Jeff's Greensboro Review --- his final meeting with Miss Carrie (what happened???)

Another great show put on by our lovely and talented miss carrie underwood. This show was awesome as there were quite a few interesting things happening.

-Carrie wore the same outfit she had in Missouri, which is probably one of my favorite “non-red” outfit she has since I really think she looks like a princess in this. She was pretty talkative during the show and was just so endearing in her chatter to the crowd.

-After one of the songs early in the set, she look at mark (the bass player) and went “mark, is that yoghurt behind you? Why do you have yoghurt? Lets have something like pizza or chocolate!”

-She mentioned how she isn’t too good with chatting and that she often goes “off tangent”. So everytime she spoke to the crowd she went “see! I go off tangent again!”

-After another song, she made a great declaration “I am a dork! I really am!”

-During SCOM, during the part where Ed zones out playing the guitar, he actually ran off the stage and into the audience. Carrie pointed in his direction. Sara and I were like where the heck is he??? And finally I spot him in the audience! He then made a somewhat unsuccessful attempt to get back on the stage as he actually tripped on the steps, so he stumbled but didn’t fall down. At the end of the song carrie was like “oh, ed, you gave me a fright!”

-During wasted, at the end where Ashley does his thing with the fiddle running all over the stage, he also ran off the stage and into the audience!!! At this time sara and I were like “man imagine if carrie ran out to the crowd!” so after that, she commented that ed and Ashley had taken their turns running out to the crowd and so who would be next? “Maybe Lemar?” she said, “but he has to stay with his green drums! We’ll figure something out for lemar!”

-During the end of I just cant live a lie as carrie is singing the last few lines with her eyes closed, Ashley took a bouquet of flowers that a fan had given carrie earlier in the show and then went down on one knee holding the flowers, as if proposing to carrie. When carrie finally opened her eyes she got a surprise and yelped out “oooohhh!!!” and laughed heartily and everyone cracked up. “you scared me Ashley! Bad Ashley!” The best part? I was recording this song on video so I got that part too. I don’t think I will be sending this to mrs clark lol

-She took time to show her appreciation for the gifts the fans put on the stage for her. She showed off the bouquet of flowers to the crowd (the one that Ashley later used to “propose” to her); someone threw a puppet carebear on the stage and carrie actually picked it up and played with it as she sang (I got a picture of that!); and she also put on a necklace and said she had to use the things that fans give her!

-She also commented that performing in NC was pretty nice since the weather is great. She talked about how some venues were cold and as luck would have it, she would be performing indoors when the weather outside was nice (this was in an auditorium). She obviously hasn’t heard of the term good-weather carrie :)

This show was just awesome. I will rank this just below Missouri, so this is the 2nd best show I have seen her.

Just somethings about the new members of the band. The new girl really does seem to need more time to learn. Don’t be too hard on her. The new guitarist was really good I thought. If you didn’t know he was new you would have thought he has been with the band for some time. He blended in really well.

Meeting carrie
Of course it seems my review is never complete without mentioning my meeting with carrie after the show. Don sara and I were near the end of the line. It was really long and was extended all the way until we were outdoors! The line grew and grew. Keith and the security people kept coming out to check how long the line is and they were always “Holy crap!” I don’t think carrie is too popular with the even staff since she actually makes them work more than they would need to for other stars lol.

Finally it got to our turn. Sara wanted me to take a pic of her and carrie (since we have the same cam model). Turns out don decided to take a pic of them too. So the funny thing is, carrie was looking at dons camera and sara was looking at mine when the pictures were taken!

