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Day Eighty Six

Oh, What A Show! I'm going to try and incorporate a Top 5 Moments list in here too (because it's been too long), but it may well run long, so...

1) A looping pedal... used with a CELLO!

That's right, Josh Neumann had a Cello with a pickup in it, and used a freaking looping pedal with it! He was the first one onstage after the opening act, so that wound up being the first official moment of the Brandi Carlile portion of the gig, and Oh, What A Way To Start!

2) "Crazy"

Brandi & The Twins did a short 25 minute set with just the three of them (she described it as an "acoustic barnburner" set, before taking a break and coming back with the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra. While the barnburner set was fun (and I secretly wished they had gone on longer), she closed that part of the show with "Crazy," written by Willie Nelson, and performed originally by the amazing Patsy Cline. It was just Brandi, acoustic & vocals, and was incredible! Not since Patsy have I heard a more breathtaking version of that song.

3) "Folsom"

So, after we stomped and hollered for an encore, she came back out and told us we were "the most rock & roll crowd she'd ever heard in a symphony hall. Then, they ripped into Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." I've heard and loved the version from her "Live In Boston EP" (perhaps the best 99 cents I've ever spent on iTunes), but last night's version put it to shame. Extended solo breaks and all, it was arguably the highlight of the night.

4) "Pride & Joy"

Coming directly after "Folsom," it was the song that caused me to fall in love with her music, and as amazing as it is on record, what they do with it live now is... transcendent. They stretched it out into an even more epic song, and rocked it up in the middle. Brandi even switched guitars. And with both her & Tim on electric, backed by a symphony orchestra, plus bass and drums, it was breathtaking.

5) Brandi herself

Not only does she have amazing talent & amazing stage presence, she also seems to be a phenomenal human being. It was their last show before a month off, and when she announced she'd be doing a meet & greet after the show, I was pumped... then I saw the line... it was gigantic. That being said... she stayed until the ENTIRE line had been seen & spoken with, AND, she autographed multiple things! I've never met anyone famous who was more generous with their time, and more giving to the people who came out to see her. I would definitely go anywhere to see another show.

And for those of you waiting for the extra one...

6) could be so many things... the setlist I scored from the stage, the people I talked to at the show, the chat I had with the official photographer that might net me some pictures from the gig, the theater-wide three part harmony she taught us for "Turpentine" (I was in the section that got the really high part), the solo acoustic version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" that closed the show... I could go on...

Definitely the best show I've ever seen in my life.

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