Joy be with you all

Finally, finally, finally ... The Swell Season. The show was the perfect mix of new and old songs ... they started by sitting on the floor at the edge of the stage playing Fallen from the Sky, which delighted my brother to no end because he was really hoping they'd play it but doubted they would somehow. I pretty much cried during every single song from Once. I couldn't help it, the tears just sprung & flowed and there was nothing I could do to stop them. There was so much emotional backstory and weight to each of these songs for me, and hearing them live made my heart feel very explode-y.

[Edited because I was able to retrieve the notes I made on my phone.] The rest of the setlist: Lies (commence tears), Low Rising (much more rockin' live than it is on the album), Magnolia, Feeling the Pull (super lively and fun), The Rain (Glen said that this song is about that moment just before you get cynical when something surprising and great happens -- for them, this something was Once), The Moon ("New Orleans is fuckin' spooky, in the best way ... this is a song about people who make you feel exhausted"), If You Want Me, Fantasy Man (Marketa said that there is a light at the end of every tunnel and it's about knowing deep down that things always get better), Leave, Say It To Me Now (totally unplugged and totally amazing), Back Broke, Astral Weeks, Emer's Dream, The Lakes of Pontchartrain, I Have Loved You Wrong, Once, When Your Mind’s Made Up, Falling Slowly, a new song that doesn't have a title yet -- I jotted down "working on a high hope," High Horses (which Glen said is about being worried about someone and wishing that person luck -- a "rootin' for you song"), and Red Chord/The Parting Glass, a Clancy Brothers cover that just made me cry some more ... a sweet and pretty goodbye sort of song ... the crowd joined in, and Glen said, "Now you all sound Irish."

(Someone put together a few very nice compilation videos of this show with clips from many of the songs! Can't even listen to the third one without crying again! Love.)

Some of the songs were just Glen, some were Glen & Mar, and some were the whole band (Glen/The Frames + Marketa). Speaking of Marketa, she is so lovely, plays the piano with as much effortless grace as anyone I've ever seen, and has such a strong, clear as a bell voice. What beauty.

Highlights of songs we'd never heard included a hauntingly beautiful instrumental duet called Emer's Dream between Marketa and Colm Mac Con Iomaire, who dedicated it to the people of New Orleans, saying something about how it was for everyone who lost something big or small in the storm, and who maybe even found something, and Lakes of Pontchartrain, the video of which I'm hoping will turn up soon because it was magnificent. Another New Orleans-related tune they played was Magnolia, during which Glen led a nice audience singalong, something he did many times during the show. The encore began with Falling Slowly, of course, and you can imagine how that went over with the crowd. Glen got very blink-back-the-tears-y after this one, saying how much it meant to sing it in this city. I wasn't sure what he meant, but my brother thinks it was the lyric, "You have suffered enough, and warred with yourself, it's time that you won ... take this sinking boat and point it home ..." and so forth, and I'm sure he's probably right.

What I enjoyed about the people in this crowd was that they behaved themselves, got totally into everything and sang along and sometimes yelled things out, but it was never too obnoxious; it was always in total respect and appreciation. I can't remember the last time I was in a crowd at a concert where people were actually totally quiet when it was called for and totally loud and boisterous when the time was right. It was refreshing and uplifting to be able to enjoy a show like that without the typical shenanigans of a crowd full of New Orleans college students. (No offense, New Orleans college students.) Glen spoke about the goodwill that Once has somehow inspired the world over and I think he's right -- this music just makes people be nice to each other.

What it boils down to is that for two hours and fifteen minutes, Glen, Marketa, and the rest of the band were, for me, a ray of bright sunshine in this dark, cruel world. I knew Glen was a great singer & musician but didn't know he'd be such a blowing-the-roof-off-the-place showman & such a vessel of goodness and joy onstage. I know that sounds very stupid but -- for real. By the time it was all over, all of us, strangers and friends and lovers and brothers and sisters alike, were basically putting our arms around each other and holding our drinks in the air and swaying and singing along in harmony and believing that life is good and that people are true and that there's hope for us all. Magic!

Good night and joy be with you all. Good night and joy be with you all.

Octoberfesting

My Lord, what a month!

I spent the entire first week in Hawaii, which I won't say much about other than I loved being there. Lots of baby-love and friend-love and eating potato chip encrusted fish sandwiches and coffee toffee nut gelato.

