Thursday, January 14, 2010

2010...the year of no fear

2010… The year of no fear-Nick Jonas
January 4,2009, will forever be one of the best days of my life, but January 4, 2010, might be a contender. I saw Nick Jonas and the Administration at the Ryman. Exactly 365 after last year.
Mom and I arrived in Nashville around 1:30 and headed straight to the Pancake Pantry; the little restaurant in downtown Nashville famous for their pancakes. They were heavenly. I got the chocolate chip ones,

Then after, we rode around and looked at Belmont and Vandy’s campus. After we found Blackbird Studio where Nick recorded his album and many other musicians have recorded. It was also where Nick did the ‘Nick J: Basketball Extraordinaire’ video on the Jonas Brothers’ youtube.

So, Taylor Swift lives in Hendersonville which is about 10 minutes out of Nashville so we head there creeping to find her house… After looking up her address in the phonebook, we have 2 possibilities. We knew she lived on the lake so we started with that one. We drive about around and around trying to find this place. Finally when we get to the neighborhood, at the very end there are 3 huge houses that are sorta gated. It had a gate around the property but there wasn’t one on the road so you could drive through. The GPS told us it was the first house on the left which we are sure it is. There was a white car sitting in the driveway and we think it was security because we pulled in the driveway to take a picture and the guy rolled down the window. We took a few more pictures and the guy started to get out of his car. So we start to back out. Well there is a car coming so we pull back in. No. We were in this person’s driveway. So we back out like idiots and wait for them to pull in. The guy was driving a green Range Rover. The guy who was driving was Austin Swift. Taylor’s younger brother. No lie. I about died. I even pulled his picture up on my phone and showed mom and she was like, ‘Oh my gosh. We just saw her brother and know where she lives!!!’ Needless to say, we had a successful day. It was great.
After that, we headed back to the Ryman to wait for the show!!

We got inside the Ryman about an hour before the show. We walked around looking at all the neat things. Many people have played on that stage and you can feel it all around you. This place is where some people got their start. It’s unexplainable. If you are ever in Nashville, you should check it out.
I sat on the floor while mom sat in the balcony. She called me after Diane Birch was done and the stage crew was setting up for Nick. Christa Black was there! She was their violinist on the 09 tour and has toured with Michael W. Smith for 5 or 6 years before. I go upstairs and am waiting to get a picture when a security guard comes to escort her to her seat. I was about 20 feet away from where the action was taking place so when I asked if I could get a picture she said sure and gave me the biggest hug. I was shaking while we waited for mom to take the picture. Before she left I told her I had read all her blogs and loved her song ‘Walk on Water.’ She grabbed me hand, squeezed it and said, ‘Thanks so much. That means a lot.’ She had a very sincere look on her face. It was amazing. I was shaking for 10 minutes after.

Then after I get back to my seat, mom calls again and says, Michael W. Smith is there sitting by Christa only 4 seats from her! I didn’t get to see him since the concert was about to start…. Jack Mooring was there from Leeland and Jordan Pruitt was there too.
The concert lasted about 2 hours and 30 minutes. It was great. For Nick to be so reserved during interviews, he really lets it out on stage. It is where he belongs, and it definitely shows.

Nick seemed very eager to start playing. He said that it’s going to be an annual thing playing at the Ryman on January 4 from now on! Just watching him, you can tell how comfortable is he playing on stage. He has 4 other band members. One is John Fields who has produced most of their songs. The other 3 are guys who have toured with Prince & the New Generation Band. Sometimes during the concert Iwould watch the other members just stand in awe watching Nick. This is a 17 year old boy who has accomplished some things musicians try to do in their entire lifetime. Winning award after award, hosting award shows, being a Grammy nominee, playing with Stevie Wonder twice, Jordin Sparks, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Phil Vassar and others at the Ryman, having 3 albums at #1, performed at the Kids Inaugural for the President and his family, Nick testified about his Diabetes in from of the Senate, their 3D movie which is now #3 for concert film of all time, their new tv show, played at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, broke records for ticket sales of the 2009 World Tour, going overseas playing venues, filming Camp Rock 2, their 2nd Rolling Stone Cover, were in Nigh at the Museum 2, Kevin getting married to beautiful Danielle at a fairytale wedding, and so much more.
And this is just the beginning.
No telling what these 3 boys are going to accomplish together and on side projects.

Highlights:
- ‘I’m ready to get down, I’m gonna pour it out for you tonight’
- Looks like shows at the Ryman are an annual thing now.
- ‘I know this material may sound new… but I know you’re quick learners’.
- ‘I have a big announcement. It’s a big one… I’m the funny one’.
- He’s being the funny one. Knock knock joke. He was going tell one that he heard from a fan in the meet and greet but he couldn’t remember how it went so he asked Michael, the drummer, to say one. He asked “Why is 6 afraid of 7?” Which everyone knew=FAIL.
- He said he’ll learn the words to ‘Fireflies’ eventually.
- ALBL speech: ‘New year, new beginnings. 2010: the year of no fear. I can assure you we’ve got big things coming up. 2010 is just the start’.
- ‘Sometimes something beautiful can come out of a tough situation…’
- ‘My name is Nick Jonas and we are the Administration’.

Setlist:
Last Time Around
State of Emergency
Olive and an Arrow
Inseparable
While the World is Spinning
Fireflies
Use Somebody
Before the Storm (solo version)
Black Keys / ALBL
Vesper’s Goodbye
Conspiracy Theory
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours – Stevie Wonder cover
Rose Garden
Stronger
Tonight
Who I Am

This is a night I will cherish forever.