A tale of rockstars, family, and fecal feet. . .

Well, the weekend's over (rather quickly, I'm afraid). And now I'm home just trying to get myself relaxed and settled down before bed. Had a nice weekend, which, I'm going to tell you about.

Yesterday we went to Canton, Ohio for one day of the Alive Festival, which is a huge Christian Music festival at a campground down there. My cousin Matt was diagnosed with cancer last year (and thanks to God that he's all better now!!) and his Make-A-Wish foundation wish was that he could play his bass guitar with Relient K, a Christian rock band that he (and I) really likes.

So, we went down to that. And it was really cool to see him up there, healthy and dancing around with his guitar on the song that he got to play with them. He was so excited, though, because the whole weekend had just been amazing for him. The night before, Audio Adrenaline had been staying at the hotel he was at and came down to the lobby and just hung out with him and his friends for a bit and signed his guitar. Then all day Saturday he was hanging out with Relient K at their house and getting dinner with them and then he was up on stage with them. Quite a good way to celebrate God's healing!!

The concerts were very good, for the most part. Big Daddy Weave opened up and I had never heard them before but really enjoyed them (the lead singer was a dead ringer, for yours truly). Then Plus One came on and the lead singer was a bit fruity but the band itself wasn't too bad. During Salvador Erin and I went and walked and browsed for a bit and then we made it back for Chris Tomlin, who is one of the most incredible worship singers I've ever heard. They had a very good speaker come out and then Relient K played. I love the band and their cds are great and they are a lot of fun in concert, but I have to say that they don't always pick the best song set to play. There are always about five songs I'd wish they'd do and they always are only allotted such a small time. Steven Curtis Chapman closed things out, but I missed most of him due to the next part of my story. ..

After Relient K, my Aunt Sue gave Erin and I her backstage passes and so we began the trek across the field to get to the artists' area. But halfway there, Erin sank up to her ankles in this mud mix. At least, we thought it was mud. It was actually the dumping grounds for horse manure! She pulled her sandals out, but one of them had broken! So she's buried up to her ankles in manure and her hands are soaked in it due to pulling her feet out!

So we finally get backstage and meet up with my cousin. He introduces us to the lead singer of the band and I shake his hand and everything and there's Erin. . . standing there with her hands and feet drenched in manure!! The band was really cool about it, though, getting her towels and a shirt to wipe everything off on.

That's a story that could only happen to Erin :) And it gave us quite a few good laughs on the way home.

Well, there's more I'd love to say, but I'm tired. I will issue a plug, though. I'm currently listening to Sanctus Real's new cd, "Fight the Tide" and it's really a great cd!

Have a great night, ya'll.

C-Dubbs