This is What I’m Talking About!

October 19, 2010

I just got back from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and spending four nights watching Sammy Hagar perform at the Cabo Wabo Cantina, with Michael Anthony (of Chickenfoot and formerly of Van Halen), Vinnie Paul (Pantera) and Steve Harwell (Smashmouth), not to mention Sammy’s band, The Wabos, who totally kick ass.

It was more than a musical experience though, especially since after the first two shows, Sammy got sick, postponed the third show, and played the next two nights despite the fact that his voice was pretty much gone.

There’s something about Cabo.

It’s magic.

And many times when I go down there, I become infused with some sort of supernatural light that keeps coming out of me for months or sometimes for years. It’s as if that light attracts even more light into my life, like it did this morning, when I came across this article.

It’s about Carlos Santana’s spiritual connection with music, with God, with life. And it’s not written in esoteric concepts that the average person can’t understand–it’s presented in down-to-earth language that anyone can relate to. In other words, it gives us hope.

It’s interesting to me that I’d just returned from Cabo, met some wonderful people with whom I hope to work in order to get my message of hope out to more people (through my book), and then I come across this article. Coincidence? Not a chance. Light attracts light.

Enjoy.

Carlos Santana: Coltrane, Mysticism and Human Nature.

The Saga Continues…

October 25, 2010

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Jewelle St. James and I have a lot in common. Many years ago, as a wife and mother, Jewelle was merely going through the motions of life when something supernatural and unexpected happened to her involving a famous rock star. It forever changed her life.

It was 1980. World-legendary rock musician John Lennon of The Beatles had just been murdered and Jewelle, who wasn’t even a Lennon fan, was suddenly overcome by a grief so overwhelming that it consumed her entire life. Then strange things began happening. It made no sense; what was going on? Confused and concerned about her sanity, she set out in search of explanations.

What she discovered blew her mind.

Like me, Jewelle learned that she had shared a past life with a famous musician whose spirit was the driving force leading her on her journey to self-discovery. And like me, she fought against the otherworldly truths that were being revealed to her. Why? Well, for one thing, because it was preposterous!

Although Jewelle and I present slightly different angles with our stories (each person’s journey is tailored to his or her specific requirements for spiritual growth), she and I share the insatiable need to let the world know that there is so much more to life than what’s on the surface. We want others to keep their minds and their hearts open because you never know where your truths may be found. I wonder how many have had spiritual awakenings through Elvis? More on this in another post…

But truth is truth in any form, and it is my belief that we all recognize truth when we encounter it even though sometimes our logical brains tell us we’re being ridiculous.

Jewelle’s book, All You Need Is Love: A Past Life with John Lennon, is about her search for truth. It’s about reincarnation and the discovery of self through that means. Her story will assure you that love never dies and that underneath it all, love is truly all you need…

Following is our interview. My words are in italics.

P: Hi Jewelle, thank you for taking your time to reach out to others by granting me this interview. I’d like to begin by asking you what made you want to write about your experience.

J: Thank you Pat, for requesting this interview. I believe that my experience was meant to be shared, to be a voice of many, sharing personal metaphysical experiences. I hope to contribute to worldwide investigations into the concept of past lives and how they affect our present lives.

P: You’ve demonstrated that by accepting the reality of our past lives, it can help us heal in our present lifetime. Even from wounds we may have been unaware of where they came from. For instance, maybe a man has an inexplicable fear of starving, so he eats too much and although he knows it’s not good for him, he can’t seem to stop himself.

J: Yes. The evidence of  past lives sometimes emerges as unexplainable patterns in our current lives screaming for attention and healing. A favorite quote: “If you want to know your past, look at your present life. If you want to know your future, look at your present life.”

P: You also talk a little about the philosophies you discovered, such as “love is really all there is…” and “The soul is able to see all…” “We write our life script before we’re born and later we’re amazed when the right people and the right circumstances enter our lives when really, we’ve arranged it all ourselves…”

How did all these philosophies affect you? Did they make you want to explore them further?

