YeeHaw...

Every once in a blue moon, an opportunity comes to just get away from it all and escape to another "world!" Such was our opportunity this past weekend, when we did just that. The other "world" we escaped to was the 4th Annual Brownsville (Oregon) Music Festival. Brownsville is a little farming community south and east of Albany, Oregon, where once a year the whole world converges out in a big old field which has been turned into a country fair atmosphere.

The headliner we came to see was Alan Jackson, a long time favorite of mine whose hit country songs could just about circle the globe! I remember him most for the song he did right after 9/11, "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning..." on that September day? I remember it for two reasons. Number one, it spoke of a time in our history (the 10th anniversary we are about to observe) when all the world mourned the impossible happening on our soil. It was the day when four airliners were hijacked by suicidal terrorists and plowed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.

The second reason that song was so dear to my heart is becaus it was the song that my dying mother requested that I play over and over again for her when she was tucked into her bed and ready to sleep. She would say to me, "Put on that Alan Jackson song for me, would you?" And I would play it for her.

The Music Festival was a three day affair. We attended on Saturday, August 20th and the heat was intense. We are told that it was 92 degrees and the hottest day of the summer. The crowd was the biggest I have seen in ages. There must have been 50,000 people there, including men, women and children. Les Schwab (an Oregon tire king) had set up a tent and supplied water bottles and saltd pretzels for those who got too much sun. I was numbered among the many who suffered in the heat.

I thought I could "tough it out" and endure the heat, but soon realized that that was a crazy idea. I suffered from heat stroke twice, got out of the sun, drank about a gallon of water and ate probably a bag of pretzels. I covered my face and neck with ice and dumped water down my neck and back. Thank goodness for Les Schwab. (I also bought a cowboy hat to cover my head...I have to admit my husband was right...I needed a hat! Darn, it's hard to say I was wrong!)



The first "warm up" singer to entertain us was Sunny Sweeny. I can't say that I have ever heard of her, but I was impressed with the music she shared with us. She has an itty-bitty voice that just rings of country/western flavor. I really liked her.



The next act to take the stage was Steve Azar. I have heard his songs before, and though he wasn't as energetic as I remember him, he was entertaining. He plays a mean guitar.



Third up was one of my favorites, Phil Vassar. He had the most energetic program ever. He plays an amazing piano, while he sings upbeat country/western songs. I really loved his program. I will definitely be online when I get home to purchase his latest CD.

The festival planned its programming beautifully, giving about an hour between programs for folks to cool off, shop in the many vender booths set up around the venue, or find something really yummy to eat. We filled up on tri-tip sandwichs, corn on the cob, lemonade, ice cream and, of course, water!

Finally, at 9:30 P.M., the star we came to see, took the stage! There was a phenominal sunset, huge globe lights set up all around the grounds, and a stage complete with screens to view him "up close and personal."



We were not disappointed. There on stage, bigger than life, was one of my all-time favorites, Alan Jackson. (I must say, he's aged some over the years!) He didn't disappoint me, either. He sang nearly all of his #1 hits, plus many others that I am familiar with. But the highlight for me, was when he sang, "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?" Tears flowed, as I remembered the nighttime routine of playing that song for my Mom! Thank you, Alan, for singing that one just for me!



And so, ends the 4th Annual Brownsville Music Festival, sponsored by Bi-Mart (and others) and begins our long, slow journey back to Albany (20+ miles) to our motel. Needless-to-say, with 50,000 people trying to get out of a parking lot, funneling down into one lane to get out on the highway, it was a very, very slow process. It took us nearly one and one-half hours to get just out of the parking lot. We got to our motel at 1:30 A.M., two very tired old people!

I do have to say, though, that the whole day, in spite of heat stroke, drowning in water, sitting in hot sun, slowly creeping out of the parking lot (sometimes not even moving for 15-20 minutes at a time), and getting to bed after 2:00 A.M., it was all completely worth it and we will be back again next year!