Super Awesome Music Weekend!

This weekend, I went to not one but TWO Indigo Girls concerts. The first one I have had tickets for for months. I went with four friends. We went out to dinner first and made it into a fun girls’ night out. I even stayed and won a little money at blackjack (concert was in a casino) after the show. It was awesome. Both concerts were acoustic – just the girls and their guitars/banjos/mandolins.

Sunday night’s show opened with a band called Thao. They were good musicians, and I liked the lead singer’s voice, but I couldn’t understand what she was singing. This was particularly disappointing because when she spoke in between songs, she was really funny. Then she’d introduce a song with something like, “This is our most controversial song,” and then I couldn’t understand a dern thing she was being controversial about.

When the Indigo Girls came on, it was non stop singing/playing-their-asses-off music. I wonder just how many guitars they really have. Because their guitar-handler (not sure what the real title is there) would bring out a different one in between every song.

Basically, I loved every minute of it. So much so, that I broke down the next morning and bought another $50 ticket to see the next show a few towns away. (Thanks, sweet husband, for watching the baby again, so I could go rock out to my favorite band!) I decided to go to this one alone, so I could stand up and sing the whole time without feeling like I was annoying or embarrassing anyone.

This is a long post, so read the rest after the jump.

So, totally enjoying my solitary, baby-free freedom I ambled down to the show taking my sweet time. I had a nice dinner at Chipotle, while I finished up Susan Wiggs’ The Winter Lodge (excellent – book review on its way). Then I stopped in a Starbucks for some lowfat chocolate chip banana cake. Then I finally made my way to the show.

The second night the opener was BRANDI CARLILE!!! If you’re not listening to this girl, you’re an idiot. She and her band were awesome, with my favorite songs being her current single The Story and her rendition of Fulsome Prison Blues. Seriously excellent, totally unique voice and superb musicianship. What more can you ask for? PLUS – the Indigo Girls came out and sang one song with her (apparently they recorded a song with her on her album).

Then my girls came out and were even better (if that’s possible) than the night before. Favorites included Chickenman morphed into Bitteroot River and, always a favorite, The Wood Song. I also really liked Devotion, which they played both nights. It’s one of those Amy songs that I never really noticed until I saw them sing it live. If you’re generally an Emily-song fan, you’ll know what I mean by that.

Moral of the story: Listen to the Indigo Girls. They make life better. And check out Brandi Carlile too – she’s got a crap load of talent you’re missing out on.