This trip all started when the Marion, SC date, 08/23/2003, was added to Montgomery Gentry’s website. I thought I could
visit my folks who live right by Hilton Head Island and then stop at the Marion show on my way back to New York. Then when I
really started thinking, I remembered that KC was playing in Charleston at the end of August. At first, I thought it was the same
date. Boy was I excited when I saw that one show was on a Friday, Charleston, and the Marion show was on Saturday. I didnâ
€™t have to come up with an excuse why I needed to see MG for a third time in the month of August.
First stop, parents, then Charleston to see Kenny, which is only a two-hour drive from my parents. Next stop, Marion, which
was further North, and actually brought me back to I-95, which I would need to drive back home. I just love it when a plan comes
together.
You should have seen how surprised I was when I got an e-mail from the KCOFC about pre-sale tickets for the Marion show.
Although that was bittersweet, since I wanted to see MG headline at another show, but it was also great knowing that I’d be
able to see MG and KC at the same show again. The Reading show in March was just too long ago and the last time I saw them
together.
The hard part was getting all my friends to the shows. I hooked Donna in during the Knoxville pre-concert party. I just knew sheâ
€™d be up for going to another show since she got denied the Knox show. It’s funny, I didn’t have to twist her arm too far
before she started screaming uncle. I knew Jen wouldn’t be able to join me for the drive down. Her parents and her job have had
enough of our roadtrips and me. I knew Nikki would be up for another roadtrip that involved KC and MG. Nikki was so up for it
that she brought a friend along, Lisa
The biggest problem was when to leave. I wanted to at least be able to spend a day with my parents. We had hoped to leave early
Wednesday morning from the “secret meeting place� somewhere in Pennsylvania. We planned to meet there at 5 am on
Wednesday morning. The night before I get a phone call stating that we wouldn’t be able to meet until 5pm. With traffic the
way it is on my island and even worse trying to get off my island, I decided it was best to leave at 1pm. That meant that I would be
waiting for Nikki and Lisa for at least two hours, but that was okay. The other option, of sitting in traffic and a chance of being late
was not a good idea. Nikki wound up having the day from hell. She was running extremely late. So there I was, at the secret
meeting place from 3:30 PM until 9:30 PM when my roadtrip partners had arrived. What did I do to occupy my time for those six
hours? Just what Nikki told me to do, “have another beer Ally.� In that time, I managed to get myself drunk and sober.
Once they got to the meeting place, we threw their stuff in my car and headed south towards Carolina. We drove all-night and
arrived at my parents at 11am. It was great to see my parents again, especially my dad. The three of us really didn’t sleep on
the drive, nor did we take the time to sleep at my parents. We all showered at headed towards Hilton Head Island. We found
ourselves at the beach. The ocean was a very comfortable temperature. After swimming, we did manage to take a nap while laying
on the sand, but not for too long. Eventually our stomachs were screaming FEED ME. So we did.
During the course of the day we had to stock up for the two concerts, that we planned to see. One stop at the liquor store and one
stop at the Wal-Mart supercenter to ensure we had enough supplies to get us through the weekend, enough for five girls and one
Clark.
The map that I had gotten for the trip from my parents to Charleston wasn’t making me happy. According to the map, it said
that it would take over three hours to get to Charleston, and I remember it taking only two hours one time when my brother, Dennis,
drove me there. So after shopping, we went to his house, across the street from my parents, to get his input. While Dennis and I
are going over maps and directions, my sister-in-law is giving Nikki and Lisa a tour of the house. As soon as I knew exactly how to
get to Charleston, and have it only take two hours, I went looking for Nikki and Lisa. I found them and my sister-in-law outside,
smoking. So here we sat until midnight. So much for getting a good night’s sleep. I’ve actually gotten accustomed to not
getting sleep on roadtrips.
We planned to leave my parents at 7 am so that we could meet Donna at the airport for her 9:30 am arrival. While I was packing
up the car to leave that morning, I heard my cell phone beep that it had a voice mail message. I never listened to it until we were on
our way to Charleston. It was Donna, letting me know that she missed her 5 am flight out of Huntsville, AL. Oh well, it appeared
we had some time to kill. We eventually got Donna at the airport sometime after noon. Naturally I greeted her with some â
€œbuttery nipplesâ€�; a drink that I got her hooked on in Warshington. With Donna’s suitcase and pillow packed in my car,
we headed to the hotel, which as it turned out was right next door to the venue. It even had a boardwalk that brought you from the
hotel right to the venue. We didn’t need a designated driver and what could be better than that.
