Deliveries and Dogs

We were away for a few days visiting family. On the way back to Brooklyn, we stopped in Princeton, NJ to see Bruce Hornsby and Ricky Skaggs perform at the McCarter Theater on the university campus. Now, keep in mind, my musical sensibilites fall somewhere between Madonna and New Order. I didn’t anticipate enjoying the concert as much as I did. Boy, was I blown away!

For one thing, I forget how listening to live music can be such a special experience. It’s life affirming. And, bluegrass is just not a part of my musical repertroire, so, as much as I resist learning something new, I can’t help but open up. When I really tuned in during the concert, I could make make out the layers of sound, sometimes deep and sometimes tinny, like buttercream and sprinkles. Bruce Hornby and Ricky Skaggs are amazing musicians. And Ricky’s band, The Kentucky Thunder, were thrilling to watch. One of the guistarist’s hands and fingers moved so fast, it seemed like I was watching a video tape of him perform with the fast forward button accidentally pressed on the remote. 

Most of the show was based on the self-titled Skaggs-Hornsby collaboration that came out last spring. One of the highlights of the show was their performance of Track #11 from the album, the song “Super Freak.” As in Rick James’ “Super Freak.” It is simply sublime!