How I went to see one cowboy, but came home with another.

Last night we saw Vince Gill at the IU Auditorium perform in concert with this tour.


This is me, all gussied up with my red pony - ready to ride. Watch out, Amy! I think Vince and I would make a good couple, don't you?

Although I've been a fan for years, I had never seen him in concert before. I have two or three of his CDs and have always loved his music. There is something about his voice that makes my heart climb right up out of my throat. When he sang "Look at Us," I had tears in my eyes. "If you want to see how true love should be, then just look at us."

When he was ready to get down, he called it "stretching out a bit." It made me remember what I love about country music - the fun, kick-ass, kick up your heels and get down music. It made me want to head down to Nashville, TN. Doug and I went down and joined Bec a couple of years ago for a birthday trip and we closed down the bars. Down there, the places are so packed that they literally count how many people are in the building and if two leave, then two may go in - because they are keeping down the numbers because of fire hazard. And the band that is playing doesn't take a break because they don't want anyone to leave.

Gill told the audience that he is drawn to sad songs and that is evident in much that he sings. He sat and told a lot of stories, talked about his wife, Amy Grant, his Dad who was first lawyer than Judge while Gill was growing up. He told us of the juxtaposition of the life of he and his brother and brought the house down when he sang "Go Rest High on That Mountain," which he wrote when his brother passed away.

Then he broke my heart with a song that he said he'd recently written with Amy and a couple of other guys that he called simply "Heaven." I had tears streaming down my face and dripping off my chin. I kept wiping them away, but they just kept coming. One of the lines was something like "I'll be waiting on you," and I was thinking of Grandma.

Another song that was an audience favorite was "It's Hared to Kiss the Lips at Night that Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long." He said his Dad inspired him to write the song and that it occurred to him one day that it was about his Mom!

He told us that she hates that song.

Vince, I was the one singin' along with you and dancin' in my seat in the balcony. The audience was D-E-A-D. I told Dug that I hope he realized he was with the most alive woman in attendance!

So I went to see a famous cowboy, Vince Gill, and came home with a not so famous cowboy, Duggles.