We spent the afternoon tailgating in the hotel’s hot tub, making friends, and enjoying drinks. Eventually it was time to clean
up and head to the show. Donna got the shower first while Nikki; Lisa and myself stayed in the hot tub. She was supposed to call
when she got out of the shower. After about 45 minutes, I decided to go and check on her. I found her just about passed out.
Those dang buttery nipples got the best of her. She really needed some food. There was a Wendy’s in the hotel parking lot, so
off I went. When I got there, it looked like everyone going to the show had the same idea. So, I ordered her some food at the corner
café in the hotel and had them send it to our room. Why I didn’t just do that in the first place, I don’t know. I guess I
thought Wendy’s would be quicker and cheaper. Just before I got in the shower, there was a knock at our door. I just thought it
was the food. Wrong, it was Nikki and Lisa, and they had Clark with them. Poor Donna who had been lying on the bed in her
towel, yelling at me as I climbed into the shower. Sorry Donna, but I really thought it was your food.
When I get out of the shower, I find Donna still in her towel, sharing her food with Clark, what a very strange situation.
Eventually, Donna was finally dressed and ready for the show. Unfortunately, we would be too late to sign up for the GM Card
meet and greet passes. Nikki, Lisa, and Clark left the hotel in my car, they had no intention of going to the show since they didnâ
€™t have tickets, and they were to meet Jen at the airport when her plane landed at 10:30 PM.
I had been in contact with Jen quite a few times from 4 o’clock on. It seems her plane hadn’t taken off yet because where
it was supposed to layover at, somewhere in Ohio, there were lots of storms. So it appeared we would be having another late
arrival. With Jen’s arrival time being pushed back, and since we found out that they did still have tickets available for tonightâ
€™s show, Nikki, Lisa and Clark did decide to see the show.
Donna did eat before we left the hotel. I still hadn’t eaten anything since we had time to kill earlier in the day. I grabbed some
food from the concession stand and brought it to our seats, which were fourth row center. We get to our seats, Keith Urban and a
few members of his band, Jason, Robbie, and Scott, are sitting on stools and here I am, eating. Yikes. As I’m sitting there,
eating, I realize that not one person is standing and I say this out loud, while still eating. The girls behind me tell me that they were
standing, but they kept getting hit by the people behind them. My comment, “as soon as I’m done eating, we will all stand.â
€� With that, I take just one more bite and then stand up. That solved that problem. At least no one got security involved this
time like they did at Ridgefield.
Keith and his band put on another excellent show, from when Donna and I arrived anyhow. I think we missed about 30 minutes of
their show. I think I might have mentioned this before, but that Jason is quite talented. I wouldn’t mind seeing Keith on tour
with Kenny again next year. Although, I would prefer to see Montgomery Gentry.
I think this was the first show all year that I was exactly center stage, and so close too. I’ve been trying not to take pictures at
shows, seeing as I have so many already, but once Kenny got on the stage that idea went right out of my head. Shoot, I was center
stage, how could I not take pictures. Since Kenny hadn’t done a show in about 10 days, he did seem to be a bit refreshed. It
was a really good show that night. Little did I know at that time, how much better the shows would be the rest of the weekend.
One memory that will remain is Donna doing the chair hopping, while the security guard wasn’t looking. Donna you really
looked like a pro, that Sylvia taught you well in Ridgefield.
After the show, it was finally time to meet Jen at the airport, which was five-minutes away from the venue. She had left a voice
mail message stating what time she would be landing at as she was boarding her plane in Ohio. When she finally joined up with us,
Donna and I were about ready to pass out. You wouldn’t believe how comfortably six people can sleep in one hotel room.
The ride to Marion took forever, I swear. Naturally, I was up at the crack of dawn, and I wasn’t in the mood for jogging. So I
didn’t. I went to the hotel buffet breakfast instead. After breakfast, Clark was quite amusing or maybe that was before
breakfast. It was definitely after my breakfast. Just ask Donnifer, I’m sure she will share with you.
Eventually the rest of the crew got up and moving. Who the heck knows what time we finally left that place, but the five of us
eventually did make our way to Marion. We made a lot of stops along the way. It seemed like it took us forever, but it was all in
good fun.
I was the only one, our of our traveling group, who had a Montgomery Gentry meet and greet, which was sad, but I did well on my
own. While waiting to meet Troy and Eddie, I finally got to meet Toni, Tina, Lisa and Crystal, plus some guy from the local radio
show. I was definitely not as nervous meeting Troy and Eddie for the first time as I was when I met Kenny for the first time. I had
a question to ask, and I asked it. We all had a good laugh. They are just so cool in person. Just everything you would expect them
to be, regular people like you and me.