Raising Sand

I just literally came home from the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss concert in Raleigh. IT WAS SOOOOO AWESOME!!! I am wired all night, I can tell you that already. Robert Plant has always been one of my music icons. I have been a huge fan of his since my angsty teen years. He came onto the stage and with a dirty wink he said “have you been behaving?” and I was lost in his world. Alison Krauss is awesome. I wasn’t sure what she would be like without Union Station but she is awesome and I wish I could walk in boots that are taller than my knees and play the fiddle. They sang really well together and played their new songs, and some older songs from their perspective careers with new twists. I can’t even begin to describe how alive I felt inside. I was standing there, on my own, doing something I love dearly and I just felt completely free. Their opening act Sharon Little was really awesome too. I really liked her voice and I will have to see if her music is out on itunes because she is a new artist.
I am really proud of myself for making it to the arena and back without getting lost or having a nervous breakdown in the parking lot. PEOPLE WERE DRIVING OVER MEDIANS IN THEIR AUDIS!!! What the hell!!! They didn’t have a whole lot of merch, so I ended up buying the $40 souvenir program but it was hardcover and told about their creative process and the songs on their album and the photography and styling in it was great. I am going to keep it next to the Wicked book that Sunshine bought me when he went to see Wicked. I was so jealous that he has seen Wicked twice and I haven’t seen it all but then I found out Idina Menzel who was the original Elphaba is coming to town and I was able to get a ticket and it’s next weekend so now I think we are even. I am guessing she will mostly sing from her latest solo album but I am hoping for a song from Wicked or Rent. I just feel so fortunate that I am living in an area where I can see performances like these and not have to drive five hours or worry about having to stay in a hotel overnight.

The funny thing is that the one time I go to a concert without Sunshine and my sister, I have a completely normal concert experience. No smoke, no pot being passed around, it was indoors, air conditioned, you could hear clearly and there wasn’t any obnoxious people sitting next to me. I was in the lower balcony so I had a great view and I liked not being crammed down with the mess of people on the floor. I am really glad that I convinced myself to go because this was honestly the best concert I have attended. You never know what a musician is going to sound like live in concert but Robert Plant and Alison Krauss exceeded my expectations.

In some non-musical news, I received my Red Heart Swap package this week. She sent me some really pretty colors of TLC Essentials which I don’t have so I am looking forward to trying them out. Yay! It is like Christmas whenever I get a swap box in the mail. I am almost done making the bag for the Going Green 2 Swap and I would have finished it tonight but I had a date with Robert Plant and his tight jeans instead. LOL. So I am going to finish it tomorrow morning. I came home from work and my 64 peg extra-fine gauge sock loom from Décor Accents was waiting for me by my doorstep. Mom and I have been wanting to try one out so I went ahead and ordered one. I was so excited that I rushed in the door and called Mom to tell her about it. She is one of the few people in my life that can appreciate the joy of receiving a sock loom in the mail. I am going to try it out once I finish the Going Green bag.

I can’t believe that it is after midnight and I am still wound up like a corkscrew. Anyways, I highly suggest cranking up the music and dancing like nobody’s watching after you finish reading this post. It’s okay, really. I can’t dance or carry a tune either.


By the way, Sunshine, if you're reading this can you send up a flare or something so that I know you're still around and locked in the band closet or something?