Well the day I had been waiting for most of the summer was finally here! When I arrived 45 minutes early to the concert grounds I pulled up to the will call gate and inquired about my ticket, it was nowhere to be found! The man at the gate said he would do his best to find out about it. He was very helpful and had me pull off to the side and park. He kept checking back with me about the progress of my admission. At that point I heard the crowd going crazy and I heard the unmistakable sound of Danielle's voice throughout the campground. The show was starting and I was stuck at the admission gate clear across the campground. He stated that she was not scheduled to come on until 5:15 pm and that the acts are always late, they are never early. I told him that it was her alright, and he got on his radio again and called for the head of security. I sat in my car and listened to her sing "Honky Tonk Time." If it sounded this good from here I'm sure sounded great in the concert area because the crowd was enjoying themselves.
The ticket guy came back to my car as she was starting to sing "Isn't That Everything," now I was starting to become annoyed, because that is one of my favorite songs, and I was stuck in my car missing it. I could tell by the crowd's response they were loving it too.
The news got brighter as three men in a golf cart came wheeling up to the gate area, and the ticket guy was on his way over to my car again, and said that they found my ticket, and the guy's would take me up to the stage right away. So I reparked my car, thanked the gate man for his help and jumped on the golf cart, as they whisked me away behind the stage, and directed me where to go. I entered the concert bowl as she was just finishing up "Miss You All The Time" and got to hear the crowd going crazy. She started singing "Good Girls Go Bad" and the ladies in the crowd were singing along. Her songs are about the best and worst parts of relationships. She sings from her heart about things that have touched her soul. A good example of these emotions put into song would be when she sings the phrase "Jesus Loves You But I Don't." Another song that would be a hit with the audience was "Sucks To Be You." When she ended that song she light-heartedly said, "sometimes that's all there is to say".
She introduced the next song as the first song that she ever learned to sing, and the crowd went wild as we heard the first few notes of the all-time country classic, "Folsom Prison Blues" start to play. It was as if Danielle was transported back in time to her youth, as she skipped and danced barefooted on the stage during the song. She was here on the main stage singing, dancing and living her dream. She raised her arms and threw her head back and twirled in circles as if she was on an invisable merry-go-round. She was having the time of her life and her enjoyment was contagious as everyone was singing and clapping along.
Danielle got resounding approval when she told the crowd that she was in the studio working on her second album. She introduced a new song to us called "Brick By Brick." I really enjoyed the beat of this song. It got a very encouraging reaction from the crowd. It should do very well for her on the charts.
Next, she talked about a song that would be on the new album as one that she was kind of nervous about, because it was sort of a "touchy subject," as she described it. Danielle's voice was shaking with emotion as she introduced the song she had written for her brother. She went on to say that she was nervous because she has never performed this before an audience. What would happen next was so powerful for me that I had a very hard time fighting back the tears. This song, "Do It For Me," would go on to describe the plea to her brother to 'stop putting poison in your veins' and 'stop going with the devil down a dead end road.' Those phrases were so powerful for me, as I stood there getting hit by a flood of memories and emotions of the years I lived that nightmare with my daughter. Danielle describes the feelings of helplessness you have, when someone you love is consumed by the rage of addiction. She delivers an emotional performance where you can feel her despair as the pleas for him to stop fall on deaf ears. I have a new level of respect for Danielle Peck. It takes such amazing strength and courage to stand up there and sing a song that she is still living, and something that is still very raw for her. Danielle fought back emotions as she got a standing ovation for her performance. She was turned toward the drummer and fanned her face with her hands to help her fight back the tears. It took her a moment or two to compose herself as the crowd cheered and whistled their approval. She has written a song that will hopefully save an addict from further destruction, and hopefully help heal those who have been affected by drug abuse. This is a song that was long overdue. Bravo!
Danielle introduced the next song as one that is on her website and her myspace page, "Falling Apart." The crowd was singing along with her as she continued to entertain the audience with her sultry voice. "You Got It," a classic by Roy Orbison, showcased her verstility and playfulness, as she danced and got the crowd singing along. "Bad For Me," questions why the things you love the most are bad for you, like chocolate and some men.
The single women's anthem came next, "Finding A Good Man." This song has become so popular with the ladies that Danielle gave all the ladies in the crowd the opportunity to sing their own verse in the song and believe me when I say that they knew every word and sang it loud and proud! I thought that this might be the end of her set, and much to my delight, the end would be a song made popular by Bonnie Raitt, "Something To Talk About." With this song, people got to hear Danielle's bluesy side. It is almost like you take the best of Shaina Twain and the best of Bonnie Raitt and blend them together and get the unmistakable sound of Danielle Peck. Danielle is a remarkable songwriter, carefree and fun-loving entertainer, most importantly an extrordinary singer. She is a delight to see in concert!
