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

Thank God for this Woman, Amen

The title of this post is a line from the latest Home Free cover titled "Woman, Amen/Female" which is a medley of Dierks Bentley's "Woman, Amen" and Keith Urban's "Female".

Both these songs are in their different ways a celebration of women. While Dierks' song is about a more specific woman being the savior in ones life, Keith's song is more about women in general.

I hadn't heard any of these songs beforehand, which often is the case for me with the songs Home Free cover, so I went to YouTube to have a listen. I always do that when Home Free release a cover, and I always find their version better than the original. That certainly doesn't mean the originals are bad in any way, it just means that the way Home Free perform music is more to my taste.

I love the depth in their sound; it's so full, but you can still hear the distinction between the different parts. This song is no different. I love both of the original songs for several reasons; the lyrics are pretty amazing and speak for themselves, really, the melodies fit the lyrics and the respective voices of Dierks and Keith enhance the songs. All those things are important to me.

One thing one has to remember when comparing an original song to a Home Free cover is that Home Free does not use any instruments - all sounds are made with the human voice (and the occasional body percussion, and in 2 songs violins). I am in no way knowledgeable enough to understand the difficulty in transforming an instrumental arrangement into a vocal arrangement, but think about it - how do you replace drums, bass lines, guitars, pianos and other instruments with simply voices AND MAKE IT SOUND EVEN BETTER AND FULLER than the original? It can not be an easy task to do!! To me that deserves a lot of respect and admiration.

Because this is a medley of two songs with different tempos the Home Free arrangement has a faster pace of the "Female" bits of the song as the original is much slower. I like both the original slow pace and the higher tempo of Home Free's cover.

So what do I love about this particular cover? Well, everything, but to be a bit more specific than that I love Tim's bass line - it is absolutely amazing! It always is, but for some reason this one hits home a lot for me. I love Adam's bass drum and steady heavy beats - that man really is a freak of nature. How can those sounds come out of one man's mouth? It's crazy, I tell you! Crazy! Chance is amazing for the lead, as always! His voice is so smooth and so raw at the same time and it fits this song perfectly. Austin is the one singing the "Female" bits of this medley and it's of course a perfect fit with the more uptempo pace matched with his voice and joy of life. And then we have Rob - loving, caring, cuddly, sweet Rob who so clearly sings about the love in his life, his wife. Rob's part is the chorus and when he sings it you feel how content, in love, joyful and safe he feels in his love for her. He believes and means every word he sings. If you watch the video you will see it in his eyes, in his smile, in his body language; if you listen to the song you will feel it in his energy. And I'm in love with it!

All of these guys are radiating with love, always, and that is a huge reason why I love them so much, why their music and they speak to me so profoundly. They love music, they love life, they love their lives, they love their loves, they love what they do and they love their fans. And it shows and it spreads.

This song makes me just a little bit happier than I already am, and I am a very happy person.

This song has come to mean a lot to me, and I'd like to share the reason why; I love personal growth, it is one of my great life passions and I am a huge fan of loving oneself. I believe that it's the key to live a happy life and I believe that living a happy life is the key to a happier world. Here's how and why; if I am happy I automatically allow the people around me to be happy too, but if I am unhappy the people around me have a tendency to hold back their own happiness because they don't want to "rub it in my face". It's how we are taught to act and react - to take care of other people's needs first and foremost, before taking care of our own needs. We are taught to spend our lives making other people happy before making ourselves happy, and when everybody is taking care of everybody else first than no-one is taking care of themselves. Here's the problem with that; people who don't take care of themselves are not happy. It's like with the instructions you get on a flight; take care of your own oxygen first before taking care of your kids' oxygen. Why are we told to do that? Because if we can't breath and get oxygen we are of no use to our kids. If we don't make sure we are happy first, we can't help anyone else be happy.

So what does all this have to do with this song, you might ask? This song is a celebration to women, and a woman that saved a drifter specifically - I am that drifter, but I am also that savior. So when Home Free sings "Thank God for this woman, Amen" I think and feel "Thank God for this woman, I am". Because, I am so grateful and happy for who I am, but I am also so grateful and happy for who I was, and I am so grateful and happy for who I am becoming. So, thank God for this woman I am! being me has saved my life - because being me means caring for myself first and caring for myself first has brought me to a place where I can truly say that my life is magnificent and happy in every single way.

