he was freakin breathing down my neck, I was scared so we practically ran out of the door! Then, Jacque, smart Jacque wanted to go across the street to McD's to grab something to eat (which she shoud have done before we left!) and I will tell you, that was the LONGEST wait in a fast food line EVER in my LIFE! Literally 20 minutes, everyone was getting pissed and started leaving the line! By this point I am freaking out b/c it takes 2 hrs 30 min to get there, it was 2pm and we had to be there for meet and greet by 4:30 and we still had to do hair and makeup ahhh!!!! So, we get back on the road, drive about a mile and Jacque screams, "I left my bra at home!!!! Find a wal-mart asap!" ....(grrrr!) So, we pull off into a wal-mart right off of the interstate and she says, "oh, wait! I found it!" ....(double-grrrr!!!!) Fast forward to hotel check-in... we got there around 3:15 after I sped the rest of the way there. Hair, makeup, painted nails, and we were off! The hotel was literally right next door to the venue which was great! The walk alone had me breaking a sweat so I started to panic about my hair getting messed up! haha. Then, we walk around the venue and see Rhonda hangin by the buses, didn't talk too long then went into the venue. Saw "Conley?" from the forums, which was AWESOME! Then we went to the front of the line to try and figure out where to be, where to stand, etc. FREAKED OUT b/c I forgot to print out my VIP confirmation ahhhh!! But they had me on the list so it was cool! Met a guy and gal, can't recall their names, she said she read my entry...anyways, they were so cool! lol, good times
Then I met VenusCat- LOVE YOU girl, SO sweet!!!! Waited until like 6pm or 6:30 and then they let us in for soundcheck. We were told to go up the steps...what a frightening walk that was (so nervous!) The view was GREAT up there!!! First thing I noticed was no JP..bummer. Anways, the guys were already playing and I got out my camera and started snapping and zooming and flashing.. then my batteries went dead! FULLY charged batteries, dead! My flash was on but for SOME reason my pics came out sooo dark, I've been working on them for the longest to try to get them brigter...they are terrible pics! So sorry you guys! So, after about 10 minutes, they had us line up against the wall and the guys came upstairs to sit at the table for autographs. The people who were running the meet and greet anounced NO GROUP PICS!!!!! BUT, it's ok b/c what would I have done with dead batteries anyways? ... 
... Then he added, "Keep the line moving, go through quickly, we can't have anyone stopping, get one thing out for them to sign and have it read" So I grab my cd cover and quickly made my turn to the table. First was Brian, I swear I do NOT sound country but I said to im, "Thanks for coming to South CarOliiina!" with the countryest accent imaginable! Don't even ask where that came from! LOL Then Joey, then Chris (told him the same thing as Brian minus the accent) 
Then Josh and we were OUT! It was so quick but swear you could not get the smile off of my face! I needed to be smacked I was grining so big! haha! So, when we came back out, the line had moved up to the front by the door and I spoke with Conley again, showing her how dark pics came out (briefly) before my batteries went dead for te last time. So, as we were talking, some HUGE guy started running off at the mouth at us for "cutting the line" and Conley had my back!! She was all, "They are the VIP, the are allowed to be up front!" You are awesome for that!!!! So, I was ignoring him and he just kept making a scene so I was like, OK, I'm outta here! We wanted to go over next door and have a drink before the show and SIT! We had a great time at the bar! After a lot of thinking, we agreed to just go into the show right when CR came on, I honestly didn't feel like punching that guy in line! j/k.. (i'm not violent) ... But I will tell you that was the WORST idea EVER!! As we approached the door, security was carrying out some huge guy, telling him not to come back in and the guy was going crazy! LOL..it was funny! We walked into the venue and could NOT move an inch! No one would even let us get upstairs! You could not even see the stage standing in the back!! Everyone was jammed packed all the way out the doors! We smashed our way up the stairs, grabbed a drink and stood about five rows back...UPSTAIRS! Couldn't see a thing...not a thing.. but I heard it! LOL ..people were stupidly drunk, throwing things onto the people below, falling, smacking, ugh! It was soooo incredibly hot! gees! THEN, before CR even left the stage my friend started having a panic attack and was about to vomit from not being able to move and from the heat! So, shes like I have to go now, I'm gonna be sick!!! Double UGH!! So, I gave up the spot I had upstairs to walk her out of the building to get air and THEN I heard Crashed come on and the crowd screaming and I was like, "Jacque, I'm going in NOW, I'm sorry!" And I ran into the building, pushed my way upstairs, found another spot, two rows back and started dancing and jumping and waving my glow stick and singing! LOL From that point on, I was in my own world...spinning and swaying..HEAVEN! And I was the only one around me that knew every single word to all the songs! Yeah, I looked like a big fan, hah! Didn't take pics b/c I didn't have a view and plus, I have great memories in my head forever now!!!The only thing about the spot that I was in was that there was a huge beam so I couldn't see Chris.. not once! But its allllll good cause I had a great view of everyone else! I was sweating, gettin gmy hair all messed up but hey, I was lost in the moment. When I looked down at the front row, I thanked the lord it wasn't me! I might have passed out with all of the bodies smashing them towards the stage and from the intense heat! After they finished "Home" and "left the stage" the woman in front of me left and I grabbed her spot so fast!!!! Then they came on with "There and Back Again" and after that, I practically ran out of the venue to beat the crowds and get back to Jacque, aww.. I am such a good friend! LOL Let me say this, CR=AWESOME! WAAAY better than I imagined! Such great stage presence and energy, wow! I grabbed their cd on the way out! And our boys, OMG, I know Chris was "sick" but DAMN did they ever sound GREAT! To the "T!!!!" Sounded just like the album, I almost forgot he was sick! The crowd showed soo much love, everyone was so loud OMG! I know I was! HAHA! I had such an amazing night...best day/night of my LIFE!!!!! SOOO greatful for the VIP, that was incredible... once in a lifetime... stunning! I met some great people, had a BALL, and can not WAIT for Wednesday to do it all over again!!!!! ...oh, heavens..! I am in la-la land! 
I will post my the pics I do have from soundcheck below but I must warn you, they are not very good, but I PROMISE to get awesome pics next week! ...promise! Scouts honor!!!!! hah 
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0483.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0482.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0481.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0480.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0479.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0478.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0477.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0476.jpg
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb56/mary12525/100_0474.jpg
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don't leave me out
myspace.com/mary12525