A friday night, and about 200 people in the auditorium of Chippewa Falls High School for a family friendly concert.  Doors opened at 6pm and music must have started shortly after the doors opened.  By the time we got there, children in tow, it was mid-way through the warm up set of what turned out to be a great experience.

I was particularly impressed with Anna's warm up, Derek Luttrell.  Derek is one of those voices where you can close your eyes and perfectly imagine the body attached to it.  Aged.  Tired.  Rough.  But, then when you open your eyes.  ...well, shock doesn't really cover it.  He isn't anything like you would expect from his voice.  He is a kid.  With a long life a head of him.  Not the grizzled old codger your mind's eye had created.    I loved his music. I purchased Derek's pre-coaster tatt'd CD at the show.  He is also available on iTunes.  The live CD, titled _Live and Bootlegged_ I feel is better, with a rawer sound than the studio recorded music available in iTunes.  Simpler though.  The iTunes version has a nice banjo in it with a fuller band.  High points.  ...He is going to hate me if he ever reads this.  I liked his new song, I think it was, Half-way to Memphis, which he complained about playing both before and after.  But really all of his music was very enjoyable.  I would love to see Derek in a smokey bar environment where I could listen to his music over a few beers.

Julie Johnson was, at times, all smiles.  ...a rare thing.   In fact I would have to say it was the most relaxed I have seen the Johnson girls.  It was a good thing.  I have longed to see them in a laid back environment where they could really cut loose.  Friday night was the closest I have seen so far.  There is an amazing depth of talent in those two girls, of which, the surface has only been scratched thus far.

A musical high point was a Julie Johnson solo during an Elvis Prestly song, I think it was Love me Tender.  I really like Julie's voice.  It is deeper than her sister's.  She rarely shows off --I mean above and beyond just the general level of showing off it takes to climb up on a stage and sing a song.   Rarely do you have the opportunity to hear her alone.  I hope she continues to develop and add confidence.  As it is, she generally backs her sister's voice and she does it very well.  And, Anna lets her vocal skill show when she is able, at times, to dance her voice over the top of Julie's steady deeper rhythm.  Those moments were really spectacularly wonderful times.

The sound quality was good, I thought the guitar[s] were mixed a little high.  There were times when it was drowning out the voices a little.  Not super objectionable, but I feel like the crowd is really there to hear Anna and not Anna's guitar.

On guitar, Andrew Bardallis adds a lot with his acoustic picking.  When he he hits it right.  Which he doesn't always.  I would say he bats about 900.  Unfortunate, but I am willing to over look a few missed notes for what the band gains in depth when he is there.

By the second set, the band had lost some of it's energy.  That's ok.  It was a long day for them.  Arriving at the school at 4pm for setup and sound checks, by the the second set I am sure they were worn down.  I don't hold it against them.  The first set made it totally worth it.

When the final song of the second and last set was announced.  I knew she would play one of her own for her last song.  Even after all I had enjoyed, I still admit to a twinge of disappointment.  The twinge was short lived however because encore song was my favorite cover, Anna does.  Ronan Keating's song, When You Say Nothing at All.  I was overjoyed.  I had been hoping for Anna [...not Scott, for Notting Hill fans] to play that song all evening, and got it in the end.

So at that point, the only disappointment for the evening?  Only one.  Where was Anna's new CD?  Her fans can't wait!

The weather has been sunny and beautiful.  The roads are clear and I have been spending my free hours on a Harley and not a keyboard.  I didn't write about a great Reggae band I saw at the Snout last weekend, Iree Soul.  Too bad.  They were a fun band with at times a "Rappy" sound to them.  I recently met a woman who is a huge reggae fan and if I see her again, I really want to ask her if this cross-over is a new thing or not.   I really liked it.   I have to admit, my Reggae knowledge is limited and dated.  I used to hang out with the band Shangoya, in Minneapolis, back in the day.  But only  saw them play once.  ...It was my classical music phase and no one is more a music bigot than a classical music fan.  Iree Soul played an excellent, and seemingly very original first set.  The second set I feel like they sold out a bit to audience happiness.  They played Marley, I think there was some UB40.  It was all played well, but there was also an element of "God, I can't believe we are playing this song *again*" plastered on the faces of the band members.  The crowd was happier though, hearing the reggae covers they expected to hear.  If you get a chance to see this band, don't miss the first set!

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