jen · @spinnyjb
21st Mar 2011 from Twitlonger
@TheCaseyJamesblg Carolyn Collins generously upgraded our nosebleed seats last minute...only problem was, on Friday, the day of our show, FedEx lost the tickets. They were somewhere in California! We were able to get through to the online ticket vendor and they sent us e-tickets to print out...about 2 hours before I had to leave the house! Phew!! Carolyn and I met part way and rode together for about 2 hours or so. It flew by as we chatted, mostly about Casey, his amazing music and the amazing people we have come to know because of him. :) We got there early on purpose to grab a little something to eat. Only problem was, it was St. Patrick's day...in a college town....and the venue was smack dab in the middle of downtown. Every single place was packed and overflowing! We ended up just waiting outside the venue until it opened at 6:30. Thank goodness it was unseasonably warm for March in Michigan...we almost hit a record. I figured it was because Casey was in town...he brings the heat. ;) Once inside we bought our Casey items for our twitter pals and ourselves and then found our seats. Carolyn really scored some awesome seats! We were one row behind the pit, right in the middle of the row. I was in heaven!! When Casey came on stage I lost my ever lovin' mind!! He started out w/ a bluesy "Need Your Love So Bad" I looked at Carolyn and shouted "this ain't no Long Tall Texan" and then I proceeded to melt into a pile of goo on the floor. Literally, Casey's blues make me weak in the knees! His entire set was AMAZING!!! And just like that, it was over. Rhonda Nelson was texting me the entire time it was so much fun "30 minutes till the Long Tall Texan ;)" and so on. I called her as soon as his set was over. I am not sure what I said, but I am sure I was going nuts!! She just kept saying mmm hmm, uh huh, mmm hmm....like one would when talking to a crazy person. ;) Bless her heart, she was just as excited for us as if she were standing right next to me! :) We patiently endured the majority of the rest of the show. Jennifer Nettles finished up "Why Don't you Stay" and I said sorry Jen...can't stay..I gots to go!! ;) So we headed upstairs to scope out where Casey would be signing. (hopefully) We still had no idea if he was coming out or not. We waited w/ a couple of other diehard fans for about 15 or 20 minutes. I had my gift and all of our Casey merchandise and we waited. Then he stepped off the elevator. My mind went blank and all I could think of was the vertical rainbow you see on tv sometimes with the words "please stand by.." ;) I was forth in line and was surprisingly calm for me... Once I got up there I told him how happy I was for him and how amazing he sounded. He kept saying thank you so much and was so incredibly sweet and relaxed. He signed all of the items I brought each w/ a personal touch. Dangit if he were any sweeter, he'd be twins! I handed him his gift and asked quietly that if I waited around, would he open it. He said sure. So we waited till everyone went through the line. Which was really fun to watch. Just watching him with each and every fan from 6 years old to 65...he was just super sweet, attentive, and grateful. I was beaming w/ pride. I am just so proud to be his fan. :) So the crowd cleared and he opened his gift. He said "I was gonna wear the hat you made me, but it is not even cold up here!" I said "only when you come to town, Casey, is it 70 degrees on St. Patrick's Day!" He liked the cards the kids made. He held up the honey I gave him and showed it to Todd "they make their own honey!" and Todd says "Awesome! biscuits and honey!" :) It was cute. Then he opened my hat. For those who don't know, I am the dork who knits Casey hats. Yep, it's me. It is ok, I embrace my dorkiness. ;) He really liked his hat and held it up to Todd "she made this! I am never gonna have to buy another tobaggan again!" (which I didn't know, is what they call knitted hats in Texas) I got two big hugs and then we all said goodbye. It was pretty surreal. Carolyn and I drove/floated all the way home. It was an absolutely perfect night.