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2005-07-31 - 7:02 p.m.
I Met Jody Evans!
Okay, I guess I should set this up a little bit. This Spring while Clay Aiken was taking a "break," I found a new love. Not a replacement for Clay mind you, but a stand-in, a pinch-hitter, an understudy, a second stringer...JODY EVANS.
If you know me well enough you'll know that I live for entertainment, particularly music. Any style as long as it's good. It's food for my soul. And while I'm certainly not a big country music fan, I am addicted to the show "Nashville Star."
In an almost a deja vu like way, on the first episode of this season's Nashville Star, a man walked out on to the stage and before he even opened his mouth, I knew I would love him and become a life-long fan. And then the man sang. And he sang rockabilly. Like I've never seen performed before.
That first night I voted for Jody over 100 times. That was before I knew the 10 votes per line rule for Nashville Star. The next day I was googling him and drooling over these photographs.
I spent the next few weeks joining Nashville Star message boards, ordering Jody's cd, and sharing Jody with friends and loved ones. Oh, and I bought tickets to see the Nashville Star concert when it came to Atlanta. Becuase I needed to see this man live and in person.
In the meantime I learned what a wonderfully kind and humble, good valued person Jody Evans is. A 28 year-old small-town police officer, he's a self-professed "nerd" and "momma's boy" and reminds me of Clay in so many different ways, it's uncanny. One of my dear friends, Jill, even surpised me by sending a large article and picture of Jody from the Arkansas newspaper.
My love for Jody became so strong that he even earned a spot on my "Clay shrine" by my desk at work.
In the end Jody came in the 3rd place (but made it all the way to the finale!) and didn't become the Nashville Star, but since I've been down this road with Clay I know that winning isn't everything.
So the show ended and my life kind of went back to Clay as he was just starting to stir from his long "nap", and well, Jody Evans got put on the back burner.
In the frenzy that is Clay Aiken concert time, I hadn't spent that much time preparing to see Jody. I kept meaning to go back to the Jody Evans fan boards and read about the previous concerts to know what to expect, but I never did.
Yesterday Joe and I hastily prepared for the Nashville Star concert, packing a picnic and donning our best rockabilly/country & western gear.
Oh yeah, check out my boots!
Don't they rock? (I bought them 2 years ago on sale at Neiman Marcus and I finally had someplace to wear them!)
The concert was great, but Jody really stole the show. It was hard for me to sit down and not be all fangirly, but I didn't want to scare anyone or embarass Joe, too much.
My pictures are terrible, but here they are:
Here are the top four finalists that performed last night (from L-R: Erika Jo -the winner, Jason Meadows -*gag* he's a cocky SOB, Jody Evans -squeeee! and local boy Jayron Weaver).
Before the show started I bought a t-shirt where I was informed that all of the Nashville stars would be signing autographs after the show at that very spot. Whopeee! I had brought my Jody Evans' cd that I purchased from his website so long ago just in case!
Here's my shirt:
So after the show ended Joe and I got in line trying to decide what we would have Jody sign, assuming it would be like Clay's meet and greets where you're only allowed to have one thing signed per person. There was talking of having Jody sign my boots since the reality of me having another occasion to wear them ever again is slim. But I was afraid if I tried to slap my boot up on the table I'd fall over backwards and humilate myself. I thought about having Jody sign my new t-shirt but then I would never want to wash it, and therefore never wear it. In the end, Joe decided to have all the Nashville stars sign his western style shirt that he wore to the concert and I just stuck with my original plan to have Jody sign my cd insert.
After what seemed like an hour in the oppressive humidity, we finally arrived to the meet and greet table. There all the "Stars" were sitting in a row in the order that they left the show. Joe went first. He stuck out his hand to Jayron and told him that he was a fellow "Paulding County boy" and asked him to sign his shirt. At that point all the Nashville Stars "oohed" collectively, impressed with asking them all to sign the shirt off his back. (Note: like all good Southern boys, Joe had a t-shirt on underneath, a vintage Rolling Stones' concert shirt)
Before Joe could even look at Jody, Jody was sticking his hand out for Joe and telling him, "I like your style man!"
See, Jody even wrote that on Joe's shirt!
Then there was an exchange of Joe telling Jody how much he loved his style, especially those boots and Jody laughing and saying, "Yeah, I know, I'm a freak!"
To which Joe replied, "I'm a freak, too."
Jody was just going to talk Joe's ear off asking him if he played, sang, etc...while I stood there uncomfortably smiling at Jayron because I was only there for Jody and didn't want his autograph.
Finally Joe moved on down and Jody put out his hand for me to shake. I started to tremble a little at the feel of his warm hand and stammered, "Jody, I'm a huge fan."
Jody broke out into a big smile, probably sensing my fangirly-ness and stood up, hugged me and kissed my cheek! EEEEEEEEEEE!
I put my cd insert before him to sign and he asked, "What's your name hon?"
Quickly I scanned my brain and came up with "Erin!"
"E - R - I - N?" Jody asked. Yes. Thank God he knew it because at that moment I probably would have stumbled over it.
After he signed my cd:
I asked Jody if I could have my picture taken with him, instead of just taking one of him over the table. He said, "Absolutely!" and stood up, grabbed me again and put that warm baby soft cheek of his right up against mine. I put my arm around him and he was dripping with sweat. Gah!
After the picture was snapped, I sort of gurgled out, "I'll see you soon." I had wanted to tell him that he had made me a lifelong fan and I would be seeing him perform live again as soon as possible. But instead I eneded up soundling like a creepy stalker. Oh well. I am. To a degree.
All in all it was FANTASTIC night! Jody was everything and more I expected him to be. Hot, funny, sincere, nice, warm, enthusiastic, gentle, kind, and sexy!
Oh I do have to tell one little story from the concert. While I was one of the few fangirls in the audience last night screaming out, "YOU ROCK!" and doing more than my share of wild "manzee" type screaming, there was one other Jody Evans fangirl sitting in the audience.
After his first song she screamed out "Arrest me, Jody!"
Sharp and flirtatious, Jody catcalled back, "Sweetheart, I'm out of my jurisdiction....but we can practice...!"
*toe's curling*
Soundrack of my day: Jody Evans' EP Premonitions
Last night I.....met one of my loves!
