Some events for your country calendar:

Friday, January 29, 2010
Martina McBride & Trace Adkins @ Sovereign Center (Reading, PA)

Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010
Gary Allan @ House of Blues (Atlantic City, NJ)
Chuck Wicks @ Prospectors (Mt. Laurel, NJ)

Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010
Eric Church w. Josh Thompson @ the Trocadero (Philadelphia, PA)
btw: Josh Thompson is the "Beer on the Table" guy! :P

Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, 2010
Line Dance to "Beautify Bayshore Road"
Villas Fire Hall, Villas, NJ
$10.00 advance / $12.00 at door
Tickets available at Kiddie Kloset, Domino’s Pizza, Apex Realty

Saturday, February 20, 2010
Terri Clark @ Dennis Flyer Theater Camden County College (Blackwood, NJ)



Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tim McGraw @ Sovereign Center (Reading, PA)

Monday, Feb. 22, 2010
David Allan Coe @ Cancun Cantina (Hanover, MD)

Saturday, March 6, 2010
Love & Theft @ Prospectors (Mt. Laurel, NJ)

Friday / Saturday, March 12, 13, 2010
Phil Vassar w. The Harters @ Keswick Theatre



Carrie Underwood with Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia
Friday, March 19th @Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City NJ &
Friday, March 26th @ Sun National Bank Center, Trenton, NJ

March 18th & 19, 2010
Taylor Swift & Kellie Pickler w. Gloriana @ Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, PA)

Saturday, March 20, 2010
Justin Moore @ Prospectors (Mt. Laurel, NJ)


Saturday, April 3, 2010
Jo Dee Messina’s Music Room Series @ Keswick Theatre


Thursday, April 22, 2010
Vince Gill @ Verizon Hall - Kimmel Center



Friday, September 3, 2010
Keith Urban @ Allentown Fairgrounds

October 22-23, 2010
Wildwoods Country Music Weekend
Wildwoods Convention, Wildwood, NJ
wildwoodscountry.com

Woody Guthrie made a New Years resolution to Dance Better. Superb resolution!

Sawyer Brown tomorrow night in AC

Just saw this in the SandPaper, Sawyer Brown is playing in Atlantic City tomorrow night. $25 at the Hilton, I just might have to go to that one! The Race Is On, Some Girls Do, Six Days on the Road... this stuff is great :)

XTU show tailgaiting checklist

XTU Show - June 13, 2009.

Yep, it's finally arrived, the unofficial kickoff to the summer concert season. In preparation, I am [*tear] skipping my line dance outing this evening. It will be worth it because I'll get some dancing in tomorrow at the show. Tonight, I will be hitting up the giant supermarket/everything-under-the-sun store to load up the truck.

My XTU SHOW TAILGATING CHECKLIST

• Booze, liquor stores aren't open at 7:30 AM [found that out the hard way]
• Tin foil, tongs, spatula
• Paper plates, napkins
• Toilet Paper, hand sanitizer
• Camping chairs
• ICE, Lotsa ice
• Grill, lighter fluid, charcoal
• Food, Veggie burgers (they don't make you sick if they're not cooked the whole way through)
• Crappy line dance boots (cement isn't ideal for your leather soles)
• Flip flops
• Sunscreen
• Blanket (for the lawn)
• cowboy hat (drinks + impulse cowboy hat purchase = no good)
• Jeans & sweatshirt (it gets cool when the sun goes down with sunburn & the suncreen you forgot to put on)
• Tickets!
• Ladderball, Washers, Magnetic dart board, any other game you "borrow" from your kids
• Cooler
• Bike lock (to lock up your chairs/cooler during the show)
• Charged camera
  
• Designated driver

The Country Music Lovin' Jersey Girl's Summer Calendar

Yeeeehaawww! Memorial Day weekend starts tomorrow and in honor of SUMMERTIME, BBQs, TAILGATING and all things country like Cowtown Rodeo starting up this Saturday, The Country Music Lovin' Jersey Girl's Summer Calendar.

• Billy Ray Cyrus is playing at the Atlantic City Hilton on Saturday, May 23
  
• Rodney Carrington will be at Resorts in Atlantic City, NJ on May 23 & 24
  
• May 29 George Strait / Blake Shelton / Julianne Hough @ PNC Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
  
• The XTU Show is June 13th & includes Big & Rich, Phil Vassar, James Otto, Kellie Pickler, Zac Brown Band, Jessica Andrews, Love & Theft ---- The unofficial start to summer :)
• Billy Currington will be at Joe's Pub in NYC on June 20
  
• Kenny Chesney is coming to Philadelphia June 27 with Lady Antebellum & Miranda Lambert
  
• LeAnn Rimes will be at Great Adventure on July 4
  
• Toby Keith is with Trace Adkins at the Susquehanna center in Camden on July 25th
• Kid Rock / Lynyrd Skynyrd will be at Hershey Park on July 31
  
• Keith Urban's coming to the Wachovia Center with Taylor Swift August 1
• Brad Paisley is playing with Jimmy Wayne & Dierks Bentley on August 15
• Bill Engvall will be at Resorts, Atlantic City on August 22
• Jimmy Buffett will be at Caesars, Atlantic City on August 23
  
• Phil Vassar is playing at the Tropicana in Atlantic City on August 28
  
• The Little Rascals, I mean Rascal Flatts are with Darius Rucker September 11.
• XTU's doing their mega ticket deal again this year which includes The Anniversary Show, Toby, Brad & the Rascals... ooooh!
• Big & Rich are coming to Resorts September 5
  
• Keith Anderson will be at Prospectors again this September 19
• Jake Owen is also coming to Prospectors, Saturday, October 24

I tried to kick off my weekend a little early last night by seeing Eli Young Band at Prospectors. They tore it up! Great band, photos to come... There's just something incredible about Texas Country music!