J: These philosophies have given me much peace of mind and a knowing that there is a grand design in each of our lives. I am currently exploring more, but it’s a delicate balance. One cannot force spiritual understanding, it unfolds in its own time and yet clues are always present. This is my experience anyway.

 

P: Don’t ever give up! You also wrote that your sister’s spirit told you, “We think our lives are separate; it’s all one play, one picture…Tell your story so others can see where their lives are; what is their big picture, for the big picture is the only picture…”

This is exactly what I “saw” when I had my mystical experience—how everything is connected.

J: My other book, Jude: My Reincarnation from Auschwitz came about because of a memory since childhood but I didn’t think of it as a past life, it was just a part of me, like my arm or whatever.

After All You Need Is Love was written, a channeled poem (about the Holocaust) came to me in a short two minutes, and believe me I’m no poet! The poem became a guidepost in discovering my last life ending in Auschwitz.

When I visited Auschwitz in Poland, and gazed across the snowy quiet Auschwitz-Birkenau where millions of Jews had died, there was a split second where I understood that all time is one. Later it was hard to wrap my head around that concept, but for those several seconds, I understood.

P: And that’s how it happened to me too—in a matter of several seconds, I understood. The trick then becomes how do we hold onto it and incorporate it into our daily lives?

J: “Peace that passeth all understanding.” For me that quote means having faith in the unseen and the extraordinary spiritual events that endlessly flow. It took me a long time and a lot of tears to get to that point.

P: You also said that it was John Lennon’s guidance that kept you going on your search, allowing you to learn more about yourself in the process—that he was a major player in your lessons and without him, you wouldn’t have learned so much. It’s a spiritual connection. How can one know when this is real and not just imagined? i.e. a fan inventing a connection to a celebrity?

J: I was never a Beatles fan, yet I grieved for John Lennon as if I’d known him. This was the core of my confusion and for years, no one was more skeptical than me. The fact that he was a rock star made me go to the ends of the earth to truly receive the truth one way or the other. I always say, if he’d been the next door neighbor I wouldn’t have had a problem in accepting the explanation that I knew him in another life. To this day (in my mind) it’s John Baron guiding me, although I’m positive Lennon and Baron are the same soul. John Baron was the  man I knew and therefore I am more comfortable with his spiritual guidance. However, there have been unexplainable communications concerning Lennon, not Baron, that have taken decades to process and accept.

P: You mention how you constantly doubted and even when you asked for signs to verify things and they were given to you, you still doubted. You even doubted your experience. I did the same thing. How can a person avoid this doubting? Because it’s times like that, that often cause us to give up and go right back to our old ways of doing things. Then of course, we don’t grow.

J: It’s healthy to doubt when you’re dealing with the unknown, I believe. Many times I tried to ignore it all. It wasn’t until ten years ago, that I reached a point when the synchronicities and discovering the relevant ancient records, to name only two, were so overwhelming that I could no longer argue with my own evidence. Then I finally surrendered. It was a spiritual moment that could have only unfolded in its correct time. I accepted the love that is obviously guiding in my life.

P: That must have been an immensely comforting revelation—to finally be able to accept it completely. In your book, you wrote, “All of it has always been real…”

J: For so long I lived in a place of frozen confusion. It’s taken nearly thirty years to truly understand that my story is real and meant to be shared—that it’s my life’s mission—yet there are aspects of my journey that I will never understand.

P: I love how you say, “We don’t have to completely understand something to believe it’s real.” How do you know this?

J: My Auschwitz-Birkenau experience of clearly seeing that all time, and all peoples are one, was a major turning point in accepting the wonders of life although paradoxically it was beyond my rational understanding.

P: Getting back to the beginning of your story. Can you describe your initial experiences and what it was that lead you to investigate John Lennon?

