That time Nicole & I hung out with Garth

*There is a lot of capitalization in this post. Get ready.

Once upon a time, there were these girls who loved Garth Brooks; they knew the words to every single song-oldest stuff, oldish stuff, new stuff, all of it. One of their earliest memories was talking to her 4th grade music teacher about "Friends in Low Places." When they were in middle school, they sang "Unanswered Prayers" while eating powdered donuts at one friend's house and "Shameless" in the bathroom at another friend's.  They listened to him while they cleaned and organized their rooms (this hobby started early with them), while they drove around in their "new" car and, basically, all of the time.  They really didn't like music too much, so the fact that Garth consumed so much of their interest made him even more remarkable.

Their mom saves everything and found this from their middle school days. 

Those girls became high schoolers and, because they still loved him, their mom was the first in line to buy his boxed CD set when it came out. Then, of course, they went to see him in concert in Memphis where they sang and danced and generally considered it one of the greatest nights of their lives. 

Those girls became adults and when Garth came out of retirement, one of them told her husband, "I will never ask for anything ever again if you take me to see Garth Brooks." So, of course, he took her,  driving to Lexington for the show. 

When it was announced that Garth was coming to Knoxville, the girls freaked out and immediately planned to get tickets. It didn't matter where the seats were, just being in the same area with him would be amazing! Garth! In Knoxville! 

One girl (no names mentioned) said, "I am not sure this will even be worth it," as she was packing her bags (and 3 small kids) to drive in for the concert. The other one said, "It will be, I promise! It's Garth!"

Their seats were in Section 325 Row 11 and it absolutely was going to be worth it. 

And, then....the FRONT ROW happened and maybe, just maybe, they were not even that surprised. Because, somehow, it always keeps getting more free. 

WE SAT jumped around/danced/ belted out songs from the FRONT ROW AT GARTH!

It still doesn't seem real. 

 Nicole's post does a better job telling the story. I had already started mine when she posted hers or I would have just copied & pasted hers.

Posing before the concert-we had no idea what was about to happen. Except we knew we were going to see Garth, so we were pumped. 

Cowboy boots were out in full force!

The view from our original seats. We never even made it up there, but Chelsea sent me this pic. 

My brain cannot even process. 

The story of the front row is a classic "Melissa & Nicole" story, i.e.: Nicole is trusting and I am sort of a b. 

Nicole was buying us shirts (I just realized I never paid her for mine-I will send you a check), when some guy walked up and asked to see our tickets. 

Me: No. Thank you, though. (I said thank you! I am not entirely mean.)

Nicole: Is everything ok? Do you need to see them?

Me: We are fine. 

Nicole: If I show you my tickets, are you going to take them?

Me: If you have to ask that, then you don't show him. 

Nicole showed him our seats, despite my arguing, and he said, "Those are terrible."

I responded, "They are fine, thank you."

It went on like this for a few minutes until the guy gave me a guitar pick that had a G on it and then, in the tiniest way possible, we started to listen to him. 

Random Guy: Garth never sells the first 4 rows, we always give them out. Your seats are terrible. I have 2 on the front row. 

Honestly, I cannot even explain what happened next because somehow, some way, we were handed FRONT ROW TICKETS. 

We kept replaying the scene over and over for the next week ( maybe longer)...what if we hadn't stopped at that bathroom, what if she wasn't buying shirts, what if Nicole hadn't been nice.... 

Backtrack a little...Chelsea & I have always said if Garth came to Knoxville, we would go together and she was actually the one who got our original tickets. So, when the guy said that he had 2, my reply (after freaking out) was that we couldn't take them because I was with my friend (and her husband and 2 of their friends) and I couldn't leave her.* So, he gave them 2nd row tickets!!

*In hindsight, I am happy to know that, in a moment of surprise/panic/adrenaline/craziness, I stayed a good friend. I feel like maybe that was the Karma test that allowed us to get the tickets? I don't even know. My mind is still not clear when I think about the whole thing. 

Then. GARTH!!!!!

These pictures are not on zoom. 

(Man Against Machine was his opening song, which some people around us didn't even know! Don't be a Garth front row poser if you haven't memorized his new stuff, too! But, don't worry, I sang loud enough for everyone.)

Anyone who has ever met us knows that subtlety, calmness and rational behavior are synonymous with our actions when we are together. 

But, seriously, we LIVED IT UP more than anything we have ever lived up before-and that is saying something. 

NICOLE WITH GARTH!!!!!!

Sidenote-she was in countless other people's pics that they posted on social media because we kept seeing her face in the corner. Hilarious. Also, I had so many people tell me that they saw us "singing our hearts out" and "jumping around" all over the big screen all night. I was at a  birthday party a week later and a mom that I have never met asked me, "Were you at Garth last week? Your face looks familiar; I think you were really excited." Someone messaged me a video of myself on the GIANT screen singing, "If Tomorrow Never Comes."

Seriously, if it wasn't so awesome, I would be embarrassed. 

THIS.right.here. 

Later, someone asked me, why are you standing like that, holding your phone sort of awkwardly, and my response was, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is Garth Brooks IN MY PERSONAL SPACE!" Maybe I was in his, but whatever. 

Y'all. He talked to Nicole when he took this. TALKED TO HER. He also sort of chuckled at one point as he walked away from our general direction. I am not sure if it was our franticness over touching his hand (and pants, we also touched his pants), our trying to selfie with him or what, but it was real. 

Our cousin was there and she took this of me (in the white shorts in the corner of the stage). The caption was, "I was laughing at this crazy woman until I realized it was you." 

So many attempts at capturing the moments. 

Eye selfie with Garth's crotch. 

We just could not even believe it. 

Except we could, just a little. I can't explain why we believed it unless you have about 33 years and some chex mix. 

A video that Nicole made. It gets real. 

Garth. That is all.