Amazing Amos Lee

I had the pleasure of attending one of the best concerts ever last night. Amos Lee, who I can't even remember how I came across, gave an amazing show in Richmond at the National. I would say there were fewer than a thousand people there, we were 10 rows back and the $20 spent on the ticket was the best $20 I have spent in a long long time. Though he's been around for a while - he just put out his 3rd album - I guess the fame hasn't hit yet.

He was so humble and so genuine. A true pleasure to listen to. His music is bluesy. Folksy. Rocking at times. Funky. A lot of acoustic. Amazing guitar. Especially considering he didn't even start playing guitar until he was in college. He is one of those artist that the music just flows through, from the top of his hip hat to the bottom of the souls of his shoes. All the great musicians are like this from Dave Matthews, who couldn't stand still and sing if you paid him, to James Taylor, who moves around the stage more than any guy out there.

I went in obsessed with the songs Sweet Pea, Southern Girl and Arms of a woman and came out knowing I would go home and as soon as I recovered buy every other song I can find. I came out obsessed with Night Train, Listen and Careless. I even talked my nephew into pulling his version of Ain't No Sunshine off of youtube and making it into something I could listen to on my iphone. It is one of the funkiest versions of that song you will ever hear. Thank God for today's youth and their computer savvy!




There was a moment during the show where the song ended, part of the lyric is "I want to know I want to know I want to know" well the crowd though not huge decided to keep on singing. What happened next was a moment that you won't get at a huge concert. He stepped back to the mic, said "I guess we're not done" and restarted the song again just jamming with the crowd singing. I could tell by the smile on the face of the bass guitarist that it was a moment. And tell me this, why are bass guitarist always the smoothest dudes in the place.