Monday, August 1, 2011

Hayes Carll Stomps & Hollers at Stuyvesant Town

This has been one of the best weekends hands down. Had brunch on Saturday and Sunday ( I've got a thing for goat cheese - don't judge me lol ) and worked on getting my guitar tuned. However, the highlight of the weekend was Saturday. My connection to all things awesome in country music, @Katelvsnyy informed me that Hayes Carll would be putting on a free show in Stuyvesant Town in NYC and we need to get our asses down there. Needless to say, when @Katelvsnyy says go, you put your cowboy boots on and GO! So we made the trek and got there as Hayes Carll and the band were setting up.

I was definatley blown away by the set up. Stuyvesant Town is a little world all to itself with a nicely sized and maintained green that everyone was laid out on. Parents with bottles of wine and blankets and kids doing somersaults all over the place. Definately had a hippie vibe going on and I instantly felt at home. Now, this was gonna be my first Hayes Carll show so I didn't really know what to expect.

When he came on, he immediatley started rocking out. I was impressed with his guitar skills and that each member of his band had amazing skills. There was a slide guitar, a steel guitar, a full drum set, a eukelale, a harmonica (which he played as he played his acoustic guitar), a banjo and an accordian. His music is so multi dimensional and he sings with so much feeling that you experience great empathy with whatever he is going through. It makes you think, he knows what time it is since I am going through the same thing.

Funniest part of the show is when Hayes stopped and said that earlier in the day, he had never seen so many young girls in bikinis at a show before, but when his band came out, all he sees is old people and strollers! I was on the floor with this one. Good thing @Katelvsnyy and I were right in front of the stage jamming out with the band. He played favorites like Bad Liver & A Broken Heart, I Don't Want To Grow Up and Drunken Poet's Dream. When he sang Girl Downtown about a girl name Katie and how she could be the one, I HAD to start pointing at @Katelvsnyy to make sure Hayes knew that YES, she is definately the one and she is right here in front getting her world rocked by your music. He closed the show with Stomp and Holler after a solid hour of him playing and singing.

I was so impressed that he put so much of his heart into this show, seeing that it was free and open to all. His stage presence is very laid back, but once he starts getting into his music he transports us all into the country by the lake sitting on the back of your truck drinking beer and jamming out to the radio. I have to say, if I wasn't smitten with country music before, I sure am now!

After the show, @Katelvsnyy and I decided to chill out behind the stage for a while and listen to the next act going on. As we were conversing amongst ourselves, Hayes Carll walked by. We told him he put on an awesome show and then the unthinkable happened. He did a 180 degree turn and came up to us. Now, for those of you that have seen Hayes Carll in pictures and from far away, they don't do this man ANY JUSTICE AT ALL. He is gorgeous in person and it is how amazing he is on the inside that shines right through to the outside. He thanked us for coming and shook our hands. We exchanged names and then small talked about his show and what we were all going to do after the show. He said that the free show was the last stop on his tour and he was heading back to  Texas in ten hours but he would be back in NY performing in Brooklyn this November. When he left us, I was literally on cloud 9 and @Katelvsnyy had to pull me back down to earth. For a man that has 5 albums recorded, I never expected him to be so down to earth and nice. Once I got back home, needless to say, I made sure I had all of his albums in my possession and couldn't stop talking about him.

What more can I say? Hayes Carll live is a MUST for any lover of country music, or lover of music PERIOD as he has alot of diversity within his band. He is sweet, human, GORGEOUS and he definately Stomped & Hollered all over Stuyvesant Town and my heart.

And I am soooo okay with that.

Get out and buy his albums people on itunes. He needs to be number 1 pronto.

Totally Smitten,

American Leo