I can't believe I just did that

It was announced in February of 2011 that Taylor would be playing Arrowhead Stadium on September 24th of that year. As season ticket holders for the Kansas City Chiefs, I was able to get pre-sale tickets. I invited my sister-in-law Toni and my two nieces, Sam & Ava. I wanted so badly for both of them to meet Taylor. I began working on doing just that. This time I fell a little bit short. I was able to secure one meet and greet pass. A mixture of thoughts crossed my mind. "Which niece do I give it to?" "Should I use it myself so that I don't cause problems or play favorites to either of my nieces?" "Do I give it to my sister-in-law?" I finally decided that I would not use it myself. I needed to stick to my rule of trying to take someone new to meet Taylor. Although I could not go with Sam into the meet and greet room, I did get to accompany her backstage. I sent Sam with a letter to give to Taylor. I don't know whether or not Taylor received the letter, but I do know that Sam returned without the letter and instead a HUGE smile on her face. I knew right then that I had made the right decision. Sam was so excited she could barely talk! Thinking about that day makes me smile.

Taylor Swift & Samantha Dark

We had a great time at the concert! It was honestly the best concert I have ever been to! Very entertaining! I also had the chance to meet both of Taylor's parents. I had never met her mother before. Andrea and I talked for a little while near the sound booth in the middle of the stadium. I told her about the first time that I met Taylor and what a great role model she has been for thousands of young girls including my two nieces. I thanked her for raising such a great daughter.

Coming Full Circle

"When something comes full circle, it completes a cycle, returns to its beginnings."

When it was announced that Taylor would be returning to the Sprint Center in April of 2010, I knew that I wanted to go. I also wanted to reconnect with her so I began brainstorming how I could do that. I thought back to how this whole thing started. So I sat down and began to write a letter to my favorite radio station. I was able to secure two meet and greet passes for the show. I was so excited!!!  I always try to take new people with me to meet Taylor. The only person whom I have taken multiple times has been my mother. This time I decided to take my friend Grace. I kept it a secret until we arrived at the venue! I picked up the wristbands from will call and we headed inside. I had mixed emotions. I was really anxious, nervous but excited! It had been nearly 3 years since we had last seen each other. Would she remember me? I prepped myself for the possibility that she wouldn't know who I was. Grace and I headed backstage and positioned ourselves near the end of the meet and greet line. We finally made it into the room where Taylor was greeting her fans. I watched in awe as she took the time to talk to each person and to give them a big hug. She can make people feel so special. And then it happened...Taylor and I made eye contact. In that moment, I knew that she recognized me. The next question, "Will she know my name?" The line moved forward and it was now our turn. She gave me a giant hug and said, "Hey Ann!"  I couldn't believe it! I introduced her to my friend Grace and we chatted a while. I told her about Cale and how we were engaged. She immediately wanted to see the ring. She loved it. We chatted for a little while longer but then our time was up. We took a picture and said our goodbyes.

Left to Right: Ann (Heidebrecht) Dark, Taylor Swift, and Grace Brouillette

Things Change....including phone numbers

Taylor and I lost touch and it would be nearly 3 years until we would meet again. In the summer of 2009, Taylor played in Manhattan, KS at the Country Stampede. I tried to call her but her phone number had changed. She had also changed managers so all of my connections were gone. I saw her show again in August of 2009. She was the opening act for Keith Urban. I went with Cale, his sister-in-law Toni and her daughter Sam. We had a great time! Although I was disappointed that I couldn't get meet and greets for us, we still had fun!

A trip to see an old friend and a new one!

