Sharing An Experience

Last night, I had the opportunity to share the great music of Dave Alvin with Mary and David for the first time.  Glenn and Jill Cook joined us too, and after a rather paltry opening act (thank heavens it was only an half-hour), Dave hit the stage with Cindy Cashdollar; Christy McWilson joined a couple of songs into the act.  The stage was sparse for the night: only the three musicians, not the rest of a band, no rhythm section, nothing.  Just Dave, Cindy and Christy, unplugged.

I'd been playing his music in the car for the kids for awhile, and David had been getting excited about going to his first concert.  On the way there he was asking which songs he would get to hear; he was hoping to get to hear "Haley's Comet." I said I hoped so too, but reminded him that it was an older song of his, and they may just play some of their newer material.

Oh, was I wrong.  This was a terrific way for Dave to introduce himself to Mary and David.  They played not only several of the best tunes off of the "Guilty Women" CD, but also a huge number of his older mainstays.  There was "Fourth of July," "Abeline," and they closed the pre-encore set with "Ashgrove."  But David's face really beamed when he heard the first words of one song, about a third of the way into the show: "Do you know, who I am, said Bill Haley..."

David got tired as the night went on; the encore (the always-raucous "Marie Marie") ended at 10:06, and for a young man who falls asleep by 9 most nights, the combination of the late hour and the often soothing folk-style music ("Potter's Field," for instance) left him both ready to go at the end, and yet disappointed it was all over.  Mary enjoyed the show too; I caught her bopping along with a couple of numbers.  It's been a long week for her at work, and she was tired last night.  So one she really seemed to enjoy was Christy McWilson's "Weight of the World," which she introduced by saying "It's about being a woman, and being...tired.  Just...tired."

Sarah, who spent the evening with Giselle's family, missed us but didn't seem upset about her decision to skip the concert.  She did say, though, that she'd love to go see an Owl City concert...and guess what, they're at Constitution Hall the evening of April 22...

But at the end of the night, despite the exhaustion, I think I may have two more people willing to go back and see Dave Alvin the next time he swings through the Birchmere.  And being able to share with them a musician I enjoy will be terrific.