The year was 2000. We both had “Rascal Flatts,” the self-titled shiny new CD, playing in our moms’ cars. By now, we had moved on from cassette tapes and RF was at the top of our small list of favorite compact discs. We swooned at the harmonies in the songs and gushed about how much we absolutely loved Joe Don Rooney’s photo on the cover as we chatted in Mrs. Amber’s 5th grade class. Prayin’ for Daylight, Everyday Love, From Time to Time, and Some Say were the songs of our elementary school days.. and you better believe we knew every word.
When we were ten years old (2000), boy bands were the thing. We had filled our cassette tape holders and now, CD holders, with ‘NSync and Backstreet Boys, but rest assured, there was room in our music storage and hearts for Gary Levox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. 5th grade was when we met. 5th grade was when we began a friendship that would turn into “best friends forever.” And though there are many reasons our friendship has been successful and lasted for 20 years, YOU have been a HUGE part of us and our beginning. ♡
When you announced your farewell tour, it was like 20 years of “fan-girling” flashed before our eyes. We were there from the VERY beginning. We knew every word, every “ooh,” every “ahh,” and every harmony. 17 years of concerts quickly came to mind. From blurry cell phone pictures to better digital cameras we took to the concerts to capture the best shots we could of our favorite band on stage. We traveled when you decided not to come to Pittsburgh one year. We have made custom shirts, talked Froggy into letting us backstage (thanks Jeremy Mulder!!– aka Danger Frog), got guitar picks, a setlist, and captured more memories than we can possibly post here.
The 11 Rascal Flatts albums have gotten us through the best and the worst of times. Mayberry and These Days were our favorite songs in middle school. We learned the harmonies, fighting over who would get Joe Don’s part, and sang them again and again at our sleepovers. We can both distinctly remember belting What Hurts the Most at the top of our lungs on the way home from cheerleading practice after having our hearts broken (by who even remembers who). We remember singing God Bless the Broken Road when we found young love and sat anxiously waiting for someone to ask us to slow dance. Fast Cars and Freedom was the anthem of our summer 2005, and Summer Nights the anthem of summer 2009. Here was both of our ringtones at some point and still a favorite. And of course, we could never forget the moment we saw a glimpse of Joe Don’s butt on CMT in the video for Melt.
My Wish was the song as we graduated high school in 2008 and said goodbye to our friends. Erin almost got married to the wrong guy because of Why Wait, but we won’t blame you for that. (Ash talked her out of it. lol) Erin walked down the aisle to Timmy (the right guy) in 2014 to the song Every Day. And in 2015, Ashley and Richie were announced husband and wife as Love You Out Loud began to play, putting an exclamation mark on the moment as they exited the church. When we traveled to Disneyland in California in 2017, your version of Life is a Highway began playing the moment we stepped onto the iconic Route 66 in Cars Land, making it even more special. The one star we made sure to visit on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? You guessed it.
Above you can see moment we found out we were going backstage to meet you for the first time (2012). We ended up getting soaked in the rain, but it was worth it. Still thankful to Froggy and Jeremy “Danger Frog” Mulder for this experience 8 years ago!
As time went on, we grew up, got jobs, and secured tickets each year in the best spot in the house, the PIT section of the pavilion. We liked being able to touch the stage, take amazing photos and videos, and sing the songs right along with you. We decided we wouldn’t sit anywhere else. The pavilion that long-time Pittsburghers still call “Star Lake Ampitheatre” has had many new names since our first Rascal Flatts concert– the newest being S&T Bank Music Park. One of our most memorable moments there was probably the moment Joe Don leaned down for a selfie.
The purpose of this blog post isn’t to say that we’re the biggest fans ever. A lot of people have favorite bands and a lot of people love going to concerts, but we’re sure you can see now why you, in particular, hold a very special place in our hearts and why we want to say thank you. You’ve been there since the very beginning of “Ashley & Erin.” Your 20 years are the same 20 years we share in friendship. Your music plays in the background of our childhood memories. Your songs got us through the joyful and painful times, in adolescence and adulthood.
It’s surely not every day that a history this rich with memories is established all because of one debut album, but for us, it was our common ground. We knew we loved Jesus and Rascal Flatts, and so, we also knew we MUST be friends too. And thank God for that. So, “here comes goodbye,” but we aren’t ready to say farewell to our RF concert days and we definitely aren’t done listening. Just know that to two girls in Pittsburgh, you’ve made a difference, and our lives are forever changed for the better because of the influence you’ve had in our lives since age 10.
So, Rascal Flatts… here’s to you. ♡
We’ll see you one last time on June 27th. And hopefully, we’ll be in our regular PIT spot. Thanks for the memories. ♡
xo,
“The Girls in the Front Row Singing”
Ash & Er
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