Rockin' the Ryman

Baby showers, meeting blogger buddies in person, traveling to see my daughter's boyfriend's band play at the Ryman Auditorium, waiting not so patiently for Baby M's arrival, not having to go back to school next year...how in the world does one handle all of these good life happenings? I'll let y'all know when I am no longer reeling from it. Ha!

I have several posts to write about our trip to Nashville, but I just have to get this one out first. I can't even begin to tell y'all what an honor it was to be included in such a momentous occasion as watching The Wild Feathers play at the Ryman Auditorium. To a SOLD OUT crowd.

Y'all, we got to go to the sound check. That might not sound all that interesting to most folks, but we LOVED it! We LOVED every minute of our whirlwind Nashville visit. It was perfect! Except for the heat. And the traffic. But even those two things didn't spoil our BIG FUN in Nashville!

This was before and during the sound check. That's right, we got to walk on the Ryman stage. DrummerBoy plays his dad's drums so his dad got to sit up there and play for a bit. It was great!

It was all about the boys playing at the Ryman but the keyword was family.

All of the moms, dads, sisters, brothers, and extended family of the boys and their wives/girlfriends were there. There were old friends and new friends, too. The family/friend support system of these guys is huge and strong. Maybe this is why the band is made up of such good young men. Of course, we might have been a bit focused on the drummer.

Such talent! And cute, too! :)

They are kind and unpretentious. They weren't arrogant about playing at the Ryman, they were humbled by it. They were nice and inviting to everyone. Not only do these musicians possess great talent they are also down-to-earth and kind-hearted. I simply cannot say enough about the boys in this band. Integrity seems to be in short supply these days. But not with these guys.

We had dinner right there at the Ryman with DrummerBoy's parents who are the sweetest and most hilarious people! They were so inclusive of our family. We can't wait for them to come to Charleston and get the Lofton Family tour. Sid and Susie, we're already planning on it!   

After the ENCORE the opening band, Jamestown Revival, came back onstage to sing, With a Little Help from My Friends, with The Wild Feathers! 

There are stories I heard and some I've witnessed that would attest to the character of the members of The Wild Feathers but y'all would be here all day long trying to read about it. Do yourselves a favor and, should the opportunity present itself, go see these guys. You won't regret it! I promise!

I don't know the guy, Tanner White, who recorded this but it's on YouTube and there is an amazing moment where the band stops playing and singing and the SOLD OUT crowd sings. I still get goosebumps. I cannot believe I was there to witness such a momentous occasion for these boys who have worked so long and hard to get there. Well done, guys. Well done, indeed.

I Can Top That

I have to admit that, sometimes, when reading about the horror stories of parents traveling with kids, I laugh. Not because I'm a mean person and am taking pleasure from their tales. But because they act like it's the worst thing in the world. The tales from parents of one or two kids just seem so...I don't know, manageable, to me. I raised four. Everything that happened did so-- x4.

"OMG. My youngest threw up repeatedly in the car on the way to the relatives over Christmas. And then my oldest followed suit." Really? It happened to us too. But it was usually Thanksgiving. And it didn't stop at two kids. Nope. THAT was just the beginning. And they didn't just throw up on themselves or a blanket on in my hand. Nope. They threw up all over the place even though we had plastic bags (because who doesn't keep those in the car when you have kids?). AND THEN, it went through the whole family and the relatives. Yeah, fun times. Black Friday took on a whole new meaning that year.

How about the Thanksgiving when I had been telling a certain man that the van (yes, I used to drive a mini-van) sounded as though it was going to throw a rod. I was ignored. We get on the road, about three hours in and BAM! Rod thrown. New engine bought. Thanksgiving saved by the loan of another vehicle from a relative.

How about the trip back from a family gathering of sorts in Georgia and we get on the road home only to have to outrun a freaking tornado??? Scary as hell and exhilarating all at the same time. Especially with four screaming daughters that drowned out the sound of the golf balled sized hail furiously pounding the car.

Or the time that we were headed into uncharted territory with an outdated map and the AC in the car broke and someone didn't stop to ask for directions for about 2 hours and...well, you can take it from there, I'm sure.

What about the time(s) we took the boat out into Bull's Bay and it broke down. And no one was out there. For HOURS. And people were not feeling well. And yes, that would be plural 'times'.

What about a certain someone teaching the daughters how much fun surfing is. And how it's always best just before a hurricane. It's not a trip, but still.

Oh yeah. I've got plenty of tales. Crazy tales. And we lived through each and every one of them. Surprisingly. So you can imagine how comical some of the tales I've heard lately seem.

Now, come on. Let's hear your tales. If you've got kids, you've got tales!