C is for Concert

I estimate I've been to 40-50 concerts through the years.  In high school I saw bands like Journey, Styx and Foreigner, and have seen a variety of artists through the years including Lyle Lovett, Elvis Costello, Patty Griffin, and of course, Jimmy Buffett.  But last night I saw what may now be my favorite concert of all time - the Indigo Girls backed by the Nashville Symphony.

I started listening to the Indigo Girls when they first hit the musical scene in the mid to late 1980's. Their haunting harmonies and intelligent, thoughtful lyrics spoke to me then, and still do today.  As a young college graduate struggling to create my future, I related to the words "and the less I seek my source from some definitive, the closer I am to fine".  When I spent a summer in Dallas working for Habitat for Humanity, I was inspired by the lyrics of Hammer and Nail, "if I have a care in the world I have a gift to bring".

Last night was more than just a concert - it was an amazing experience made possible by the generosity of two of my best friends, and made sweeter by the presence of my sister.  We started with dinner at one of the top restaurants in town, then strolled over to the Symphony Center to our box seats complete with wine and snacks. We were on the second level, with seats so close to the stage we could clearly see the facial expressions of the musicians.  The familiarity of the music, the intimate setting, the swelling of the strings and the beat of the timpani were overwhelming; when the concert began my eyes filled with tears.  I found myself singing along to the songs of my youth, surprising myself that the words came back so easily.  Backed by the excellent Nashville Symphony, these beloved favorites took on a new level of intensity and beauty.  To the amusement of my friends and sister my tears kept flowing, fueled by nostalgia and the voices of the Indigo Girls, all the better with age.  The night ended with a rousing rendition of "Closer to Fine" with the entire audience on their feet singing at the top of their lungs.  It was a truly magical concert experience that I won't soon forget.