In my brief little stint as a merch girl, I've got to do a lot of really cool things. Traveling all over, meeting really interesting new people, just living my dreams in general. I can say without a doubt, though, that the weekend of the Outlaw Snowdown Festival in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, was the absolute best thing I have ever done so far. I'll be honest, it ranks pretty high up on my list of best weekends of my life.
February 8
Outlaw Snowdown
Pagosa Springs, Colorado
We drove through the night from Kansas to Colorado so that we could get there in time for an 11am load in/sound check. I slept for a lot of the drive, but I can't even tell you how amazing it was to wake up to the Rocky Mountains just appearing in the distance. I'm about to post a lot of pictures, but it was just too beautiful and too breathtaking not to share!
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Watching the sun come up over the Rocky Mountains #blessed
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In typical Fifth fashion, our housing situation was a bit of a fiasco. But if things were easy, how bored would we be?
This is the view from the first cabin four cabins I got to stay in while in Pagosa. It was beautiful and my bed was sooooo comfy (two very important things when I rate my sleep situation these days, one good thing being that it was an actual bed and not a sleeping bed pallet on a hotel floor, and two being the clean/comfy factor).
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| All the cabins had this amazing pieces of art (because you can not just call them mounted antlers). This is from the first cabin. |
So this is where I take a major turn to major fan-girl status. I admit from the beginning, I was not a Shooter Jennings fan until this weekend. And that's not because I had listened to him and didn't like him. Because I hadn't. I just assumed I wouldn't like his music and never took the time to explore it. Of course I knew who he was, I mean, who really doesn't. My mama even knew who he was when I told her about potentially meeting him. So when I did actually meet him, I had a moment-- a moment that could pretty much be described as shock. Let me explain:
I'm just going about my business, all alone in the first cabin, washing some clothes (because I'd been on the road almost two weeks and times were getting tough). I had hung out at the cabin while the guys loaded in and sound checked, so I had just gotten to take an amazing hot, long shower with no rush of the next person waiting for me to get out and not run out all the warm water (one of the biggest luxuries on the road- like you seriously have no idea) and then, to add to the luxury, after my shower, I was still alone, so I got to take my time fixing my hair and makeup using the real bathroom mirror! I know, this probably sounds ridiculous, but I give up a lot of my girly-ness traveling with four guys. I don't care that much, I'm not a really high maintenance girl anyway, but I definitely don't take it for granted when I'm on the road and I have no rush, no sacrifice, just me, my hair and makeup stuff and my music turned up.
So, back to the story. I was feeling all clean and pretty after washing off two weeks of the road. I was really excited, too, because I had just confirmed that I would be selling merch that night not only for Fifth on the Floor, but also for Shooter. This was a big deal for me, because it meant more money and more experience, selling for a real-life, legitimate artist, - the festival's headlining artist that night. So I'm just strutting around in my leather leggings, watching someone Unplugged on Paladia, when the door of the cabin opens. I assume it's one of the guys, so I walk to the door, and to my great surprise, someone I do not know is standing there. Well, I actually know exactly who is is. It's freakin Shooter Jennings. And so I just kinda stare, deer in the headlights look on my face. He has a second of the same reaction before apologizing and backing out the door. I say, in my eloquent way, "It's fine! They're across the road," completely assuming that he knows exactly who "they" are. He apologizes a few more times, I try (and fail) to act cool, like I hang out in cabins with famous people all the time, and he backs out the door. This whole interaction lasts less than a minute. But in that minute, I had met Shooter Jennings.
So I recovered from my shock, packed up my stuff and moved my home down the hill (to the cabin where "they" were, actually). Fifth on the Floor was playing that night as Shooter's backing band, so I got to tag along and get some of the perks of being the "star" of the show. One of these perks was a super awesome meal at a great restaurant. The band plus Shooter and his tour manger (oh, and me too!) all loaded up and went to the Alley House Grill. I can't say that I've ever been sitting at the table waiting for my food, pretending not to be ridiculously nervous and uncomfortable because I am so out of my element, listening to crazy stories, as the waiter brings us all a special
amuse-bouche of sashimi tuna on a fried wonton with some tasty sauce that I can't quite remember by name but do remember that it was so delicious. (Also, I've never used the words amuse-bouche before, and I would just like to note that I feel quite fancy. It sounds so much better than appetizer or even
hors d'œuvre. Ok, done pretending to be fancy now.)
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This. This life is what I must have. Well, aside from the crazy stalker fans.
