Thanking the Military Community with the Gift of Music

By: Allison Stevens

The Itterley family waited 10 years to see their favorite artist—Grammy-winning country duo Dan + Shay—perform live in concert, an opportunity that finally, and fittingly, arrived in May, Military Appreciation Month (MAM).

In eager anticipation, Michelle Itterley, a military spouse, stayed up late the night before the concert to make a personalized set of T-shirts for her family of five. Emblazoned on front: “Dan + Shay: where it all began,” quoting a lyric in one of the family’s favorite songs. On the back, another Dan + Shay reference: “We waited 10,000 hours for this.”

The family waited much longer than 10,000 hours to see the show, but the wait was worth it. “We had an amazing time,” said Itterley, who is married to an Active Duty staff sergeant in the US Army. “It literally made the kids’ day."

Itterley was able to get four tickets for free, courtesy of Navy Federal Credit Union’s MAM JAM concert series. “We did the math. There was no way we could have ever gone if we had to pay full retail value. We’re so grateful.”

Also complimentary: military-themed rally towels, boxes of buttered popcorn and stainless steel water bottles—not to mention an evening of family fun.

The Itterleys were among thousands of attendees who felt the military love at the May 17 event in Cedar Park, Texas—a short drive from Fort Cavazos, a US Army base. “We gave so much for our country, and now they’re thanking us in return,” exclaimed Taecie Johnson, an Army Vet who picked up a pair of free tickets for herself and her Active Duty husband—making for a great date night. “It’s very nice,” she said. “It feels special.”

Active Duty Servicemembers Haley Smith and Olivia Hightower—both Navy Federal members—also scored free tickets. “It’s awesome that we can see someone as big as Dan + Shay for that price,” beamed Smith, a medic in the US Air Force who paid only the nominal service charge for the tickets. At her side, Hightower, a friend and fellow Air Force medic, added: “It’s just amazing.”

Navy Federal’s MAM JAM Concert Series

The duo, formally known as Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, have a large and loyal following, thanks to chart-topping singles and numerous studio albums released in the dozen years since they met at a house party in Nashville. In those years, they’ve won several top music-industry awards and performed with such superstars as Kelly Clarkson and Justin Bieber.

After the Texas concert, Smyers and Mooney headlined a second MAM JAM concert on May 31 in North Carolina, near Marine Base Camp Lejeune. Rising country crooners Redferrin and Carter “Cowgirl Hippie” Faith opened in the Lone Star State, while Austin Snell—an Air Force Vet—and Austin Williams kicked off the festivities in North Carolina.

“Music has the power to bring us together,” said Joe Bock, Navy Federal’s vice president of brand marketing. “This Military Appreciation Month, we’re building community by bringing a big-name artist to a pair of towns near military bases. It’s one way we’re expressing our deep gratitude for those who serve and protect our nation.”

The pair of MAM JAMs came amid a series of smaller Navy Federal-sponsored “FAM JAMs”—free outdoor concerts held this spring in Fayetteville, North Carolina; Clarksville, Tennessee; and Augusta, Georgia. This season’s final two FAM JAMS will be held in Tacoma, Washington (June 6) and Colorado Springs, Colorado (June 13). Thousands of Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans and their families and friends, as well as members of the public, have attended Navy Federal’s musical events this year.

A night of appreciation

At the first MAM JAM concert, held on a sweltering evening in Texas prairie country, fans swayed in conditioned air to the soulful sounds of “Speechless” and other Dan + Shay hits. In an encore performance, the duo’s most famous song—“Tequila”—brought the house down.

Throughout the show, die-hards flocked to center stage, while thousands of others filled out the arena. Attendees came from all walks of military life, from a baby on his mama’s back, to a tween on her father’s arm, to a grey-haired Veteran holding his partner’s hands.

Regardless of age, many looked the part, wearing tall leather boots, denim cutoffs, ruffled cotton dresses and broad-rimmed hats—or some combination thereof.

Smyers and Mooney, for their part, entertained in sleek all-black getups—with Smyers singing and strumming (and occasionally tossing guitar picks to front-row fans) as Mooney belted out signature power ballads. On multiple occasions, the pair took the opportunity to express their gratitude to the many members of the military community in attendance.

“We’re gonna be up here tonight sounding like a broken dang record saying thank you,” Smyers told a cheering crowd. “Our gratitude is beyond beyond—for every single one of you, for what you do, for the sacrifices you make every single day, so that we can stand on this stage and live our dream.”

The pair went out of their way to pay tribute to the community, taking time to “meet and greet” a few dozen lucky ticketholders behind stage. Midway through, they dedicated a song of hope and gratitude called “Glad You Exist” to military members in the crowd. Later, they invited an award-winning member of the US Navy on stage to publicly thank him for his service. Their encore performance pushed past closing time by nearly a half hour. 

“We’re so grateful,” Mooney said, confessing that he might start tearing up. “Music brings you closer to the people that you love. … It means a whole lot to us to be able to be that comfort for them and to have them show up at our shows is just an incredible thing.”

A “phenomenal” evening

The feeling was mutual. Heather Nusbaum, a military spouse from Killeen, Texas, near Fort Cavazos, said the concert was “phenomenal” because “it gave Servicemembers the opportunity to get out and do things when it otherwise might not make sense financially.”

A member of Navy Federal, Nusbaum was among those who showcased their wares at “Mission Marketplace,” a vendor alley featuring Veteran-owned small businesses including Nusbaum’s Nutree Fitness and A New Beginning School of Massage Killeen. Other vendors included Grill Your Ass Off, Guitars for Vets, Klenr, The Handmade Mom and Authentically American. Also at the event were Navy Federal team members from branches in Round Rock and Copperas Cove, Texas.

“Members of the military and their dependents give up a lot,” Nusbaum said. “Any time we can figure out a realistic way to give back is wonderful.”

Navy Federal member Dean Wegner, Veteran owner of Authentically American, a company that sells clothing made entirely in the United States, echoed the sentiment. “A lot of military families would just not be able to attend, given the financial barriers. Navy Federal is making an incredible night as a family possible by sponsoring this event. I could not be more appreciative.”