Going on Stage Equals a Dream Come True

Country music has come a long way in the mainstream crowd. Teens and adults alike have come to love the cross over artists from country to pop and vice versa. Think Shania Twain, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood.

Buffalo Grove resident and high school senior Roxy Silver has always loved country music. Recently, at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Roxy got the chance of a lifetime at the Keith Urban concert. As the pictures show, Roxy and her friends were sitting awfully close to the stage, which absolutely helped make a dream come true. Roxy has always loved Keith Urban and country music; however, she can assuredly say now that he is on the top of her all-time favorite performers.

Roxy, was luckily chosen out of the masses of fans to go on stage and sing with the legendary Keith Urban. She explained to me that the audience participation is an important segment of the production and much to our surprise; it’s never as random as it looks. The production crews as well as the performers know whom they are looking for to engage and excite the crowd. She said, “Starting with what is called a crowd release, certain fans are invited or encouraged to move right up to the stage. With my cowboy hat waving in the air, I was belting out his songs right in front of him. He looked at me and said, ‘Baby you wanna come up and sing with me?’ He then grabbed my hand and pulled me up on stage. He asked me my name and if I knew the song. I couldn’t help myself from mocking him when I used my best New Zealand accent and replied, ‘Buffalo Grove.’ I assured him that I knew the song. He cued the band, handed me the mike and away I went. It was just like (singing) in the shower, except for the 15,000 people cheering me on.”

In her experience of many, many concerts, she says she knew this one would be different basically because it was a country concert. She boasts about the friendliness of the country music fans, talent and crew. She said, “I have never met an artist that was as involved with his fans as [Urban] is. He literally stood on stage and read every single sign that the fans made. He wants his fans as close as possible.”

This sounds like an absolute phenomenal moment in this girl’s life and she’s been around many stars for such a young age. Roxy loves music and was recently chosen as a correspondent for the iHeart radio extravaganza in Las Vegas. She was amongst 25 A-List acts over two short days. Some included Usher, Sting, J-Lo, Carrie Underwood and Steven Tyler. She says, “The concert was bookended by some pretty crazy pre and post parties and red carpet festivities.” Roxy plans on pursuing PR and mass communication while continuing to write as a correspondent about the entertainment industry.           

I’m wishing Roxy the best of luck with her goals. I remember when Courtney Cox was pulled on stage at a Bruce Springsteen concert and look what happened to her!

As always, email me with any news, topics or ideas that you want to read about. Remember, I’d like to be the first to know! I can be reached at laurenbgpatch@aol.com.