Home Free in Stockholm, Sweden

Before last night I was seriously wondering how a standing Home Free concert would pan out. I wonder no more. And I want more!

Last night Home Free became rock stars.

But before I tell you more about it I want to talk to you a bit more about Jeffrey East, Home Free's opening act for (almost) the entire tour. The only show he isn't opening for them is tonight's show in Denmark, I assume because it's a festival rather than a concert. 

I mentioned yesterday I had a chance to chat with him after the show in Oslo, and I had a chance to chat with him again last night in Stockholm. He is such a great guy and I'm really looking forward to seeing him 4 more times this tour. 

The show in Stockholm was a sold out standing room only concert of around 600 people in the audience. I was standing second line, smack in the middle with a fantastic view. Having seen Jeffrey the night before I knew it was going to be great. And boy was it! Jeffrey's voice remind me a bit of Ed Sheeran's, but smoother, softer and more country. His songs are memorable melodies with great lyrics, and his stage presence and interaction with the audience are exactly what they should be. He's there to have fun with you. And he was having fun last night! And so were we! If you haven't looked him up on YouTube or Spotify yet you should, even though he doesn't have much out there yet. Jeffrey East is a name you'll be hearing more of in the future. You might as well want to get used to it right now. There will be a separate post about him further on this month so keep an eye out for it! 

So Jeffrey rocked last night, the audience cheered him on, loved him and he had the sweetest smile on for his entire act. A great opening act for Home Free, not because he delivers great music but also because just as them he makes you laugh. So important. Laughing is such a big part of a concert experience. When you combine music, laughter and joy the memory stays alive forever. 

So, a standing Home Free show, what's it like? Judging by last night it is magical, it is rock, it is dancing and moving your butts, it is loud singing in front of the stage (and yes, you still hear the guys as much as you want to), it is being so close to the stage you can see the joy on their faces, the amazement and surprise in their eyes, the what the heck is going on here all over them from the beginning to the end. It is hollering and shouting and clapping, and it is the best thing I've ever experienced as far as concerts and fun in general goes. 

Last night was magical and if Oslo was the best I've ever seen them before, Stockholm kicked Oslo's bum to the moon and back. For real. Last night will be a night a lot of people will remember for a very long time. Not only us Crazy Euro Fries supporting the guys from in front of the stage, but for those further back as well from what I heard after the show, and I'm pretty sure the guys in Home Free had a dream come true last night. Because isn't being on stage in front of a crowd that is having as much fun as we were having last night every artists dream? Arms in the air, and engaged from top to bottom fans enjoying everything you deliver. That dream. That what we, the audience, gave them last nigh. That was what they inspired us to be last night.

We were having so much fun that I don't think any of us got anything on video, so I don't have anything for you to share today, but I'll see if I can get hold of something further on.

Rob, who's grandparents are Swedish, was loving it and he sang us a bed time song they used to sing to him when he was a kid, that he sings to his daughter now. No-one recognized it and I only understood a few words of, which brought down a lot of laughter, but I understood enough for me to be able to find it when I googled it so it wasn't as bad as we first thought.

Chance, who is a football (soccer to you in North America) fan and also a fan of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is a world known Swedish football (soccer) player, was wearing a t-shirt that said Zlatan and it brought down a lot of cheers when he showed it off. 

I was so close to the stage that I could see Adam's face muscles moving during his solo, that guy don't need to do face yoga, I tell you! He was on fire. There was a bit of moment there during is solo when the lights were turned off so Adam could change his jacket into the mirrored one, but he couldn't find it in the dark so eventually we heard him giggle in the darkness before the lights came back on and it found it.

Austin was shaking his head a lot during the show and I saw him exchange looks with the other guys on numerous occasions in disbelief of what was going on. Austin always feed off the energy of the crowd and last night was no exception and when he put his fist up in the air in a classic rock star position and a big smile on his face you know he's loving it! 

Tim's smile, well all the guys' smiles, during the show was that of someone being in complete awe. I almost thought his head would break into two halves because it was stretched so far from ear to ear. Several times I got the feeling that he was almost at a loss for words. Tim Foust - at a loss for words. Can you even begin to grasp that?

The energy of this show was stronger than I've ever experienced before, the guys and the audience were all on fire. On FIRE. 

What to say about the songs and the singing? The set list was a couple of songs less than in Oslo, but it didn't even matter. With the joy, fun and energy going on last night the guys obviously sounded fantastic as always, but with some extra spicing on top. Hot! Hot! Hot spicing! It was the spicing of feeling like rock stars. For a concert that could be the best ingredient you can add. 

Speaking of hot, it was hot.The room, I mean. We were as wet of sweat as if we had taken a shower with our clothes on right then and there, but we didn't even mind. Our feet were aching, our ears were ringing, but it just added to the fun and joy. Hot!

There is nothing I would want to change about last night, and I am challenging the rest of Europe to keep this up. I am challenging the world to step up and follow the lead. If you want to see Home Free in their truest element this is the type of concert you want to see.

With two sold-out shows in a row, two shows that were actually sold out within a couple of hours and moved to bigger venues, that have lifted the roof in different ways we sure have our job cut out for us for the rest of this tour. I'm excited about Prague, which I believe is another standing show, and I know there will be a lot of Euro Fries from all over Europe there to put a special touch to that show as well. 

But for me it's time for a week's rest. Today I'm having dinner with my family here in Sweden before going home to Spain tomorrow.  

Since I don't have a live video from last night I'm going to share the brilliance of Jeffrey East with you today. Go like him on his socials and enjoy! 