Have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!

Love live country music

Luck with the concerts lately... not so much. Let's start with the Gary Allan show on March 5 @ the House of Blues in Atlantic City... we were going to get some tickets at the door - SOLD OUT. We heard it was a great show too.
Then... last weekend to go see Eric Church at Prospectors & oh yeah, SOLD OUT. What the heck?!
So this week I was listening to Cat at work and heard "Caller number 7 wins Josh Turner tickets" and I started dialing, and it rang ~ yipee!! It was great to win tickets after my good run of bad luck. I feel lucky, really lucky. Can't wait for the show! Josh Turner has the sexiest voice ever ;)

Speaking of live country music...

• 4 Wheel Drive is playing at the Brigantine Elks Lodge April 4
• Adam Gregory is playing Prospectors on April 8, $6 from 6-8pm
  
• Cat Country 107.3 is doing something called the Weekly Cat Country Local 10 where local country musicians get radio play Sunday nights starting March 29. Sounds cool...
• James Otto will be at Prospectors on April 18 - 856-235-1121 for tix
  
• Bombshel is playing at Prospectors on May 7th 6-8pm, $6
  
• Jamey Johnson's playing Prospectors on May 9th $15 advance, $20 door. Call 856-235-1121 for tix
  
• The XTU Show is June 13th & includes Big & Rich, Phil Vassar, James Otto, Kellie Pickler & more ---- The unofficial start to summer :)
• Kenny Chesney is coming to Philadelphia June 27
• Toby Keith is with Trace Adkins at the Susquehanna center in Camden on July 25th
• Keith Urban's coming to the Wachovia Center August 1
• Brad Paisley is playing with Jimmy Wayne & Dierks Bentley on August 15
• The Little Rascals, I mean Rascal Flatts are with Darius Rucker September 11.
• XTU's doing their mega ticket deal again this year which includes The Anniversary Show, Toby, Brad & the Rascals... ooooh!

And for the heck of it, there is a benefit this Saturday at Prospectors called Officer Down. It's a fundraiser where the proceeds benefit the families of deceased and permanently disabled law enforcement officers. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. $2 drafts, 6pm doors open, 3 hour buffet. A night out & a good cause all in one...

Joe Nichols Photos

Joe Nichols Show @ Prospector's 1/31/2008

A little line dancing before Joe came on stage


It was packed
It was a good time!

Joe Nichols at Prospectors this Saturday night

Joe Nichols is playing Prospectors this Saturday, Jan. 31. It's the rescheduled date and I heard through the grapevine that it's sold out. Good thing I got my ticket last weekend while I was there dancing!

It must have been the summer of 2002 when Ken & Debbie still hosted the free line dancing at the convention hall in Cape May on Fridays. I was working as a cocktail waitress and it was dead one Friday night... so I left (in my restaurant polo & black pants) to go dancing. I remember walking in to see two guys on stage, one playing the guitar, one singing. I didn't know who they were but they were good! I was slightly confused because I thought I had left work to line dance. Turns out that I'd left work for a free concert. They had begun playing Impossible when I realized who was playing... groovy surprise!

The surprise free Joe Nichols concert was a prize Joe & Mary won on the radio - 107.3 had a contest for the best answer to the question, "Why should Joe Nichols play at your event" and Joe's event (line dancing [holla]) won. Long story, that was the last time I saw him live.

And we got to meet him...( I didn't realize the shutter speed was set to 60 until the pics were developed, I've got a true appreciation for digital photography)


I'm stoked! Since that show in Cape May, Joe has come out with Size Matters, Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off, I'll Wait for You, Brokenheartsville, She Only Smokes When She Drinks, Cool to Be a Fool, If Nobody Believed in You, & What's a Guy Gotta Do.

Hot Summer Salsa line dance step sheet

Hot Summer Salsa line dance video

Hot Summer Salsa
Choreographed by:  Pepper Siquieros, www.RedHotCountry.com
Description: 32 Count 2 Wall Novice Line Dance
Music:  Hot Summer Salsa by Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers
Song is 6:25.  Stop it at 4:50 on Salsa!

