Nashville Day 4 On To Memphis!!!!!!

Right now I'm writing from the 5th floor hotel room right smack dab in the middle of Memphis Tennessee! It's about 8:30pm local time. We left Nashville around noon today... More about that later.... but first and update from last night.......

So my last post ended with me talking about going to one of the nightly concerts at LP Field. This was going to be my wife's test.... I wanted to see her reaction to being at a REAL country concert. Now remember, every attending the concert paid really good money to be there, lots of people came from all over the country to be there! So you know for sure that the crowd is going to be filled with some serious country fans!

We show up at the stadium with Frogman Scott, Tommy was already there. You could hear Trace Adkins singing "Honky Tonk Badonadonk" while we were in the parking lot.... by the time we reached our seats in the nose bleed section, we could barley make out the bands!!! Tommy sent us a text message to let us know that our "media passes" would let us go on the field.... So we hustled down there as quick as we could.

When we got down there "The Wreckers" were performing, we staked our claim near the sound booth. After their set it was time to get some brews and food.... just in time for Deirks Bentley to perform... I like Deirks song "Lot A Leavin' Left To Do" so when he opened up his set with it, I caught myself holding two beers and yelling for Dierks!! My wife thought I was nuts. Scott and Tommy just laughed and took pics..... oh boy!

After Dierks.... Brooks and Dunn took the stage and rocked it hard!!! They're amazing on stage. Ronnie Dunn's voice reverberated from every corner of the arena! It was then that I began to notice my wife dancing and singing along.... Every time a they started another song, I would lean over to tell her the title... she looked back and would say.. "I know... I like it!"

Now the act that I really wanted her to see was Alan Jackson. Why... Because Alan is as country as it gets. If she enjoyed his set, then I think she can be a real fan. She has a blast during his set. I caught her singing "Where I Come From", you know, the "Corn Bread and Chicken" song!!! We left after his set and she was ecstatic!

We walked back to our hotel afterwards and found this bar next door called the "Flying Saucer"... over 100 beers on tap! There we found some great music by a cover band playing everything from Aerosmith to Blondie.

Later it was time to pack, because today.. (Friday) was going to be our last show from Nashville. The show went by fast this morning.. not as many artists stopped by, we did see Emerson Drive who's song "Moments" just hit number one on the charts! Afterwards we had to pack our remote gear up and get out of Dodge!!!

Tennessee Storm!

My wife and I rented a car and began our journey to Memphis about noon local time... It was nice and sunny, hot and humid. About 93 degrees! We headed west on I-40 and after about 10 miles out we could see dark clouds and lightning!!! It kept getting closer and closer and closer!!! Before you knew it we were in the middle of one of the worst downpours I've ever driven in!! My fingers were gripping wheel so hard they started to hurt! After about an hour of that we finally passed the storm.

About 80 miles west of Nashville is the Loretta Lynne Dude Ranch. She runs the place. What a beautiful piece of property...think of the place where "Dirty Dancing" was filmed and Country it up a bit... that's what this place is like. I've read that it's haunted by old civil war soldiers or something... (have to research it more). Before stopping there we ate at her local food joint. Real Southern Cooking!!!! We enjoyed some sweet tea, fried chicken, pork, meat and potatoes and lots of grease!!!!

Mississippi River

Now we're in Memphis... resting right now... later we'll head out have some fun... And then tomorrow we go to Graceland!!!!

Until then.....

JB

Nashville Day 3

TIME FOR HAPPY HOUR!

Ok, so when I last left you hangin' we were just gonna get some rest before happy hour. So let me tell you about that..... Radio people will show up to anything if you just offer free booze and food. That was the case early yesterday evening when we ended up at this joint called "Baileys" on Broadway. For 2 solid hours it was an endless supply of free drinks and bar food. Have you ever been at that party where when they bring out all the food and tell you to go ahead and start eating, NO ONE GETS UP??? That's what happened. My wife and I didn't want to be the first ones up to eat. So we waited.... and waited... and waited! Finally I looked at her and said, "screw this, I'm hungry!" So we got up and before you knew it, half the room followed us to the buffet. One guy leaned over and said, "someone had to crack the seal!!"

So we drank, ate and drank some more and before you knew it, it was indeed "Happy Hour".

Angela and Mike take us out to dinner!