My next concert is in Prague on the 8th, 1 week from today, so on next Sunday I'll tell you all about it. Until then. Keep feeling alive, keep believing in love and keep listening to great music!

Love/

Carina

Home Free in Oslo, Norway

Right now I'm in Stockholm, Sweden, in our hotel lobby getting some well deserved rest after a very long day yesterday and an early morning today. Tonight is the second concert of the European leg of the Timeless World Tour, but I will tell you all about that tomorrow. Today's post is all about yesterday's concert in Oslo, Norway - my 8th Home Free show so far.

It was the first time for the Guys to perform in Norway and they loved it there. Not surprised. And let me tell you that Norway LOVED them! A lot!

The venue was a 1000 seated venue with 4 bars, as Tim kept telling us, and I believe we managed to get the best seats of the house on row 10 with the 9 rows in front of us being 2 steps below our floor level. Perfect view and perfect sound!

The guys are traveling with an opening act this tour so before we got to see and hear the brilliance of Home Free we were treated with the brilliance of singer-songwriter Jeffrey East. Let me tell ya'; if you ever get a chance to go see him live - Take it!! As Home Free fans we are used to their special connection with the fans during the show - Jeffrey East got that part down too, so funny!

Not only that; his songs were really good, his voice as well and last, but certainly not least, he has an awesome beard! Jeffrey East - remember that name! I will share live videos of him later on, but until then check him out on YouTube and Spotify and like him on socials. Jeffrey East

I had a chance to have a chat with him after the show and he is also a very gentle, kind and polite guy who is very excited to be on tour with the guys of Home Free. I'm looking forward to seeing him opening on every show I'm going to this tour! So keep your eyes open for the name Jeffrey East!

So, what about Home Free? They were absolutely amazing, as always but more! I have stayed away from watching any live video this past year because I wanted to be surprised on this first concert and boy are they getting better and better. This was also the first time they brought their special lights with them, and they are using a tour bus to get from show to show - just as they do in the States. We were told that the bus is enormous and sleeps 14, and has at least 1 microwave in a strange place.

I'm not going to get trough all the songs they did, but they did some songs I haven't heard live before and some I have heard. Some of the banter in between was new to me and some I've heard before, and it was as funny as always. I've mentioned before that going to a Home Free show isn't just a concert, it's a stand-up comedy act as well. I stand by that after Oslo as well!

They all look great and look like they are taking really good care of themselves, which is great because we want them around for a long time still.

The biggest cheer of the evening was when Timeless went into Try Everything, a song that means a lot to me for personal reason, and the roof probably lifted the ceiling a bit. Adam Rupp got a standing ovation with applauds that went on for a long time after his beatboxing solo - a well deserved tribute indeed. The talent of that freak of nature keeps blowing  my mind. I will never be able to understand the talent he's got. How one single man can sound like a complete drum set will forever remain a mystery to me.

Austin's wailing opening of When You Walk In was powerful, wonderful and dreamy. Seriously, that man got skills!

Rob's sweet and buttery voice in Go Rest High sent chills down my spine. In an extremely good way!

Chance's highs and lows with that raw, raspy and smooth voice hits home for me every single time. The choice of bringing him in is undoubtedly a great one. And yes, Tim, we are also so happy that he didn't join Pentatonix!

And then we have Tim, with his sarcasm and spot on humour, his rumbling low notes, his sweet high notes and his charm, who brings down laughter after laughter. He certainly didn't let us down this time either.

But the thing that gets to me most when it comes to Home Free are all the feelings I get within. Not only during the show, because that is to be expected with them, but that feeling when it was getting close to being our turn to do the VIP pic (we started VIP with the pics followed by signing). It's a feeling of excitement and expectations. It's butterflies in the stomach, it's rushing blood, it's brain going blank and it's love. So much love! One of the Fry sister's I'm traveling is described it as the fantastic feeling she gets before getting up on stage to perform. To me it's a feeling of going home after a long time being away.

If Home Free was a religion their live shows would be MY CHURCH!

Tonight's show is in a standing room only venue, so I'm looking forward to it for that reason, because I'm sure the energy will be very different. But I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Oh, and Europe finally got to meet Nate! Love him! Such a sweet and gentle guy! Home Free knows how to surround themselves with sweet people.

With that I'm going to end this post with a snippet of yesterday's My Church, because that's what I'm doing when I go to their shows. I'm going to My Church. Courtesy to my sister H for catching it on video and allowing me to share it with the world.

Love/
Carina

It's Tour Time

And so the adventures begin. I'm at the airport waiting to board my flight to Oslo. The European leg of Home Free Timeless Tour begins today and I will be there!
This is their first time performing in Norway and tomorrow will be their first time performing in Stockholm, Sweden and I will of course be there as well.

The guys will continue their tour on Sunday while I go home, but I will pick the tour up again in Prague, Czech Republic on the 8th of September and in Cologne (Köln), Germany before I again go home while the band continues on their victorious journey here in Europe.

So, I'll be at the first 2 shows of the tour and at 2 in the middle so obviously I will be at the last 2 shows as well which are Birmigham, UK on the 20th of September and finally London, UK on the 21st.

I will be blogging about all the shows, and a couple of them will be standing room only which is unusual for Home Free's shows, so it will be interesting to compare them with the normal seated shows I've been to before.

Of course I'm doing all this with my fellow Euro Fries, my little sister included everywhere but Cologne, and I'm super excited to not only get to see the Guys again, but also all my old and new friends from all over Europe.

I hope you'll check in and join me on my adventures!

/Love Carina