Punch Brothers in Birmingham, AL

The day finally came.  My little countdown ticker on my computer finally read "Today is Punch Brothers."  Yesterday, my students all were full of questions if I was going to come here to Birmingham and have a good time.  I told them with zero hesitation, "Heck, yes."  One of two of them said,  "You coming back?"  I just grinned and said, "Maybe..."  They laughed.  It's been no secret that I've been looking forward to this concert for a loooong time.

The show opened with Loudon Wainwright.  I hadn't heard him before, but I loved him.  His lyrics were thought-provoking, funny at times (well, usually), and profound.  He had several songs that I really want to get.  On payday, I will be looking for his stuff on Amazon to download.  He had a song about fathers and daughters that made me tear up thinking about my own father.  He had a song called "My Meds" that made me cry for other reasons, laughter.  He also had one about heaven being the place where everything that is forbidden on earth is permitted that was also hilarious.  There was also one commemorating the passing of Mr. Rogers that was very lovely. He was awesome.

Then, after the requisite intermission, there they were.  Last time I saw them, it was in the Riley Center, and I was in my usual seat next to that trusty support pole.  This time, though, I was there in the third row, almost dead center.  Let me tell you, it makes a big difference in the experience.

I love to watch them play. I don't mean I just like to look at them as a group on stage, or watch Chris Thile do his dances on stage; I actually love to watch what's happening with the instruments.  They are all so fabulously talented.  After years of being around this musician and that one, making pitifully fumbling  and failed attempts at a couple of those instruments, I know quality when I see it, and so I was more or less spellbound just watching them do what they do.  They make it look so damn easy when they're doing things that are ridiculously complicated, and I truly believe they're having fun.  I love them for both.

The audience was sort of too well-bred to clap much.  Sigh.  Bunch of professors and doctors.  Sheesh.  Just once, just once, I would like to see them in a crowd full of people who just holler and scream and cut up because the music moves them.  I wonder what IU would be like for them, what the music school crowd would be like for them as an audience?  IU is a good audience for everybody.  (and I am not prejudiced at ALL.)

Anyway.

Noam Pikelny played a song from his new album (which I now own, thankyouverymuch) called "Jim Thompson's Horse."  He started introducing it in that beautifully dry manner he has, and everybody sort of thought he was inventing a fantasy, I guess.  I didn't catch it either until he said the name.  Then I had one of those slap-the-forehead moments.  I knew exactly who he was talking about.  I've been to the Jim Thompson house, have a red Thai silk elephant on my guest room bed that I bought there when I was in Bangkok as a part of Volunteer Education Network.  I just want to know how he took that story and ran with it.  It's the most curious thing to have wound up in banjo land.  However, I suspect banjo land is different when he's the king of it, sort of like tsugaru shamisen grooves a little differently in the hands of Agatsuma.

It was all grand.  All the songs from the upcoming album were terrible teases.  I knew I wanted it before, but to hear them and then to know I can't get them for two or three weeks was just painful.  (Yeah.  I know.  Firstworldproblems.)  It will be a great day-after-my-birthday present.  I just have to keep telling myself that.  It will also help me have SOMETHING to look forward to on That Damn Day.

They finished up with "Rye Whiskey."  I'll have that song stuck in my head for happy weeks.  It and "Missy" are swapping back and forth right now.  I think that's not a bad mix, actually.   After the show, they were going to come out and sign, but I didn't stay for that.  I bought and pocketed my new and slipped away.  You know how I feel about having people write their names on things (nobody but Billy Collins, ever...I fangirl for nobody else but him).  I would like to tell them how great the show was, did tweet to their accounts that I loved it, but I don't think they notice things like that.  I imagine they are inundated with teh Twittah.

Despite the fact that this weekend got a bit expensive what with the gas and the hotel room and everything, I cannot consider one single dime of it ill-spent.  The five of them were just amazing, as they apparently always are. Loudon Wainwright was an unexpected bonus I look forward to learning more about.  In short,  I'd pay the fare to take the ride all over again.  Lately, I haven't been able to say that about much of anything.  Thank you, Punch Brothers and Mr. Wainwright, for a grand evening.