Side Rock-Recover-Forward X2, R Rock Forward & Step Back, L Rock Back
& Step Forward
1&2 Rock Right foot out to right side, Recover onto Left foot,
Step Right foot forward
3&4 Rock Left foot out to left side, Recover onto Right foot,
Step Left foot forward
5&6 Rock forward onto Right foot, Recover onto Left foot,
Step back onto Right foot
7&8 Rock back onto Left foot, Recover onto Right foot, Step forward
onto Left foot

R Cross Rock-Step-Side, L Cross Rock-Step-1/4 Turn, R Kick-Step-Point,
Rock Forward-Back-Forward & Roll Hands Up
1&2 Cross rock Right over Left, Recover onto Left, Step Right to
right side
3&4 Cross rock Left over Right, Recover onto Right, Make 1/4 turn
left and step forward on Left
5&6 Kick Right foot forward, Step Right foot next to Left, Point Left
toe forward
7&8 Shift weight and bump hips forward onto Left foot, Bump hips and
weight back to Right foot, Bump hips & weight forward onto Left foot.
Styling: Roll hands quickly around each other in a CCW direction
and bring them up in front of body stopping above the head.

R Rock Forward-Back, Shuffle Forward, L Rock Forward-Back, 1/2 Turn L Shuffle
1-2 Rock forward onto Right foot, Recover weight back onto Left foot
3&4 Shuffle forward Right, Left, Right
5-6 Rock forward onto Left foot, Recover weight back onto Right foot
7&8 Turn 1/2 left and shuffle forward Left, Right, Left

R Rock Forward-Back, 1/4 Turn Side Shuffle, Rock Forward & Back &, Step, Touch
1-2 Rock forward onto Right foot, Recover back onto Left foot
3&4 Turn 1/4 right and shuffle Right, Left, Right to right side
5&6& Rock forward onto Left, Recover back onto Right, Rock back on Left,
Recover forward onto Right
7-8 Step forward onto Left, Tap Right toe next to Left instep

Start Hot Summer Salsa again

Technorati Tags: country,linedance,line dance,country western,country line dance,step sheet,dance,choreography,music,how to,dance instruction,video dance instruction

Jam packed week: dancing, concerts & ring-tone-ing ears

My last unofficial week of summer has been jam packed with line dancing, country music, and little rest.

Line Dancing

It started on Tuesday when I met some friends & they took me to a new place line dancing. I have been hearing about it for years but never made the trip. Adelphia's in Depford, NJ has country night with dancing & $2 ML bottles, cheers! Who needs beer when you're like me though... I fell getting out of my friend's truck on the way there. Yeah, somehow I got my leg stuck between the step-side & truck hahaha. There was no cover and it's a nice place. The crowd was pretty small but that's not always a bad thing. I heard the crowd multiplies when they bring in the mechanical bull. The line dances were up to date and there is room off to the sides for swing dancing. I saw a few couples doing the West Coast Swing (one of my favorite dances to watch). The light-up dance floor was a little on the slippery side... it looks like the same floor they have at Boogie Nights at Resorts in Atlantic City. There was a girl there giving lessons... the couples learned Lorrie's Cha Cha. I'd go back if I had other plans that conflicted w. my Wednesday & Friday line dancing, but not in addition to nor instead of my favorite fire house in Scullville or my beloved honky tonk in Mount Laurel. It was quite a haul (1½ hours on a work-night) &I didn't make it home until 2 a.m.. It can definitely satisfy the random Tuesday night urge for some country dancing though!

More Line Dancing

Wednesday night I headed up to the Scullville Fire House for some line dancing. Dan Good, a reporter from The Press of Atlantic City was there to do a story that ran in today's life section, "There's no pressure here, just a need to dance" . The photographer came in to take photos. Every time I saw that shiny black lens out of my peripheral vision, I would get all nervous, forget the steps, crack up, and walk off the dance floor. I suppose part of the distraction can be attributed to the 3 hours of missing sleep from the night before. Nevertheless, I'm candid-camera shy to say the least! Anyway, Debbie taught the line dance Chatahoochie from quite a few years ago. It's a vintage one I need to add to the list.

Some Line Dancing & A Concert

  
Thursday night, I was quite excited to see the Zac Brown Band play at Prospector's. The doors opened at 6, we got there at 7... but the band came on at about 9:30.
We were going to grab something to eat and maybe do a little line dancing but kindly, the Thursday night DJ calls out different dances than the Friday night DJ. If you've seen my list of line dances, you too would wonder how I sat in amazement of how few dances I either knew or could tolerate... and the same 5 or 6 were played 2 or 3 times each. Food... we wanted some appetizers but when we asked for the menu, they told us we had to leave the night club and go to the dining room or the saloon to eat (* good to know, that's the case for all their band nights*). We got some food next door and came back for another line dance attempt before Zac Brown Band came onstage.
The band was fantastic! If you missed them, you missed some really good live music. Most of the music they played was their own, while they tossed in a little "Devil went down to GA" cover. ZBB had me cracking up with the song, "Sic 'em on a chicken". I've gotta mention the fiddle player tore it up! I picked up their Foundation cd, which they signed for me :) . I've been playing it quite a bit! I really enjoyed the show!

Friday night of rest

I couldn't justify going line dancing on Friday night... still had to catch up from Tuesday & Thursday nights' lack of sleep. I stayed in & made ringtones as I let my body rest for Saturday's Brad Paisley show. I made "Toes" and "Chicken Fried" as my new Zac Brown Band ringtones and "I'll Take You Back" and "Out in The Parking Lot" as my new Brad Paisley ones :) Yeah, in a nutshell... if you have a mac

1. Pick out a good song (that won't make you cringe in the grocery store line or Dr. office)
2. Crop the part of the song you want to use in Garage Band (10-15 seconds-ish)
3. Export it to itunes --> convert it to an MP3
4. Bluetooth it to your phone
5. on my EnV2, I had to send the sound to myself (& a couple friends)... open the message and options--> save as a ringtone.