Remember I mentioned earlier in this post that I am a very happy person? This is why. I take care of myself first and foremost. So what about the people around me, how happy are they? Well, because I don't take care of them they get to take care of themselves. They make their own decisions and do what makes them happy in their lives. I see them thrive and I see them being happier than they used to be when I used to take care of them first before me. This means everybody is happier. And because they take care of themselves first the other people in their lives get inspired to take care of themselves first too - and so we are creating a happier world. It all starts with you being responsible for your own happiness, and with you allowing everybody else to be responsible for their own happiness. Who wouldn't support someone they love in the pursue of their happiness? I'm sure this is part of the secret with the love Home Free are spreading; they are following their own happiness leading everyone around them to feel happier as well. I am simply following my take on their lead.

Now, this is my way of thinking and living, and I find that it works perfectly in my life and for the people in it. I follow my happy paths towards my dreams and I'm having a heck of a lot of fun doing so!

So here's to me! And here's to all of you; Enjoy your life, dare being happy!

Who do you think about when you sing or hear this song?

Love//
Carina

Join the Love Train

Hello there!

Welcome back, dear reader, and welcome back inspiration!

It's been a year since I last wrote something for this blog. Simply because I completely lost my inspiration for writing, but it's coming back to me now and what better way to celebrate my returned inspiration than with a blog post on my all-time favourite blog (ok, I'm partial, but I'm allowed to be) about my all-time favourite subject; Home Free and their return to Europe!!

Yes, they are (finally) coming back to us over here on this side of the pond! And what a glorious return it will be!

One of the reasons my inspiration was missing was because I found myself in what is commonly known, within the Home Fry community, as the Home Free Blues. It usually hits you after a Home Free show, and especially so if you don't know when you'll be seeing them again.

Back in May 2017 when I last saw them live, here in Spain, they told us they would be back in September of this year so I knew that much, but they also told us we'd get more information about it in September 2017. Obviously the Home Free Blues hit before September, it actually hit pretty much a year ago to be exact, but it didn't help when September came and went without a word about the tour. Early this year we were told we'd get more info come early February, but February also came and went without any more information. My Home Free Blues got deeper and deeper, so bad that listening to their music didn't even help. Now, don't get me wrong - I was still happy and content with my life as it was, the Home Fee Blues (let's call it HFB) didn't change that - but I wanted to start planning my travels, book hotels and flights, and start dreaming more detailed about the shows I would attend.

And then finally, at the end of May 2018, more than a year after finding out they are coming back in September 2018, they hit us with the announcement of a bigger tour than we could ever have imagined; 12 countries, 17 shows in 23 days! Wooaaawww! (Doing my happy dance every time I think about it!)

As a Patron of theirs I was sent the information in the middle of the night, but I was getting up to catch a flight to Sweden so I saw it only minutes after it was posted on Patreon. Let's just say my trip was not only filled with the joy and love of seeing family and friends, but it was also filled of planning which shows to attend and who should buy tickets to which shows. Yes, shows. You didn't think I would only do one show, did you?

The timing of the release of the tickets was perfect too, as I came home in the middle of the night before and I had the day off from work. Perfection!

Anyway, I am now a proud owner of tickets for 6 shows in 5 countries, 2 I've never been to before. The first 2 shows, 2 in the middle and the last 2 shows. 3 trips. The Euro Fry Family is a tight community and I'll be going to 5 of the shows with my sister H, and our two friends H and E. We've all been to Home Free shows together in the past. We will also meet up with a bunch of other Euro Fries, some that we are very close to, some that we have met once or several times before and some that we are yet to meet.

Hotels are booked, flights are next to sort out and whatever else we need to book will follow and I couldn't be more excited!!

Home Free timely released a new video in the days after ticket release and it couldn't be more perfect. It's their rendition of O'Jays "Love Train". I would be surprised if you have never heard this song before.

This version is so full of love and joy and the video reflects the message perfectly. They have already been doing this song in their live shows for a while and they asked fans all over the world to send them videos of them dancing to it. They then used those videos for their video (and I see some familiar Euro Fry faces in it), mixed in with sequences of them singing and dancing, styled as in a 70's sitcom.

Here's why this song and video is timely; the lyrics of the song encourages "people around the world" to "join hands" and "start a love train" or "join the love train". And to me that is exactly what their fans are doing all around the world. I already know I will be seeing people from at least 10 different countries at the shows I'm attending and we're all coming together because of these amazing guys and their music. We have already joined the Love Train that Home Free has started!