After arriving home, I spent a few days stumbling around as if drunk trying to readjust to the five-hour time difference. I think I might be very constitutionally weak when it comes to jet lag. Then it was time for the biggest football game of the year, which I attended with my mom and brother and where we had a great time despite (a) the rain and (b) losing.

Then it was time for a road trip ... my brother and I drove 400 miles to see Brandi Carlile (opener: Amy Ray). It rained and took six hours and we got a little lost walking through the dark and desolate sidewalks between our hotel and the venue, but all was good. The venue was just fantastic, I cannot lie, and of course the acts were great. Amy Ray definitely rocks out way, way more when on her own, and she and her plaid pants were really great. Brandi joined them for a song or two, which obviously excited the crowd. Stand and Deliver was unsurprisingly a highlight.

And Brandi -- well, if you've seen her, you know what I mean here -- what can I even say? Even though I saw her in May, and even though some of the stories and moments and songs were similar, it was like a whole new world of delicious awesomeness in this beautiful venue with my brother.

I'd prepped my brother with some of her songs on the way there, including her new album which just came out last week, so he was vaguely familiar with her. But when she and the twins and the drummer and the cello player came out to sing "Oh Dear" in harmony with some kind of old-timey-sounding microphone, I was pretty sure I could hear his jaw dropping behind me along with everyone else's in the room. We all just kind of froze in the beauty of it. (Here's a video of the actual performance. While I am psyched this video exists, it absolutely does not do justice to the sound in the space. The acoustics were phenomenal.) Incredible opener! And now I shall list the rest of the setlist in order!

Looking Out: Amy Ray joined the band for this song, as she does on the album. Totally awesome! My mind was blown by seeing them together, for real. The sound isn't great here, but you get the idea.

What Can I Say, Late Morning Lullabye, My Song: These older songs were audience faves, of course, and we were encouraged to sing along, and lo, we did.

Dying Day: Performed unplugged at the edge of the stage. Sensational in every way. Video from our very show.

I Will: Acoustic. Here's the video from our show! This is a new song that didn't really make much of an impression on me until hearing it live. I got a tiny bit teary, to my surprise. I basically thought about various estrangements in life. "... It hurts to be the one that you'd regret. I have to say that I am proud to know you, and I'll never be the same because we met. You might not miss this, but I will ..."

Hiding My Heart: Acoustic. She said they rarely play this one in concert but had started to ask for fan requests, and this was one. Video from our show; gorgeous, obvs. This is quite a depressing song, in case you were wondering.

Dreams: Possibly my favorite song on the new album. You can see the official video here.

Before It Breaks: Kind of heartbreaking. (Video from our show.)

Turpentine: Audience singalong. Fun.

The Story: I am not sure how I have never noticed that she actually switches guitars in the middle of this song. Noticing this made me happy. Obviously, it was awesome.

Let It Be: Very Pretty.

Jackson / Folsom Prison Blues: I thought this first encore would be it! But it wasn't!

Johnny Rottentale: With Amy Ray. Very fun. I like when singers share a single microphone. It warms my heart.

(Brandi mentioned how she had done Cannonball with both Indigo Girls the night before in Atlanta, which made me fantasize briefly that Emily was going to appear. She did not, but here's a video of that performance. It might be a good thing I did not see this live, as I'm not sure my heart would have been able to take it.)

And still, there was more!

Calling All Angels: With her sister Tiffany Carlile. Unspeakably perfect & beautiful. (That link is an excellent video of the two of them performing this song).

That Year: Just Brandi and her guitar and a stool. Heartfelt explanation & lovely, very sad song.

Pride and Joy: Closed it out. (Video from our show ... starts out kind of dark but sounds GREAT.) A powerhouse of a finale to be sure. The instruments got so explodey at the end I thought the top of my head and roof might blow off. Greatness!

Overall, it was a magnificent experience and one that produced such euphoria that it was totally worth driving 800 miles in two days.

Meanwhile, I'm in the middle of this, which probably deserves its own post one of these days. And I'm taking a class on Saturdays, and this weekend is a high tea and a party and a book club meeting and it's just all kind of pouring over, the fun. So ... October isn't even halfway over, and it's already been so chock full of excitement. I'm liking this crazy autumnal bliss, even though it rains every single day.