I found the little tutorial on creating your own ringtones with Garage Band. Anyway, that was my Friday.

Brad Concert

Saturday was Brad-day! The Brad Paisley w. Julianne Hough, Jewel, and Chuck Wicks show was in Camden. It turned out to be a fantastic day! We got up there a little early to BBQ. Everything went smoothly & I even ran into a few friends I hadn't seen in years. It was a good time! The weather held out for us. I brought a pair of jeans to change into before the show so I got in my truck to change. I didn't think anyone would notice but a nearby tailgater walked right up to my window and started talking to me through the window. I put my clothes over my lap and made him turn around while I finished changing. Talk about first impressions! LOL. We went on into the show and had a good ol' time, sans the stolen cooler from my truck bed when we came out. Nonetheless, a great day!

What could be better than an afternoon in the sun with friends and live country music? Well, Brad singing "Better than this" humorously added a little touché.

Technorati Tags: line dancing,depford,nj,prospectors,mt. laurel,scullville,line dance,concerts,country music,Brad Paisley,Chuck Wicks,Julianne Hough,Jewel,Zac Brown Band,photos,philadelphia,journal,shows,ringtones

Country Jersey Girl's concert calendar

Jenkinsons Pavilion , Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
Josh Gracin
Wednesday, August 13 - 8:00 pm

---

Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Toby Keith
Saturday, August 16 - 7:30PM

---

PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
Toby Keith
Friday, August 22 - 7:30PM

---

Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Kid Rock, Lynryd Skynyrd
Friday, August 22nd - 6:30PM

---

Prospectors, Mt. Laurel, NJ:
James Otto... sings one of the sexiest songs ever... "Just got Started Lovin' You", Drink and Dial, For You, Your Don't Act Like My Woman, Where Angels Hang Around
Acoustic Show on The Patio with 92.5 XTU Wednesday August 27 @ 11:00 AM FREE

---

Prospectors, Mt. Laurel, NJ:
Zac Brown Band... Chicken Fried! :D, Whatever It Is, Jolene, Toes, Highway 20 Ride
Thursday, August 28 $5 Cover Doors open at 6pm

---

Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Brad Paisley, Jewel, Chuck Wicks, Julianne Hough
Saturday, August 30th - 7:30PM

---

Trump Marina, Atlantic City, NJ
Travis Tritt
Saturday, August 30th - 8:00PM

---

Prospectors, Mt. Laurel, NJ:
Keith Anderson... sings I Still Miss You, Sunday Morning In America, Podunk, Every Time I Hear Your Name
Saturday, September 6th $20 Cover Doors Open at 6pm

---

Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Rascal Flatts , Taylor Swift
Friday, September 12th 8:00PM

---

Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ
Sugarland
Saturday, September 20 - 8:00PM

---

Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Martina McBride
Saturday, September 20 - 4:00PM

---

House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ
Willie Nelson
Saturday, September 27 - 7:00PM

---

Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ
Brooks & Dunn
Friday, October 3 - 8:30PM

---

Prospectors, Mt. Laurel, NJ:
Luke Bryan... sings All My Friends Say, Baby's On the Way, Country Man, We Rode in Trucks, You Make Me Want To, First Love Song
Saturday October 18, $20 Cover Doors Open at 6pm

---

Liacouras Center @ Temple University
Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town
Sunday, October 19 - 7:30PM

---

Prospectors, Mt. Laurel, NJ:
Joe Nichols
Saturday, November 22 - 9PM

Technorati Tags: LUKE BRYAN,Brooks & Dunn,Willie Nelson,Sugarland,Rascal Flatts,Taylor Swift,KEITH ANDERSON,Travis Tritt,Brad Paisley,Zac Brown Band,James Otto,Kid Rock,Lynryd Skynyrd,Toby Keith,NJ,Prospectors,Mt. Laurel,Susquehanna Bank Center,Camden,PNC Bank Arts Center,Holmdel,Trump Marina,Atlantic City,Trump Taj Mahal,House of Blues

Gretchen Wilson concert in Atlantic City, Redneck Woman line dances

Gretchen Wilson concert at the House of Blues in Atlantic City...
*A & I cruised up there and hit the spirit bar at the Showboat. It's a bit of a HOB pre-show tradition for us. We put $20 into the video poker machine and get a "free" drink (or two) while we gamble & wait for the show. It's always fun! My girl *A had a traditional Bud Light while I tried a new drink, the Pomegranate Martini. It was quite tasty though I felt a slight buzz from just 1. We played poker & blackjack - I didn't even lose all my money :D
One of our friends pulled a string or two to get us backstage passes - it was *A's birthday weekend too! We got to meet Gretchen (*A ♥'s her!) and she put on a great show! It was such a good time.





