What would you do if you had the opportunity to attend a concert by a Grammy-nominated band, where the only other attendees are people who were awarded tickets simply by performing acts of kindness? You’d jump at the chance, just like we did last Friday, when Enterprise Rent-a-Car partnered with us to attend OneRepublic’s concert for their “Share the Code. Hit the Road” campaign!
Enterprise and OneRepublic joined together for Enterprise’s second annual “Share the Code. Hit the Road.” event, focused on celebrating kindness. Occurring the same week as National Kindness Day, it’s got a simple premise: be recognized as someone out there doing good in the community, and you will receive three codes which you then share with three others you want to celebrate for their acts of kindness. Those three each get three codes to share, and so forth, until all codes are redeemed, taking the term “paying it forward” to a new level.
The process to request a ticket was pretty simple. Above is a peek at the online form, where you are required to enter information on who you would invite. Scattered throughout the venue on Friday night were big flat screens sharing these direct testaments. It was easy to see why people were invited, and the stories, however brief, were inspiring.
Pretty cool, right? We got to attend this one of a kind concert in the desert at the renown Pappy and Harriet’s in Pioneertown, California. The venue is a bit out in the middle of nowhere, but it’s worth the drive.
Before the concert began, we were provided food and drink coupons so we had the chance to try out the restaurant before we headed out back to the show. The show was held outside, allowing for a bigger audience yet it was a very intimate affair, with short lines for food or the bars.
Our VIP tickets allowed us access to a special viewing platform, where we had a spectacular view of not only the stage (with another screen displaying more guest stories) and the band, but the surrounding desert. The sunset alone was worth the drive!
The opening act was Jamie N. Commons, a charismatic singer whose accent and ballad-style songs quickly warmed up the crowd. OneRepublic came onstage about 30 minutes later to an excited crowd, and they jumped immediately into popular hit songs. They’ve got two new singles that just came out, “Wanted” and “Rescue Me.” My favorite song of theirs is “Counting Stars,” but I’m also a big fan of the cello music in “Apologize.” (Secret weird fact about me: I would LOVE to learn how to play the cello.)
Enterprise was founded in 1957 by Jack Taylor, with its flagship brand being Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Not only are they known for their exemplary customer service and 5,800 convenient locations, they help customers, rent, buy or share vehicles. The company as a whole contributes to a lot of community programs to provide food to the needy, to help with conservation challenges, new worldwide tree growth and the Red Cross’s Annual Disaster Giving program. The 2019 Share the Code concert is their second annual event to celebrate the power of picking up others through acts of kindness and it’s clear it’s making a difference.
Funny side note, but before the concert began, I visited the ladies’ room. The line was fairly long, as everyone was getting ready to see the show, but everyone was SO NICE to each other. Anyone that’s been to a concert can attest to how crazy the lines can be, and how they can rile up anxious concertgoers. Not the case here, where people stepped aside for each other to get paper towels, to hold the door open and so forth. It was kind of unreal, so unexpected yet so, simply put, nice.
Thank you again, Enterprise and OneRepublic, for the opportunity to attend the event. I took along my husband, and we enjoyed the entire evening, including the drive through the beautiful desert to Pappy & Harriet’s. We are about 80 miles from Pioneertown, and I can’t remember the last time I’d been to the Yucca Valley area. The hiking areas and open rock formations made me wish we could have stayed the night and hike the next day.
Be nice out there. Kindness matters, and not just on National Kindness Day. Show kindness 365 days a year, and maybe you’ll find yourself the recipient of a code for the next “Share the Code. Hit the road” event with Enterprise!
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