The Backdrop

Last weekend I received some free tickets to the CMA Music Festival concert on Friday night (one of the many perks of my job working here at the CMHOF Woot woot!) I decided to drag Josh along to the concert with me. This year was our 3^rd year going to at least one Music Fest concert together. We always have a fun time sitting up in the nosebleed section buying $15 sodas and $10 mike-and-ikes (just kidding, I hate those things I would never buy them even if they were FREE!)

At this year’s festival we got to the concert just as the sun was setting. Both of us were sweating profusely by the time we reached our seats, because the makers of LP field didn’t think it would be a good idea to put in an elevator of some kind, but rather thought it was a good idea to make people walk up ridiculously long switchbacks…(read: ramps) about 47 times to reach the top. We sat down with our 5 free glow sticks each hot, thirsty and hungry (I think this was also part of the ploy to get us to spend money!) But, as I looked up I noticed in front of my eyes across a field of about 100,000 equally sweaty country music fans and above the neon flashing bright lights of the stage below was a gorgeous indescribably pink/red/yellow sunset.

I pulled out my camera (read: cell phone) to try and take a picture of the soul piercing sunset and after about 2-3 fruitless shots I gave up on capturing the magnificent site. I am not sure if the “don’t stare at the sun or you will go blind” rule still applies at sunset, but I didn’t really care. You couldn’t get my eyes off that sun even if Kid Rock came out on the stage and sang “Picture” with Martina McBride…oh wait. That did happen, but it was much later after the sun had set and it was MUCH less spectacular.

I would say the highlight of the evening would have been the following in reverse order:

3. The free glow sticks - Not just the one’s Josh and I had but the one’s people were chucking off the top balcony of the stadium down into a mass crowd of people…smart. Real smart.

2. The Sprite - We got this about halfway through the concert. I seriously thought I was dying of thirst by the time we caved for the CRAZY expensive drink.

1. The Sunset – Setting the backdrop for the start of the evening, going seemingly unnoticed by the thousands of drunken crazy Country Music fans (God bless em’ for giving me a job), but capturing my attention and reminding me of how big, and creative God is and how abundantly blessed I am.