J: My initial reaction to John Lennon’s death was an instant debilitating grief that lasted for three years. When I finally received a possible reason for my pain (that I had loved and lost him in another life in southern England), it gave me a focus, and a way to try to eliminate that pain. This focus resulted in twenty years of research and investigation.

P: That’s a long time! Do you think the way you were raised may have affected what happened to you?

J: I was raised to (spiritually) keep an open mind so therefore was finally able to seek guidance from my psychic mother and sister (although that still took me years to request their help).

P: Do you consider yourself a religious person?

J: I believe in God but am not connected to any church or religion.

P: Can this sort of thing happen to someone who isn’t spiritual?

J: Although I was from a spiritual type family, when John Lennon died, I was 27 years old, a young wife and mother. My head-space wasn’t exactly into understanding my grief over his death let alone what the reason could be. So, if someone else were in my shoes, spiritual or not, the same confusion and pain would exist, I believe.

P: Even someone who doesn’t believe in reincarnation?

J: Initially my opinion/understanding of reincarnation was neutral, it held no interest to me one way or the other so if applied to someone else, it would be a matter of their personal need, or not, to investigate and receive answers.

P: Do you consider yourself psychic? Have your psychic abilities grown since this experience?

J: I feel I’m intuitive but could not give anyone a psychic reading! My awareness has grown but maybe that comes with age and wisdom?

P: And perhaps with a little help from your friends not in physical form? You wrote that John’s spirit told you, “The consciousness of the planet can be raised through the arts.” You also wrote that John’s spirit told you that your job was to keep his memory alive so people would remember the messages he tried to relate to the world through his music… This is an aspect of your relationship with John Lennon and NOT John Baron.

J: You’re right! For years, I only accepted John Baron… Baron’s incarnation as Lennon has been a major stumbling block for me. I just couldn’t grasp that. But those were in the early years—now I understand our many lives, and if a famous life gets thrown into the mix, not to turn away because of my human-based doubts.

P: I went through the same thing, worrying that I was allowing myself to be misled by Sammy’s fame and the sheer excitement of the world of rock ‘n’ roll instead of focusing on the underlying message that was revealed to me. And yet, for me, it’s all tied together. I even found myself writing in my book about how John Lennon said, “when the real music comes to me, the music of the spheres, I am just a medium to relay its message…”

J: I believe all artists channel from a Universal Source. Parts of All You need Is Love were channeled, like someone was “giving” me the sentences, someone from an outside source.

P: Since Lennon was a musician, do you think that part may have played a role? The music part? Because that’s how it all happened to me—through music. Music is a language that transcends barriers between people. Maybe even the barriers of time and death. Recently, I heard Paul McCartney say that “Yesterday” just came to him, as if through a supernatural source.

J: The musical combination of Paul McCartney and John Lennon was pure heavenly brilliance. My personal belief is that John Lennon was a Universal spokesperson, one of many messengers disguised as musicians, and through his gift of music, and long after we are all gone, the music will survive and heal and bring joy.

P: What have others told you they’ve gotten out of reading your story?

J: After reading All You Need Is Love, many have expressed a comfort of knowing love cannot die, nor can our souls.

P: What a beautiful message of hope this is.

J: Your body will whither and die but the spirit lives forever and lost loves never leave us.

P: What was the most difficult part of your journey?

J: The emotional feelings of pain and loss felt through those early years and then mustering the courage to write about my experience.

P: I don’t think many people realize what it takes to write something like this and especially to put it out there to the world in a book! What else did your journey teach you?

J: That every day, in ever way, we are guided, that we are connected to the Divine and to each other, that we all matter, we are all part of an intricate Universal design.

P: Thank you, Jewelle, for being a light in the lives of so many by sharing your story.

J: Thanks, Pat, to you and your readers for your interest.

Jewelle St. James has written several books and articles on reincarnation. For more information, please visit her website at http://www.pastlifewithjohnlennon.com/

Her candid stories continue to enlighten and inspire people all over the world.