In honor of such a great show, A Gretchen Wilson playlist & line dance possibilities:

• Gretchen Song : Line Dance

1. Redneck Woman : Cowboy Rhythm
   
2. Here for the Party : Suicide Blonde
   
3. Homewrecker : Canadian Stomp
   
4. When it Rains : East Coast Swing (Couple's)
   
5. All Jacked Up : 38 Step
   
6. California Girls : Tush Push
   
7. Skoal Ring : Dancin' Feet
   
8. One Bud Wiser : Elvira's Cha-Cha
   
9. Come to Bed : Buckle Polisher (slow dance)
10. The Girl I Am : Cruisin'
    
11. One of the Boys : Fallsview Rock
    
12. You Don't Have to Go Home : Zjozzy's Funk (without the tag)
    
13. There's a Place in the Whiskey : Stagecoach Slide (Couple's)
    
14. There Goes the Neighborhood : Sleazy Slide
    

Technorati Tags: Gretchen Wilson,House of Blues,Showboat,Atlantic City,video poker,blackjack,line dance,concert,show,playlist,Cowboy Rhythm,Suicide Blonde,Canadian Stomp,East Coast Swing,38 Step,Tush Push,Dancin' Feet,Elvira's Cha Cha,Buckle Polisher,Cruisin',Fallsview Rock,Zjozzy's Funk,Stagecoach Slide,Sleazy Slide

gone... Country in Atlantic City

Last night was surreal! The John Rich show last night in Atlantic City was such a good time. Here's the play by play.

Get there & pick up the tickets
We got to Bally's at about 4:30-ish... parked all the way up on the 11th floor (the place was bumpin'!). We went in & waited in line to pick up our comped tickets (*holla!*). Our line just wouldn't move so some obnoxious all-up-in-my-personal-space old couple, a loud sarcastic reenactment, few laughs & stares, and 20 mins. later, we finally got our tickets.

Gamble away dinner money
Off to the casino floor we went... I brought a little $. Lost the first twenty bucks in minutes. I took the remaining $ over to my friends @ the craps table. By 5:45 I was empty handed. The show didn't start until 9! I sat & watched *A get to spin the Wheel of Fortune bonus round. It was fun but I was starting to get hungry. There was a wait at Johnny Rocket's, Pickle's didn't have anything vegetarian on the menu that looked appealing, *A's feet hurt so we couldn't walk far and I was getting cranky. There was a little cheese-steak place a few stores down where I saw fries. Borrowed $$, got fries & I was again a happy camper!

Let's Rock!
We went into the ballroom & sat down in our good yet whoa-cramped seats in a small venue with obviously comped ticket holders. Cowboy Troy started the show @ 9. His set was 3 songs long. He sang his Play Chicken with the Train song just before John Rich came out. Out came John Rich, sang some good stuff... only a handful of familiar Big & Rich tunes though. John Rich busted out with an AC/DC cover. Later he pulled a couple from the audience and sat them down on stage, poured them champagne and serenaded them with Lost in this Moment. He had this girl-duo (the brunette girl played the fiddle in John's band) called Jane Deer play 2 songs. A couple songs later, out comes Sebastian Bach singing the National Anthem. The once lead singer of Skid Row sang a few more songs. The crowd was into him despite just how different his style is from country. John came out with a couple of his solo songs and got everyone going again at the end. I personally jammed out to We Like it Loud and Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy. Time for the meet & greet that never officially happened.

This is where the fun really started
Anyone who has seen Big & Rich has seen "Two Foot Fred". He came out on stage after the show and *A & I said hi to him. We were wandering around and ended up at the back door of the stage area... and there he was again. We stopped for a picture and we chatted a bit. He said there was no meet & greet but that we should go play Blackjack with them all in a little bit. He tells us when & where and it just happened to be within sight of the craps table. I hit up the ATM and was scoping out the table when Fred came rolling in on his rascal like scooter. Change in plan... They're getting a cabana at the Bikini Beach Bar and he asked if we'd like to join them. Seriously?!

At the Copa, Copa Cabana...
We go in, sit, relax, chat and have drinks. Then we look up and in rolls John Rich with two girls, Sebastian Bach & his Mrs., Shannon Lawson. At one point the waitress spilled a drink on Fred. Some interesting musical mixes were played and we were all just kinda hanging out having a good time, boppin' around in our seats singing along. It was great. Then a little later came in Cowboy Troy, Adam the guitarist, Kris the XTU DJ with his wife... which I thought was pretty cool too! The odds aren't very good that a girl like me would run into anyone I know in John Rich's beach bar cabana but it happened! Cheers!

Stylish Casino Transportation
We were the last 3 at the cabana as everyone else had started making their way to the blackjack table. Fred offered me a ride on his little cruising scooter - so I took him up on the offer since *A needed a couple more beverages before riding. It was fun, and mildly dangerous. He is out of control zooming in and out of people on the ramp, cornering on 2 wheels, the whole 9. I was sitting on the seat behind laughing up a storm. It was fun in a uniquely fantastic sorta way.

