April’s Blog ;)

Countryfest 2007…wow I seriously don’t even know where to begin…it was AMAZING!!! It was the best time of my whole entire life! The Countryfest weekend was from June 28 (Thursday) to July 1 (Sunday). Thursday was a kick-off party at the Hilltop stage, and the rest were at the main stage (unless mentioned otherwise).  

K, THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME WAS ON THURSDAY! Me and Toni were driving (well her mom was =P) from Grandview (where we were staying) to Dauphin, and we saw Trace Adkin’s bus parked outside of Smitty’s family restaurant. It’s a restaurant in, some place I can’t remember the name of =P, but it’s like only half hour or less from Dauphin. So obviously we wanted pictures of it, but when we were driving in Toni was like “OH MY GOSH IT’S ADAM GREGORY” and I’m thinking to myself yeah right…I mean how many famous people do you just see walking around some family restaurant? But sure enough, when I looked behind me in the truck, HE WAS THERE!!!!!!!! So I got out of the truck and he was standing there so I’m like “IT’S ADAM GREGORY!!!!” as loud as I could to Toni =P, so we grabbed cameras and went up to him! I got a picture of him, and Toni’s mom got one of me, him, and Toni, with him in the middle so his arms were around us =D =D =D!!!! Then he asked if we were going to Dauphin’s Countryfest and we said yes, so when it was time to go, he said he hoped to see us there!! It was so amazing!!! Then we got pictures of Trace Adkin’s bus.  

When we got to Dauphin, we got our Countryfest wristbands which we’d need all weekend to be able to get in for all of the days. Before any of the shows, we went shopping and I bought a lime green Countryfest hoodie =). At 7:00, we went to the first performance; it was Big Mike Callan for the kick-off party at the hilltop stage. I didn’t know who he was, but I got some pictures of him anyway. He was alright. Then after that it was Julian Austin! He was awesome and puts off an extremely exciting show. When he was going off-stage he was shaking people’s hands in the front row and I TOUCHED HIS ARM =D!! Haha it was awesome, and then when he shook my hand HE GAVE ME HIS GUITAR PICK =O =D!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so happy! Then after that was the BEST SHOW EVER. It was ADAM GREGORY!!!! He was my favourite out of everyone during the whole weekend! But then the mics wouldn’t work =( =(! So his crew tried to fix him, but when he was backstage me and Toni saw him and waved to him and he waved back =D! When the mics were finally working he came out and PERFORMED! Wow it was so amazing…he puts off a really good show! Then he smiled and winked at me and Toni on stage, then when he was playing guitar he came down and HUGGED US!!!! RIGHT ON STAGE =O =D!!!!!!!! We were the only ones too! It was AWESOME!!!! We were right up front until now, because people were being too pushy and it was getting dangerous so we left. After a struggle of getting out, we went to the merchandise stand thinger, and I bought an Adam Gregory poster, Adam Gregory t-shirt, and an Emerson Drive t-shirt. After that we got in line and then Adam Gregory had to end his show early because people were being rude and pushy, and knocked the fence in front of the stage right over, right onto the stage, so he went off because he couldn’t finish his show. I felt really bad for him =(. Like he came all this way to perform and people can’t even be respectful enough to move back?! Then he came out and signed autographs!!! I got his autograph on my poster, and he put “To April” on it, his signature, and a little heart beside it =)! It was awesome! I got a picture with him after that and a picture of him signing my autograph! Then Emerson drive was playing, but they were late due to people being too pushy, so when they started we were gonna watch them on the big screen behind the stage but it wasn’t the same and we were tired, so about half way through their show, we just went back to Grandview.  

On Friday, we watched part of Melanie Laine on the main stage at 5:00, I didn’t know who she was =P, but I got pictures of her anyway. Then we went to the merchandise tent and I bought a Trace Adkins t-shirt, a Dierks Bentley t-shirt, a Doc Walker t-shirt, and a Paul Brant “RISK” rubber bracelet. Me and Toni also went for snow cones, and while we were walking back to the stage we saw Julian Austin walking around Countryfest so we went up to him and got a picture with him =D!! We went for supper and then at 7:00 we watched Jamie O’Neal! It was awesome! Then after a change over , at 8:30 DOC WALKER CAME ON THE STAGE!!!!! They were AMAZING =D =D =D!!!!!!!!!!! I even got their autograph, and a picture with them!!! I was wearing my Doc Walker t-shirt and the lead singer said I had a cool shirt =P. Then after a change over, at 10:00 Trace Adkins came on the stage! He was awesome! After him, we left and went back to Grandview. 

After supper on Saturday, at 7:00, Rodney Atkins was playing! He was GREAT! After a change over, it was 8:30 when Jo Dee Messina came on stage!!! I wasn’t that excited for her at first, but wow…after her show I thought she was AWESOME! She puts off a really exciting show!! At 10:00, it was DIERKS BENTLEY!!! He was AMAZING!! Then at 12:00, we went to the Hilltop stage for NAZARETH!!! But the hilltop stage is so small, and there were so many people that it was really just a sit-and-listen kind of thing. But I did get some pictures; they’re not that great but I got some! Nazareth was AMAZINGLY AWESOME =D =D!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After them we went back to Grandview. 

Sunday was, sadly, the last day =(. First, we went shopping as usual, and I bought a Johnny Reid dog tag and two rings. We went back to the main stage at 7:00, and JOHNNY REID WAS PLAYING!!!! He was awesome and his music is great! Then after him we went and I got his AUTOGRAPH!!!! At 8:30 Carolyn Dawn Johnson was playing, she was GREAT! Afterwards I went and got her autograph, and a picture with her! Then at 10:00 PAUL BRANDT was playing! His show was AMAZING!!! He did such a GREAT job with his performance! After him we went back to Grandview for good…he was our last performance =(. 

This weekend in Dauphin was simply AMAZING. I’ve never experienced something so great in my whole life before, and I had the most fun EVER here! Meeting Adam Gregory was – and I’m serious, it WAS – the best thing I’ve ever done in my whole life before! Everyone we went to had an amazing performance and I would most definitely go again!!!! Hopefully I will next year! I also got lots of pictures!  

I’d like to thank Toni and her family, though, for taking me; it meant a LOT and I thank you so much for letting me in on the fun! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!<3<3 I’d like to thank Delaine, Paul, Carla, and Charlie as well (Toni’s family) for letting us stay at their house! I had a lot of fun you guys! =) 

I LOVED COUNTRYFESTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<333