Do you think you may have had a past life? Jewelle writes about how to begin your search for answers in “Clues to Our Past Lives.” Read her full article at http://www.merrynjose.com/artman/publish/article_316.shtml (Link provided by permission.)

 

Is Mick Jagger God? and Other Esoteric Theories

November 2, 2010

Since I started this blog, I’ve received emails from people with many different viewpoints—which I love, by the way, keep them coming. I consider each one. And although I may not always agree with you, that doesn’t make either of us wrong. It helps me define all over again, Who I Am. And you inspire me!

If you believe that Mick Jagger is God or that aliens are talking to you or that your religion—or lack of—is your salvation, and it’s made you a better person because of it—fantastic! If you’ve had a mystical experience while cleaning up dog poop in your backyard and it’s changed your life permanently and for the better—who am I to judge you?

What works for one person may not work for someone else. And as long as it affects your life in a positive way without hurting anyone, I figure it’s all good. I believe there are as many ways to enlightenment as there are people. We all have different needs and different life experiences we bring to the table.

My friend’s grandma, who was sharp as a tack well into her 100’s, said it best: “It doesn’t matter how you get up the mountain—by car, by foot, by bike or plane. It only matters that you get there.”

And the higher you climb that mountain, the more you’ll see things you couldn’t have seen from the ground, because at ground level, all you can see are the trees, the grass, and maybe the road upon which you’re standing. When you climb higher, there’s a very good chance that you may notice other roads previously obscured by the trees and vegetation at the bottom. You may even encounter animals that only live at higher altitudes. And you will be a better person for it because you will have seen things you never dreamed existed.

So very much like my spiritual journey.

The purpose of this blog is to present my readers with new ways of thinking about things that are important, because my mystical experience did that for me. In HUGE ways. And yet, what I speak are my truths. They may not be yours and that’s okay too.

Hopefully I will post something here at some point, that nudges your consciousness awake—even if just a little—whether it be through my words or someone else’s.

That’s my goal anyway.

We all have something to learn from one another.

Discovering Personal Truths

November 9, 2010

Some people find their answers in religion. I think that’s wonderful, but it didn’t happen that way for me.

I harbored a lot of fear about stepping beyond the boundaries of the Catholic faith in which I was raised. I worried that God would strike me down or send me to hell for looking for spiritual gratification outside my religion. Frustrated and confused, I quit searching.

Then one day, my truths found me.

I am honored to have been invited by the wonderful people at Satiama: Enhancing Life’s Journey, to share my story. My article, “Crossing the Line,” is now published online at http://satiama.com/crossing-the-line-by-pat-walker/.

I know you will find satiama.com to be a source of inspiration and light.

Thank you for your continued support.

Christmas Mind

 December 18, 2010

As I look back on everything that has happened to me this past year, I try not to dwell on the negative because there is already too much negativity in the world. Instead of thinking about how my dear sister-in-law is no longer here to share in this happy time with us, or that I’ve lost my job, or that my body is getting saggier by the day, I choose to think about all the blessings I have, like my family and friends and how they’ve enriched my life.

I choose to think about how wonderful I feel when I listen to music or how I feel when I look at the colored lights on my Christmas tree: I’m immediately a kid again, a kid believing in a jolly fat man in a red suit who so unselfishly grants wishes to children all over the world in a single night.

I remember how I used to lie awake for hours in my bed on Christmas Eve, sweating under the covers because I was too nervous to move, afraid that if Santa heard me stir, he would be scared away before he left us anything.

Then in the wee hours, I’d wake up my little brother, tiptoe downstairs, peek around the corner, and gasp at what I saw. There stood our Christmas tree, shining with silver tinsel and colored ornaments, and beneath it were the gifts Santa had brought—things I wouldn’t have dared ask my parents for because they were too expensive—a cardboard corral and plastic horses, and a doll that raised her hand and turned her head when you pressed the button on her back. And right then, in my uncontrollable joy, I was absolutely certain that dreams really did come true.

I still am.

