Jan’s Summerfest Recap!

Regular iheart poster Jan has shared her recaps and photos from last week’s Summerfest concert with Danny Gokey — and featuring our very own iheart site admin Erika on her visit to the U.S.!

Summerfest 2010-Danny Gokey’s Hometown Concert

Jan’s Recap and a Bonus Feature: Ed’s little Summerfest Story

What’s more fabulous?

 Meeting and renewing friendships of all the ihearties that support Danny Gokey as a new country recording artist?

 Watching Danny Gokey practically burn up the stage at Summerfest with a smokin’ hot show on a stormy 4th of July night? And in his hometown of Milwaukee?

 Getting to meet and hug Erika AND see her meet Danny Gokey for the very first time?

Lucky us; we got to do it all!

Many of you have seen the pictures of Erika at various dinners, city excursions and the concert. Having her in the USA has been great. I’m going to concentrate on what it was like for many of us ihearties on the couple of days around Danny’s homecoming to Milwaukee for his first Summerfest concert as a national recording artist!

First off, if a native of Milwaukee warns you about the traffic around the Summerfest grounds before, during and after the July 3rd fireworks, heed their warning. However, my car’s passengers said it was very cool to see the fireworks below us as we were stuck in gridlock traffic on I-794 bridge overlooking the Summerfest grounds/Lake front. I wish I had taken a couple of pictures…. But that is not the subject of this recap.

On July 3rd, Pam & Erika joined Toni & I for a short tour of Madison; Wisconsin’s capital city. It is also my birth city and the second largest city in Wisconsin. While our lakes aren’t as big as Lake Michigan, we have more of them! We took in the typical Madison sights: the Isthmus, Capitol Building, State Street and UW Madison’s Memorial Union. Additionally, Madison radio station, Q106.3, was a gracious host for the day. They played “I Will Not Say Goodbye” as Erika stepped into my house! It was the first time she had heard it on the radio, and so we squealed and jumped around my living room in honor of the event. (I had been hearing it 2+ times a day, but I was still excited for them!) Then as we jumped into our cars to head to Milwaukee to dine with the other ihearties at Mo’s Irish Pub in suburban Milgokey, Q106.3 launched into it again! Great job, Madison radio!

The dinner was fun. All of the usual Danny topics and a bit about ourselves: When did you get hooked on Danny? Has this ever happened to you with another singer (I think this is almost universally “No!”). What does your family know/think about your DG addiction? Favorite Danny outfit? Glasses, no glasses? Have you met him? Have you hugged him?

After we went to dinner, Toni, @asics, @man5ell and I headed to downtown Milwaukee to check into our lakefront/downtown hotels and to get ready for our big Gokey day on Sunday. (See traffic paragraph above….)

On Sunday, July 4th, the gates open at noon at Summerfest,. By 11:30, Toni, asics and I were at the North gate. It turns out you can bring in a backpack, a blanket, etc. for your long wait if you don’t look like a biker–or your gate attendant doesn’t care! We ran in and headed to the Briggs and Stratton Big Backyard stage. It may have looked small in Toni’s picture, but behind the bleachers are more bleachers, picnic tables, there’s side bleachers on one side and a bit of open space going all the way back to the concessions. There were 4 bands prior to Danny’s so we had a long afternoon in the sun. The opening bands were pretty good. Fortunately, the audience area is partially situated under the I-794 overpass, so we were treated with some shade, but very hot and humid conditions for the afternoon and the evening wait.

The Meet and Greet was to start at 7PM and the SHF choir at 9PM. Fortunately, the breezes were still pretty good, and we were past the hottest part of the day. Unfortunately a predicted storm for 10PM was keeping things very humid. Some of us tried to “pretty up” a little before joining the line of 90+ Danny fans for the M&G. Things were looking good until they snaked us all the way around the back of the stage to a smallish white tent. No breeze reached that tent and all of us were crowded into or around it for Mike’s introduction to the M&G process. Because Danny had already had 2 hours of interviews and press, he was going to be saving his voice for the concert and would only be posing for a picture, signing one item but not talking. Well, how could we not want Danny to have a voice for the concert?