To close, I would like to share an e-mail I received today from my mother, just because it made me smile. She is making her way through season three of Friday Night Lights for the first time.

I am sobbing. I just watched the scene where [spoiler about Smash redacted]......

I looooooooooooooove this show........except for too much casual sex, it's just about perfect!

Love you!
Mom

And my dad's reply:

So Mom comes into the bedroom all teary eyed and says [spoiler about Smash redacted]. I look at her and say, "Who the F* is Smash?" Clearly, I don't know the plot line.

Dad

Night in NOLA

Oh, I am an old lady. It's true. Last night a friend and I headed to New Orleans for an Ingrid Michaelson show. We had some sushi and beers and walked around the Quarter and hit up a bar in Pirate's Alley and had a sazerac & a martini and it was all well and good. Ingrid did not go on until 10:00, by which time I am normally dead asleep, but I soldiered on for the cause!

The opening act was an English dreamboat named Greg Holden whose tweets about New Orleans are just as adorable as he is. Also, his voice is great and his songs were excellent. I bought his 4-song EP and am digging it already. I love opening acts who seem genuinely stoked, like they can't believe their good fortune. It's very endearing.

Ingrid Michaelson was really good. I have all her albums, and I always enjoy a show when I know every word of every song. I have mixed feelings about the audience. About two-thirds of the crowd: attentive, sang along, knew the songs, had fun and made merry. The rest: a horror. They just stood by the bar and ran their mouths at what I found to be a rude and distracting volume! Greg Holden tried to shush them (adorably, natch) to no avail. Even Ingrid tried to shush them for "The Chain," but no dice. Luckily that song builds to such a glorious degree that it drowned out the ridiculous cacophony of obnoxious undergraduates. I've decided 18 and over shows are for the birds. I really just wanted to kill them all but quickly realized I had to let it go and focus on the stage.

"The Chain" was the best song other than "You and I," which brought the entire band and opening act to the mic to sing in a very cute group fashion. Really, every song sounded great. I know a lot of people dismiss Ingrid Michaelson because of her prevalence on the likes of "Grey's Anatomy," but I think her songs are very beautiful and have a real sweetness and depth.

My only disappointment other than the loudmouths in the crowd was that she didn't play "Keep Breathing." How is that possible? I was looking forward to hearing it live because of the way it swells into major beautifulness. But c'est la vie. We still had a great time.

Brandi Carlile

As if seeing the Indigo Girls the night before weren't enough of a treat, I got to see Brandi Carlile the next damn night at the House of Blues.

Brandi Carlile has been my number one want to see in concert artist for a while now, and the wish finally came true. The concert was the perfect mix of old songs, new songs, and a few covers. It was all I hoped it would be and more, honestly. I knew the music would be amazing, but I did not know she would tell so many great stories and be so unbelievably interactive and charming. Brandi Carlile is the real deal.

(I found it surprising that most of the people I told I was going to this show had never heard of Brandi Carlile. So I'm going to link to some video of songs, mostly from recent shows, so you can check her out if you aren't familiar with her, because I think she is someone special and I love her music very much, obvs. I tried to find ones of good quality. I'm sure you know that you must click HQ if you can. Good stuff, beautiful, really. I must say that I loved every new song and can't wait for the new album this fall.)

Setlist:

Burn: This is a Ray LaMontagne song, which was a nice and surprising opener for the Ray fans in the audience. Video here.

Closer to You: What is not to like about this song? Nothing, that's what. Video here. (Bonus: the following song is also included in this clip.)

I've Just Seen a Face: I was aware that she has performed this in concert but it did not occur to me that she would do it at this show. I love this song, and I love her version of it, and I was bouncing on my toes with delight over this one.

Late Morning Lullabye: One of my faves. It just makes me happy. Video here.

Have You Ever: This was the first song by Brandi Carlile that I ever heard. B. put it on a mix CD for me. I have him to thank for introducing me to her. This remains one of my favorites to this day. Video here.

Dying Day: They stood on the edge of the stage and sang and played this one with no microphones and no amps. It still filled the entire house. Good stuff. Video here.

Dreams: New song. Video here.

Before It Breaks: Beautiful. Video here.

Oh Dear: This was a nice showcase for the twins. Video here.

Creep: Well, this is not a favorite song of mine. But I still enjoyed it. Video here.

What Can I Say: She invited the crowd to sing along on this one, and the crowd obeyed. Video here.

