Daily Dash Of Dan + Shay: Saturday Spotlight With Kara: My Question And Answer Session With Concert-Going, Passionate Dan + Shay Fan (Since 2013)

Here is my fourth Saturday Spotlight that I did via e-mail with my gracious (online) friend and passionate Dan + Shay fan, Kara from Kissimmee, Florida. Over the years I have followed many of the duo's biggest fans on social media and Kara is one of them! I have not kept in touch with her via message applications on social media (I know we will now though after doing this Q&A!). However, she has always interacted with my tweets on Twitter (now X) and my posts and stories on Instagram about Dan + Shay and other country music artists that we both enjoy.

In this fourth session, I added some new questions to change things up. I asked Kara about her local radio station and their history playing Dan + Shay's songs, what she thinks about a few of the duo's music videos that are unconventional (Her answer might surprise you!), and her commentary on many of the concerts she has attended over the years, and more! At the end of this session, you will find a few collages of pictures that Kara created along with her meet + greet pictures with the duo, and so much more! There is also a video of the duo singing "Tequila" at one of the concerts she has been to and a once-in-a-lifetime clip of Dan + Shay singing "Happy Birthday" to her!

Please enjoy reading my fourth Dan + Shay Fan Spotlight with Kara!

Stacy (S): When did you become a fan of Dan + Shay? Was it in the beginning or later on in their careers? What was the first song of theirs that you heard on the radio? What was your first impression of hearing them on the radio and then getting to know them through social media?

Kara (K): I first started listening to Dan + Shay around the time "19 You + Me" hit the radio. Our local station K92.3 really championed that song and I heard it all the time. I also heard them several times on the Bobby Bones Show in that first year, including their AMAZING cover of Savage Garden (https://youtu.be/zoG9roYcwtY?si=_aSLNVoZaZpMq989), which to this day I still want them to record and release. I knew immediately that they were going to be some of my favorite artists. Shay Mooney's voice has to be one of the best singing voices on this planet. I know a lot of people compared their sound to Rascal Flatts when they first came out, but Shay singing lead and Dan's harmonies really do have a distinct and impressive sound that did make them pretty recognizable off the bat.

(S): How many times have you seen the duo in concert? What is your favorite venue that you have seen them play at? Tell me about a few of the concerts that stand out to you.

(K): This is an estimate, but I am going to say around 15. Our first time seeing them was with Hunter Hayes in Estero, Florida. We were already going to the show because I am a huge Hunter fan, but I tweeted out asking the boys if we should get meet + greet to the show for them and they liked the tweet, so we bought them instantly. I met them soaking wet after a Florida monsoon, but it was six days before my 24th birthday and they sang to me. I actually included a detailed notes app rant about how wonderful it was (posted years after on Twitter because someone was mad at our guys and I wasn't having it). We met them again that same night and Shay dared me to touch Dan's butt. . . not picture evidence, but I have one from just before it happened and you can tell that is where I am looking! Haha!

I proceeded to see them a TON from '14-'18. One of my favorites was a toy drive they did at this really small venue in Lakeland. The radio show was giving out tickets and I got up at like 7 am on a day off from work to be there right at 8:00 because the tickets were first come first serve. I made my mom drive with me and I have a distinct sense memory of listening to Chris Stapleton's "The Traveler" in the car; it had only been out a few months. I was the first person at the radio station and I genuinely think the person there to give out the tickets was confused why I had come before the doors even opened to the building. But it was such a fun night. They sang their songs, they sang Christmas songs, they sang "I'll Make Love To You" by Boyz II Men, and my friend and I were some of the ONLY people in front dancing. It was such a fun night.

They also played Celebrate Erie in 2018, which I flew to Pennsylvania from Florida for. It is a festival that celebrates my hometown and I literally got to see them for free on a random street in the middle of my city while their LARGEST hit "Tequila" was just skyrocketing them into fame!

When 2019 happened and they announced the Arena Tour dates, I jumped at the chance to buy tickets to see them in Pittsburgh and Orlando and wasn't able to make either show. I was so excited to see them in PA. I grew up north of Pittsburgh and have been to the city often. Passed by Wexford on the highway all the time. Seeing a hometown show, in my favorite city, it was like "HERE WE GO (Dan will get that)!" But then due to COVID-19 related reasons on my end, I couldn't make the show, and COVID-19 related reasons on their end, they cancelled the Orlando date as well. I was devastated. They did end up taking Florida Georgia Line's opening spot on the Kenny Chesney stadium tour that was postponed due to COVID-19, which was honestly the best surprise and I wouldn't be shocked if I was the only person in Raymond James wearing Dan + Shay merch to the show!

