Fourth time? Maybe the fifth? JOSH TURNER

Gary and I just returned home from a trip to Wabash to see Josh Turner at the Honeywell Center.

Now...I have loved Josh Turner's music for a long, long time.  I used to listen to his CD's on my drive to Logansport when I began teaching at Ivy Tech, and I listened to him also in my office (when Gretchen wasn't there, of course!).  The first time we went to Honeywell was a spur-of-the-moment purchase of tickets because Ivy Tech was a corporate sponsor and a poster was hanging in the hallway at the old building. 

The second time we saw him at Honeywell was a few years ago. Our seats were closer to the front, not immediately in front of the stage, but in the first section behind that area.  I remember Gary being surprised that we were so close, and he asked me how much we had to pay to be that close! (not too much, really!)

When it was announced that he would be THE concert at the Newton County Punkin Vine Fair soon after that, we decided to see him in a different venue.  His concert was good, but.....the venue was terrible.  We had been to Newton County Fair for a Gary Allan concert and while the venue wasn't really great, it was ok, and we enjoyed the concert.  But this time?  No.  People stood in front of us, moved in and out of the rows, including ours.  They talked constantly.  Some of them were smoking and I don't like to breathe in cigarette smoke.  We couldn't sit once the concert started because there was no way we could see the stage with all of the people in front of us...standing.  And we weren't even really close the stage where people were congregating to be closer to him and take pictures.  We decided then that we would never return to the fairgrounds for a concert again.

When I saw on FB this summer that Josh was returning to Wabash, I knew that we would be going to see him again.  It was during one of Gary's Friday appointments at the Wound Clinic that ticket sales opened, and I was on my phone to purchase two.

Once again our seats were in the first section behind the close-to-the-stage seats, only on the left side this time.  We were close enough, actually just the perfect distance away for a good view but not too close that we had to look up to see him.

Oh...his voice.  When he hits the low notes, my heart just melts.  Plus he really entertains. The interaction with his band seems genuine, and I like it when they all move to the front of the stage with their instruments and begin jammin' through a song. 

One addition to this concert was three of his gospel songs.  He had crossed an item off his Bucket List, and that was to record a gospel album.  I had read about that somewhere, and he mentioned that they had recorded a video at the Gaither studios in Alexandria, IN, and that they had been nominated for a few Dove awards also.

But the best was listening to him sing our favorites.  "Long Black Train."  "Me and God."  Up on our feet to move with "Why Don't We Just Dance."  "Would You Go With Me."  "Your Man."  "Firecracker."

He's singing in Nashville, IN tomorrow night.  Oh...I wish it were closer.  I would go to see him again. 

Great concert!  Great evening out.  Love his voice!  Love his music. 

(and I still think we saw him at the State Fair)