Over You: She wrote this song when she was 17, and it will be on her new album. Video here. It's not the greatest song ever, but it sure feels like being 17. She played it for her mom, who asked, "Why are you so angry?" Totally 17.

Turpentine: The three-part harmony audience choir aspect of this one was very fun. Video here.

The Story: This is the Brandi Carlile song that most people who have ever heard of Brandi Carlile know. Or at least know of. Or at least have heard in a truck commercial. This song did not disappoint, not one tiny bit. This song means a lot to me, just like it means a lot to a lot of other people, and there's a reason for that. And that reason is that it is awesome. I might have cried. Video here.

Jackson: Video here.

Folsom Prison Blues: Totally raucous and fun. Video here.

Let It Be: Beautiful beautiful beautiful. Can't find decent video. She played the piano. It was a perfect closing song. We smiled the whole way home.

At some point during the show when everyone was cheering and cheerful and things got really lovely, Brandi smiled a huge smile and said, "If they could all be New Orleans..." If all the concert venues, if all the cities, if all the places in world.

It was nice.

Indigo Girls

Recently I attended an Indigo Girls show at Tipitina's Uptown in New Orleans. I tried to think back to the times I've seen them. First time: Jazz Fest afternoon show. Skipped out of school early with friends senior year of high school. 1993. Liberating, sunny, beautiful afternoon in the grass. Sometime mid-college. New Orleans. 1995? Some arena setting. Wrote a paper about it for anthropology class. Summer of 1995, Denver. Another time somewhere around here, another arena setting, with sister and friends, the least favorite of the shows, where we joked that they played every song we never wanted to hear. The glorious Chastain Park, summer of 1999 (I think). And that was the last time. Beautiful, outside, transcendent, circled back to that first Jazz Fest show.

Can't believe it had been 10 years. Because I am a nerd and like my iPhone's notes function, I typed the songs in as they played on Saturday night. This is organized by album and not by order of when played in show and will likely only appeal to longtime fans. Basically all you need to know about the setting is that it was standing room only at Tipitina's, shoulder-to-shoulder and hip-to-hip with strangers and friends, totally smoky (only downside), and that the crowd was very enthusiastic and it was basically one big massive singalong. The Girls seemed psyched to be there and very moved to be playing at Tipitina's -- one thing about shows in New Orleans is that the artists really romanticize the city and love it, which makes for a cool vibe. Amy Ray definitely dominated; she also rarely wiped the huge grin from her face, which was endearing; Emily's voice was still really beautiful but was a little tired every now and then. Emily said to the sweaty crowd that it's like taking a bath all the time when you're in New Orleans. Only missed opportunity: Southland in the Springtime. Seemed like a no brainer to me. Major annoyance: couple next to me who slumped over each other's shoulders, closed their eyes, and swayed back and forth the entire night, bumping me with every sway, like they were on their own personal dance floor or competing on Slow Dancing with the Stars. Otherwise, no complaints. Okay, here goes. (I'm going to link to some video, high quality if possible, for some of these ... not necessarily from this show but good recordings. Some of them will include Brandi Carlile, just because that makes me happy.)

Indigo Girls

Land of Canaan: Super fun, of course.

Closer to fine: Last song before encore. Audience member bid $9,000 to walk onstage, drink in hand, to sing final verse onstage with the band and get CD recording of it. She really knocked it out and turns out my friend knows her. She is an OBGYN. Money went to charity (Sweet Home New Orleans).

Nomads, Indians, Saints

Watershed: This one came out of the blue for me and I was so glad they played it. What a beautiful song. One of my all-time favorites.

Rites of Passage

Galileo (2nd encore song, last song of show, with Bonerama -- lots of horns, random but good): Since Closer to Fine and Shame On You had already been played, I was having trouble thinking of a really upbeat encore song. I turned to my sister and said, "I guess all they can play last is Chickenman?" She looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "Um, GALILEO!?" Duh. Obviously. She is smart. It was a fantastic closer.

Swamp Ophelia

Power of Two
Least Complicated

These are not my 2 favorites from this album -- Mystery and The Wood Song and Language or the Kiss are -- but they were fun to sing along to and the crowd loved them.

