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Wow! So much to talk about, and so little time. The finale of the Brian Wright and the Sneakups residency was nothing short of spectacular. A large crowd filled with so many amazing musicians and songwriters. All of the shows were amazing. Brian Wright is an incredible songwriter and performer. His album Lapse of Luxury is guaranteed to be in the top tier. When I named him E2TG Artist of the Year a couple of years back, he already had a long and successful career behind him. In some ways, he didn't fit the mold of my usual artists of the year (if I even have a mold), but I did it because at that point, he was busy backing other people and working behind the scenes at Cafe Rooster Records, and yet every time he played his own music (either solo or with a band), I was completely blown away. I am glad to see him working on his own music. Special guests last night were Nikki Barber of The Minks who performed one of her own songs, and Aaron Lee Tasjan who covered a classic Brian Wright song.
After that, I had the unexpected but wonderful opportunity to go to the Bluebird Cafe for a round featuring Stacey Earle, Mark Stuart (who is her husband), and two people represented in yesterday's shuffle (Jason Ringenberg and Peter Cooper). I feel compelled to point out that my shuffles are all random, so it was pure coincidence that they were in the shuffle and that I got to go to the show. Turns out, it was Jason's first time playing the storied venue. Kind of hard to believe that one of Nashville music's most iconic figures had never played one of Nashville's most iconic rooms. It was also a super rare chance to see Jason play while sitting down (you could tell it took effort for him not to bounce around). Peter Cooper demonstrated not only his incredible skills as a songwriter but also his deep understanding and appreciation for Nashville music. Stacey Earle is a name I've been following for decades in the Nashville music world. She is an wonderful songwriter, has a lovely voice, and is - as Jason said - one of the best rhythm guitar players around. I wasn't familiar with Mark Stuart's music before last night, but now I want to be.
One final note, I was a huge Atlanta Brave's fan back in the 1980s and early 90s. I watched almost every game on TBS and knew all the players. Turns out that the daughter of the Braves' centerfield and base stealing phenom from those days - Brett Butler - was working the door at the Bluebird. Peter Cooper announced that and then did a song he wrote that mentioned the double play combination of Ramirez to Hubbard to Chambliss. He also performed possible my all time favorite baseball song - "Opening Day".
Onward into the shuffle!