I am a big Kansas Jayhawks fan! Rock Chalk! It is my alma mater and in March 2007 there was a chance that they might make it to the Final Four. My dad and I took a gamble and bought plane tickets to Atlanta, Georgia. The Jayhawks were eliminated from the Big Dance and did not go to the final four that year. The tickets were non-refundable but we were able to get an airline credit through Delta. My best friend from college and his girlfriend had moved to Athens, Georgia so that he could get his MBA from UGA. I found out about a show that Taylor was doing on a Wednesday. It was September 19th, 2007 and I decided to use my airline ticket to go visit my friends and catch a concert. I ordered the tickets, bought a copy of Taylor's CD for my friends and then began plotting a surprise. Through the help of Taylor's manager and road manager, I was able to orchestrate a surprise for Taylor. I met Rick outside of Taylor's bus. It was parked near the venue. I don't recall the exact time but I believe it was late morning or early afternoon. Rick went onto the bus first and told Taylor, "There's someone here to see you."  It took her a minute to recognize me and then she cleverly responded, "We're not in Kansas anymore!" She gave me a big hug! We were able to just hang out on her bus for a while. At the time she was obsessed with caramel cubes. She offered one to me and I have to admit, they were pretty tasty. I also met her dad, Scott. He was very nice. She asked me about my life and if I was dating anyone. I had just started dating Cale in July. She asked if we were still in the stage when everything is perfect. I answered that we were and I am happy to report that Cale and I are married and we will celebrate our 2nd anniversary on July 31, 2012. We are still in the stage where everything is perfect. I have found my true love.

Rick came back onto the bus and it was time for me to leave. He asked if we had tickets and meet and greets for the show that night. I said that we had tickets but not meet and greets. I also told him that I didn't expect to get special treatment. He wouldn't take no for an answer so later that night at will call, I picked up three meet and greet passes and three tickets. When I picked up the envelope, I turned the tickets back to the venue and told them I already had tickets. They were GA tickets...general admission not Georgia! :) All of the tickets at the venue were GA. Plus it was a sold-out show so I figured maybe 3 other people might like to go to the show.

Brian, Leah, and I arrived at the venue, grabbed a beer and listened to the opening act. Then we headed outside for the meet and greet. Taylor is always so sweet. Brian and Leah brought Taylor's CD with them for her to sign. She thanked them for having her CD.

Left to right: Brian Collins, Lean Collins, Taylor Swift, & Ann (Heidebrecht) Dark

Ann, Brian, & Leah

Bonfires and Amplifiers

On May 11th, 2007, Brad Paisley's "Bonfires and Amplifiers" tour came to Bonner Springs, KS. Bonner Springs is a suburb of Kansas City. Earlier in the day, I had called Taylor's manager to secure 5 meet and greet passes. I had to work until 5:00 and the meet and greet was supposed to start as 6:00. I met my mom, my brother Will, his wife Erin, and my friend Margot and we headed to the show. Traffic was HORRIBLE. We were barely moving and I remember thinking, "We are going to miss the meet and greet."  It wasn't a big deal to me, but I really wanted my brother, sister-in-law, and friend to have the chance to meet Taylor. We finally arrived at the venue and I went to will call. I asked for the meet and greet passes and they were not there! Luckily I knew where the backstage entrance was and I was able to find Taylor's manager. We were right on time!

When we were waiting in line, I tried to make a bet with my brother. I told him that if he asked Taylor to sign his bicep, I would buy his drinks for the rest of the night. He chickened out and could barely mutter a word. We chatted with Taylor for a while and took a few pictures.

Left to right: Ann Dark, Taylor Swift, & Margot Levy

Left to right: My mom (Dianna), me (Ann), Taylor, sister-in-law (Erin), & brother (Will)

**Nice fanny pack Mom!**

As Taylor continued to meet and greet people, we chatted with Rick for a while. He gave us ticket upgrades but he only had 4. I gave them to my family and went to sit on the hill for a while. We ended up taking turns in the "good seats." I also had a chance to see Mandy again. She gave me a hug and was as nice as could be.


