Brad Paisley Gave Two Kids Signed Guitars During His Concert In Davenport Iowa
One little girl’s headphones helped turn Brad Paisley’s Mississippi Valley Fair concert into a night she and her brother will never forget.
Brad Paisley Gives Two Young Fans Signed Guitars at The Mississippi Valley Fair
During Paisley’s August 4 performance at the Mississippi Valley Fair in Davenport, Iowa, the country star spotted a 7-year-old girl sitting on her mom's shoulders in the crowd. He noticed she was wearing headphones, so, during a break between songs, asked what she was listening to.
Isabelle's mom, Erica Paxston, explained that she wasn’t listening to music at all. Isabelle was wearing ear protection headphones; at some other concerts in the past, she had complained about her ears hurting from the loudness, so her mom made sure she would be safe and comfortable.
Paisley joked that she must be listening to Taylor Swift during his show, giving the crowd a good laugh. He then gave the young fan a signed guitar and told her that one day she could be like Taylor Swift and that he might even be opening for her someday.
Isabelle was so excited she asked her mom if she could go on stage. “She wanted to go on stage,” her mom said. “She loves being on stage and having the attention on her, so she was over the moon.”
But Isabelle wasn’t the only sibling who would be going home with a special souvenir.
Her Brother Liam Got A Surprise Too
After performing a few more songs, Paisley noticed a young boy hanging on Erica, who was already holding Isabelle on her shoulders. Paisley stopped to ask about the boy, and Isabelle explained that the boy was her older brother Liam.
Paisley wasn't about to let one sibling go home with a guitar while the other went home empty-handed.
“Well, we can’t have siblings fighting,” Paisley joked, before telling his crew to grab another guitar from backstage.
Moments later, Paisley handed the second signed guitar to 9-year-old Liam.
Isabelle was apparently so excited about her brother getting a guitar that when Paisley asked about siblings, she called out, “I have five brothers!” although he didn't hear her.
The two are the youngest of six children between their parents and are especially close. One of their older brothers, 21, was also in the crowd and got to watch the special moment unfold.
For their mom, the second guitar was a complete surprise.
“When Liam was being handed the guitar pick, I was excited because I was worried he would be disappointed that his sister had gotten something and he didn’t,” she said. “When Brad noticed that the kids were together and that’s when he started talking about another guitar, I was in shock!” -Erica Paxston
More About The Family and Their Fair Experience
The family has been attending the Mississippi Valley Fair for many years and regularly gets Pepsi passes. This year, Isabelle and Liam arrived early with their grandmother, who got to the fair around 7 a.m. to wait in line.
Their mom joined them after work, and the kids were able to leave the line to enjoy the rides, explore the fair, and play in the kids' area.
After the concert, the guitars immediately became part of the family’s night.
Isabelle fell asleep in the car on the way home, but Liam still had enough energy for one more performance. He climbed into his mom’s bed and “played” his mom a song on his new guitar.
The family plans to get hangers for the guitars, but Mom doesn't want them simply collecting dust.
“I want them to actually learn to use them rather than collecting dust,” she said. “I think that’s Brad’s intention, to get kids interested in music and developing talent.”
More Than Just A Guitar
For Isabelle and Liam’s mom, the experience was about much more than getting a signed guitar.
“It makes me so proud that they received this special gift!” Erica said. “My main goal as a mom is to take my kids to experience as many things as they can. My kids make fun of me saying, ‘Mom wants to make memories again.’”
And thanks to Paisley, the Mississippi Valley Fair, and a crowd that helped make sure the guitars made it safely out of the pit, this is certainly one memory the family won't soon forget.
The family also wants to give a special thank-you to the people in the crowd who helped keep the guitars safe and helped them get out of the pit seamlessly after the concert. They said everyone seemed genuinely excited for Isabelle and Liam and was happy to see the kids receive such a special gift.
Photos Of The Mississippi Valley Fair