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Just one more night that confirms that "real life" is not for me. — at Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
After dinner, we all went to cabin number 3 and hung out for a while before the show. And y'all, I was playing it all off like I was super cool and like this was normal life for me, but on the inside I was in absolute fan girl mode to the extreme. Hell, I'm getting so excited just talking about it now. And it is completely senseless. But I cannot help it. How many people can say that they just hung out with famous musicians, just chilling in their cabin, them offering you a beer, no big deal. Ok, a lot of people. A lot of people can say this exact thing about a lot of people much more famous. But I don't know them. And this is my one moment, and I want to remember it forever. I am such a super gay fangirl. Fail at life. Proof of this fail: the picture below. Really, Kelli? Everyone walks out of the room and you're taking selfies? Loser times a million.
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| Super excited stupid fan girl face. Yall- tonight is unreal. Normal life is boring and I hate it. I must have this. I must. |
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| Did I take and instagram this picture solely because shooter did first and I wondered if people who followed us both would notice and think I'm cool? Absolutaf*ckinglutely. Which proves I am in fact not cool. I accept this. |
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| Selling merch for Shooter Jennings and Fifth on the Floor tonight at the Outlaw Snowdown! |
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| Tons of people under the tent |
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| Whitey Morgan and the 78's |
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| Shooter Jennings & Fifth on the Floor |
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| I'm one proud mama Kelli merch girl tonight--Fifth on the Floor and Shooter Jennings at Outlaw Snowdown |
After the show, we all went to a cool bar in Pagosa where we were treated like rockstars, simply through association. I didn't hate it.
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| Free, free, free, free. |
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| Responsible bass player drinking. Responsible as in not being wasteful. | |
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| Put this in your purse. Um..ok? |
"I ain't drunk, I've just been drinking" - whitey morgan and the 78's
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had to do it. Had to be that fangirl who asked for a pic. But hell, I
was sitting in the backseat beside him on the way back to the cabin, and
I just couldn't resist. |
I guess I was a little bit of a crazy fan girl, though I tried to hide it as much as possible. I realized that being that way was really silly, though, because he was just a really nice, really cool normal guy.
The first night of Snowdown was a great experience that I am so, so thankful for.
February 9
Outlaw Snowdown
Pagosa Springs, Colorado
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| If nothing else, we have a lot of fun :) |
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Just doing rockstar sh*t with the band in Colorado
http://vine.co/v/bvmZAPuZErD
The second day in Pagosa, Fifth of the Floor played their own set at Outlaw Snowdown.
It was so cold standing by the edge of the tent where my merch table was the second night. Like I think I'm going to freeze to death cold. Life is much easier and much more comfortable at the top ;)
I think I have frost bite on my toes. I just know when I take my shoes off they're gonna be all black and mr deeds like.
A drunk man just spilled my bourbon. And then knocked down my merch stands. That's grounds for killing, hoss.
Outlaw Snowdown day 2 set up
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| Lydia Loveless |
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| Micky and the Motorcars |
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| Oh yes. My favorite three letters. |
We had a great time out the second night after Snowdown, and I got to meet the Micky and the Motorcars guys, who were all really great (bus party! bus party! bus party!). Fun times for sure.
February 10
Pagosa Springs
We had intended to leave Pagosa on Sunday (the 10th) but the weather had other plans. We literally could not drive through the snow to get out of the mountains. So, I was forced to eat Mexican food, drink a bottle of cheap wine, and spend another night (in cabin number 4) in Pagosa. This did not suck, one tiny bit.
There could be much worse places to be snowed in #stuckincolorado
Office space with my homies, snowed in and stuck in Pagosa Springs, Colorado #meandmyband #papow #outlaw #wine
http://vine.co/v/bvneqBTa1eM
More touristy shots of the Pagosa Area as we tried (and failed) to leave. Isn't it the most beautiful place you've ever seen?
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Everyone is Colorado is stoned. But so friendly!
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Attempt at leaving Pagosa, round 2. The city loves us so much it won't let us leave.
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I love snow! And Pagosa Springs, CO. I will be back here again
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So sad to be leaving here
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| Pagosa is said to be the world's largest natural hot springs. And guess who forgot her swimsuit. |
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| Cute little cabin number 4 |
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| Pagosa Bar, where we hung out both nights after Snowdown |
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| So I'm terrified of driving in snow, and after the first attempt at leaving, I was extremely scared about leaving. I was a little scared that this might be my last meal |
We chained up the tires and finally left on Monday, canceling our show in Des Moines and driving all that day and most of the next to get to Iowa Falls on time for the Tuesday night show.
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