Shaming of the Sun

Get Out the Map: My sister and I worked on a top 10 of all time list to kill time while driving to New Orleans, and I'm pretty sure this made it, though we didn't write it down so I can't remember. I never thought they would play it, and it was great to hear. Meant something to my brother since he's leaving for a 3-week Europe backpacking trip in a week. Beautiful song.

Shame on you: I've always really loved this one; also a surprise to hear. Really fun in concert, clearly. Almost explosive joy from the crowd.

Come On Now Social

Oziline: I have never really gotten into this album.
Go: Ditto.

Become You

Become You: Decent song, kind of random. Not my fave from this album, but I like it well enough. (Those would be Deconstruction, Collecting You, Hope Alone, Our Deliverance, and She's Saving Me, all of which I love.)

All That We Let In

Fill It Up Again: They played these back to back and I felt they were totally random.
Heartache for Everyone -- Cute songs, sure, but nothing epic.

My two favorite songs from this album are the title track and Come On Home. It would have been nice to hear them in the place of these, but I am not going to quibble.

Prom (Amy Ray Solo Album)

Let It Ring: She did this onstage by herself and blew the roof off the place; hard to put into words; beautiful; spiritual; a prayer. Awesome!

Posiedon and the Bitter Bug (New Album)

Love of our Lives
Sugar Tongue
Driver Education
What Are You Like
Ghost of the Gang
Digging for Your Dream
Fleet of Hope: My fave song on new album.

when I was a girl

all of my fancy took flight

and I had this dream

could outshine anything

even the darkest night

now I wait like a widow

for someone to come back from sea

I've always known

I was waiting for me

I'll Change: My 2nd fave song on new album.
Second Time Around: First encore song.

It was a wonderful road trip with my sister and her new husband and our little brother. We ate pizza on a Magazine Street sidewalk and drank beer beforehand. We sang until we were hoarse. The staff held tall stacks of plastic cups to hand concertgoers on the way out to pour their drinks into and carry out into the night. We didn't get home until morning. When I woke up, my hair and pores and pillowcase smelled like smoke. I'm a little too old for that. But I will always go back to see the Indigo Girls. I love them forever!

Avett Brothers!

Alert. Bulletin. Alert.

Last night I saw the Avett Brothers in concert. ("Avett" rhymes with "pave it," not "have it.")

I am a relatively new fan. My friend put a couple of their songs on a mix CD for me, and I loved them. So he made me a "best of" CD. Then B. gave me "Emotionalism" for my birthday. So I've been digging them for a little while, and I looked to see if they were on tour and by some miracle coming anywhere near here. And they were! And they did, last night.

I bought tickets for B. and me, not realizing he'd have a final the next day. So I brought my little brother instead, knowing he would be inspired musically. The show was set for 8:00, and I knew he had to leave by 9:30 for his own gig, but I figured he'd still see plenty of them.

Well, that was not to be. There was an opening act who was on for the nearly the whole first hour. Matt Butcher. He sang and played the guitar and harmonica and did a fine job and seemed like a nice person. But I don't stay up late, and I was starting to yawn a little bit. And it was no reflection on him; I'm just usually in bed with a book by around that time.

And then it was time for the Avett Brothers, and nothing I'd seen online or heard on CD prepared me for the show I saw last night.

Scott Avett came on stage at about 9:00. And he came out alone and he sang this song called "Murder in the City."

And his voice immediately filled the small theater and I saw my little brother sit up a little bit, like, "Huh," and my yawns ceased immediately. And then Seth Avett joined him, just like he does in that clip. And they sang this song about sharing a name and maybe that song is supposed be about husbands and wives or something, but to me in that moment, it was about mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers, and I was so glad to be sitting there next to mine. "Always remember there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name." SO! That was a poignant and great way to start the show.

I'm not exactly sure what came next. "Shame," maybe? Which is one of my favorites and it was unsurprisingly fantastic. My brother turned to me wide-eyed as the guys jumped around and sang beautifully and played masterfully and said as if awestruck, "I've never seen anything like this." I said, "I KNOW." Joining the brothers onstage were of course Brad Crawford on the upright bass and also Joe Kwon, who did things with a cello I did not think possible. Sadly, my brother had to leave 30 minutes into the set and I stayed by myself. This theater is small and sort of upscale, and people were sitting somewhat sedately even though clearly enjoying the show from their seats at this time. Not long thereafter, a very loud and bossy guy stood up and started rousing the crowd to get up. "COME ON, Y'ALL," he yelled in sputtering disbelief at the top of his lungs. "GET UP AND DANCE!" And that was all it took and the crowd was on its feet. I think this was during "Paranoia in B flat Major." And lo, it was so fun. And the next song was "Die, Die, Die," which was what I'd been waiting for. And it was great!