Afterwards, Mrs. Bullfrog and I met up with our friend Angela and her boyfriend for dinner. Angela works at CMT Radio here in Nashville, they supply country music programming and prep services for stations all across the country. They picked us up at our hotel... told us this place was haunted, then drove us out of town for some "real" Tennessee BBQ. We ended up at this place about a mile from downtown, the name escapes me, and ate more food... and drank more booze!! While there we ran into Kellie Pickler's drummer who remembered us from hanging out at the second fiddle the night before...... later we ended up at this place near Vanderbilt University called "Rumba's". We had the best mojitos!!!

This morning was a little rough getting out of bed, but I managed to drag my butt out at 4:45am!!! The cab dropped me off at 5:30 and I swear the line coming out of the convention hall went all the way around the block!! It was a good line up of artists today. We saw the likes of LeAnn Rimes (PICTURED), Troy Gentry, Big and Rich, Jamie Oneal, Rodney Atkins, and Billy Currington. Speaking of Billy, my wife has the biggest crush on him!! I told Scott and Tommy about it and they decided to surprise her on the air and Billy about it! She turned beet red!! He got up and gave her a big ol' country hug!

So later tonight we're heading off to "LP Field", where the Tennessee Titans play, for a nightly concert with Deirks Bentley, Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson and a bunch of other acts. I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow!!!

Until then....

Ya'll Come Back!

Billy Currington and Mrs. Bullfrog

Nashville Day 2

OK... The last thing I remember from yesterday was ending up at the Second Fiddle with the boys, and our good friend Megan. She used to work with K-Frog, and now lives out here in Nashville. Good Times!!! Scott, Tommy, my wife and I had a blast at dinner last night. We noticed that Emerson Drive was sitting in the next booth over from us. We decided to crash their party and before you knew it, a lot of fans took noticed and the poor guys had to sign autographs all night.


Oh yeah, at yesterday's orientation we got a one on one with Blake Shelton. He's a very funny guy who likes to joke around. My wife got to take a pic with him and I stood up and represented the station by asking him a question.

Mrs. Bullfrog and Blake Shelton

This morning I had to drag my butt out of bed about 5am. Our broadcast went pretty good, we got to see lots of up coming artists as well as established ones. Sara Evans stopped by and the guys could hardly contain themselves. Later that morning my wife woke up and joined us at the broadcast where she sat and watch a press conference with Reba McEntire.


After a loooonnnngggg morning, we're getting a little rest before we head back out in the hot humid sun. Later this afternoon is a Premiere Radio hosted "Happy Hour" at one of the local bars, can't wait. Afterwards we're gonna meet up with a friend from CMT Radio out here for dinner, drinks, and whatever else comes our way!!


Keep you posted!!!

JB

Nashville Day 1

I’m blogging to you from 35,000 feet above the great state of Texas…

Yes for a moment I put on Pat Green’s “Wave On Wave” and gazed out the window. How cool. This Southwest flight we’re on is booked full, lots of interesting characters on this flight. Mrs. Bullfrog pointed out a guy in a salmon colored coat!!! I mentioned to her that it was just a colored blind Elvis!!

Shortly we’ll be coming up on the Mississippi River and will be crossing over Memphis about an hour away from Nashville. Memphis is where our trip will conclude with a visit to Graceland. It’ll be my second time, but I’m excited because now I can share it with someone special.

Once we land in Nashville, life is gonna move kinda fast. We’ll have to get to our hotel, check in… relax for about 30 minutes, then head on over to the Hotel where we’ll need to pick up our badges and credentials. Then from there we head over to the broadcast center to set up and attend an orientation.

Afterwards, the rest of the team, Scott and Tommy, will arrive. We’ll probably head out for a few drinks and dinner. Along the way of course we’ll meet up with some old and new friends in the business. Tomorrow’s blog will have all the details.

I'm Still Here!!!! Heading To Music City USA!!!!

Boy it's been busy here at the Frog!!! The last couple of month's have been filled with concerts, Vegas and lots of sleepless nights!!!!!

Next week we head to Nashville for the CMA Music Fest (formerly Fan Fair). Can't wait!!! Mrs. Bullfrog will be coming, because at the end of the week we're gonna rent a car and drive to Memphis to visit Graceland!!!

I'll try to post updates while we're there... Until then see all the fun we've been having by checking out: THE FROGMEN PAGE or My MYSPACE PAGE!!!