Where: West Virginia State Fairgrounds
When: September 18 – 21, 2024

After waiting for what felt like a whole year (I’m sure if I did the math it was only a couple months) the feeling of waking up on Friday, September 20, felt like a child waking up on Christmas morning. I was full of excitement, but thinking more on it that is how every concert morning feels to me and has for many years since concerts have become my favorite place to be in recent years. Music has always been a huge part of my life as a whole.

That feeling got me through my whole work day until it was time to hit the open country roads to Lewisburg, a beautiful small city, full of small town businesses full of happy faces and potential. On our way there something happened that was a very very rare moment, as I looked into the open green fields full of cattle, I noticed they were all pointing in one direction which I thought was odd. Not long after, a full size bear ran up a hill right in front of my car! It was a marvelous thing to witness but I can’t help but to wonder what the poor cattle were thinking.

After this, we finally made our way into the fairgrounds and we were greeted by many wonderful volunteers donning Healing Appalachia and Tyler Childers merch. After getting out and our camping site set up, we went around to say hi to our surrounding neighbors. Then, we decided to call it night, knowing the next day would be full of adventure. Let’s face it, I can’t stay up as late as I used to. Anyway, I was up bright and early the next day as I always am for a concert day (back to Christmas morning haha) but as you guessed, I didn’t get much sleep. After some breakfast and rest, my ears were blessed by the sounds of a stell guitar and keyboards, the one and only food stamp band was doing soundcheck! I have always been told, “you never know what will happen or who will show up at smaller gatherings of musicians,” so I went to the sauntersong, a mix of a nature walk and mini concert, before I got in line for my journey inside the fair grounds.

If there is one thing you need to know about me, it is I am never get in a hurry for ANYTHING but I am also very head strong and when I get something in my head I continue until I accomplish what I have in mind. These traits don’t always mix well when it comes to fighting for a close spot at a music festival but after some elbow pushing (a joke, no elbow pushing was needed) I got very close seats and I was thrilled! It was almost the exact same spot I had at the exact same festival the year prior.

After a day of wonderful music and experiences, Tyler Childers took the stage, the headliner and my all time top favorite artist. He was accompanied with his long time band, the food stamps, and put on a wonderful electric show filled with old crowd favorites as well as new songs. It was a time filled with stories of love and happiness in between. I had brought a sign with me asking for a backstage pass because it has been my dream to meet him and the band for a couple years. Like I said I will continue to chase my dreams until I accomplish what I would like! But standing on the other side of the barricade from me was a sweet little girl with her father and a homemade sign, pen ready in hand for a highly requested Childers autograph.

After some smiles and thumbs up, I talked her into walking up to the rail at the front of the stage after the show was over. I hope she got what she was hoping for, she reminded me of myself when I was young. I was able to talk to a man on the crew who thought it was my 8th birthday (granted I am very short lol) and he gave me hope I would be able to meet Tyler some day. I was able to give a drawing I had made Tyler to someone else and I hope he received my gift. Did I also mention it rained the morning of Tyler’s show? It has become a tradition at every Childers show I have been to that there has been a little rain, so you know what I say to that?

Bring on the rain, that just means another Childers show is on the way! 💗