Dear Carolina Country Music Festival,
Why did you have to end so quickly? You made being uncomfortably close to 86,000 other country music lovers worth while. From your lineup to the almost unbearable heat, I loved everything about you.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see artists I wouldn't be able to afford to see otherwise. Although I didn't actually pay for my ticket (thank you Gator 107.9), I did have to pay for my parking pass. Paying $70 to see Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line, and numerous others? That was a no-brainer and worth every penny.
Not only did I get to listen to some of my favorite artists, I got to meet some of them too. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with Michael Ray after seeing him three years ago with Scotty McCreery. Wow, that man sure has changed (insert heart eyes emoji). Thank you for giving me the opportunity to awkwardly do the infamous "prom pose" with Chris Lane, who is almost intimidating to stand beside because he's so good-looking. Getting to mingle with the people I listen to while creating lifetime memories was priceless.
Getting Keith Urban to headline along with Florida Georgia Line and Tim McGraw was one of the greatest decisions your team made. I've seen quite a few concerts, but nothing will ever compare to the performance Keith Urban put on. I died, and Keith Urban resurrected my soul; his performance was almost religious. Tim McGraw was legendary, but that was expected. I'm a little biased with FGL since they're my favorite, but they killed the stage. After seeing them a second time, I can promise they just get better and better. That was a perfect way to close out an incredible four day weekend!
I know you guys got some hate for the lineup this year, but I (along with 86,000 other people) loved every minute of it! Cole Swindell, Kelsea Ballerini, A Thousand Horses, Chase Rice, and Jake Owen? Wow! I didn't even get to mention a few other artists, but I appreciated them as well!
I must admit, the heat on Sunday (heat index of 110... killer) was absolutely terrible. I'm totally convinced you guys scheduling Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, and Cole Swindell in the same day actually affected the weather. Too many attractive men in one area at one time has to have at least some affect on the temperature.
Being from Myrtle Beach, I greatly appreciate your efforts to encourage the the CCMFers to recycle their bottles and cans. Our beaches are beautiful and we want to keep them that way. Although you guys did a great job, I noticed way too much trash around the grounds. Maybe adding a few more trash cans and recycling bins will lessen the trash and your clean up work load next year. I also noticed the lack of bathrooms. I hate to break it to you, but I'm not waiting in a thirty minute line to use the bathroom in a port-a-potty.
By the way, if somehow Brett Eldredge makes his way on the lineup for next year, I'll buy my VIP wristband quicker than you can announce the rest of the lineup. (Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion, Dierks, and the Zac Brown Band would be pretty cool too... wink wink!)
Thank you for the incredible weekend! I have made so many incredible memories and so many new friends, all thanks to one common love, country music. CCMF 2017, please hurry up because I can't wait to do it all over again!
Love,
A dedicated country music fan