Split 'em & Double Down ~ Blackjack, Rides, Cigars
It was no doubt a good circumstance that the $100 table turned slightly lower was full. It would have been cool to say that I played blackjack with John Rich, but clinking drinks and saying cheers was good for my likings! Someone started handing out cigars and everyone seems to have one. I thanked him for the offer, but declined despite the other women puffing away on them. That was until *A asked me if I'd like to share one with her... I thought to myself 'what the heck', this is so far from a typical night I might as well. Hahaha, we smoked a stogie!  hahah. Fred insisted that *A go for a ride on his scooter so off the went, out and about onto the casino floor... she had the cigar in one hand, a beer in the other hand, Fred practically in her lap as they cruised Bally's. They came back and we traded off... I took *A's seat and stogie and Fred & I went around some more. I made dixie horn sounds as he slightly grazed past gamblers. We made it back and hung out some more.

Craps 11, any 7, high, low, yo!
After watching lots of blackjack, *A went off and reacquainted herself with the Wheel of Fortune machine. She was gone a while so when I heard a couple of the guys were going over to play craps, I went along. We did alright! I made a small amount back and got some decent rolling in. So did the two shooters following. We had a good time as I shared the basic rules I knew with one of the guys. Winning anything back is good and when you do it in great company, it's even better. Fun people!

The 4:00 in the morning snack, sunrise on the way home
Well, it was about that time... *A was drunk, tired, feet kiling her, not good, hungry but wouldn't eat, cranky from losing $$, shall I go on? Unfortunately, the # of drinks - hours there- hours later = there was no way I was driving anywhere for another hour & a half despite feeling fine, it was time for a snack and coffee! Off we went to end the night. The restaurant was called six or something like that and I've gotta tell you, overpriced for whoa-mediocre. Great waitress though! The night had finally come to an end. 1 more stop for Wawa coffee round 2 and we were good.

The newspaper beat me home and that new Jason Michael Carroll song, "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead" ran through my head. I walked inside, closed the curtains and went to bed.

We hung out with rock stars, we hung out with rock stars :) And for the record, always bring someone who will pull you away from the craps table early on!

Technorati Tags: Atlantic city,Big & Rich,Concert,John rich,Cowboy Troy,2 Foot Fred,blackjack,gambling,night,events,country,music,Bally's,NJ,party

Dancing up a storm, John Rich to Save a horse in Atlantic City this weekend!

Line Dancing last night was a good time as usual! I was exhausted by the time it was over. The crowd was a good size and we danced the night away.

Here's a photo of the storm that passed through... I love when the sky is dramatic like this! 

Debbie taught a couple's dance called the Stagecoach Slide. It looked like a fun dance, but I didn't learn it because I don't have a regular dance partner. MEN WANTED! :) Yeah, most of my old dance partners seem to have gotten married and stopped coming out dancing. That I don't understand, but I digress. The Stagecoach Slide is an upbeat dance with a few east coast swing moves... I like it!

The next Country Concert on the agenda

The next concert on our list... John Rich of Big & Rich is coming to Atlantic City tomorrow and Saturday nights to play at Bally's. My BFF *A whom I mentioned to all of you in the rodeo post is absolutely in love with John Rich! She went to Nashville for a weekend just for the meet & greet party with him pre-concert. Yeah, she even has a plethora of ex's who resemble him in an uncanny sorta way.

Last weekend she went over to buy some tickets & the box office was closed - so they asked for help finding an open box office from an employee. Well, it turned out that they were all closed but the employee just happened to have connections and well, to make a long story short, we got comp'd tickets - and a possible meet & greet :)

So I am on my way to work this morning and hear that John Rich is going to be on Cat Country - I text *A and she's asleep... I listened for her. Joe Kelly does this famous 7 question ending for all interviews - It's great! This is what I remember from it (not bad pre-coffee).

John's...

1. Favorite moment on stage : The first time Big and Rich played at the Grand Ole Opry
2. Favorite TV Show: The Office (not Nashville Star because he doesn't get to watch it)
3. Strangest autograph request: A Baby's Butt
4. Duet partner he'd like to have someday: Steven Tyler
5. Favorite food: a Big ol' rib eye
6. I forget this one
7. and finally, his 1st kiss was where?: In the back of a horse trailer

And I heard he is going to have a special guest this weekend. The lead singer of Skid Row is going to come out and sing a few songs with him. And Cowboy Troy will be there too... This should be a good show! Plus, he is going to be signing autographs after the show. I'm excited! I wonder if anyone will to the line dance "Ride 'em Cowboy"... I'll keep you posted.

Now, anyone know where I can find someone who will promise to pull me away from the craps tables!?!

Technorati Tags: line dancing,john rich,big & rich,atlantic city,nj,concert,events,country,music

The 24th XTU Anniversary Show

My alarm clock rang at 6 AM on Saturday, June 7, 2008.
Shower - fill the cooler with ice & food - load up the truck -
7 AM - text message from *A... "I don't think I'm gonna be able to go. Way too tired."  Okayyyy. That really stinks! 1 BFF down - but I understood.
I had relax time since that was one less stop so I had a cup of coffee.. and realize I told *J I'd pick some beer up for him. I don't know about you but where do you buy beer at 7 AM in NJ? Acme has a little liquor store but it didn't open 'til 8 and I was supposed to be 45 mins up the road by 8:15. I waited anyway since I had few options. They didn't open on time - 8:15 I left Acme empty handed... on my way to an old man bar that opens at 7 in the morning... *K called me to let me know she just woke up (I was supposed to be at her house picking her up by then). My lateness worked well with her oversleeping. I stop at the old man bar at about 8:30 AM and there are freaking people in there drinking! They called ME a lush for buying take out that early as they had their beers & shots lined up and down the bar.