What an amazing show! After the show, in true Taylor fashion, Taylor stayed to sign autographs and to meet anyone who was willing to wait in line. Since I had already met Taylor several times, I didn't wait in line. However, I did go over to the line and I found Rick. I thanked him for the ticket upgrades and told him that I didn't expect special treatment. He asked if I was going to stick around but I told him that my family was ready to go. He said, "Well, Taylor will want to say goodbye to you" and then proceeded to take me to the very front of the line. I gave Taylor a hug and accidentally stepped on her toes. Luckily she had on cowboy boots on. Hopefully they were steel-toed!

May 9th, 2007

It was after I had purchased tickets to Brad Paisley's "Bonfires and Amplifiers" tour, that I found out about an acoustic show in Wichita, KS featuring Taylor Swift. The concert was hosted by KFDI 101.3 FM. I had talked to Taylor on the phone after ordering tickets to Brad's show. Taylor was one of three opening acts. The other two were Kellie Pickler and Jack Ingram. I didn't want to sound too desperate and I certainly didn't want to call too soon. I reluctantly called Taylor one morning around 10:30 a.m. to ask for meet and greet passes to Brad's show. She said that it wasn't a problem. I mentioned her show in Wichita and she asked if I was going to come. I initially said no. I worked at an investment bank and taking time off during the first 10 business days wasn't a good idea. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go. I talked to my boss and was able to get the time off. The next challenge would be securing tickets. They were not available online. You had to go to the radio station to buy them. Since I live in Overland Park, this was not feasible. So I sent an email to Carol Hughes. Carol works for KFDI. I explained my situation and asked if she would purchase four tickets for me. She agreed to do so and I went to the post office to get a money order. I immediately sent her the money order and she indicated that she would leave the tickets for me at will call. My mom and I had invited my fourth grade teacher Joan to come along with us. She also brought a friend. I was a bit nervous when we arrived at the venue. I was hoping that the tickets would be there. They were! I immediately saw Carol Hughes and thanked her for securing tickets for us.

The show took place at the Mosley Street Melodrama. It was the perfect venue. There was not a bad seat in the house! Prior to the show, we were asked to write down questions for a Q&A session with Taylor. I wrote down a question and submitted it. My question got picked!

"If you could sing a duet with any country music singer, who would it be?" Taylor's answer was Brad Paisley.  Although they haven't officially recorded anything together, they did share the stage a few times on his tour.  As the show drew to a close, it was announced that Taylor would be staying to sign and take pictures with all of the fans. I had been told by one of Taylor's friends to look for a lady named Mandy. Mandy works at Big Machine Records.  I found Mandy and we decided to wait until the end of the line. I remember Mandy being so nice and down to earth. The line dwindled and we got closer to Taylor. I had prepared a little booklet about myself. I felt like I knew so much about Taylor and she hardly knew anything about me. I put together my iTunes playlist...just like certain celebrities have theirs. I wrote down why I chose the particular songs. I also had my two best friends write letters about me. I gave this to Taylor and she immediately started reading it. She noticed that one of the artists on my playlist was Chantal Kreviazuk. She asked if I had heard the song "In This Life." I hadn't but I downloaded it later that night. Whenever I hear that song, I think of Taylor. :) Thanks for a great recommendation!

We chatted for a little while and Taylor told me about one of her pet peeves. This is really random but I found out that it bugs me too. All of the tables had bottles of water that were half empty. Whenever I open a bottle of water, I finish it!

Left to right: Joan's friend, Joan Moore, Taylor Swift, Dianna Heidebrecht, & Ann (Heidebrecht) Dark

I said goodbye to Taylor and told her I would see her in two days!