As usual, I insisted I went after sara and don, since being last in the group does seem to make me less nervous around carrie. So when it was my turn to meet her i handed her the pic to sign, she was like "which pen should i sign with (silver or black)?" i said i think any color will do. i was stressing showing her the present I got her so i didnt take the opportunity to ask for my pen she stole from me the last time i met her. i showed her the mug and she held it and looked at it and was like "oooh thats cute!!!" i then said "i like the cat's eyes, they reminded me of yours thats why i got it for you. and you have really beautiful eyes!" she then looks at me and goes "aww thank you!"

so she is about to sign the pic and then she said something that absolutely made my day. she went "shall i make this to jeff as usual?"and flashed her signature smile. I was freaking out at this point! OMG not only does she remember me she remembers my name, and knows that i like her to personalize her autographs for me!!! i mean she knows that im a huge fan and she really didnt need to say that to me. it just goes to show how she cares for her fans, not just as fans, but as people too. i couldnt believe my ears. i thought i was a) going to die or b) going to wake up from some dream. but no it was reality! i suffered from brain cramps (duh!) and just nodded my head and smiled like a silly fool. now with my brain suffering my hands had difficulty packing the mug back into the box and into the bag. keith was like "c'mon jeff, we gotta keep the line moving". so i moved aside to pack the mug. i then put the bag next to carrie and as i was about to leave she turned her head and smiled that signature smile of hers at me and said "thank you!" i was suffering from so much cramping i couldnt even thank her or say youre welcome. i just gave her my signature silly smile and left. so yea i did pull a jeff again!

This will be my final meeting with carrie and she totally made my day. I couldn’t sleep that nite and right now, im still running on 2 hours of sleep as I have tons of HW assignments to complete! But wow it is worth it!!!

the present

Jeff's Carrie with Kenny in Chicago review (episode: Sprinting for Carrie)

i go into the stadium at around 3, an hour after the gates were opened. Kenny fans were there early to have a great tailgaiting party, and there I am with absolutely nothing! I ask where the oasis stage is (where carrie will be doing her acoustic set). Just as I am about to head there, I get a call from sara and she just arrived at the parking lot. Turns out her car is parked 2 cars from mine lol. And luckily she got some beers so we at least look like we’re tailgating. Turns out her friend is in town so we wiat for him.

We thought that since most of the folks there were tailgaiting at the lot and were Kenny fans that there wouldn’t be a crowd for carrie’s acoustic set. So we head over half an hour before her set started, and there already was a slight crowd. Sara and her friend decide to look for the restroom and during that time the crowd swelled and there was no way she could get back to our spot

Carrie arrived at the stage and got a really good reception from the crowd. I lifted up my sign for her; with all the heads in front of me, I cannot be sure, but I think she spotted it and smiled. She starts talking to the stage crew for some time as everyone is eagerly awaiting for her to start. There certainly was a buzz. She wore the same outfit as she did during the Missouri state fair (which is my favorite non-red outfit of hers), but she had her hair back here. One of the DJs from the local station, US99 then asks her a question on air, asking what is her favorite “Carrie” --- “Carrie Fisher”, “Carrie Bradshaw”, or “Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood”. At this moment half the crowd breaks out in jeers. Carrie laughed and said judging from the response she better not choose the last option.

She did a short 4-song acoustic set: DFTRM, IAICA, JTTW and BHC. The Kenny fans around me were oohing and aahing as she hit those notes beautifully, and I could hear their amazement. I heard comments like “oh my God” and “she’s amazing”. That’s the beauty of carrie’s voice; it is just so pure and beautiful. Before she did BHC, she mentioned she was taking a request from the front row as someone wanted BHC. She then said “mark (Oakley) says no, I say yes, so we’re doing it!” I wished the set was longer but hey im not complaining. I hope one day she does a full concert acoustically.

The acoustic set ended at 515 and the gates for the stadium didn’t open till 6. at this moment, I see I have a text message, and its from Richard. He couldn’t handle missing seeing carrie in his home town so he came down to see her and got tickets for the show! I meet up with him and robin. A while later, I decide to keep my sign back in the car, and soon enough sara returned to her car to take some stuff for the concert.

We head over to enter the stadium at around 630. I am about to go in the the security tells me I cannot bring my bagpack in! im like no way, my car is parked at the other end! Can I leave the bag somewhere around here? And he said to me that he wont guarantee the bag will be here after the show. Carrie’s set was starting at 7 and the crowd was increasing in size to enter the stadium. So I sprinted my way back to my car, threw the bag in it, took my camera out from it, and sprinted back to the gate. I go through the same security guy and he smiles at me and says youre good to go son. I thank him for giving me a work out, and I was really huffing and puffing at this point. But that wasn’t it. The crowd was so huge it took me some time to get to the field area. I was still trying to get onto the field when I heard the opening drum beat for Young and Beautiful. Im like ugggh and I finally get onto the field and carrie comes out singing. My seat is 13th row from the front so I had some distance to walk/run to it. Sara sees me and asks if I ran. I just huffed and puffed and nodded instead of saying yes. I am totally unfit I have to say.