Now, before you watch the video below there's a couple of more things I would like to tell you; I am planning on doing a Home Free Euro Tour series here on the blog, where I will write about my experiences of the different shows. Traditionally the Home Free shows are seated shows, meaning the audience sit during the shows, but a couple of the shows I'm attending, including the one in my home country Sweden, will be standing room only. I know the guys pick up a lot of their energy on stage from the audience so it will be very interesting to see and experience the differences between a show with a standing audience and a seated audience. So stay tuned for those posts.

Now, almost lastly, if you didn't get your ticket yet you really should because they are selling out one show after the other (actually several shows already sold out and was moved to bigger venues with more tickets released), so don't wait any longer! Here's the link to their website and the tour schedule.

And, finally, here's the video! Watch it, re-watch it, share it, spread the love, start a love train, join a love train, sing with us and dance, dance, dance!

Much Love//
Carina

I Like The Sound of That

First of all I have a favour to ask of y'all. If you are a fan of my blog you would make me very happy if you jumped onto this ride and subscribe to it. If you do you will get an email sent to you at the same moment I publish something on here, So please consider doing it! Pretty please with honey on top! If you are on a laptop look to the right of this text and you will see where to enter your email. An email will be sent to you when you have done so with a link for you to click on to confirm the subscription. If you are on a mobile device I think you have to scroll down almost all the way to the end and press "View web version" and the option will be there to the right on the screen. So go ahead! Go do it before you continue reading! Thank you!

Ok, so now that that's done let's get to the point of this post; Home Free's latest video and cover - Rascal Flatts' "I Like The Sound of That".

I find that there are few things in life that feels so good as when your phone rings and it's the person of your heart's desire on the other end of the line. I think more or less all of us had had that flickering butterfly feeling in our stomachs when that has happened. I know for sure I have. I still get it every time my Sweetie calls or texts me. The reason it feels so good is because we love being wanted by the one we want. It feels good inside, all warm and fuzzy, and that is a very nice feeling. It's satisfying, and I love feeling satisfied in every way I can in life - that's what my life goal is; satisfaction, love and joy.

This song is about all of that. With Austin on the lead showing off his country twang in the most charming, and dare I say flirtatious, way - it's enough to melt my heart once again. I'm not going to go into all the details about the arrangement, but I will mention a couple of favourite moments.

• First of all Adam's beatboxing - that man just keeps amazing me - is as always just perfect. I love the beats in this song! 
• Secondly Rob's and Chance's harmonies - how tight can they make their harmonies? Does anyone take bets on it, because I'm not sure they can get tighter than they have been lately. 
• Thirdly Tim's bass. What's to say about Tim's bass? Impeccable as every other song, of course, but if you listen carefully at 1.17 minutes in, just after second verse started and Austin sang "I love the sound of the thunder rolling" you will actually hear the thunder rolling, or maybe roaring is the correct word here. Holy smokes, Tim! 
• The last thing I'll mention is the bridge where Austin and Rob switch turns and take over after the other a couple of times. It's seamless, it's smooth, it adds even more flavour to this already very flavour full song. If anyone knows who arranged it please let me know in the comments. 

Mix it and the result will be a fun, sexy and smooth love song sung in a fun, sexy and smooth way.

Now to the video which is probably one of my favourite Home Free videos to date - and they have almost 100 of them on YouTube (btw did you subscribe to their channel - if not click here and do it) - and I love most of them. That is very well done!

This video is so cute and adorable, and it's also funny and goofy - guess which part the Guys of Home Free contributes with? I am so glad these Guys don't take themselves seriously - at all. And I am so glad that they love showing the rest of us how much fun they have, because laughing is seriously good for your well-being. (I believe that between the music and the Guys and their big hearts and humour they could save the world from depression). Anyway, back to the video, this 2 story lines video is set at a high school with the character of a geeky and clumsy teacher that has a clear love interest for the school librarian as the main story. Throughout the video we get to follow them bumping into each other, in slightly awkward ways, in different places at school building the attraction and the interest - both each others and the viewers. I'm not going to tell you how it ends, but this is a smooth love song, so...
The second story line features some of the other teachers at the school - aka Home Free Guys - during the yearbook photo shoot, and I am amazed how these guys can go from singing beautiful harmonies to being hot and sexy men and on to being the goofiest and geekiest teachers - without even changing their outfits! I think the main reason why I love this video is because it truly shows their personalities so well, not exactly, but you can see it between the lines when you add up all the ingredients. Expect a few laughs while watching it.

As I mentioned, this is one of my all-time favourite videos and I really love the song as well. I don't know about the rest of the Home Fries out there - but I think these Guys just keep getting better and better with every video and song they release. I am excited about the new album dropping in September!