*K & I finally made it up to the parking lot where were were planning on BBQ-ing. It had to be 90 degrees out by 10:15 when we got there. It was hot! In the heat, and 2 hours, 6 books of matches, a used up lighter, 1/2 bottle of borrowed lighter fluid, borrowed replacement charcoal, borrowed grill lighter and 5 lighter-fluid soaked napkins in the grill later... we had a mini fire going. *K cooked her chicken legs and made me & *J veggie burgers :) We drank that scavenger hunt beer and finally went into the concert. That was after we saw a couple doing "couple things" in a car as *J proceeds to give the guy a thumbs up after they finished. Wow! 94 degrees by now.

My first stop... the line dancing area! They were taking a little break and I needed some water to balance out the beer and we watched Chuck Wicks. I must say, he is one lovely looking man!

After Chuck was done, we made our way out to the line dancing area where I proceded to work on my heat-stroke and sunburn. I shouldn't complain because *J & *K may have gotten it a little worse than me.

It was a long lovely day in the scolding sun, plus I got a new hat :) and I was told it's hot. *J slept right through Terri Clark... sound asleep with dreams and all hahaha. *K got her Coors Light on.

So The shows were great! We missed Keith Anderson and the Lost Trailers (but I just saw them at Chili-fest). Billy Ray was great, I was surprised no one broke out doing the Achy Brakey on the lawn! Terri Clark did her thing, Chuck Wicks and Pat Green did too... And Sugarland was wonderful! Their encore was great! They rolled out in these clear domes onto the audience where they got rolled around before getting out and singing "Pour some Sugar on me!" It was great. Also the first show I've seen them perform "Stay" and it was incredible! She sang me some Speed of Life, Down in Mississippi, Settlin', Baby Girl, Irreplaceable (country style), Everyday America, and oh oh oh oh oh  All I wanna Do. Lot's of fun!

 
Line dancing!

I've never seen the lawn so packed

Sunset over Philadelphia

 

Here are some photos someone who had better seats took

XTU 24th Anniversary Show Sugarland 6/7/08

 

Technorati Tags: XTU,SHOW,Anniversary,24th,Camden,6/07/08,concert,sugarland,terri clark,Billy Ray Cyrus,Pat Green,Chuck Wicks,line dancing,heatwave,tailgating,BBQ,parking lot,country,music

Line Dancing, Concert Tix, The Rodeo Song (sans the music, poetry, art, singing, rhythm, humor and sound)

LINE DANCING
Tomorrow evening - Line Dancing - Scullville Fire Hall! 7:00 til 10:00 - Good times! Alf said it... "Be there or be square!"

KENNY CHESNEY CONCERT TICKETS AVAILABLE!!!
Kenny Chesney Tix for 7/19/2008 7:30 PM, Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA --- Looks like I may have a pair for sale. Please email me if you're interested in going! It's going to be a good show! It was last year and the year before..

THE DANCING STORY...
Okay so last Tuesday evening I forgot to set my alarm clock and woke up 10 minutes before I was to leave the house Wednesday. I've gotta brag about this one! I made it to work on time! Holla! hahaha
I ran out of the house without my boots so after work as I was picking up my latte before going dancing, I realized that I had flip flops on... seriously? How the heck was I supposed to dance in flip flops? I would have had to travel 45 mins each way to get my boots so I said heck with it & went anyway! It worked much better than I expected!

See I usually keep my boots in the back seat of my truck so I can go dancing at the drop of a dime - but I cleaned it out so my friends would fit. (** note to self - choose club cab over crew cab!**) We went to the rodeo on Memorial Day Weekend at Cowtown. It was the perfect day too!

THE RODEO STORY
We had some good laughs cruising out Rt. 40, passing Long Wait Farm! We had a blast out at Cowtown! We got out to the Pilesgrove area and needed some beverages & a bathroom so we stopped at the Corner Bar. It's a traditional stop since we are slightly fascinated with the bathroom there. Ok, here's the photo... why are there 2 toilets in 2 stalls without walls or doors??? Classic!
We picked up our tickets in the store across the street so to avoid any long lines for the rodeo and viola, we were ready to rock out the BBQ *K brought. We unloaded the truck and fired up the grill... easier said than done! *A said something sarcastic about lighting the whole bag of charcoal on fire, packaging and all to *K & guess what, she doused the bag with lighter fluid and then lit it! Hahahaha!
It was fantastic! Had to put out the fire, and try it again... finally got the food going - but we only had about 45 mins until the rodeo started. *A & I BBQ'd veggie burgers so we were safe but the meat-eating *K & *T were challenged. ** Note to self, have friends cook their meat so it just needs to get heated up on the grill when tailgating.** *T had a rare burger & *K had some somewhat cooked wings.
The rodeo was a good time. We did our cowboy watching. Hahaha, We were the 4 girls rooting for the calfs that got away as they wiggled & pranced their way out of the stadium. We hit up the portos and did a little shopping at the cowboy store-stand. It was fantastic! The weather couldn't have been better either.

