RENFRO VALLEY, KY

 

Can’t Get Enough                                                                                                     Can’t Get Enough

That Kind of Girl                                                                                                       That Kind of Girl

Last Thing on My Mind                                                                   Last Thing on My Mind

Strong Heart                                                                                                                               Strong Heart

You Can Feel Bad                                                                                                   You Can Feel Bad

Lonely Too Long                                                                                                               Lonely Too Long

Halfway Down                                                                                                                     Halfway Down

You Don’t Seem to Miss Me                                               You Don’t Seem to Miss Me

Blame it on Your Heart                                                                                 Blame it on your Heart

The Boys Are Back in Town                                                       The Boys Are Back in Town

Daniel Prayed                                                                                                                           Daniel Prayed

Soul of Constant Sorrow                                                                        Soul of Constant Sorrow

You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive                                                                                 Pretty Polly

Pretty Little Miss                                                                You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive

Here I Am                                                                                                                      Pretty Little Miss

That’s the Kind of Mood I’m In                           How Can I Help You Say Goodbye

I Try to Think About Elvis

 

 

 

        What a great weekend!  I was so glad to be seeing Patty again, and especially to be seeing her twice in one night!  While I was a little disappointed that she left some songs out of the set, she sang wonderfully.  Her voice and stage presence keep getting better and more fun to watch and listen to!

          Dad and I left around 3:30 Friday afternoon for the 3-and-a-half hour drive to Renfro Valley, Kentucky.  We listened to a few Patty CDs on the way, to get ready for the next night!  We got to the KOA Kampground, and set up our trailer.  We cooked hot-dogs over a campfire for supper!  We didn’t stay out too late at the fire though, because we both were pretty tired.

          During the day, Saturday wasn’t too exciting.  Around 11:00 we went down to the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center, to see what it was like.  We walked around the Renfro Village a little while.  They just had some little shops.  We went to the Country Music Store, which was cool because they had a few Patty posters, and some were autographed!  Of course, I have my own autographed Patty picture!

          We had parked the Blazer behind the New Barn, and we could see trucks and workers carrying stuff inside, for the concert later!  One of the guys walked over and was talking to Dad about his Blazer.  The guy said he was from Oklahoma.  I thought about asking him if we was working for the show, so maybe he could get us in to meet Patty, but I didn’t.

          Then we drove up the road a little, and walked around a Pioneer Homestead they had set up.  It was neat, but nothing too exciting.  Then we went back to the campground, and hung around until the evening!  We cooked steak for supper!  It was so good!  Then around 6:15 we walked up to the office, and I got on the shuttle van to go to the concert!  It was weird going up there alone, but I was excited, so I didn’t really care!

          I walked into the New Barn, and checked out the Patty merchandise, but it was all stuff I had, so I didn’t buy anything.  Then I went up to my seat in the balcony.  I would say that 90% of the audience was old people!  They were so dull and boring, it takes away from the concert when the crowd is dull.  But I think it’s like a routine for them to all go every weekend to shows!  One special thing that happened, was when this one old guy behind me, stood up and started singing “God Bless America,” I think that was the name of it.  Anyway, soon, everyone in the place was standing up singing along!  I really was a special feeling to be doing that!

          I sat for what seemed like forever, and then the program manager came out and was talking about who was gonna be at Renfro in the coming weeks.  I just wanted him to shut up and let Patty come out!  Then he left, and the lights went out.  Blue lights shined on the stage, and “Love Sneaking Up on You” by Bonnie Raitt started playing.  Towards the end of the song, the band all came out to their spots!  Then they started playing the long intro to “Can’t Get Enough.”  Then the announcer came on and said something along the lines of “And now ladies and gentlemen, here’s That Kinda Girl, Patty Loveless!!”  And Patty came walking out, and the lights came up, and the band broke into “Can’t Get Enough.”  Patty looked amazing!  She really has been working out!  She had on a tight red 3/4 length shirt, and tight black pants.

          She kicked butt on “Can’t Get Enough.”  I didn’t stand up because I didn’t want to block anyone’s view, but I was moving in my seat!  Then she went right into “That Kind of Girl.”  On some of the parts, she changed the words to “I’m an American Girl,” in light of the tragedies that happened that week!  After “Girl” Patty talked to us a little.  She said that she had been torn whether or not she should have done the show, but she and Emory decided that she should.  She said that all those terrorists want is for us to stop our lives, but we must show that we will carry on!  She told us how much it meant to her for us to all be there!

          Then she said “I’m gonna do something from an album that came out a few years ago, or at least it feels like a few years ago!  The album’s called ‘Strong Heart’ and here’s a few songs from it.  When she said “from a few years ago,” I though maybe it was “Honky Tonk Angel” and she’d do “Chains,” but it wasn’t!  They did “The Last Thing on My Mind” and “Strong Heart.”

          Then she went into “You Can Feel Bad,” which sounded absolutely awesome, followed by “Lonely Too Long.”  I had never heard the faster live version of that song, and it was great!  Then Patty introduced her band, and they went into the rocking version of “Halfway Down.”  Patty was really “getting down” on stage to the song!

          Then “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me” started, and Patty said about how she had the pleasure of singing it with George Jones.  Her guitarist, Jeff White, did George’s part.  After the song, Patty said he almost filled George’s shoes but “I think George’s are a little bigger!”  The song sounded great.

          Then started the intro to “Blame it on Your Heart,” and Patty told us to “Stand up, and stretch it out!”  I shot our of my seat!  She told us to sing, but no one hardly would!  Through the whole song she kept saying “sing,” but I felt like I was the only one who did!  After the song, everyone shot back down to their seats.  Patty started laughing, and said “Boy, you all sure to sit down fast.  How d’you know I was gonna tell you to sit?”  Then she saw one guy still standing, and said something about how he didn’t sit down quick, and asked if he was gonna stand the whole show.  He said yeah, but Patty laughed and said “Sit down and make yourself at home!”

