Bama Rising 2011

The Bama Rising benefit concert was held on June 14th at the BJCC.

It was awesome.  And I swear I didn’t go looking that bad.  The lighting is bad in the arena; just ask Kourtney.  I promise I wore makeup.

Note: These pics were taken when we were sitting in the wrong seats.  We got confused and parked ourselves in row “H” when we were actually row “J.” Still, we had fantastic seats!

Nineteen acts, five hours and thirty minutes of good music.  I mean, I never thought that I would get to see the COMMODORES live. Never! They were a last-minute addition to the line-up and they were so good.  We had a great time.

Other highlights:

The line-up included: The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks, Alabama, Dierks Bentley, Rodney Atkins, Sara Evans, Martina McBride, Luke Bryan, David Nail, Sheryl Crow, Kelli Pickler, Ashton Shepherd, the Commodores, Jake Owen, Brad Paisley, Little Big Town, Montgomery Gentry and Darius Rucker.  Can you even believe that line-up? 

Christen’s Top 10 Highlights (in no order):

1. “Brick House” by the Commodores

2. “Anyway” by Martina McBride & everyone cheered after the first line

3. “If It Makes You Happy” by Sheryl Crow – sounded GREAT live!

4. “Country Girl” by Luke Bryan

5. “Sweet Home Alabama” by Bo Bice

6. “Dixieland Delight” by Alabama (and all of Alabama’s performances)

7. Actually seeing Alabama, Sheryl Crow, Darius Rucker & Martina McBride perform live

8. “Boondocks” by Little Big Town (and the blonde afro, obviously)

9. “Suds in the Bucket” by Sara Evans

10. The Blind Boys of Alabama singing “Amazing Grace” to the tune of “The House of the Rising Sun”

Brent’s Top 10 Highlights:

1. The Commodores

2. the t-shirts & diet coke in souvenir cups

3. being in relatively close physical proximity to some one who used to date Lance Armstrong

4. Kelli Pickler (she said “Let me hear a cheer from the Alabama ladies!”  And Brent, overcome and mesmerized by  her beauty,  yelled “Wooooohooo!”)

5. Realizing that the Commodores weren’t showing footage from 70s concerts on the screen….they just still really look like that

6. Montgomery Gentry’s American flag leather jacket that said “Try to burn this one”

7. Realizing that Sara Evans & Martina McBride are two separate people

8. All of the athletes/ESPN presenters

9. Whoopie Goldberg’s video message  All of Alabama’s songs

10. eating at Nikki’s West on the way there

The concert was over at 1 am(!) & we were back home by 2 am (!), in bed by 2:30 am.  Long night, but soooo worth it!  I have already downloaded several of the songs to my ipod…looks like country music is making a comeback in our household! ha!