Onward, not upward

Ok, so I'm totally updating each post by city. So as not to confuse anyone. The big shebang will come later down the road, as I attempt to collect my thoughts and feelings about this hurricane of a trip. Still waiting to get with the picture "thang", but alot were mysteriously missing from my SD card, of which I'm quite sad. I had some gems. But c'est la vie, words will have to suffice. Though I warn you, I make no apologies for being long-winded.



Day 2: My old Kentucky home.



Made it to Louisville in record time. Checked into the Brown Hotel (which, if you're a Ryan fag, you'll remember how it was prominently featured in Elizabethtown.), found a lovely outdoor beer joint to help us ease into the locale. Ran into the lovely Jen/Angie combo by chance (no pictures exist of us together! How is this possible??????), met up with a friend back at the hotel for pre-show drinks. SHOW-emeffin'-TIME. Started off with Beautiful Sorta, which to me signals a good night. I savor the moment in the second verse where Ryan wails "so far past sad, I'm crazy and saw-ryyyyy! (though the last word is refuted to be scary. I pretend otherwise)" God, brah. For real. This show wasn't near the nugget that Nashville turned into. But it was still stellar, nonetheless. By this point, I realize that this could be the tightest I've ever heard the dudes before. Loads of highlights from the show, including Blue Hotel and Neal's epic Grand Island, which I was quickly and surely falling deeply in love with. The show was over before I had a chance to realize how into it I was. Spent much of the time texting exclamations back and forth with a friend, mostly one-worded responses like "Crushing!". Not much to speak of as far as after-show antics, although most of the bars were getting ready for all the St. Patty's day kit 'n' kaboodle the next day. We'd made it out alive and sober. Disco, for sure.

Loo-uh-vull setlist, via Brandon and RAA:

Palace Theater
03/16/09:
SETLIST
On Stage: 8:44 pm
1. Beautiful Sorta (sho 'nuff!)
2. Fix It
3. Born into a Light
4. Come Pick Me Up. (as the tour progressed, this sounded richer and richer)
5. Cobwebs
6. Two
7. Freeway to the Canyon (NC)
8. I see Monsters
9. Let it Ride (mine and Whitney's anthem. The whole Tennessee/Carolina thing....well, you're not dumb. You get it.)
10. Goodnight Rose

Set Break 9:34 pm (then we will play until curfew)

Back 9:50 pm
11. Grand Island (NC)(bestill my cold little heart. LOVE this jam)
12. Mockingbird (for my soul sister, Michelle. Terribly missed on this trip)
13. Please do not let me go.
14. A Kiss Before I Go
15. Cold Roses.
16. Games (nice surprise!)
17. Peaceful Valley (always a pleasure)
18. Evergreen
19. Lost Satellite (NC)(seriously, Neal is my hero. Such a beaut.)
20. BLUE HOTEL!!!!!!!! (This song always makes my heart ache, regardless of the arrangment) (Louisville pronunciation)
21. Why Do They Leave?
22. Sink Ships
23. Wonderwall (which I text-dedicated to my girl Nat.)
24. Magick
Off Stage 11:06 pm