          Then she said they were gonna slow it down a little with music from her new CD.  She talked about “Mountain Soul,” and how much it meant to her.  Then they did the Bluegrass set.  It really was great.  The band and Patty all stood together in the center of the stage!  They started with “The Boys Are Back in Town,” followed by “Daniel Prayed,” and “Soul of Constant Sorrow.”  They were all great, and “Soul” got a standing ovation!

          Then Patty told us about how her dad died from Black Lungs disease from coal mining, and then sang “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.”  It was almost eerie when she sang it, her voice was so amazing.  Then she said that the next song was about her older sister and her, but she’d be quiet and let the song tell the story.  Right before it started, a cell phone rang!  Patty was like “Is that a cell phone?”  Carmella said “You should get it!”  So Patty was like “Hello?”  After a few seconds she was like “I guess they hung up!  Well, that was a first!   Now, I’ll tell my story!”  It was so funny!  Of course, the song was “Pretty Little Miss.”  After the song she said “Goodnite” and left the stage.

          We all stood up and were cheering, and soon they all walked back out, with blue light flooding the stage, holding candles.  Patty told everyone to light their lighters if they had any, and we were going to have a moment of silence for all the victims and families of the attacks.  Then she said to cut the lights, and we had the moment.  It was very nice, but hard for me to get in that mode, because I was so excited about the concert!  Then Deanie and Carmella began “Here I Am.”

          Next she sang “That’s the Kind of Mood I’m In,” followed by “Try to Think About Elvis.”  I wasn’t sure if I’d yell “Get it together,” but I decided I would!  So when the part came up, I screamed as loud as I possibly could “Come On Patty, Get it Together!”  She couldn’t see me, but she heard, and said “Well, alrighty then!”  I’m so glad I yelled it!  This little kid beside me kept looking over at me the rest of the show!  She told us goodbye again, and thanks again, and then she left the stage.

          I had to leave the place to re-enter for the second show, so I did!  I walked out the side door, and back around front.  They made us wait about 15 minutes to get in, so they’d have time to clean and prepare for the show.  It felt like we waited outside forever!  On the way in I bought some Frosted Pecans, because I was so hungry.  They were really good!  I went back up to the balcony, and found Dad already in our seats.  The seats were the front row of the balcony, on the aisle.  So they were pretty good.   I talked a little about the first show.  Then I went back down to get a bottle of water.  Not long after I returned, the manager guy came out, and started talking again.  I told Dad “This sounds kinda familiar!”  Then he left, stage went blue, Bonnie Raitt started playing, band entered.  Then the announcer said “And now here’s the Pretty Little Miss, Patty Loveless!”

          They went right into “Can’t Get Enough,” and she sounded even better than at the first show!  They basically did the same set as the first show, with a few exceptions.  During “Girl” Patty was waiving a little American flag as she sang “I’m an American Girl!”  Several people were up there giving her gifts!  Someone held up a sign that she liked, so she took it, and showed it around to everyone while she sang!  It said “Patty, my Papaw likes you, and it’s his birthday!”  After the song, she read it, and then said, “Okay, papaw, where are you?”  Finally he stood up and she asked what his name was, then she told him “Happy Birthday!”

          Patty said again about how she felt about the terrible events of the week, and then did the “Strong Heart” songs.  Following “Strong Heart,” during the intro to “You Can Feel Bad,” she said “We all have to have strong hearts.”  “Lonely Too Long” was great again, and “Halfway Down” rocked even more than before!

          Once again on “Blame” she told everyone to stand up.  I looked over, and the whole section beside us were old and looked angry!  This one old guy looked like he was gonna kill Patty for making him stand up!  I was having a blast!  She had a guy from the front row come up and sing one of the choruses.  But all he said was “Hey Baby!”  Patty laughed and said “Those aren’t the words I wanted!”  I wish I could have gone up and sang!  How cool would that be!?

          After the song, Patty asked him why he didn’t sing.  She said “You should know that one by now.”  He told her he had a cold, he got from his wife.  The she said “You gonna give me a cold?  Where’s my Listerine!!”

          Then they did the Bluegrass set.  The only change to it was she added “Pretty Polly” after “Soul of Constant Sorrow.”  At this show, “Never Leave Harlan” got a standing ovation.  She introduced the extra bluegrass band members, and then did “Pretty Little Miss.”  After “Miss” they left the stage.

          Soon, they all returned, once again with candles, and had a moment of silence.  Then they did “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye.”  After the song, Patty talked a little about how we have to help each other in these times, she then thanked us again, and then left.

          After the show, Dad asked me about Patty’s banjo player.  During his introduction, Patty said he was from Oklahoma.  Dad remembered that the guy who talked to him about his blazer had been from there!  So we think he was the same guy!  I was upset that we didn’t ask him who he was.  We could have got him to let us meet Patty backstage!  And then I could have requested for her to sing “Chains!”  How cool would that have been!  Oh well.

          These were two amazing shows.  Although I wish she would’ve sang more older songs, especially “Chains” and “On Down the Line,” it was still great.  Anytime to see Patty is better than not at all, no matter what she sings!  Her voice was really great, she sounds so awesome! 

          After the show, we went and waited for the shuttle back to the campground.  When we got back we had a campfire, and cooked hot dogs and smores.  We stayed out a while, and then I went to bed, but Dad stayed out a little longer.  Sunday we left  in the morning.  This weekend was so much fun!  Now, I just hope it’s not too long before I see Patty again!