CMT Music Awards & another phone call

In 2007, Taylor Swift was nominated for Breakthrough Video of the Year for her video "Tim McGraw." The CMT Music Awards are conducted using online voting by the fans. Even in 2007 Taylor knew exactly how to connect with her fans. Each email address was allowed one vote. Wanting to help Taylor in any way I could, I drafted an email to my family and friends asking for their votes. I was able to get 23 extra votes for Taylor. I texted her to let her know about the votes and to wish her good luck. She promptly responded. I had a tennis match that night and I was unable to watch the awards show live. Luckily I had set the DVR and  I was able to watch the awards show. After watching Taylor win her first award, I decided to take a shower.   After my shower, I checked my phone and noticed I had a missed call and a voice mail from Taylor. I remember being so mad that I had missed her call. Looking back though, I think it's pretty cool to have a voice mail from Taylor Swift. I had the sense to save the voice mail and every 21 days the automated lady from Verizon warns me that my message will soon expire. If you are wondering if Taylor is as nice and genuine as she seems, the answer is yes. You can listen to the voice mail below.

Unknown Phone Number

One morning I was at work and my cell phone rang. It was a number that I didn't recognize but I decided to answer it anyways. Always answer your phone--even if it is a number you don't recognize! You know why? It might just be Taylor Swift calling to say hey.

I couldn't believe it! Taylor Swift was calling me! She wanted to say thank you for the present I had given her. I was sitting in my cubicle at State Street trying to contain my excitement. I finally got up and walked to the lobby area so that I could talk more freely. We chatted for a little while and then she said, "Call me if you ever need tickets or meet and greet passes." I was floored! I asked if this number was her cell phone and she said "yes." I told her not to worry about me sharing her number with anyone and she said, "I know. I trust you Ann." After we hung up, I immediately saved her number to my phone. However, I didn't want anyone to snoop around in my phone and get her number so I saved it under a fake name. I returned to my cube and one of my co-workers asked who had called. I casually responded, "Taylor Swift." ;)

March 2nd, 2007

After my first encounter with Taylor, I knew this was someone my mom had to meet! Upon hearing an advertisement for the George Strait concert on Q104, I knew I had to go. Not only would I get to see the King of Country Music, but I would also get to see Taylor again. She and Ronnie Milsap were the opening acts for George Strait. I knew getting in touch with Taylor would be more difficult than the last time. Her career had taken off and she was playing in a much larger venue.

After purchasing my tickets, I sent a handwritten letter to my favorite radio station, Q104. I explained that I had met Taylor at their charity concert in October but that my mom really wanted to meet her as well. Not only did they hook my mom up but they hooked me up as well. We were invited onto Taylor's tour bus for a special acoustic performance. We were excited! I had made Taylor a present and wrapped it in a bag. To go along with her lyric, "But in a box beneath my bed, is a letter that you never read from three summers back." I bought a wooden box from Hobby Lobby and painted it green to match the dress she wore in the "Teardrops on my Guitar" video. I decoupaged her name on it. Inside the box I included another letter and a package of Hershey kisses. It has just been announced that she would be opening up for Brad Paisley for his summer tour. The tour was sponsored by Hershey.

When we got to the venue, we had to wait a little bit because we were early. Then we met Taylor's manager Rick Barker. He was so nice and answered all of my questions about the music business. He led us to Taylor's bus. My mom and I let everyone else on the bus first. I wasn't sure if Taylor would recognize me or not. After all, we had only met once and I was sure that she had met thousands of people since that past October. I was pleasantly surprised when she greeted me by name and gave me a big hug! She said, "I was going to call you!" I remember saying, "Yeah, right!" She pulled out her cell phone and began reciting my phone number. I simply couldn't believe it! Taylor Swift had my number in her cell phone! Wow! Taylor treated everyone on the bus like they were her friends. She sang a few songs and then gave us a chance to request a song. No one was really speaking up so I raised my hand and suggested that she play something that wasn't on her set list for that night. She said, "Great idea!" and started in on "Stay Beautiful."  I will never forget that! I know the song is about a boy but the lyrics just spoke to me that night.

"You're beautiful. Every little piece love. You're really going to be someone--ask anyone. And when you find everything you looked for, I hope your life leads you back to my door. But if it don't, stay beautiful."

