I feel really privileged to have been able to experience the amazing talent of young Hunter Hayes on Friday night.  My cousin Scott and I got to the Rave at about 7:30 and immediately looked for the FM106.1 spinning wheel so we could obtain our Meet-N-Greet information.  We got our bracelets, grabbed a drink and nestled in some spots in the back where we had a pretty good view of the stage.  We knew there was no way we were getting any closer passed all the young teenage girls.  While we were hanging out waiting for the show to begin, we struck up conversation with Larry and Kelly, a nice couple from Random Lake out for date night.  That’s one thing I love about concerts, you just never know who you’re going to meet.  We also met lucky winners Shawn and Kym who were getting a Meet-N-Greet after the show.  We were chatting and having a good time when all you could hear were the squeals of young teenage girls because Hunter Hayes hit the stage.  He came out smiling and full of energy.  He gave us a great performance of “You Light Me Up”, “You Can’t Say Love”, “Faith To Fall Back On”, “Somebody’s Heartbreak” and “Rainy Season”.  I must say I was quite impressed with the talent of this young artist as well as the band playing with him.  They all seemed very comfortable on stage and definitely fed off the energy from the audience. 

I’m aware that Hunter Hayes has been writing songs, singing and performing since he was just old enough to walk and talk.  Seeing him live on stage it’s obvious that music is his deepest passion.  I was really blown away with the variety of instruments he played, and his singing was amazing.  Performing on stage really seemed to come naturally to Hunter Hayes, as if he was right at home.  He was very interactive with the crowd making individual eye contact saying hi, shaking hands, reading the signs people made, as well as sang “Happy Birthday” to one fan.  Some more wonderful songs we jammed out to were “Love Start Slippin Away”, “I’ll Cry With You” and “Love You More Than I Should”.  Hunter Hayes really had the audience moving with his fun fast paced songs.  He took time to introduce each member of the band and then asked if we would mind if he did some songs acoustically.  He mentioned he likes doing them as such because it really takes you back to the original song itself.  This is when we enjoyed “When I’m Gone”, “Love Somebody Like You” and “Life”.  I must say the girls in the crowd went wild!  Keeping the energy high they gave us “Keep Your Head Up”, “Don’t Blame Me” and the big finish with “Storm Warning”.  Hunter Hayes put on a tremendous show. 

Afterward we headed to the Meet-N-Greet spot to get lined up for our chance.   Did I mention the woman who drove six hours from Michigan to bring her daughter to see Hunter Hayes?  How great is that!  What a cool Mom.  We were lucky to get close to the front and be one of the first to meet him.  He was very nice, took a picture with us and kindly signed each of our tickets.  I’m not sure how long Hunter Hayes was there after the show, but I’m guessing it was quite a while because the line of people waiting for a chance to meet him was insane.  It was a very fun night, and I’m glad I was part of the Hunter Hayes experience.