Daily Dash Of Dan + Shay: Throwback Thursday: Dan + Shay Go Above And Beyond For Their Fans With Free Hot Chocolate

Since day one of becoming a fan, Dan + Shay have always been so good to me and the rest of their fan base. They truly appreciate and care about the people who support them and their music. While Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney have made a name for themselves in country music, both guys are still grounded and humble. From the beautiful bouquet of flowers they surprised me with on Valentine's Day in 2015 (Please see post from May 16, 2025 for more details!) to knowing who I was when I met them at their concerts in 2014 and 2015 (Please see posts from May 14 and May 15, 2025 regarding those special experiences!) and every other experience in between that I have had with my favorite duo, these guys are truly the real deal. I am incredibly grateful for everything they have done for me the past 11 years and for everything to come in the future.

Imagine standing in line early in the morning (to get as close to the front of the stage as possible) to see your favorite artist that evening and the next thing you know, they come over and bring you hot chocolate to stay warm! This was the reality for some lucky Dan + Shay fans at the end of 2016.

While on The Obsessed Tour, the duo made a stop at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio on December 9, 2016. I remember seeing fans who posted videos on social media of the duo bringing a group of them hot chocolate from a Starbucks down the block from the venue. Three days later, Smyers and Mooney posted a video of the whole experience on social media and their YouTube channel.

"It is absolutely freezing and we are bundled up like snowmen right now, but we've had fans waiting in line since the bus got here this morning at like 8 a.m., so we're gonna do a little something for them," Smyers said to start the clip.

Next, Mooney chimed in with his thoughts.

"That's so early, I wasn't even awake at 8 a.m.," Mooney said with a chuckle. "That's insane, it's so cold, so as a thank you, we're running to Starbucks and we're gonna grab some hot chocolate to give to our wonderful fans that are out there waiting, so, let's do this."

After they left the coffee shop and walked back to the fans standing in line, one of the girls put her hands over her mouth, she could not believe what was happening.

Once they delivered the cups of hot chocolate, the duo's number one love song "From The Ground Up" began to play in the background of the video. Smyers and Mooney were seen talking to the fans, giving some of them hugs, signing autographs, taking group pictures, and even some selfies. Both guys and everyone in line had a huge smile on their faces.

"This is awesome," Smyers said. "We have the best fans in the world. It's freezing out here, freezing."

"We've been out here for four hours," one of the girls said to Smyers, bundled up in her Winter apparel. He gave her a hug.

Seeing this happen in real time on social media in 2016 and after revisiting the video at the end of this post today, it made me smile, knowing that Dan + Shay will do anything for their fans!

In the past, the duo have given fans free tickets for the meet + greet sessions prior to their concerts, gave fans the opportunity to have a tour of their bus, and so much more. Stay tuned for more details about these experiences in future posts!