Allison Krauss in Connecticut

A ticket to the Allison Krauss and Union Station concert came my way, so I nabbed it and headed to Connecticut with my sister and an acquaintance of hers. I'd never listened much to Allison Krauss, and typically I don't care for female vocals, but her voice was so sweet and clear, that it was a pleasure to listen to live.

As an added bonus, I discovered Union Station! If you live under a cultural rock like me (which is a running theme of this blog and should be made its subheading), then you may have heard - or even seen! - the popular film O Brother, Where Art Thou, with George Clooney, Morgan Freeman, John Goodman, etc, and directed by Joel Coen. Well, Union Station are the real Swampy Bottom Boys! The lead singer, Dan Tyminsky, introduced himself as the singing voice of George Clooney.

The songs, though twangy, were refreshing. When I was younger, I told myself that the only kind of country-honky-tonk-bluegrass I could listen to happily would be the type sung by the musicians from O Brother, Where Art Thou (this has been revised for some time). I enjoyed the concert, and from the first chords my pulse quickened a little bit. As the concert went on, some of the songs started to sound the same.

But when the group took a break and let Jerry Douglas play his stringed instrument, the dobro (it looked like a guitar turned on its back), the concert changed for me. He didn't sing but plucked at the strings so rapidly it was like he created a waterfall in sound. The music moved me; I could see a future for myself in the music he created.

Most of the concert sounded like bluegrass to me, but they shifted to a few gospel songs and two songs from OBWAT. It was beautiful and chilling to hear "I am a man of constant sorrow" and "Down to the river to pray" in-person, and another song written by Rob Block about suffering.

Overall, the concert was a good time, and a good investment at a beautiful location (Ives Concert Park near Western Connecticut University) in the midst of trees and nature. I couldn't imagine a more wonderful concert.