Some parents choose not to tell their kids about Santa Claus, maintaining that it’s all just a lie. But for me, that “lie” taught me to believe in the goodness of humanity and in the magic of spirit. One of my favorite quotes of all time is from “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” by Francis Pharcellus Church. He wrote about how, even if we find a logical explanation for something, there remains an unseen world of magic that can only be reached through “faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance…” and that there is a boundless universe out there, the likes of which we are not capable of understanding through intellect alone.

I believe this with all my heart.

 

Appreciating the wonder of each moment as if it’s the first time we’ve encountered that experience, is something that comes naturally to children. In Zen, there is a similar concept known as “Beginner’s Mind.” As we mature, society tells us that certain things are impossible or strange or wrong. But every Christmas, Beginner’s Mind and the joy I felt as a child who believed in magic, is reinforced in me all over again. I’m going to hold onto it with even greater sincerity from now on.

That is my wish for you too.

In the coming year, let us strive to approach each moment with the wonder of a child and without judgment, wherein we may discover at last, the beauty, the magic and the truth that our hearts so desperately long for.

Clikc here for a wonderful video: The Polar Express

Believe in your dreams.

Baja Rock Pat

Concert Review: Kenny Wayne Shepherd

July 18, 2011

You pay a price. A big price. But there is absolutely nothing in the world like being up front at a rock concert. Or in this case, a rock/blues show.

Saturday night I was fortunate enough to get in the second row of the sold-out concert by Kenny Wayne Shepherd at Thunder Mountain Amphitheater in Loveland, Colorado.

Oh my God.

I know I probably sound like a giddy teenager, but that’s what great music does to me. It transports me. Turns me into a pool of pure, animal instinct and puts me in touch with that part of me that I usually keep well-guarded because it’s vulnerable and real—my soul.

Anyway, it’s a whole different experience being up front. You can’t hear as well, and you don’t get that balanced, more expansive sound—the entire band as it’s really meant to be heard. But you get to experience the energy firsthand—freshly blasting from the performers. And it is intense.

Despite the fact that I was squished, stepped on, bumped, sweat on by strangers all around me, and subjected to enthusiastic fans screaming into my ear so loudly that it was painful, it was all worth it. Because when the large man in front of me moved to the side for a brief moment and Kenny came over, put his foot on the amp in front of me and made his guitar sing, I think I stopped breathing. The energy spewing from him was like a volcano exploding into my chest. A volcano of sheer blues power.

With killer-voice singer Noah Hunt by his side, and joined by veteran performers Tony Franklin on bass, Chris Layton on drums, and “The Reverend” Riley Osborne on keyboards, Kenny tore up the night, grinning and grimacing, his entire body ricocheting off the notes coming from his axe as he became the sound with everything in him.

Noah’s voice, as always, was like a bullet to the soul—deep, thick, and hard—the epitome of male sexuality. So when he sang “I’m a King Bee”, with it’s blatant sexual lyrics, and combined with Kenny’s phenomenal guitar work, I was so into the music, if I could have crawled right into it, I would have.

“I’m a king bee, baby, buzzing around your hive. I can make you honey, baby, just let me come inside . . . I can buzz you better when your other man is gone,” he taunted. I was gone at that point.

I wish they’d do more songs like that!

Another highlight of the evening was the hit “Blue on Black” —where the audience all joined in and sang along, and a strictly-blues portion, where Noah walked offstage, leaving Kenny and the boys to dig deep into the blues. Oh. Yeah.

The show ended with “Voodoo Child,” a frenzied and fantastic rendition of the classic Hendrix tune.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Kenny has had an ear for the blues all his life. He explained that at the ripe old age of three, he attended a concert by Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, and that was all it took. Completely self-taught on guitar, Kenny gave credit to some of the other blues greats who influenced him: Buddy Guy, B. B. King, Albert Collins, Albert King, Robert Johnson, and Bessie Smith, among others. You can hear it in his music. Stated Kenny, “The blues is the foundation for everything we play.”