Carrie did her usual 6-sing set when she opens for Kenny. Y&B, BHC, DFTRM, JTTW, wasted, SH, and she got a great response throughout her set, especially during her 3 radio singles. Most of the folks were singing the songs, and if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t have guessed she was just an opening act. Everyone was on their feet, dancing and singing along. i thought she got the biggest ovation for DFTRM. It just amazed me at the reception she got as an opener, since all the other openers I have seen in other concerts usually gets polite applause at best. To have the fans of another artist react this way I thought was great. I wished she would have talked a little instead of rushing through her set, since the Kenny fans do seem to appreciate her. Her set was over in less than 25 minutes.

Dierks Bentley and Kenny both put on great shows. I recommend you guys seeing these 2 in concert. They are great. The fans were standing on their chairs during kennys set, so sara and I follow suit, cos if we didn’t there was no way to be able to see Kenny lol. At the end of the show, our legs were killing us since the chairs were not meant to be stood on haha, and I was still recovering from the sprint earlier on.

As carrie’s tour with Kenny chesney ends, I would just like to thank Kenny for inviting carrie on his tour. I still think it was huge for Kenny to invite her along. carrie would never had the opportunity to perform in these huge stadium shows if not for Kenny, and I think it was a great learning experience for her. So, thank you, Kenny!

Jeff’s New York State fair review

Ok, how should I start? Carrie was just awesome once again, but she was especially talkative during this show.

Just a few tidbits

- it was an overcast day. It wasn’t supposed to rain. But I came prepared with my poncho. After andy griggs’ set when they set up the stage for carrie, I hear thunder. I look at the guy next to me and we both had the same “oh no” look. Turns out the stereo was playing garth brooks’ The Thunder Rolls. We both heave a sigh of relief. So we start talking. He is amazed (not surprising) when I said I came in from Michigan. Guess wearing a Cornell university tshirt didn’t help me blend in among the new Yorkers. Turns out, he knows one of the star players for my college football team (Michigan wolverines) so he tells me some interesting things. Even says he thinks the wolverines will go unbeaten this season. I said ohio state has a good team, he shakes his head, says the wolverines will be the team to surprise everyone. Immediately I like him since he is at a carrie concert and he predicts my team will go unbeaten lol. So we talk about carrie, and so he asks if he is correct to assume that I have been to a few carrie concerts. I reply “yea a few” and then say she puts on a great show.

- show starts. The guy next to me is immediately impressed as he oohs and ahhs as she hits the notes. Oh yea, he tells his parents and gf that I came in from Michigan. He is about to start taking pictures, then sees my canon powershot and he goes “that’s got to take some great pictures! Can you send me yours?” of course I agree since I already like him.

- Carrie is wearing a simple red blouse and jeans. Man, red is the best color on her. My favorite look of hers with the CMAs last year and the NASCAR coke 600. why does she keep looking better and better each time I see her?

- As others have mentioned, carrie was especially chatty, the chattiest I have ever seen her in concert. The part I found most amusing was early on the show, she asks “has school started?” and then she nods her head slowly and frowns and goes “yea? Well, I don’t need to go back to school since I just graduated” after a song or 2, I think it was SCOM, when she ends the songs, she exclaims “class dismissed!”

- She also mentioned she thinks she is a dork and the audience get a chuckle out of that. Well, she has to be the most beautiful dork then

- She says how she sees little girls just bawl when they meet her and she wonders why. She is just carrie underwood. Then she talks about her recent encounter with randy travis, someone whom she has looked up to for a long time. And she remembered she was bawling as well!

