Sugarland in UTAH!!

I had to work until 1:00 pm on Friday and my plan was to head to get my friend and be at soundcheck by 2:30pm. I picked up my friend and we were on our way. We got to soundcheck about 2:15 and were told that they were running late about an hour late so we decided to head out to the trucks and take a few pictures.

I love the design of this years graphic on the trucks. Sugarland spelt out with all the gears and things is just amazing. I hope to someday get the opportunity to design something this cool. I was able to walk right to the truck and touch it and take these fun pictures with them.

We were led into soundcheck and watched the chairs for floor seats be set up for about twenty minutes. Nate the lighting guy was also on stage with his ipad working his magic with the lights. I really am amazed at what Nate is able to control with just an ipad. It looked like he was able to just touch the ipad and it would turn on a certain area of lights and I think that’s pretty amazing. After watching the chairs be set up and Nate play with his ipad in slowly walks the band. I waved to Annie and after she waved back she put her hands together to make wings and started flying them. I did it in return but had no idea what she was doing and motioned to her that I was confused. Annie shrugged like she didn’t know what she was doing. (More to come on this later) It was funny, and a few people sitting next to me an adorable little girl and her mom asked me how I knew Annie and I told them I had meet her a few times. I asked this little girl if Sugarland was going to be her first concert and she said no I have seen Miley Cyrus once her mom then said well she isn’t going to the show just soundcheck. The little girl asked me if she will get to meet Jenn and I said maybe sometimes she will come talk sometimes she won’t just depends. The little girl’s response made me laugh so hard she said well I hope I get to meet her because I want her to marry my dad. LOL LOL it was so cute.

Jenn and Kristian came out a few minutes later Jenn came over and waved to everyone and my friend who was with me mentioned after soundcheck that she seemed to be looking at me more than anyone. I don’t know if that’s true but I am sure I was recognized or maybe I hope I was recognized!!! Kristian came over at the end of soundcheck and had a guitar pick and I pointed to the little girl he tried to throw it to her but missed and shrugged his shoulders like saying I tried. I don’t remember the songs they did during soundcheck wish I did but I think I was just focused still on Nate and his ipad and how amazed I was. You can watch a youtube video with Nate and his ipad with Jenn and Kristian here

After soundcheck I went home for a few hours and met up with a few friends for dinner who were going to the show but not sitting on the floor. I have never been able to eat before a concert it doesn’t matter who it is or where it is I just don’t have a desire to eat before a show but I love going out with friends so I go and sit with them as they eat. We got to the Venue around 6:15 and doors didn’t open until 6:30 so we walked around to the radio booths and tried to win front row seats for my friends. I went in before my friends because I wanted to get some merchandise before the line got to big. I ended up getting the Sugarland bag, and shot glass and I know I know I don’t drink alcohol but I do drink Nyquil occasionally lol JK

At 7:00 I went upstairs to find Annie for her R M&G, I gave her a fantasy book that I had bought for her and got personalized by the author its called Fablehaven and I hope she likes it I then asked her about the wings during soundcheck and after I asked her I felt so stupid for forgetting about it. A few years ago the band did a video on happy hands and how they felt like no one knew the band so if you did know them to do the happy hands sign and they could tell who was a member of the fan club. After Annie started explaining it I totally remembered it right away and felt a little dumb for forgetting it. I wasn’t able to find the video on the fan club page but if you find it let me know. So Annie’s hands flying where happy hands and from now on I will remember what happy hands are.

Around 7:30 I went to find my seat that was second row Kristian’s side about seven seats in. It was the one and only seat open in the row between two VERY lovey dovy couples and because they were so lovey dovy with each other I could not get them to talk to me. It bugs me when you are trying to be so friendly with people and they don’t care to be friendly back. Danny Gokey got onstage and he was all right, granted this is his first big tour but I honestly didn’t hear one song that I would download. I was touched when he spoke about his wife’s charity and how it was going to help Nashville rebuild.

