Sail away with me honey, I put my heart in your hands...

I am really sleepy today. Why so sleepy, you ask? Because I was up late at the DAVID GRAY SHOW. That’s right, people. We finally saw David Gray. And it was worth every frustration, every annoyance, every disappointment. It was amazing. First of all, it was at the Ryman. Which I love with my whole heart. We went to the box office on the day the tickets went on sale, and we had great seats down front. It was the first time I’d sat on the floor – we usually get balcony seats, and I have to say that I prefer the balcony. You can see the whole stage and I think the sound is better. But we had great seats, and it was cool to be so close. Aqualung was the opener. They play a couple of his songs on Lighting 100, and I’d listened through his album a few times, so I knew I would like him. But I didn’t know how much I would like him. He has a really pretty voice (I’m a sucker for pretty), and even though his music is mellow he puts on a great show. I think a lot of people were hearing him for the first time, and they were not disappointed. He was a perfect opener for David Gray. Who, can I just say, is amazing. We are big David Gray fans at our house. But even though we were predisposed to love the show, it really was fantastic. He and his band transition so easily from big-blow-you-away sound to stripped-down-acoustic, and they pull it all off without a hitch. Highlights for me were “Sail Away” and “Please Forgive Me”, two of my favorite songs of his that were given the full-band-audience-participation treatment. At the end of the first… set? I’m not sure what to call it. The band left the stage and the crowd cheered them back on (I did not participate, as I am still not a fan), but when they came back they did almost as many songs as before they left. Anyway, after that break, David Gray came back out on stage by himself and did an acoustic set. Far and away my favorite part of the show. He did older songs, from the pre-White Ladder Days, including “Shine” and “Turn Out the Light”. Then the band joined him and they did a few more, including “Long Black Veil” from “the man of Gray to the Man In Black”. I’m not a big Cash person, but it was pretty cool. The closer was, of course, Babylon, and they rocked it. I’m not generally one to notice stuff like this, but the lighting at the show was really cool. There was a white screen in the back, but instead of showing video on it, they used it for lighting effects. There were lights on the stage set up so that when they were turned on, you could see the shadow of one band member at a time on the screen, and they kind of faded in and out of each other to give everyone a chance at the spotlight. It was a really cool effect, especially for us… we couldn’t see the people on the back of the stage, so we were able to see what they were doing on the screen. Very cool. It was especially fun being at the show with Aaron. David Gray is one of his very favorites, and he was just thrilled to be there. And I was thrilled to be there with him. And now I need a nap.