So, I was able to go to “A Show for Joe” in Galax, Virginia that Alison, Jerry, The Whites, and Ricky Skaggs performed at this past Friday! We were able to set up our chairs about 2 rows back, in the center, so we had AMAZING seats! There was a big space in front of the stage, where they set up some really short platforms for if people wanted to come sit in front of the stage during any part of the show, which was really cool. Honestly, this venue was really amazing. They were super relaxed, and it wasn’t huge, but wasn’t tiny either. As we were waiting on the show to start, I saw Alison poke her head out of a door that was at the back of the stage once for a few seconds, but that was it. The show started at 4:00, and there were some really fantastic artists that were there! I kept seeing Jerry and The Whites and Ricky come out of the door at the back of the stage and stand there to just watch some of the other performers. It was really great. Jerry came out about 7:30 and did one of his solo numbers, then introduced The Whites, Ricky, and Alison. Honestly, their whole set was absolutely AMAZING. They really just created their own band and they all performed together for all the songs they did (with the exception of one or two that Alison and Jerry didn’t do).
There was this little girl that I had kept seeing that couldn’t have been more than 4 or 5 who was carrying around this little fiddle and kind of playing it/ holding it. Her and her mom and brother went to sit (with a bunch of other people) right in front of the stage right before Alison came out. The first thing Alison did when she walked onstage was shiver (because it was freaking COLD and she surprisingly didn’t have her coat on) and notice that little girl. Let me tell you, it was the CUTEST thing! Just just kept smiling at the little girl and kind of nodding to her fiddle. Anyway, so after the first number, Alison told a story about Joe Wilson (the whole show was for him) and when she got done, no one said anything. She tried to get Ricky to say something, but when he didn’t Alison just goes “… or we could just stand here!” as she was laughing and it was the most hilarious, awkward thing.[x]
As far as the songs they did, Alison didn’t really do anything out of the ordinary by herself. She mostly just played fiddle and let The Whites sing, or just sang harmony on some songs. She did “Jesus, Hold My Hand” and “Poison Love,” but I didn’t really notice anything super out of the ordinary, however my brain does have a tendency to turn itself off when I see Alison. About a song into the set, two teenage girls came down and sat in front of the stage. During an instrumental number, I saw them start to act like they were going to get up and do something, but they kept chickening out. Finally they got up and started clogging! There were a bunch of little kids in the front that copying them and it was really cute! Everyone onstage noticed them, and after the song, they got everyone to clap for them, because they were actually really amazing. That kind of made me really want to go down to sit in front of the stage and I kept debating going down there, but all the chairs around me were so close together it was really hard to get out.
Alison did some lunges after a couple different songs (most of this is in end of the Poison Love video, but more video of her not so amazing lunges is here), and she was super proud of herself for them. She has crazy LONGGGG legs! Apparently they basically had a lunging party in someone’s living room while preparing for this show. Jerry also imitated the Count from Sesame Street and told a little about AKUS on Sesame Street, which was hilarious [x]. A little while into the set, I finally got up the nerve to go sit in front of the stage, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. (my cousin took the top right picture when I went down there. I’m in the pink and grey rain jacket kind of in the middle) I knew I would’ve been really disappointed if I hadn’t. There was one little girl sitting in front of me that my mom later told me started bawling when she saw Alison! If I had known that I would’ve talked to her more. She was absolutely precious and so sweet! She kept scooting closer to the stage and every time she did, I would for a time or two until I got to the start of the platforms. About a song or two after I had been sitting there, I noticed that Alison looked over at the girl with the fiddle and mouthed to her mom that she wanted to meet them after the show. It was super sweet and cute and it just reminds me how amazing Alison is and how much she genuinely cares about people (especially younger people) who look up to her.
So at about 9:00 (when the show was about to end) my mom made me go back up to our seats so it wouldn’t be too difficult for us to get back to my dad and cousin when the show ended. They finished up the song that they were on once we got back to our seats and Ricky went to put his guitar in the stand. When he turned his back to it to grab his mandolin, he hadn't put his guitar in the stand well enough and it fell. Cheryl yelled at Ricky as it started to fall, but he didn’t catch it in time and the neck of it snapped. Everyone just gasped and stood there trying to process what had just happened. Thankfully it was at the end of the show and they only had one song left. When they finished the show, Alison mouthed to the fiddle girl’s mom again that she wanted to meet her and that they would come get them (and they did). It was really adorable! There were also some people that wanted to give her notes and stuff and she mouthed to them to just lay them on the stage. It was just really cool that anyone could just go up and give her anything and kind of say something (like SUPER quick) to her if they really wanted to. Overall the show was just super amazing and really cute. This was definitely the most relaxed show been to of hers! Everything was more rough and not super perfected which was really nice to see from Alison! It was just so cute and free! I know that sounds weird, but it was!
Also, another random video is here.