His grandmother and mom were the first ones to greet him. Big hugs, a few more (apparent) friends or family and then the rest of us. Many of us had lost all chance of looking nice with the 100% humidity and the heat under the big tent. Should we hug Danny if given the chance –even though we felt clammy and or down right sweaty? Most of us couldn’t resist!

When it was Erika’s turn to go, there was cheering and a lot of cameras turned on the duo. They looked so cute together. Danny truly looked very happy to meet Erika and we all know how speechless but thrilled Erika was to meet Danny. Mission Management also was very generous (and so was Pam in donating her allotted turn to Erika) in allowing a bit more time for the photos and meeting.

When it was my turn for the M&G, I asked Danny how he was doing (so I could look into those beautiful eyes) gave him a hug, poised for the picture (thanks again, Mike!) and then asked Danny to sign the picture of Danny and Melinda (my future DIL) from the SHF Community Event. He looked at the picture and wished them well on their engagement. As he was signing it, I asked if he knew that Madison radio was leading the country in playing IWNSGB? He turned to me and said “Q106.3?“ I said “Yes!“. It took me by complete surprise that he actually knew the call letters for the station. Obviously, we “ihearties” aren’t the only ones pouring over the radio mediabase reports!

After the M&G we went back to our area in the front of the stands (which were being held by our blankets, coats and ihearties without M&G passes!) to wait the remaining time for the SHF Choir and Danny.

By the now, I was unsure whether Ed was in fact going to make it to the concert. My calls had gone unanswered. Eureka! A missed cell all from Ed! But trying to actually connect with each other resulted in repeated missed calls.

Ed’s little Summerfest Story: Ed found the free motorcycling parking at Summerfest to be the final enticement to breakaway from obligations and to zip over to Milwaukee to catch the homecoming show of Danny. Ed being a Harley rider, he got the full “welcome” from security, while I breezed in earlier with a full backpack and nary a glance from security!

Having grown up near Danny (although a couple of decades earlier…) Ed feels the Milwaukee connection with Danny, but in general just loves Danny’s heart and that great big voice. As many of you have know, Ed has always been confident of Danny’s upcoming stardom.

Trying to join us ihearties in the front of the stage turned out to be quite challenge for Ed. A young woman asked him where he thought he was going? Fortunately, at that moment Christy came out of our area and I had just stood on my bleacher trying to spy Ed in this swarm of people. With a welcome from Christy, Ed made his way to our 3rd row “seats”. (Of course, we didn’t sit during Danny’s concert!) It was great that Ed made in time to see SHF and Danny’s amazing performance!

As you all know, Danny and the band were on FIRE for the hometown show. He sounded great, was energetic and the crowd loved his dancing to the music. (Take that Simon Cowell!) As things were getting started, a youngish woman wandered into the space next to us. She told Ed that she was looking for her family. She apologized for taking up some of our space, but Ed assured her we had space. He added that since she was not real tall, and there were children in front of us, she had a better chance of seeing the concert near us. During the Back to One introduction, she turned to Ed and told him that she had been at the church when Danny proposed to Sophia. She said when she knew Danny from church and that he was an interesting contrast–high energy, yet very sweet and considerate. And then she pointed out the bass player and said he was married to Sophia’s sister. And Ed said, “Ivan”. She looked at him and said, you know a lot about Danny don’t you? And he told her that he was married to an “iheartie”. They both laughed.

*Jan’s Recap Resumes: The videos that have been coming in from Danny’s concert really don’t do justice to how excited and appreciative the crowd was for Danny. We sang along on all of his songs, we danced –while standing on the bleachers-, jumped with Danny, waved our arms, cheered wildly, and applauded loudly following every song. However, I do believe that “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me” received the loudest sing-along, cheers and applause. Danny sang it with the creative license he loves to use.

As others said, the concert was over way too soon. But, man, we had fun. And it sure looked like Danny and the band did too!

PS. Thanks to Erika and Christy for allowing me to post each of your pictures of Ed!

(click photos for larger view)

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