The Wilkinson's
Red Wing, Minnesota
Treasure Island Casino - 3/10/01

by Tracey

Arrived at Treasure Island around 3:30 and went to find out where the concerts were going to be, stopped some guy with a cart asking if he knew about meet and greets (it was funny cuz he was like "have fun and don't spend all ur money" and I was like "I'm NOT here to gamble!" and he goes "I know". After that we went to the gift shops (I got carded in the one even though my mom was RIGHT
there *sigh* I look so young). Then we ate something for supper and gambled a bit (I mostly watched, hehe spent $2 of my mom's).

Showtime came and we went in to our seats (front row left by Tyler's mike). The lady next to us started talking to us, she was really cool! I saw DT and talked to him for a minute. Then went back and sat down. The music started and out ran Amanda, Steve, and Tyler! Tyler was wearing his orange tye die shirt, Amanda blue pants and a blue tank top (like in IWBTG), and Steve I don't remember. They started the show off by singing "I Had A Dream" which will be on their 3rd album. It was a great song! I loved it :) Then they launched into Outside Providence and welcomed the crowd and introduced themselves. After singing a bunch more songs they gave the band a break and did an acoustic set.

During the acoustic set they were joking around, making the audience laugh. Steve started off Somewhere Before on the wrong chord and Amanda ended up singing way low and made a crack about sounding like Barry White and how she's just a white chick from Canada so that'd be scary and so he started that song over. Then, Steve was saying "Take me to the home, it's green Jello nite." and Tyler said "and happy hours in what 20 minutes?". LOL! Then Steve asked Tyler if he remembered "Tin Can Telephone" and Amanda joked how Steve always asks if they remember songs they used to sing when they were 7 and 8 and Tyler said he did, just had to get the right note...he was going "higher lower it's like the price is right higher lower" LOL! And he launched into "Tin Can Telephone" (People were laughing at first cuz you can tell it's meant for a little kid to sing it. I gotta say I loved it though, it's a great song and cool to hear something from their past!)

Then they brought the band back up onstage and introduced them. It was cool because this was the first gig with the new bandmates (welcome aboard Kevin Aerosmith, Mark Easterling, Tom Bentley (from Bryan White's band), and
George Lawrence). They said they were nervous but the show was going well (it was!) After they sang a few more hits and a few new one's ("Nobody Ever Died of a Broken Heart", "A Little More Love", and "I Want To Be That Girl"). Then they said their goodbyes but we knew they'd be back. They came back out a few minutes later and sang "China Grove" and "Listen to the Music".

Liz and I went backstage for the meet and greet. Tom Bentley walked by and I said Hi to him, asked if he was from Bryan White's band and he said "yeah for 4 years". He was nice.

I let Liz go first, and introduced her to them. Then I talked to DT, while she talked to the Wilkinson's. When it was my turn I walked over in front of Amanda and gave her my pic to sign and I congratulated them on the Juno's for everyone on the board and myself (I said it was from the board) and they said "thanks". Then I told them about Nick (the guy from IWBTG) getting the part (sadly he says they picked someone else now, changed it at the last minute but that's show biz I guess). I said "you know that guy from your video?" and they said yah and I said "he wanted me to tell you that he tried out for some new movie with robert redford and he got the part" and they were all "he did?!" "that's great!" and Steve was saying how he'd said he was up against a lotta people from Nashville and I said "yeah he says he beat out hundreds of guys" and tyler was like "alright!" and I said the movie would be out late this year/early next and steve goes "yeah".

Then we took a group pic and I asked Tyler about homeschool. I asked what kind of grades he gets and Steve jokingly says "lousy!" and Tyler said "Well I pass". (Awww does that mean he doesn't do that good?) We said our goodbyes and told them we'd see them at the 2nd show.

We went to find my aunt and mom and in the mean time found Tom Bentley on the phone. Liz had been saying how hott he was so I asked if she wanted a pic with him (she hadn't talked to him when I did at the meet and greet). She did, so we waited until he was done with his phone call and I asked and he took one :) Saw ummm Kevin Aerosmith I think it was with some fans but didn't bug him.

9:00 came and it was time for the second show. The Wilkinson's came out...this time Amanda was wearing red pants and a black Billy Idol shirt (Tyler made fun of it and she was like "You gave it to me" LOL) and a blue jean jacket. Tyler was wearing the same outfit and Steve might have been...he was wearing this nice shiny grey outfit.They started off with "I Had A Dream" again. It was the exact same show I believe, except Tyler sang "One of These Days" instead of "Tin Can Telephone". It was flawless and great :) Steve sang the
original version of "Williamstown" again (sorry I didn't mention it in the first show), did a great job! This lady kept yelling out stuff and
was getting really annoying...at first Amanda was talking to her for a few minutes but then she kept yelling stuff and Tyler kept laughing and Steve and Amanda were trying to ignore it...later she went up by the stage and Amanda said she had to shake her hand. They kept making comments about her like "she should lay off the snapple" and stuff hehe and she was like "i didn't have any". ANYWHO...it was a great show. Tyler and Amanda would come over right in front of my mom and aunt, it was cool. They joked around again. This time Tyler was saying how he should write a book on going thru puberty while touring and Steve and Amanda were saying he might have something there. And after one particular comment to Amanda, Amanda said she was going to look for a new lead singer and Tyler goes "who Billy Gilman?" LOL! He kept mentioning Billy to her that nite. Oh man it was great (Billy supposedly has a crush on her, cute). My mom and aunt enjoyed the show too so :0)

Went backstage for the 2nd meet and greet. This time DT checked the cards (Yea!) He didn't check mine though, I asked if he wanted to and he said no, he knew who I was :0) We got in line and while we were waiting for them to come out I looked for Chad (I'd never met him and wanted to). Saw him over by the stage but there was a guard down there and he looked busy so I waited. Right before the Wilks came out Chad started walking to the door so I ran over there and said "Hey Chad!" and he turned (their was a guard right by him but he let me talk to Chad) and he said "Hey" and I asked if I looked familiar (because he was looking at me quite a bit during the shows) and he said that I did and I talked to him for a few minutes, he was nice. He introduced himself and shook my hand, said he'd see me at the next show (LOL probably).

This time we were pretty close to the front of the line...The people realized they were at the front and not the end and the first group left saying they weren't ready yet they were scared (LOL were they joking or??? Amanda, Steve, and Tyler are sweethearts, nothing to be scared of).

Liz went up and was talking to Amanda about something so Steve turned to me and asked how I liked the new songs. I said they were good and he said "You've heard them twice now." and I said "more than that, north dakota" and he said "Did we do real bad mood there?" and I said "yah" and he said "but you didn't hear a little more love" and I said "yeah i did on a radio show" and i said "but i hadn't heard it live" and Steve goes "this gurls ahead of the wave!" HEHE. Then I asked if Chris and Kiaya will be going on tour with them
soon and Steve said yeah and the reason they weren't here was because they flew straight from Dallas. Tyler added that they had family coming in.

By then Liz was done talking to Amanda so I said that Amanda so I walked up to her and told her that my friend Danielle said hi and how she couldn't come because she isn't 18 and Amanda said "well tell her i/we say hi" and I said "ok." Then I asked if she knew Brian from Ohio and she said "yeah" and we talked about their show there (the one in July).

Next, me and Liz got a group pic taken with them (I was between Amanda and Tyler yet again, one of these days I want to go in between Tyler and Steve). After that I talked for a minute or two more, hugged them all goodbye and left. It was another great nite of Wilkinson shows and I had a blast. Can't wait for the next show!