What are your thoughts on the song and the video? Did I miss anything of importance? Do you disagree with anything? Let me know in the comments. Share this post wide and far, you have the share options down below, and remember to smile, love and enjoy every day to your heart's desire.
And do that subscribe thing if you skipped it at the beginning. Thanks for reading!

Love/
Carina

Home Free - A Heartfelt Moment

This post may be emotional - consider yourself warned.

Saturday a week and a few days ago Home Free was scheduled for a show at the amphitheater in the small town of Kearney, Missouri, USA. This show was the first Home Free show in Kearney and Fries were traveling for hours and hours to be there for it. Kearney, MO was the home town of a very loved and special Home Fry (Home Free fan for the newbies on my blog), Mr E, who had been looking forward to this show for a very long time. Sadly Mr E suddenly passed away only days before the show.

Mr E and his lovely wife Mrs L were already a big part of the fan groups when I started my Home Free/Home Fry journey almost 3 years ago and there were many times I smiled and/or laughed at one of their comments. Mr E loved Home Free and he loved taking amazingly good pictures of them and share with the rest of us fans that weren't lucky enough to be able to attend a Home Free show. Mr E's pictures were so amazing that the Guys of Home Free frequently shared them and praised them, and they were so amazing that they inspired other Home Fries to take up photography just so they could take great pictures of Home Free. Those Home Fries went on to taking their own amazing pictures that they graciously share with the rest of us, and those pictures now inspire even more Home Fries to take up photography as a hobby and passion. All thanks to Mr E and his amazing pictures of this group of Guys. Mr E, thank you for starting what I see as a Home Fry culture. We, the non-photographers of the fan base thank you, and I'm sure that those you inspired thank you just as much. Mrs L, my love goes out to you, thank you for sharing Mr E and his talent with the rest of us.

The day of the show started out, sunny and warm, with a Fry Hog Roast Fry Meet (Fry Meet is when Home Fries meet up to have fun and get to know each other, usually before or after a show but can be at any time and place). In the middle of all the fun and yummy food the Guys of Home Free show up with flowers and condolences for Mrs L, and of course to have some of the lovely food. There are pictures of the guys sitting there eating and chatting with the Fries, being just like every single one of us, showing us that the Fries matter to them. They see us and they care about us.

The weather that started out so lovely changed and by the time the Guys were about to start the 4th song of the show their manager Luke took them off stage. By then it wasn't just raining but the sky was filled with thunder and lightning making the stage with it's electrical equipment and the open area where the audience were sat/stood potentially dangerous. 

In the hopes of the weather picking up and the show starting up again most of the audience stayed and took shelter under a pavilion up a wet grass slope. After having waited some time they could see the five Guys of Home Free walking up the same wet grass slope through the rain, and with thunder and lightning all around them. Instead of having one of the arrangers, or their manager Luke, announce that the rest of the show had indeed been cancelled they wanted to break the bad news to their fans themselves. They could have just jumped into their tour bus and drove off and let someone else handle it. But they didn't. They could have been asked to be driven to the pavilion, but they chose to walk through the rain - just like their fans had done - to break the bad news. They could have left it at that, or long before, but they didn't. 

What they did was to express their deepest regrets that the show had to be cancelled. What they did was to climb up on picnic tables in a pavilion with the thunder and lighting having it's own concert all around them. What they did was something that makes me love them even more than I already did. What they did was to yet again show the world what a class act they are. What they did was to set an example on how to care for your fans. What they did was to sing the most heartfelt and astonishing rendition of How Great Thou Art I have ever heard - off-mic. They sang it from the bottoms of their hearts, they sang it for the 770 fans that were sticking around in the bad weather in the hopes to see more of them. And I think, although this is entirely me thinking and I have no proof of it being true, they sang it for Mr E. Whatever reason they had for singing it with so much passion and heart it worked. There are plenty of videos on YouTube from every possible angle, some will show the lightning around them, some will not. You will find a video below starting when the Guys start to speak to their waiting fans and all the through the song. Also below you will find the official Home Free video and the studio recording of it. The official video and version, filmed in the Austrian Alps, takes my breath away, but this live version beats it by far.