And although he’s only 34, his music has the richness and depth of a person twice that age. Some people just “get” the blues. Kenny does. And if you want it, Shepherd delivers—mixed in with a little bit of rock to create his signature sound.

The show was so hot that it started pouring rain the instant the band left the stage. I guess there needed to be some sort of means to put out the fire!

Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s next album, How I Go is due for release August 2.

Setlist:

Somehow, Somewhere, Someway
Everything is Broken
Never Mind
Last Goodbye
Losin’ Kind
Come On Over
I’m Leaving You
Shame
Never Lookin’ Back
King’s Highway
True Lies
Blue On Black
Shotgun Blues
I’m A King Bee
Oh Well
Voodoo Child

Do It Anyway

With my book soon to be released, there are a lot of emotions running through me. My friend read me this poem yesterday. It was written by Mother Theresa. We all need a little encouragement sometimes, and a reminder of what’s really important.

Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will
forget tomorrow,
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and
it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got … anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is
between you and God,
It never was between you and them anyway

–Mother Theresa

Concert Review: Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe

Vince Neil

September 4, 2011

Lately I’ve been stepping beyond the constraints of the type of music I know and love to gain some new perspective. Broadening one’s horizons is never a bad thing, right? Not usually anyway. A little over a month ago, I went to a country concert—something I never do. And I had a really great time. Last weekend I went to see Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe at Thunder Mountain Amphitheater in Loveland, Colorado. Hey, I read Mötley Crüe’s autobiography The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band,and I only recommend reading that if you have an affinity for Mötley Crüe, a strong stomach, or an extremely open mind. But after reading The Dirt, I figured I was ready for Vince. Well, maybe.

Vince Neil and Dana Strum

Neil had such badass stage presence that I just couldn’t help but love it. It was heavy-hitting, rock-to-the-gut music with a swift kick in the face that you did see coming and chose not to get out of the way on purpose.

Covered in tattoos and dressed in black leather pants and smiling a beautiful smile while spilling arrogance galore, Neil bounded onstage like a hundred Harleys roaring through a long tunnel. His vocals sounded a bit rough though, and he explained that he’d lost his voice a few days earlier, but I guess that’s not a bad thing if you’re a heavy metal, hard rock singer. It seemed like they had his mic turned down pretty low because it was difficult to hear him most of the time. Or maybe it was simply due to my vantage point. The speakers are generally aimed outward toward the audience. I like to be up front. I thought I could handle the energy emitted by Vince Neil, one of rock ‘n’ roll’s consummate bad-boys. And I did, but it felt like he sucked more from me than he gave back. No accident on his part, I’m sure.

In any case, the packed-in crowd adored him. Halfway through the show, a woman on the opposite side of the stage from where I was standing, handed Vince a pair of hot pink panties, which he proceeded to wear around his neck.

Dana Strum & Jeff Blando

And his band was amazing. They tore it up, tore your flesh from the bone and you loved every minute of it. Jeff Blando (from Slaughter) on lead guitar was phenomenal, as was Dana Strum on bass (also from Slaughter). Besides keeping the night rocking, the two of them (along with Zoltan Chaney on drums—I’ll get to him in a minute) cranked out several Led Zeppelin tunes as Vince left the stage for a bit. Blando even used a bow to play “Whole Lotta Love.” I usually cringe when bands do remakes of Zeppelin songs, but this was fantastic—full of testosterone-fueled emotion and rife with the same energy that made Zeppelin great. Although he is no Robert Plant (who is?) Blando also did a great job on vocals. But these guys are not just a backup band, they are stars in their own right—heavy hitting players who would cut you in half with their axes then strut across the stage to let you know in no uncertain terms that they just got the best of you. Vince too, as if to say, “Take that, sucker! Now what you gonna do about it?”

Zoltan Chaney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zoltan Chaney has to be the most entertaining drummer I have ever seen. He was a show all by himself. He stood up, spun around, threw drumsticks in the air and caught them again, kicked cymbals with his feet, balanced drumsticks on his head and never missed a beat. And that was only part of it. Look him up on Youtube. You won’t believe it.