Post Rodeo
Put out the grill with water (from the beer cooler & got some bbq'd Bud Light), water bottles, soda and gatorade... load up the truck again... go dancing!
In the past, we would head over to the Barnyard and do a little dancing and/or drinking $3 cans of beer and chat it up with some guys with numbers on their backs.
Last year, the owners put it on the market and it was closed so we asked around to find out where to go... where there would be line dancing. Holy Smokes... yeah, we got lost trying to find it but had a decent time nonetheless. It was way down in Carneys Point, and we took the Del. Mem. Bridge to Wilmington to make a U turn to get back on 295 to some back road, and then another back road...
So we go to Holy Smokes last weekend... yeah, Now it's a biker bar. Are you freaking kidding me? About an hour later, we show up in Mt. Laurel at Prospectors, with all 13 other people in the place hahaha.
Well, we got some food and were basically on our way.
Despite the bar-less ending,we had a freaking blast & plan on going back : )

Notes to self I learned in the last couple weeks

• Set your alarm before falling asleep
• Don't ever leave the house without your boots!
• Choose club cab over crew cab
• Be careful what you talk about when passing Long Wait Farm lol!
• Odd bathrooms are definitely a tourist stop
• Take the charcoal out of the bag before adding lighter fluid & fire
• (really 6 b.) Don't add lighter fluid to presoaked charcoal
• Get to your tailgating destination with either
• (8a) Enough time to cook what you brought
• (8b) 1/2 cooked, just bbq to reheat food
• Hand sanitizer and TP are a necessity when there are portos involved!
• BBQ'd Beer is not so good
• The combination of water, soda & Gatorade are quite the grill-fire-stopping combo and they double as a science experiment
• The rodeo gets 8 thumbs up for a girls night out destination! ~

Technorati Tags: Cowtown,Rodeo,cowboys,girls night out,kenny chesney,tickets,line dancing,dance,BBQ,grilling,humor,NJ,south jersey,country,entertainment,sports

Time for 'plan c'... Eric Church concert at Prospectors April 5 is Canceled

If you read my last post about the Cape May Convention Hall being closed because of structural damage, and decided to go see Eric Church tonight at Prospector's instead... it's now time for plan c.

Prospector's website has the message,

THE ERIC CHURCH CONCERT SATURDAY APRIL 5TH, 2008 HAS BEEN CANCELED. THE CONCERT WILL BE RE-SCHEDULED FOR ANOTHER DATE VERY SHORTLY. CHECK OUR WEB-SITE AND LISTEN TO 92.5 WXTU.....

Eric Chuch Concert Saturday, April 5th will be re-scheduled for another date due to illness. Check back on our web-site and Listen to 92.5 wxtu Radio.

I'll likely still make the trip up there for the dancing tonight anyway since I didn't go last night. I think the Dixie Chicks said it best, "Some days you gotta dance, Live it up when you get the chance, 'Cause when the world doesn't make no sense
And you're feeling just a little too tense, Gotta loosen up those chains and dance".

In the mean time, here's "Guys like Me" by Eric Church.

Cape May line dancing isn't looking so likely tomorrow night

I just heard some bad news about the Cape May Convention Hall. I just saw the post, "Convention Hall closed for structural worries" on the Cape May Gazette's breaking news. That must mean that the last dance of the spring will probably be canceled for tomorrow night.
I hope the Convention Hall reopens by June 27 when the free line dancing is scheduled to begin! I bet there are lots of Jazz Festival goers who are hoping it reopens by April 18 too. The jazz fest is a pretty big deal in Cape May.

Line dancing in other places in south jersey are still happening! Of course, there is still line dancing at the Scullville Fire House. Also, Debbie is going to be teaching a 6 week beginner line dancing class evenings at Ocean City High School. I'll try to find out the details but you can find out more information by calling Ocean City High School.

Wednesday in Scullville at the fire house, we got a nice surprise! Ken's sister sang Patsy Cline's "Crazy" for us. That was followed by a duet of Ken & his sister singing Kenny Roger's "The Gambler". They were both excellent! Can you beat line dancing and free surprise entertainment? I think not!

When you go dancing in Scullville, they give you a ticket at the door. Ken & Debbie do a drawing for a free pass. I've been going dancing for 10 years and I've won about 3 free passes until two weeks ago. Two weeks in a row I won a free pass. It was great! I feel lucky! I think I need to break out my old Mary Chapin Carpenter cd and listen to that song!

Anyway, sorry to be the bearer of bad news about line dancing tomorrow night in Cape May. There are country back-up plans in the area though...
If you are into Eric Church , he's performing at Prospector's. The tickets are $25 at the door and $20 ahead of time. He's the guy that sings "Two Pink Lines", "How 'Bout You", and "Sinners Like Me". He's pretty good! My favorite part of seeing shows at Prospector's is that you usually get to meet the artist & take a photo with them... and there's line dancing! Holla!

Well, I'll continue to pass on any information I hear about Cape May Convention Hall.