I suppose I should probably start at the beginning and give a little context and perspective to why this meeting meant so much and give you a little background so you can understand why I wanted to write this blog entry. I grew up listening to country and one of the first concerts my mom ever took me to was a Paul Brandt concert. He was young and cute, I was 16 or 17 and boy crazy (I know shocking) and I developed a huge crush on him. I remember many times while babysitting for my nieces and nephew I would spend hours trying to catch his videos on CMT because my sister had cable and we didn’t. I loved the video for “My Heart Has a History”. It was upbeat and fun and there was this good looking guy in a cowboy hat all over it, how could a teenager not be drawn in. Between that smile, his eyes, the long hair (I have always loved longer hair) and the voice I was totally smitten. I couldn’t get enough of his music and played his first cd over and over, memorizing every word.
From that first album and my crush not much has changed to now. I still think he is crush worthy and cute. I have loved every album and each concert that I have seen. What has changed though over the years as I have grown is that now the songs mean more to me. I don’t tend to listen to country as much anymore but there are still times where country feels like a warm blanket on a cold night. I will admit that after Will passed away I turned to my country music and top of my mp3 player list was Paul Brandt’s newest album, Give it Away, which had just come out only a few weeks after I lost Will (it truly was perfect timing for me). The first time I listened to it through and I hit the song, “Together Again”, all the emotion I had been struggling with dropped me as I heard Paul’s lyrics. It was saying exactly what was going on in my brain and made me feel a little better. If someone could sing about it then I must not be going crazy. Even now nearly a year after Will’s death that song still reminds me of Will and what it felt like just a few months ago, although now different lyrics from it ring true. It is the lyrics of his songs that have kept me following him and buying each album as they come out even as I have gone away from listening to country. His lyrics tell amazing stories and no matter what mood I’m in I can always find something in Paul’s music to suit it.
I have a great deal of respect for Paul Brandt and it does go beyond the above gushing. I always hear how active he is with his different charity projects and anytime I say that I’m going to see him or have met him there is always someone that has a story of a chance meeting with him. They all say the same thing, how great he is and how nice he is. So in December after his concert in Calgary when I got to meet him for the first time I wasn’t surprised at how nice he was (ok I was a little surprised because part of me didn’t really buy into all the stories). Although he was well past the time he was going to spend doing autographs he kept pushing through and although it was rushed he still made a huge impression on me. It proved to me that my respect for him wasn’t out of place and that all the things I had heard other people say were true. I was my normal shy self (I can already hear you all saying I’m not shy…but I really truly am so hush) and was looking down and he actually dipped his head down to catch my attention and bring my gaze up to his so he could talk to me. He asked if I had enjoyed his show and thanked me for coming. I was very excited and a little speechless. I walked away from that meeting feeling so very happy. It was actually the first time I felt almost normal again (I was still very much struggling at that point with my grief). After that meeting I could understand why he has such a devoted following of fans, because he really does seem to treasure and respects us as much as we do him. I mean just the fact he is willing to take the time to meet people after his concerts demonstrates that. I don’t know many stars, that are as famous as he is, that are willing do that. It keeps us all loving him, how could we not?
So when I got a tweet on Thursday night saying he was going to be meeting people down on the grounds on Friday I got excited. It was a happy coincidence that he was going to be there meeting fans when I was already heading down to go see Johnny Reid that night. It also gave me a good excuse to leave work early, which is never a bad thing on a Friday. I was also hoping that maybe this time I would be able to say thank you to him and say some of the things I have wanted to both in December and in March (in Lethbridge). I grabbed the scrapbook I had created and the Century program and brought them both with me. (It took me all day to decide that it was the scrapbook I actually wanted him to sign). I got to the grounds early and planted myself by the dream home and started chatting with a couple other girls who were also there to meet him. Being early paid off and left me excited when I was third in line to meet him, which never happens I’m always near the end. When it was my turn I handed him by scrapbook thinking he would open it up and sign the front cover and be done with it but he actually took the time to flip through the whole book. He made a few comments and said he liked it. He also thanked me for sharing it with him, which blew my mind, because really I was there to get it signed I was the one that should be saying thank you.
For the couple minutes he was talking to me and looking at something I created I felt completely special. I felt like it was only me and him on the grounds (which is saying something when you consider how many people were around, including a photographer from the Calgary Herald). I know it’s crazy but it is one of the great things about him. I have no doubt that everyone that meets him for an autograph or photo feels the same way and that is one of the things that makes him so very cool. I think it shows how grounded and genuine he is.
Another one of the coolest things about this particular meeting, which I didn’t expect, was as I was standing there I could hear a few stray voices from people talking about me. This is not unusual but instead of the normal disparaging comments I usually hear when I’m surrounding by people, they were talking about how cool my book was. It was all positive and to be at the center of that much positivity and excitement pushed my enthusiasm for this meeting over the top. It’s pretty cool to get recognition for something you have put your heart into and hear that other people love it too and that was what was happening. It was a totally new experience for me.
As I end this entry I just want to say some of the things I always wish my brain would let me say when I meet Paul. Who knows with a little luck he will read this but at the very least I will know I have sent it out into the world.
Dear Paul,
Thank you for all that you do for your fans. Thank you for the songs you write and the performances you do. Thank you for writing Together Again, it really truly has helped more than I can express in this last year. Thank you for making me feel special when I have gotten to talk to you, it is rare for me and a very cherished feeling. Most of all thank you for being such a good guy. Sometimes it seems the world is lacking in really good people but it is great to know that there are still a few people out there trying to make the world a better place. I have loved every concert I have seen and love that you have given me so many songs that can lift me up when I’m feeling down. I hope that you will always find joy in what you do and that you will continue to do it for a long time. I know I’m only one of many but I will be a fan forever and can’t wait to see you perform again. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
For the friends that are reading this and don’t know who Paul Brandt is or haven’t heard his music please check him out at www.paulbrandt.com. I promise you it is worth the time.
Here are also some of the photos from the Calgary Stampede grandstand show, Century, and from my meeting with him. (notice the big giant excited grin on my face…hehehe I can’t be cool no matter how hard I try)
The coolest moment of my life to this point.
An amazing show and a great way to say Happy Birthday to the Stampede.
Always so full of energy,
Even in the rain!
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