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My thoughts on the summer of Chesney...

About 6 months ago, I got on an airplane and flew to Fargo, North Dakota, to begin the summer of Chesney. When I decided to do that I had no idea exactly how many shows I'd end up seeing or exactly how many twists and turns this whole crazy journey would take. I figured I'd see Kenny a few times, meet a few new people and drink a whole lot of rum. After 10 years of being a Chesney fan, it seemed like a good way to go out in style. It's kind of funny. In many ways that very first weekend was the best weekend of the tour. In others, I wish it'd never happened. So, with that, here are my thoughts on the summer of Chesney...

I don't remember much about Fargo. I remember drinking way too much Crown Royal. I remember being in the 2nd row behind the tallest girl ever, who topped it off with a cowboy hat. I remember spilling my beer on my neighbors. I remember the faces of some of the crew guys when they realized some of Kenny's more notorious fans were there. I remember announcing loudly in the lobby of the Fargodome that my pee smelled like beer. And lastly, I will never forget that there are no fish tacos in Fargo and you shouldn't even ask.

St. Paul was significantly better. Gretchen (not Wilson, lol) and I roadtripped it over to St. Paul the next day for Kenny's birthday show. We had a blast in the car. We had a blast when we got to the hotel. We had a blast when we got to the show, which I still think was the best show ever. He was in a great mood. Everyone was. We got to meet a lot of his crew members that night, and Kenny is very lucky to have some great people working for him. I'm also lucky to have Ms. Gretchen, who's smart enough to realize when it's time to push a friend right into the path of her crush. I might live to be 100 and I don't think that I'll ever forget that big, giant grin. For better or for worse.

Of course, that's also the night that the drama started. And that caused a lot of twists and turns in my life, along with a lot of hurt feelings and stress over several months. And I hate drama. And honestly, if I could go back and rewind I probably would. I am very ashamed I got caught up in that whole mess. Luckily somewhere in July I realized that Kenny Chesney's personal life is none of my damn business. Honestly. Being curious about a celebrity's private life is just pointless. Let's face it: he could screw baby goats and that doesn't matter as long as the music's good, right? That's probably the best revelation to ever come into this brain of mine. Life's been so much simpler since I got there. Does that mean that I don't care about the lives of my friends I've met along the way who are associated with him? Not at all. In fact, quite the opposite. It just can't be about Kenny anymore. As I always say, Kenny may have brought us together, but he can hardly be the glue that keeps us together.

So, in the middle there was drama. And somewhere along the way it wasn't about the music, and that sucks. It wasn't even about the awesome boy who kept starting at ME, and that makes me sad now. Luckily toward the end of the summer, I decided to start worrying about that. The last two shows that I went to (Cincinnati and Louisville) were very awesome for me, because I was with friends who wanted me to be happy, too. I will never forget squealing like a girl in the parking garage in Newport, Kentucky. I won't ever forget Amy telling me that big smile on my face made it worth it. That's very cool.

I'm not sure what's next in KennyLand. I'm not digging his new song, and I am wondering if I'll find some new star to steal my heart. I don't know if the staring will ever be anything more. I don't know if there will be shows next year. My thought is yes, but not nearly as many as this year. I doubt I'd ever do that again. Unless the yellow-haired boy sucks me in again. LOL. We'll see. What I've seen this year is my circle of friends change, but the core group is there now. We've all been talking about doing one show together next year. Maybe that'll be THE show.

So, the Summer of Chesney is over. (Although Houston is still pending some time in the next few months.) There were great moments. There were moments that absolutely sucked ass. I have so many great friends as a result of this crazy journey. Folks I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. I've had lots of laughs and smiles, but there have been some tears, too. I guess it's the tears that bother me. Kenny's always been the guy who tells you to grab a drink and spend 2 hours with him not worrying. Obviously, that scenario shouldn't involve tears. So maybe I'll grab a drink and kick back with KC next year. But I'll be leaving the Kleenex at home this time.

posted by Laura at 6:17 PM