Live a Little

Vacation #2 is officially in the books and it was well worth the trip to Tampa.

Kenny Chesney kicked off his 2011 Goin' Coastal tour in Florida last week. West Palm Beach was the first stop, but Raymond James Stadium was the 1st of 11 stadium dates.

We missed Uncle Kracker, because I didn't think the concert would actually start at 4:30PM. Mom and I got to the stadium just in time to see Billy Currington take the stage. He put on a good show. But I felt bad it was so bloody hot!

Since I didn't know I missed Uncle Kracker, I was super stoked to see the Zac Brown Band take the stage after the break. They sound amazing live and I can't wait to see them in May at the Smokies Stadium.

Zac Brown's dad walked out on the stage toward the end of "Highway 20 Ride". It was a really sweet moment. You could tell his dad was really proud of him.

I have to be honest, I think I was more excited to see ZBB, but when the sun went down and the stadium went dark, I remembered why I flew down to Florida. Perched on a swing, Kenny appeared at the 50 yard line and zipped his way to the stage. I was worried because the sound was a bit muddled and hoped it they would fix it quickly. They did.

I've often read articles and seen interviews where Kenny talks about being a perfectionist. There were a few glitches in the show, but to me, it makes it more memorable. He's so funny when he goofs up or gets emotional.

He's still reminds me of Bristol Peyton. He never stops moving and had a smile on his face the entire night.

For 2+hours, I didn't have a care in the world. To me, it was a near perfect show. (For the record, I consider his Vegas show in 2010, perfect.) But you know what really put this show over the top? The encore-encore.

What's an "encore-encore"? It was when the Zac Brown Band walked out on the stage at the end of "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy". I secretly hoped they would sing a few songs...I never thought they would sing SEVEN!

They started off with "Dixieland Delight" and I literally about lost it. Once I heard the opening notes, I started jumping up and down like a crazy person. I'm pretty sure I did the same thing when Kenny played the same song in Vegas last year.

After that, it was time for "Knee Deep" and "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven". It was so funny because it seemed like Kenny was just chilling, playing second fiddle to ZBB.

The night could have gone on forever...the whole stadium was on pins and needles waiting to see what they would sing next. We didn't have to wait long..."Jumping Jack Flash" was next, followed by "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)." I couldn't think of the actual name of the song, so I had to text my buddy. The sad thing is, the first person I thought about was Les Miles. Talk about a mood killer!

"Dixie Chicken" and "Runnin' Down the Dream" closed out the show. After that set I made a promise to myself. When ever Kenny goes on tour, I plan to be at one of his shows. But I would love it if I didn't have to leave the state.