And the whole show was just so great. There was a buzz in the air. Somehow the band managed to be having so much fun while also being really serious and professional and it's hard to explain. Sweat was pouring down their faces and there was jumping up and down and the kicking of legs in the air and strings were popping all over the place and Joe Kwon was picking up his cello and playing it while swinging it around and people were dancing and clapping and it was just so damn joyous. Even when things went wrong, like feedback or whatever, if they couldn't get it just right, Scott Avett would shrug from the drumset and command, "Let's go with it!" Scott Avett = very in charge of the whole situation. ("More bass!" "More banjo, please!") By the time they got to "Salina," another of my favorites, and Seth Avett sat down at the grand piano to play the end of the song, tears were streaming down my face because the piano combined with the bass and the cello were so beautiful. That song is a beautiful piece work. DAMN, IT WAS AWESOME.

I can't remember the exact setlist, but they played a couple of brand new songs. One was "And It Spread." Which I loved. "When I Drink" was quiet and lovely and "The Weight of Lies" was lovely and powerful. They came out for an encore when the crowd would neither sit down nor shut up.

I don't really know what else to say. This band makes beautiful music. They are very intense on stage, whether intensely playful or intensely emotional or intensely energetic or just intensely ... intense. Their harmonies are amazing and their lyrics are awesome and they can rock their instruments like nobody's business. Banjoes make the world a better place when played by Scott Avett.

Their songs individually and their show as a whole somehow ran my heart and soul through the entire range of human emotion. I cannot explain it any better than that except to say that the top of my head was vibrating with joy the entire time, even when my heart felt like it was breaking. This morning, I was feeling weepy for other reasons and boo-hooing on the way to work, and "Shame" came on and I started cracking up laughing through my tears at the memory of how wonderful it was live onstage last night.

All I can say is LISTEN UP, AMERICA. They are on tour and they are probably coming near you. Chicago? Are you listening, Chicago? May 14. (The only one of you who is exempt from going is the one who might be giving birth right around that time.) Philly? Is that you? May 25. Alexandria? Yes, Alexandria. That means you, my sister and Elizabeth. And the list goes on and on. Just do yourself a favor and go! I don't care what kind of music you like. I can't imagine your not liking this music or not enjoying the living hell out of this band's show.

I'm so glad I went. I'm so glad I went. I'm so glad I went. You will be, too. I swear.

OMG, BUBLE

I cannot explain my thoughts about Michael Buble without prefacing with a little about my feelings about Harry Connick, Jr. Basically, I fell in love with Harry in 1989 at the age of 14. I first saw him in concert in the fall of 1990, and I still have my t-shirt from that show. The back was eaten through with holes by silverfish, and I still wear it sometimes to sleep. It is soft and thin and has his face on the front and the tour cities on the back. I bought every album he ever made until a few years ago, and I saw him in concert after that first time more times than I can honestly count. I saw him perform in big venues, small venues, and the Angola prison yard. I have loved him for approximately the past two decades of my life. It was Harry who taught me the great standards sung in past generations by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and so forth and inspired me to buy those albums, too. Basically, it was Harry who made me fell in love with the idea of someone crooning in front of a big band, and it's Harry who has always represented that kind of music for me.

So a few years ago, I guess 2004 or so? I went home with my friend K. to her parents' house in Lakeview for a party. Her mom was watching a DVD of some dude named Michael Buble and going on and on about how awesome he was. I was like, who is this Buble and who does he think he is? Harry Connick, Jr. hadn't been making his big band albums for a long time, of course, but in my mind, he was the modern embodiment of this music and no one else needed to bother to come along and do the same kind of thing. That was my first knowledge of Buble. A few years later, after K.'s parents lost their house and their business in Lakeview, along with her brother and his family, something inspired K. to make me copies of Buble's first two albums for me. She'd already seen him in concert a few times by then and basically insisted. I don't really remember what made me have a change of heart, but I've basically worn out those albums by now, and she gave me his most recent one for Christmas. When she invited me to come to his show last night with her and her mom and some of their old Lakeview neighbors who also lost everything, I said sure.