I have asked a few of the Fries that were there to share some of their thoughts and feeling about the experience. All of these Fries are experienced Home Free show goers that have been to multiple shows with the knowing that these Guys already were to be considered class acts, and that they will always get their money's worth. Here is what they said;

Melanie - "I'm sure from all the posts you can gather how much this moment meant to me as well as the rest of the fries. This was my 40th concert and even though it was only four songs it was my favorite. Them slogging through the rain up the hill to the pavilion to hop up on picnic tables and sing for us all was my most favorite Home Free moment ever. I can only imagine how the whole concert would've gone because Austin especially but also all of the guys were so excited and feeding off the energy from the people..."

Abby - "The whole weekend was just such an amazing example of how incredibly giving these guys are to their fans. They didn't have to give those beautiful flowers to Mrs L or come to the hog roast to hang with their fans or dedicate the concert to Mr E, but this last action not only giving us this last song but deciding to walk up that hill during the storm just like we had was their way of saying we not only appreciate you but we are part of you. It expressed their love for their fans in a much more meaningful way than just words could ever have done"

Marcia - "I was at the Kearney show hoping that the rain would stop but I guess the powers that be decided that this was the perfect time to show the people at that concert just how special the men from Home Free are. They could have been driven up to the pavilion but they decided to walk thru the rain, up that slippery wet grassy slope the same as we did to show us that they are just regular folk and to show their solidarity with their fans. My heart swelled with pride watching them coming toward us. They keep doing things like this and we just love them more and I didn't think that was possible but they keep proving me wrong as they did Saturday evening."

Mary - " I was overwhelmed with love and admiration when I saw the guys walking into picnic shelter during the storm to sing for us. I felt in that moment, the fans are who matter the most. It was the most beautiful rendition of HGTA that I've heard. So many emotions were in the air that night. I felt honored to be a Home Fry, and to know such talented and amazing people I will never forget how I felt listening to them sing in a thunderstorm. The joy they bring to my life is indescribable."

Sarah wrote this to the Guys - "The words and sounds that came from you with the storm in harmony in the background-absolutely breathtaking. I just stood there in witness fighting back tears. Not tears of sadness, just tears of the pure emotion your music brings to me. The individuality of your voices so powerful and then when they all come together it triggers feelings deep within reminding me why I am there. Why I drive 10 hours to watch you sing. Why I listen to you when I am having a bad day and why when I am having the best day. You are five others have posted pictures and videos. I am just happy I was there to experience that incredible moment. Thank you for all that you give to us."

Eleanor wrote this to the Guys - "Y’all… this weekend was amazing. Branson was wonderful, but just a usual fantastic Home Free show. However, Kearney was inspired. Starting with y’all’s appearance at the Fry Hog Roast, the first 3  songs (could really tell tht was going to be some kind of party!) then followed so quickly by the disappointment of the storm! Then when the situation was the bleakest… Y’all walked up, through the rain and personally gave us the news that concert could not continue, but then you gave us a tremendous gift. This connection with your Fries is why we love you. Hang onto it as long as you can. Thank you so much."

Here is what Rob and Austin shared on social media afterwards;

Rob - "Although it was unfortunate the show was rained out last night, I was able to experience one of my favorite moments singing with Home Free. Coming out and singing "How Great Thou Art" off-mic for the people huddled under the pavilion for shelter, hoping the storm would pass was amazing. Everyone was so quiet all you could hear was us singing and the 'rolling thunder' in the background. I'll never forget it. I'm sorry for everyone who got a very short show from us. Thanks for being so understanding and thanks for making such a sweet memory for us under that pavilion."

Austin - "Even though we only sang three songs before the storm cut us short, last night was one for the record books. To everyone who stayed, thank you. Getting to sing one last song acoustically, under the shelter: well, I won't ever forget how your love and applause made me feel."

So there you have! These Home Free guys; Adam Rupp, Rob Lundquist, Tim Foust, Austin Brown and Adam Chance have yet again showed their fans and the world their hearts, their love for what they do and their appreciation and love for their fans. Being a Home Fry is not a temporary thing, it is something you are in your heart, and it is that way because of how the Guys show their hearts to us. They show it with their music, their humour, the way they interact with their fans, and most importantly they show by doing unexpected things like getting up on picnic tables during a thunderstorm to sing one off-mic song for 770 waiting fans, turning disappointment into the most memorable of memories. That is a class act in it's true definition.

Here is the video you all have been eagerly waiting for. Thanks to LeAnna Reilly for sharing it on YouTube

And here is the official Home Free video, make sure to subscribe to their channel;

I'm wishing you a great, fresh new week. Make sure to smile, love and enjoy every moment the best you can, and please share this post as much as you can. Let's show the world what Home Free is all about.

Love//Carina