7-31, Blackhawk

If you don't know who Blackhawk is then you're missing out on one of my favorite bands.  They were really big in the 90s (no, that doesn't date me at all, so stop laughing....).  Ironically, this Montana girl wasn't much into country music until I moved to... yep, New York!  There was such a mix of people at the academy, that you got a little bit of everything (just as with the city itself).  Once we finally had radio privileges, you could hear the voices of Jimmy Buffett and George Strait carrying through the halls.  Blackhawk was my favorite.  Blackhawk is still my favorite.  In my New Orleans days, Arvo and I went to   the county fair in Mobile, Alabama, to attend a Blackkawk concert.  It was only appropriate that I got an email recently from Arvo saying, "Blackhawk is playing at the Douglas County Fair in Castle Rock on Sunday!!"  So, we rushed down from the weekend of wedding festivities and went to see Blackhawk.  I must say that Colorado gave them a pretty lame welcome.  (I'd like to think it's Coloradans and not the band itself....) Let's just say it was an 'intimate venue'.  But, all the better for us.  We started in the stands and, just like the music in the KP halls all those years ago, it carried us down from the bleachers to the arena right in front of the stage.  Simply put, it was awesome.  To be only feet away from these talented musicians (and much closer to the blaring speakers that I'm pretty sure cut some years off my hearing-life) was amazing.  Sadly, it wasn't quite the same as the last concert I'd attended with Arvo, because since then they lost one of their trio to cancer.  But, I give them credit for staying true and doing what they love despite their loss.  I was a little surprised that Em wasn't loving the concert because she's all things music and drums.  I think she was a little shell-shocked with it all.  She sat on Sven's shoulders and blankly took it all in.  While she was taking it in, so was someone else-- the lead singer.  In between songs, he looked straight at us, said how much he loved 'the outfit'-- she was wearing her red shorts, red shirt with "Born in America 2016", her Colorado Rockies hat.... and Sven's lawn-mowing ear muffs.  She was a SIGHT.  He loved it and said something to the effect of looking like a jet fighter.  Lol..... Then, he threw us his guitar pick.  How cool is that?  Yep, Blackhawk is STILL my favorite.  Now that a few weeks have passed, Emalie constantly asks if we can listen to Blackhawk and if she can wear (her ladies size small!) t-shirt.  Yep, she's a fan.  And as Arvo said, "they cutest little fan they have!"