“Long nights and glory days, between the Alpines and Old King James, Yeah the better they look, the sweeter the kiss, The shots you don’t take the shots you gon’ miss…

“Speakers, Bleachers and Preachers” – Brandon Lay

On Thursday night, a local radio station hosted Jarrod Neimann and Brandon Lay for a concert in a Handy Park on Beale Street. I had heard them talking about the concert on KIX 106 but had no idea when it was until I checked the Facebook events for things going on in the area earlier that day (Facebook is a great place to see what’s going on in your area!), and I am so thankful I checked the events! The concert was SICK!

It was one of those things where you’re like, “Thank you God! Why are you so good to me?!”. Have you ever had moments like that, where you just feel so blessed and so thankful for an opportunity? We were two rows from the stage and it was amazing!

Brandon Lay is from Jackson, TN which is in between Memphis and Nashville. It was so cool to hear him telling stories about Jackson and how he grew up there. It made him so much more real to me- like he is normal like me. He is also a great performer! I only knew a couple of his songs but he made the event a welcoming experience for all– I don’t know about you but sometimes when I go to concerts and only know a couple of songs, I feel a little out of place but he commanded the stage and was so fun to watch! He even played a couple of his songs that aren’t out yet. SOOO GOOD! And Jarrod Neimann, also so good! I must say though, his guitarist, Tim stole the show with his ‘guitar-behind-the-head’ move. It was quite a show to say the least.

Things like this remind me of the things I used to do in college with my best friends, we would find these random events that were so cool and we would just make the most of everything about it. This concert helped make Memphis feel more like home to me because I made memories in my new city. The concert also helped me to move on from my college experience a little bit because I was able to experience life the way I used to! I think one thing that I was really holding onto about leaving UMass was that ability to experience life and enjoy life but it’s not about where you are but making the most out of what you have and enjoying that!

I think Brandon Lay’s song, Speakers, Bleachers and Preachers sums it up pretty well, “there’s a lot to learn from speakers, bleachers and preachers..still got a lot of growing up to do..”.

-Katie