- She mentioned her tour with Kenny chesney. Says she probably made him feel old when she mentioned to him that she saw him in concert when she was 15. she then mentions she will tour with brad paisley in the fall and that he is such a nice guy. I am thinking, watch out young lady, he hasn’t played a prank on you yet. But then maybe cant bring himself to play a prank on sweet carrie…

- My new pal sitting next to me keeps saying to me how good he thinks she is (practically after each song he goes man she is good!). Turns out, his gf is actually sitting a row behind and a few seats away too. Safe for him to praise carrie.

- It starts to drizzle during her acoustic set. I go yikes and start to wear my poncho and put it on the wrong way. My pal says “you certainly came prepared”. It took me a good couple of minutes to put it on, but then 2 problems arose. One, its warm inside the poncho; two, I cant take any pics with my came with the poncho on! So I take it off and place my faith in good-weather carrie again. Good-weather carrie pulls through again as the drizzle stops pretty soon.

- There was this couple of people in the front (or second) row and they made signs for carrie. She comes over my side of the stage, they put it up. Ok no big deal, since ive made one before and I know their excitement. She looks at it and they leave it up the ENTIRE time she was there. My pal shouted at them; I couldn’t say anything as I thought I was going to get an aneurysm missing out on some potential photos. Then the next time she comes over, they put it up again!!! Unbelievable, though thankfully not the entire time she was there, but they did this at least 5 times…

- Carrie leaves the stage after SH, so my pal asks me “that’s all???” and I assure him there is one more. He looks happy.

Meeting carrie

Some of you may know already, but I was determined to tell her what I had always planned to say to her since the first time I met her, but with my repeated failures and pulling myselfs, never got to say! We were pretty much in the front of the line and I made sure I was last among the CF folks so they couldn’t watch me pull a potential me. At this point Sara wants a picture taken of her and carrie, and she entrusts her camera to my bungling hands, since we use the exact same model. So I had mine slung around my neck, and then slung Sara’s camera around my neck too. One of the fair security folks look at me and asks me how many cameras I have. Someone (I think either sara or don) said yea hes the paparazzi. I just smile as my moment is arriving.

So sara goes before me. I go out of the line to get a better angle to take a picture of her and carrie. So after sara spoke with carrie, the guy who was behind me propped himself in front of carrie! So I just butted in and said “hey, sorry dude, its my turn.” My hands were freakin full at this time as I was holding the pic I wanted her to sign, I was holding my bag with her present in it, and my neck had 2 huge cameras slung on it. I decide to return sara her camera.

I changed my approach this time. Usually, I stress myself out showing carrie the present I got her and then forget everything else, so I just placed the bag on the table and told her I got her a magnetic plush toy that she could stick onto her fridge. She looked at it (the bag is transparent) and smiles. Then, the moment comes when I finally say what I have wanted to say all along. Miracles do happen, reggie. I was determined to spit everything out. So I just said “I haven’t said this before, but I really want to thank you for everything you have done for us. It really means a lot and we all really appreciate everything.” (ok, now that wasn’t really as hard as I made it out to be right?) Carrie flashes me this huge smile and looks incredulously at me, perhaps knowing it’s the first time I have ever strung a sentence of more than 10 words in front of her, since all I usually say is “thank you” when she hands me back the autographed picture. She then laughs and says back “well, thank YOU for coming back out once again!” at this moment I hand her this stunning pic for her to sign (http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...i/IMG_1417.jpg) then she looks and says “how can i sign black on black?" and flashes me another smile. I then hand over the silver pen that I had brought along. As she is about to hand me the picture back, I say to her “you look really great tonight in this outfit and red is a great color for you.” At this moment, she giggles and then gives me a cute little pose! I don’t know how to describe it, but its something like a curtsy even though she is sitting down (makes sense?). at this point, my determination not to have brain cramps is broken as she is looking so stunning in that red blouse, and that little pose she did just did it for me. i thanked her again as she handed me back my pic and left. And then I realized my brain cramps cost me something! I left my silver pen behind with carrie! Lol sneaky carrie! I am convinced she comes on this board and somehow got wind of my determination not to have brain cramps this time so she probably ensured I got one anyway, and then came away with my silver pen too! Haha!