Find The Beat Again to the Incredible Machine - Sugarland Rigging Collapse

"When the skies up above you fill, with grey and stormy clouds.

And there's not a single face you know, in the maddening crowd.

When you know that you don't make your way but you just can't see how.

When your worries, they won't let you sleep, and rob you of your days...

And you've looked in all directions but you still can't find your way.

When you just need someone to remind you that it's all gonna be ok. 

I will shine the light." 

-Sugarland's "Shine The Light"

Right before the roof ripped off.

I was at the Sugarland Concert Saturday night when the rigging collapsed! I am safe and the people I was with are too. We were and are still a little shaken up about it. This how I remember that concert...

I was sitting with Alias in row 32 in seats 1 and 2. 3 of my co workers were in row 30 in seats 15 - 17.

While the opening act was on, behind the stage you could see a storm coming with some lighting. But it was no where near us. Having a smart iPhone, I pulled up my weather radar to see how far off the storm was. When I pulled it up the whole entire north and west side of the state of Indiana was in green and there were heavy bands of red and orange. Alias made the comment "good thing we are undercover if it rains."

While we were waiting for the stage crew to reset the stage for Sugarland you could see the storm coming. The stage crew had finished setting up when an official for the state fair came on to the stage to tell us there was a storm coming. They were going to proceed on with the show but if it got worse they would stop the show and evacuate us to three different locations. (Sign # 1 this was going to be bad)

Right after that was said, Alias turned to me and said he should video tape the storm coming in cause from the west it was getting dark as in pitch black. The temperature drop significantly and it got a little breezy. (Sign #2) So, I decided to pull up the radar again but my service was extremely slow. (Sign #3)  But I was too busy putting our cameras and stuff in my purse preparing for the rain. As soon as I zipped up my purse and looked up you could see the dust from the gravel parking lot in the infield picking up. I turned to Alias and said, "It would suck sitting down there on the track right now with the wind picking up and blowing all the dust and dirt around."

We both looked further to the west of the fair where all rides were and they started to disappeared into the dust and dirt. You started to see people run from the track cause of the dirt. Alias and I just sat there taking in the storm. We started watching the stage and watching the wind picked up. All of sudden you heard people sitting on the west side of the stands scream; it looked and felt as if a tornado had touch down - the dirt and dust swirling around. The back drops on the stage started flapping in the wind and the trap on the roof ripped in half and started blowing all over the place. Next thing I saw was the stage shift to the right and then forward. I wasn't sure if it was the rigging that was moving or the grand stands. 

After it collapsed.

I remember seeing a man or a woman in a white shirt and jeans on the track watching the rigging shift right and then forward. As it fell forward, they turned and started running towards the grand stand but didn't make it fast enough. I watched the rigging fall and fall right on top of them. That person in a white shirt and jeans on the track was gone and underneath the rigging. I just sat there in shock and awe. Alias grabbed me and told me to get up and move over to the section next to us cause no one was sitting in those seats. The people next to us where pushing and shoving trying to fly down the stairs. 

When I realized what I had just witnessed my body went into shock and I was shaking so bad. While I was in shock and watching everyone was running out of the grand stands or towards the stage, I need to find my co workers. I spotted them and they came and sat with us. We sat there and waited out the wind storm. While we were sitting there you could hear the wind trying to rip off the roofing which made my nerves even worse.

After the rigging collapsed.

 Once everyone had cleared the stands we decide to walk out and walk over to the Swine Barn which right across the stands. It was a brick building and I felt ten times safer in there. Plus there were pigs and piglets that were not even 20 days old and I could play/pet them and get my mind off of what I just witnessed. 

When we walked out the grand stands there was paper everywhere and tents from the vendors picked up and just dropped any and everywhere. We made it to the barn just in time. The skies opened up and you couldn't see 25 yards in front of you cause of the rain.

We tried calling but all the phone lines were jammed. I couldn't get a call out until 10 pm.  We didn't leave the fair until 11pm cause of where we were parked was off the main road they were bring in equipment and rescue. Walking out was the eeriest thing. It looked like the world had just ended and we were the only survivors. The trolley tractors where just parked in the middle of the road and abandon. Paper and litter everywhere. Tents on their sides. No one was talking to the person they were with. Flashing lights every where.

I had a hard time sleeping on Saturday night. I can't listen to a Sugarland song without watching the vivid image replay in my head.

You should watch this video.
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/expert-explains-how-collapse-happened

http://www.cnn.com/video/ (Watch the video on the stage collapsing. This is where I was sitting watching it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyDtQm0RWfY&feature=related   (The first half of the video is generally where I was sitting.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMpnP4Ba6K8&feature=related

"There's a comfort. There's healing high above the pain and sorrow...When the walls fall all around you. When your hope has turned to dust, let the sound of love surround you. Beat like a heart in each of us."

-Sugarland's "Stand Up"

King Of The Road, Again!

Open suitcase, clothes scattered on the floor. I don't take the time to unpack anymore. I'm making sure that I take this all in; before you know it I'll be off again.

Well, once again that time of year has arrived, where I become the King of the Road again! The next four months is full of traveling to one place to another every week. I will be traveling to Minnesota, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania. I have three recruitment visits - helping the chapter improve on their formal recruitment strength. I have eight visits that are repeat visits for the semester. I will be at two different universities for three weeks and another university for two weeks. I will be focusing on "restructuring" those chapters to become four star and crown of excellence chapters.

From last year's travel, I have two universities that are repeat visits. I'm excited to go back to them and see how much they have implement and see the progress that have made since the last time I was there.

The Countdown Begins

Ah, its that time again to start the countdown. We are down to less than a month until I move back to Indianapolis. I cannot wait to get back there. I cannot wait to be back with an amazing staff that is so dedicated to our mission, to be with my counterparts in our industry cause they live our big picture and I'm ready to make new memories with new people and I'm ready for another new adventure out on the road.

Since, I only have less than a month back home. Its time to soak everything in this summer cause who knows, this could be my last one at home. With that said, I'm going to go enjoy the Salt Life before I'm Indiana and there is no Salt Life!