NOTE: This blog was written on Wednesday at the convention. Poor access to the Internet at my hotel, the Kansas delegation's hotel and Excel disallowed me from posting it until now.

12 a.m. STYX

After Tuesday’s events I take the Kansas delegation bus back to their hotel. The Kansas Republican Party was given a limited number of VIP passes to a Styx concert hosted by AG Nite. I was luckily able to snag one.

We don’t arrive at the event until 12:00 a.m. because the Kansas delegation’s hotel is so far away from the Minneapolis-St. Paul downtown area.

Once at the affair, I quickly realize it’s mostly a black tie event, much like the “Stand for Change,” party I attended on the last night of the Democratic National Convention. I am glad I went out of my way to go back to my hotel and change into formal wear before heading the to the convention.

Like the party the Black Eyed Peas performed at the week before, the tent was nicely furnished and carpeted with a large bar in the center. The tent itself was twice as large, though, and only the first two drinks were free. Republicans don’t know how to throw a classy party, I guess.

I am not a huge Styx fan, nor do I know the lyrics to their songs, but the atmosphere was upbeat and the band was amazing. Republicans do like to sing I find out, and I feel left out.

The food at the event was in no way comparable to the band’s performance. The only snacks to eat were chips and what looked like bagel bites. The two different types of bites I tried were awful, and I had to spit them out into a napkin. But apparently I was lucky. A man near me who saw my plight told me that on the other side of the room they were serving seafood style bites that were much worse than the ones I had just suffered through.

1:30 a.m. Mike Huckabee

After Styx finishes playing, we head down to Spin Nightclub where Mike Huckabee and his band are playing. One of the members of the Kansas delegation received tickets to this event as well and gave me his extra. Today is my lucky day.

We only get to see Huckabee and his band play for about 20 minutes because we stayed so long and then hand to commute across downtown to reach Spin. I’m disappointed because I wanted to see Huckabee play more than Styx.

When we get to the door, the bouncer checks my ID. When he sees that I am not 21 he puts a smiley face on my hand. Normally I would fee bad about being branded as a minor, but the smiley face mark in place of the traditional X mark makes it all better.

I am surprised though that the club is selling alcohol at the concert. Doesn’t drinking go against conservative Republican values. I don’t mind admitting at the door that I am not 21 because it had never crossed my mind that I would have the opportunity to drink at the Huckabee concert- it just seems wrong.

Huckabee and his band are actually very good. They play several songs I don’t know, and don’t remember later, however I do remember them playing an entertaining rendition of, “Joy to the World, All the Boys and Girls.”

The event is crowded because the club is small, but no more than 100 people could have been in the room. The energy was high, and the experience is everything I expected a Mike Huckabee concert to be.

When we walk out the door the hostesses hand us Mike Huckabee glow sticks- nothing says I attended a Mike Huckabee rave in Minneapolis like a souvenir glow stick.

2 a.m. Best Western Bandana Inn

One of the girls staying at the KS GOP hotel wants us to go out to the bars, which stayed open lat e this week for convention goers, but I opt to return to my hotel. This party girl is getting too old to stay out all night and up all day.