Julianne Hough was next and with Salt Lake City being her hometown I expected a big warm crowd welcome and a great show. Julianne put on a great show but Utah wasn’t as loud as I expected them to be. Julianne sang one of Sarah Buxton’s songs I believe its called “Loves a trip” you can see my video of it here and Julianne used a swing as part of her props. Overall I think she did a great job and man can that girl dance!!!

After Julianne’s set I spotted Alyssa and decided to go to the front row and talk with her. We talked for a few minutes and I spotted Abby, Lisa, and Shani talking one row over so I went over to talk to them. The show started before I could make it to my seat in the second row and I went and stood by Alyssa right dead center front row. The security guard said they were expecting a VIP to come to that seat and that if they came I would have to move and I would have but no one ever came. I stayed the whole night right in the middle and watched the show about a foot away from me. It was amazing and so fun to be able to do that in my home state

About three songs into the show Abby and her friend brought three little girls up to the front of the stage. I leaned over and asked one of the little girls if she wanted me to put her on my shoulders so she could see better since the stage was so high up. I did and I could feel the little girl moving on my shoulders dancing to the music, of course this meant that Abby and her friend also had to put the other two girls on their shoulders as well but it was all for the kids! After every song the little girl on my shoulders would lean down and say thank you it was adorable. Jenn mentioned how sweet and cute it was that we had helped these little kids and thanked us. When it was time for the girls to go back to their seats the one that I had helped gave me a big hug she was adorable. One of the little girls actually got the guitar that was given away that night as well.

I believe that my putting that little girl on my shoulders scored me the front row seat the rest of the night because after that the security guard left me alone the rest of the night (until I was caught filming remix lol) you can catch some of my video's from this show here

The night was perfect, I was so proud to be a Sugarland fan I had a interesting sensation come over me about half way thought the show and I turned around to look at the crowd who was all up on its feet and I just got this big proud mama feeling I don’t know who I was more proud of Jenn and Kristian for coming to Utah and proving to Utah how amazing they are and making Utah realize how amazing and talented and fun of a show they can have or if it was me being proud of Utah for showing Sugarland how much they love them. I think this sensation comes from the fact that when they were in Utah with Kenny about four years ago and I went to the show to see Sugarland I was so disappointed in the crowd and I felt like no one knew of the geniusness of what is Sugarland.

Everyone who knows me knows that I have been a big fan since I saw them in very small bar in California for free and I have followed them religiously since that time. I have seen them grow into what they are today, and I was disappointed in Utah for not seeing how amazing they were. That all changed on Friday night when I turned around and saw a crowd of about 12, 000 people where all standing up and loving some people that I have loved for years.

I have been to many shows and sat in the first three rows to lots of different kinds of shows and I have to say that Sugarland’s incredible machine show on Friday May 7^, 2010 was the best show I have ever been to. It was so energetic the whole band looked like they were having a blast and were smiling the whole night, Jenn and Kristian were very attentive to the audience and made sure to make eye contact with many of the fans. The set it over the top amazing, and you could tell that every single person who was at the show was there to have a good time and the good times were had.

After the show I was able to talk to Alyssa, Lisa, and Abby for little bit and it was fun to have some Sugarfamily in town for a Sugarland show. Sugarland has brought so many wonderful people into my life people who I feel like I can be myself around, not put on a show for and I am still loved. Sugarland fans are full of warm, kind, and thoughtful people and I am so happy to be able to call lots of them family. After the show Abby, her friend, and my friends went to in&out to eat because by that time I was starving. We talked about the show and how amazing it was, and about different slang that is used in Canada but not the USA and about the movie drop dead gorgeous until about 1am it was a fun night. I was not able to go to sleep until about 4am due to the fact that I was still on a sugar high and had many thought going through my head about how proud I was of Sugarland and all their success. I knew the first time I saw them perform in that small bar in California that they would be big and now look at them. I am one proud Sugarland fan if you can’t tell.

I want to thank Sugarland and their team for coming to Utah, I was so happy to welcome them to my state and to not have to get on a plane or drive over six hours to see them perform. Utah loves you and hopes you come back next year!! Until July when I see you again