Dianna Heidebrecht (my mom), me, and Taylor Swift
March 2nd, 2007- Taylor's tour bus
Kemper Arena

Wow! What an experience that was! We were excited for the show. It was 'in the round.' We found our seats and got ready for the show. Taylor's stage presence had grown so much since October. She was definitely a crowd pleaser. You can hear my mom on the video, "We're kinda lucky she starts over her every time. She knows we're over here!" :) I love my mom!

At the end of Taylor's set, she tells the crowd that she will be signing autographs after the show. My mom and I already have her autograph and a picture with her but we decide to go anyway just to tell her how great the show was! In normal Taylor fashion, she greets us with a hug and spends a few minutes talking with us despite the long line of people waiting to meet her. What a night to remember!

Summer 2006

It was the summer of 2006 when I first learned about Taylor Swift. At that point, she was an artist whose first single "Tim McGraw" had just hit the radio. I remember hearing that song for the first time and being totally impressed musically and lyrically. I knew I had to find out more about Taylor. As her CD release date of October 24, 2006 got closer, I heard about a charity benefit in Kansas City.

My favorite radio station, Q104, had paired with then KC Chief Jared Allen to put on a charity concert to benefit Juvenile Diabetes. This event took place on October 29th, 2006 at "The Peanut" in Shawnee, Kansas. Of course by this point I had purchased Taylor's CD and knew all the words to every song. The benefit took place on a Sunday evening--two days before Halloween. Concert goers were asked to dress up in costume. I was scheduled to have a soccer game that evening and so my costume was easy. I was a soccer player. A few days prior to the concert, I was faced with a big problem. No one wanted to go to a bar on a Sunday night to hear a singer who was 16 years old. I was just about to go by myself when my friend Scott said he would go. I was thrilled! We got there early and drove around to the back of "The Peanut." I wanted to see if any of the tour buses were parked behind the bar. I later came to realize that Taylor had no band and no bus. It was just her and her guitar.

The show started and no one really seemed interested in Taylor or her music. However, I was one of the few people standing in front of her during her 5 song set. I felt an instant connection. To this day, connecting with fans is something that Taylor is absolutely extraordinary at. Although there were hundreds of people in the bar, I felt like she was singing just to me. And you have to remember, she was 16 at the time, singing in a loud bar to a crowd who couldn't have cared less about her or her music. At one point, near the end of her set, she mentioned her record that had just been released the Tuesday before. She pointed right at me and said, "And I know you have it and I love you for that!"  I wonder how she knew I had bought her CD--perhaps it was the fact that I knew every word of every song that she sang that night.  :)

Her set ended and it was announced that she would be signing autographs after the show. I immediately told Scott that I wanted one and he agreed to wait in line. I expected the line to be a lot longer but it wasn't. I had told my mom about Taylor and how great she was. I had even bought Taylor's CD for her. I remember we listened to the entire CD while lying on my bed. When I met Taylor for the first time, she gave me a big hug and thanked me for coming to the show and for buying her CD. I made a $10 donation to Juvenile Diabetes in exchange for the autograph. I asked if I could get another autograph for my mom and she said yes. So I donated another $10 to the cause. I also I had prepared a letter for Taylor. In the letter I told her how much her music meant to me and what a great role model she was for little girls. I also shared with her my dream of working in the music industry--not as a singer or musician! Let's be real, my musical talent goes no further than singing in the shower or in my car with the radio so loud that I don't have to subject myself to my voice. However, I figured she was a new artist and might need someone to run a fan club for her. So I left my name and cell phone number in the letter. What happened next is something I would have never imagined would happen.

Taylor Swift & Ann (Heidebrecht) Dark
October 29th, 2006- The Peanut
Shawnee, KS

Introduction

Welcome to my blog, "Swift Encounters!" This blog is about my experiences with country music superstar Taylor Swift. I consider myself a "fran" of Taylor's. (friend/fan).  Read on to find out how this all started.