Guest post by Will Valverde. The Verizon Amphitheater is mostly empty this afternoon — there are roadies hauling gear around, and Farm Aid staff making all the last minute preparations for tomorrow’s big event, but that’s about it. It’s mostly empty — but it’s definitely not quiet.
The sound check is being done in front of rows and rows of blue seats with nobody in them. It’s LOUD and the musicians and sound techs are clearly having fun with it. I’ll say this: if these are the guitar solos they’re playing to an empty amphitheater, I can’t wait to hear how they play in front of a sold out crowd of cheering fans.
Tomorrow those empty seats will be filled with farm families, Farm Aid supporters, and fans from around the country. And the stage is going to be a parade of some of the best acts in America: Wilco, Jason Mraz, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson — the list goes on and on. I’m going to be here blogging, along with other folks from Farm Aid, to give you an on-the-ground look at what makes this annual concert such a special event.
I hope you’ll follow along — and even better, you can catch the concert live online (thanks to our friends at EternaGreen), on DIRECTV, and on Sirius XM radio. Be sure to tune in — you’re gonna want to hear this.