And I'm so glad I did. I owe my pal K. big for the invitation. We went out to dinner across the street from their old neighbor's new Warehouse District loft, which is completely awesome, but not awesome enough to keep her from wanting to rebuild in Lakeview as soon as possible. She is 74 years old. Much of the dinner conversation was peppered with talk about their neighborhood, their neighbors, things that were lost in the storm (the Buble DVD, for one), their new lives.

Highlights of the Buble concert:

We were at a vantage point where we were able to see him sneak into a floor seat, largely undetected, in a t-shirt, jeans, and baseball cap, to watch the opening band, Naturally 7. Everyone seemed very oblivious to this, but K. has Buble Radar, apparently. Three young teenaged girls noticed him eventually, as they were sitting right behind him, and did not hesitate to grab him around the neck and hug him with all their might. The silver-haired gentleman next to him eventually noticed, too, and shook his hand, but it was all very discreet. Three very hot girls in front of him noticed and took pictures of him with their camera phones. No one else really noticed, but that was enough for him and he went back to sit on a stool on the floor below the side of the stage, ducking as far out of sight as possible.

Early after exploding onto the stage for his first song, "I'm Your Man," he greeted the audience and gushed about his love for the Mother's po-boys he'd had earlier that day and welcomed his waitresses, whom he'd invited and who screamed and waved from their floor seats.

He interacted with the audience time after time, holding the microphone down for the crowd to sing along. I honestly don't know that I've ever been to a concert when the performer bent so far over backwards to include the crowd.

He seemed genuinely amazed that the last time he played in New Orleans, a month before Katrina, there were 1,100 people there, and now there were nearly 10,000. It's not that surprising to me considering he's about 10 times more famous now than he was then, but he seemed blown away that this had happened in New Orleans. He dedicated "Home" to the audience and the people of New Orleans, and immediately thousands of women reached for Kleenex in their purses. A few lines into the song, an image of an old Bourbon Street sign faded up on the giant video screens, and people clapped and cheered. The video reel of New Orleans images continued as he sang and people wept and embraced, and a shot of two big LSU flags hanging from a French Quarter balcony rail appeared, and the Arena full of very emotional people went completely bananas. It was somewhat awesome.

I already knew that Buble could clearly sing and had a great voice, but I had no idea that he is such a showman. If he does not have the absolute time of his life performing on stage, then he is the best faker I've ever seen. He oozed charisma and enthusiasm from every molecule in his body, from the tips of every hair on his head to the tips of his toes. It was a polished show, sure, as anything on a tour of this magnitude is, but it was never slick. You can't fake that kind of sincerity and joy and spontaneity onstage. At least that's what I choose to believe.

At one point during the show, he stopped and pointed to the three young teenaged girls we'd seen him being embraced by during the opening act. The camera man pointed at them, so their dumbsquizzled and ecstatic faces appeared on the screens. He had them shout out their names and ages and welcomed them and said, "Without young little cutie-pies like you keeping me straight, I'd turn into Amy Winehouse so fast ..." Then he ran down to take pictures with them, and he grabbed the silver-haired guy he'd sat next to during the opening act and gave him a huge kiss on the cheek.

He explained that he would secretly listen to the old big band artists on his walkman at school and not let anyone know because it wasn't cool. Then one day he saw a hot girl open her locker, which had a pin-up picture of Harry Connick, Jr. in it. He thought to himself, "I'm on the right track after all." It was nice of him, I thought, to give a little shout-out to Harry while playing in his hometown.

There were several encores; I lost count. Everyone was on their feet by the time "Save the Dance for Me" came along, which made me very happy. He finished by standing on the edge of the stage and singing with no musical accompaniment -- and no microphone -- "A Song for You." Everyone in the audience was silent and still, and he just sang it out so loudly and beautifully that I couldn't even believe how great it sounded considering that the Arena is not exactly Carnegie Hall.

I paid a lot for my ticket, but if I'd paid double that, it still would have been worth it because Buble gives you that much bang for your buck. I'm still in a state of stunned euphoria over the whole thing. I had to take the day off from work to recover, which I've spent so far grocery shopping, having lunch and shopping with my mom, and trimming more of my giant mutant shrubs.

I don't know what else to say. I don't even care what kind of a dog Buble might be in real life. His show was phenomenal. If you have the chance, you really just need to see for yourself.