It was going to be a fun night because my friend Tamra was flying in from California to see Rockie Lynne and I was going to do a review of the show. I was waiting for concert to begin when man walked a really awesome motorcycle through the door and parked it in the corner of the club. There were tons of people around the bike and people were taking pictures of the bike. Then someone stated that Rockie was over there posing for pictures on the bike so I went over and took a couple of shots. That is when I would learn that the bike was custom made and custom painted and donated to Tribute To The Troops to be raffled off next year. Please visit Tributetothetroops.org for more information on the custom motorcycle.
As always, Rockie was talking with friends and fans before the show but today was a bit different. He was talking with parents and spouses of fallen soldiers who had come here tonight to help celebrate the heroes that had made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us and our country. I did not realize before hand that this would be a benefit concert for the Tribute To The Troops but what I would see and hear and feel would leave a profound affect on me. More about that later.
The evening began when Rockie took the stage and asked the families and friends gathered with him if he could begin the evening with a prayer to which he got resounding approval. He thanked the riders that participated in the annual ride for their dedication, he asked us all to pray for the families as they recover from their loss and to keep them in our hearts and prayers. Rockie has such a sensitive and loving way of bringing attention to the needs of others that I was having a very difficult time fighting back the tears. It is especially hard when you look around you and see tears in the eyes of a father who was wearing a t-shirt "In Memory Of My Son" because he had lost his son to the war. Tonight was not about whether or not you agreed or disagreed about the war on terrorism, or anyone's personal opinion of this war, it was a matter of supporting those who had lost a loved one to this war. I got lost in that moment and really didn't hear the rest of the prayer. I know it was tender and moving and deeply appreciated by everyone present.
After the emotional opening to the evening he began the concert with "The National Anthem" that sent chills up your spine. To be in the presence of these families was a very moving experience for me. It brought to mind some of my co-workers that have gone to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and have suffered injuries from road-side bombs or attacks on their patrol and continue to recover from those injuries while others completed their tours and returned home safely and reminded me of their sacrifices. He took time to hold up his jacket and explain all of the different patches on his coat and what they meant.
Rockie said the next song just poured out of me, "Fly Home Sweet Angel." Well if there was a dry eye in the house prior to this sweet, tender song there wasn't one when he finished. He talked about his new album coming out early next year and one of the songs on that new album was called "Heroes Come From Small Towns" and he dedicated it to one of the families that was in the audience tonight. It is an upbeat tribute to a fallen soldier Matthew, from Moose Lake, Minnesota. As the concert progressed he would recognize and thank many of the family members of fallen soldiers in the audience. What truly endears you to Rockie is that he remembered each one of the family member's names and their son's name as he paid respect to them during the show.
The tempo of the show would continue to build momentum as he began "Big Time In A Small Town" with people dancing and singing to this fun up beat song. However, one of my favorite songs "Holding Back The Ocean" and it's easy calypso like beat always puts me in a great mood and reminds me of the time I spend in Florida every March. During the next song, "Super Country Cowboy," all you need to do is just sit back and enjoy some of the knock-your-socks-off guitar playing that Rockie is famous for.
"Don't Make This Easy On Me" is another tune that is popular with everyone. I love the phrase (don't leave any hope, don't leave any dreams, when you go take everything) that is simple, powerful song writing and the final part to the verse (I gave you my heart, you'll leave with my soul) explains the magnitude of emotions perfectly.
The place really started rocking with "Every Man's Got A Mountain" featuring the crowd favorite solo by Mike "your heart can still be free". When it is Mike's turn to sing the high part everyone points to him and applauds with delight. He responds with his famous smile.
Rockie took a moment to tell us about his newest single coming out January 14th called "I Can't Believe It's Me." I've had the opportunity to hear this song a few times and it definitely is chart topping material. Keep an eye out for this song to do great things. It is a tender love song that speaks of a man's gratitude for being loved by the woman in his life. The title says it all and yet to hear the words set to music very cool. I can't wait to see what great material he has in store for all of us on his next album coming out shortly after the first of the year.