So, fast forward to 2022. K92.3 announces that Dan + Shay are headlining their acoustic guitar pull and I am immediately buying the closest tickets I can get, and to be honest, there is a pretty funny story attached to this event, so now I am going to shamelessly plug my podcast ("Get In, We're Going To...)", found on Spotify, Apple, and Amazon) episode on this topic if you want to hear the story! *As a heads-up, this episode is marked explicit because they mention a song that has a swear word in the title.*

(https://open.spotify.com/episode/74VWywhAGXn43BSL627Pvj?si=gow_VxtyTGSSAG8zDxQO9g)

This then leads to my three most recent shows where I last minute flew to Columbus and drove to Savannah to see them along with attending the scheduled Tampa show for the Heartbreak On The Map tour, which may be their best work to date.

On top of just being awesome and sounding awesome, they have toured with some of my absolute favorite artists out there like Hunter and Cam. I was also reminded, looking back through scrapbook memories, they introduced me to another favorite Pittsburgh boy Steve Moakler who has for sure written on some of your favorite radio hits like "I Ain't Sayin" by Jordan Davis. His version of "Riser" is just, chef's kiss!

(S): How many time have you had the opportunity to meet Dan + Shay? What was the first meet + greet like? Did anything they say to you stick out to you that you still remember today? Tell me about a few of your other meet + greets with the guys that were special.

(K): In that 2014-2017 era, I think I met them at most shows. I would put the number at eight. My most memorable night meeting them was definitely the first night. I listen to the clip of "Happy Birthday" just about every year. But, I can think of a fun little moment from just about every meet + greet. That is just how special they make you feel.

(S): Dan + Shay have a few unconventional music videos that don't portray the actual storyline of the song like "Tequila", "How Not To", and "Steal My Love". They used a completely different storyline. Please describe what you think about each of these videos and if you like the guys going outside the normal when it comes to music video concepts.

(K): My podcast co-host and I laugh about this all the time. For me, when TRL ("Total Request Live") died, most videos also died. I can honestly say, I have never seen them. They are not all l something I seek out for any artist. This is no shade to Dan + Shay, this is a flaw within myself! :D

(S): What is the name of your local country radio station that you listen to? Do they play Dan + Shay's songs often? Which songs do they play the most?

(K): I listen to K92.3 the most if I am going to listen to regular radio. Back in 2014, I was constantly listening to that station and 103.5 out of Tampa. "19 You + Me" was on the radio all the time. I truly didn't feel their radio play at that magnitude again until "Tequila", which saw crossover success, so there were times you couldn't change the station without hearing it. I do think that K92.3 did a great job of playing most of the singles, but after a few years of them becoming popular, I changed to streaming which means Dan + Shay have been multi-platinum in my car for YEARS!

(S): If you had to pick your top two favorite Dan + Shay albums and top five overall songs (including from their Christmas album), what would they be? Tell me why those songs and the two albums overall connect with you.

(K): Where It All Began will always be my favorite. I think debut albums tend to hold a special place in my heart because they are what make you fall in love with an artist.

I am going to give my favorite song off of each album because it truly is hard to rank them. These songs are like children. . .

1. "Nothin' Like You" - I knew this song would be a fantastic single, and I was right.

2. "How Not To" - Same with this one! lol

3. "Alone Together" - Serious jam.

4. "Give In To You" - When I sing this song, I feel like I can sing. I cannot, but I feel like it.

5. "Breakin' Up With A Broken Heart" - This was was my IMMEDIATE favorite off the album. Such a great way to kick it off and draw you in.

Also, all of these songs would or do absolutely slay live.

. . .after going through their discography to get those songs titles, I didn't realize how hard it would be to a song off of Good Things, so that might be my second favorite album.

(S): Dan + Shay have been very active on social media over the years. Are there any special interactions/memories that you have had with them on social media that you would like to share?

(K): Getting a follow on Twitter was awesome. They are so interactive with fans. There are so many likes and replies on Instagram, it actually starts to feel kind of normal. I am also like a huge fan of their bass player Dustin who I would 100% buy a house from if I lived in Pittsburgh and won the lottery, and how he also interacts with fans.

(S): If you had the opportunity to have dinner with Dan + Shay and spend quality time with them afterward, what questions would you ask them? What would you talk about?

(K): I would ask these three questions:

1. If you could pick any artist, dead or alive, who are you going on tour with?

2. Taking all of your songs the table, build me a dream setlist (17-21) songs, seems like a sweet spot) you'd love to perform.

3. What is your favorite emoji and why?

(S): Is there anything else you would like to add?

(K): This is neither fun or interesting, but I need to know, does anyone else call them Daniel Shay, like they are one person?! No, just me?! Ok.

I could literally talk about these two guys for days. I love them. If you'd like to hear me do some of that (shameless plug), feel free to listen to this podcast episode about the Kenny Chesney tour I mentioned above. (https://open.spotify.com/episode/3EADwVDHJ9yNfkxU1j8EF2?si=_dD5Wj1ARf2qs0h6lKf9Jg)