On Friday I had to meet Holly for a late lunch at 3:00pm so that we could go through the “security process” for the CMT Awards. Yes, you read that correctly, Holly and I are going to be part of the Country Music Television Awards tonight. Ok, it’s a small part – a very small part, but for a couple of kids from Baton Rouge, it’s pretty cool to us. We are going to be on the floor right in front of the stage. We have to stand there from 5pm – 10pm, with no chance of sitting (hence the apt nickname “the mosh pit” ), but we’ll probably be on camera throughout the broadcast. How cool is that?
So how did we get this opportunity? Well, Holly’s a member of the “Women in Music Business Association (WMBA)” organization. This group is a fairly connected group and because they work in the industry, and they come across unique opportunities and often pass them along to the group as a whole. This was one of those times. Holly received an e-mail and quickly submitted our names for consideration. We were selected and received an e-mail telling us what we needed to do, where and what the rules are (no cameras, cell phones, etc.).
The first order of business was to show up on Friday to go through “security.” I’m using quotes because it consisted of nothing more than showing your ID to prove you were who you said you were. After that 5 second process, our names were checked off a list and a plastic wristband was attached. We were then told that this wristband was all that we needed to gain admittance on Monday. However, we were not to remove it and if we did we would not be allowed on the floor.
So the entire weekend I’ve been wearing this clear plastic wristband, careful not to damage it in any way. At first I felt like it was a badge of honor, but I have to say, now that I’m into my 3rd day with this thing, I’m beginning to feel a bit like branded cattle. In a few minutes, I’m going to have to leave for the event and I think that feeling I’m having is going to persist.
Even though we’re “on the list” and tagged, it’s still a first come, first serve arrangement. At 3pm, they will begin receiving and they will stop at 5pm. Since we want to make sure that we get a good spot, we’re aiming for 3pm. The show airs live and doesn’t start until 7pm. That means that we’re arriving 4 hours ahead of time. I have no idea where we’ll be herded once we arrive, but they have explained (aka warned us) several times that there are no seats on the floor, so be prepared to stand.
Yep, you heard me right, we have to stand the whole time. In other words, I’m expecting to have to stand for around 8 hours this afternoon/evening, all so that I can have the possibility of having my mug captured for a brief second as some country music star lauds over me singing his or her heart out. Suddenly, as I type this, this little opportunity of Holly’s is starting to lose it’s sparkle. 😉
OK, it’s time for me to run, but if you’d like to see if you can spot us, just tune your televisions to the basic cable channel CMT at 7pm CDT and look into the “mosh pit” right in front of the stage. Holly’s wearing a lime green top and a shiny scarf. I’ll be wearing a black western shirt. Yee Haw!