Listening to Music

I love to perform and I love to play and sing.  One of the great joys in my life to play music, or at least something close to music.  I also enjoy going to hear others perform and play music.  I really enjoy getting to meet musicians I admire and learn that they are real people willing to spend some time talking with you, even though you know you are nowhere near the level they are.

I had that expereience again last weekend.  Last Friday night I drove to Decatur, GA to hear the Claire Lynch Band performing at Eddie's Attic.  Claire has one of the best voices you will hear, and is easy on the eyes as well.  That is a killer combination.  The band consists of Jason Thomas, an extraordinary fiddle and mandolin player, as well as a great harmony singer.  The bassist is Mark Schatz, an awesome musician who also plays clawhammer banjo, dances, and performs a great hambone routine.  I have watched out for Mark since he was playing with the Tony Rice Unit many years ago.  He is one of the world's great upright bass players.  He replaced Missy Raines in the band a couple of years ago, another world class bassist.  On lead guitar, mandolin, and singing harmony is Matt Wingate.  He fits right in, keeping this one of the very best bands in the world of bluegrass.  The guitarist for Claire until last Spring was the phenomenal Jim Hurst.

A few years ago I was at the Wartrace Music Festival in Wartrace, TN and the Claire Lynch Band was one of the featured bands at the festival.  Buck and I were performing at the festival as an open mic guest, though we had a full slot of time and were included in the program that was handed out.  It was a great experience and we had the privilege of getting to spend some time talking with Jim Hurst.  Jim was so gracious to spend time with us and treated us as peers.

About a year after that, they were appearing at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee, GA.  That is only about 15 miles from my house.  So I went to that and again had the chance to talk with Jim, meet Mark, and even speak a few words with Claire.  These are small things, but mean a lot to us.  I have always tried to remember that when I am performing and so I take time afterward to speak with all who want to come by and say hello.  I am nowhere near the level of these folks, but being on stage does put me in a category that most people do not completely identify with.

Again this past Friday, I was able to speak a few words to the band members.  Jason Thomas was very nice and I enjoyed speaking with him, as well as saying hello to Mark and Matt.  I was most happy to talk with Claire for a little while and to get a band photo signed by all of them.  I also came away with another of their CD's to listen to as I travel - the newest one, "Whatcha Gonna Do".

These folks have been gracious enough to accept me as a friend on Facebook too.  Through this medium, I have just learned that Jim Hurst will be doing a series of concerts in Georgia in the Spring, and I intend to be at one of those dates.  Jim is performing as a solo act right now and I am anxious to see him again.

Being a performer may make me go to a concert with a little different slant on things, but you do not need to be a musician to enjoy a concert.  Sometimes I think a non musician may even enjoy them even more.  Either way, I encourage you to go whenever you get the chance to support any performer that strikes your fancy.  It is good to support the arts, but sometimes it is more important to support the artists.

See you down the road.

Nelson Thomas