Vince Neil’s concert was a mix of raw energy, lots of flowing, throwing hair, “don’t f—k with me” attitude, and LOUD, LOUD, LOUD kick ass rock. I felt as if I’d been used and abused and then expected not to take any of it personally. I loved it. I gotta broaden my horizons more often.

Some of the songs performed were:

Tattoos & Tequila
Girls, Girls, Girls
Wild Side
Dr. Feelgood
Kickstart My Heart
He’s a Whore
Same ol’ Situation

How Do You Like Me Now? Toby Keith Concert Review

Toby Keith

 July 30, 2011

I thought rock concerts were loud. About a month ago, I went to see Toby Keith live in concert and my ears buzzed for days afterward. I must confess that country music is not something I normally listen to, but I’ve seen Toby do guest appearances at several other people’s shows in the past, and he does have that—how do you say? –je ne sais quoi. In other words, he’s sexy, he can sing, and he’s very good-looking.

 But it was the “he can sing” part that made me want to go most of all. I’m glad I did. It was another lesson in stepping outside my comfort zone. You never know where something new may take you—and last month, it took me to Cheyenne, WY where Toby surprised me.

With exploding pyrotechnics and sometimes streamers that were shot out over the packed-in crowd, Toby delighted the entire audience and had them dancing, two-stepping (as much as possible in their confined areas), and singing their lungs out right along with him. It was a huge venue—Cheyenne Frontier Days’ main arena, where they also hold rodeos. We had to tramp through the dust and “horse apples” to get to the arena for our standing-room-only section. But every seat in the stands was taken as well.

Toby is proud to be an American and he isn’t afraid to show it. He toasted the USA, the flag, and our military forces with a lot of patriotic songs and words of praise.

He also did a rendition of Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold”, which was fun and refreshing to me, being first a rock fan. And he did it so well, I didn’t even miss “Uncle Ted’s” version!

At one point, Toby did a “duet” with Willie Nelson, with Willie’s likeness playing on a video on an enormous screen behind the performers onstage. “I’ll Never Smoke Weed with Willie Again” gave us a sneak peek at Toby’s sense of humor beneath that serious face, and then there was the song “Get Out of My Car,” which he introduced with a grin, saying, “You’ll never hear this song played on the radio!” “As Good As I Once Was,” touched my heart, maybe because it reminded me of my late father, who was also a veteran, but it also made me feel glad to be the person I am right now, because in spite of the fact that I am no longer as young as I used to be, I’m not finished yet!

“How Do You Like Me Now?” was the song that surprised me the most. I’ve heard this one before, but nothing beats seeing a performer sing a song live. It had a bit of a rock and roll flavor and this song too, was like saying, “Take it or leave it, baby—this is me and I’m proud to be me!” I’m going to have to add “How Do You Like Me Now?” to my list of all-time top favorite songs.

“Should’ve Been a Cowboy” also reminded me of my dad. He loved country music, being out in nature, and sitting around the campfire telling stories while tossing down a beer or two. Great song. Great memories.

Some of the other songs Toby played were:

American Ride
Whiskey Girl
Under the Rodeo Moon
Who’s Your Daddy?
I Love This Bar
Beer for My Horses
Get Drunk and Be Somebody
I Wanna Talk About Me
Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue

 

There was a song I wasn’t familiar with, but it was about boots. And as Toby sang, many of the audience members removed one boot and held it in the air. I’d never been in a crowd of dusty cowboy and cowgirl boots before and this moved me—a connection between audience and performer and back again. That’s what great music is all about.

Toby’s voice sounded awesome, he had his swagger and his little boy smile down to a tee, his interaction with the audience was fun, and his band was killer. I had a really great time.

If you have the chance, go see Toby, even if you don’t care for country music. He’s rugged and cute and sometimes naughty. And he puts on a great show.