They Exceeded....

Great Expectations

The plans were made and we were ready to go. It would be Eric, my son who is a musician and Gram Rea, who is a musician friend and a member of The Mulligan Brothers. Tonight it would be just the two of them.

Just the two were enough for the job. As they greeted and set up their equipment in preparation for a night of fun and folly, I enjoyed watching them speak of getting together for recording on future projects. They were like two old buddies that had been apart for a long time and pleased at the opportunity to “hangout”for the evening. This was clearly not work to them but rather the chance to play together.

From the time the first note of music was played the evening was magnificent, it was entertaining and it was even better than the audience had hoped. There is no way to fully explain the atmosphere in Manci’s Antique Club in Daphne, Alabama last night. You had to be there. This was a show not just for hearing, but also for feeling and we felt it all the way to our bones.

Gram is a multi-talented musician who is right at home with a fiddle, a mandolin, a harmonica and with vocals as well. He listens to the song and finds his place in it. Instinctively Gram knows which instrument works and where it will sound the best. Eric welcomes the partnership as he proceeds through one song after the next, loving every second of it.

The applause was reflective of the utter joy of the crowd. There was clapping at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the songs; as everyone rose and fell with the emotions these guys sent to us. Anticipation of each word and note grew as the night progressed and spirits were lifted one song at a time. I believe that every soul that occupied a chair in Manci’s last night was lifted up and inspired.

They played mostly original songs, but some covers and some that they made up on the spot. There was even a moment in time when Eric and Gram, feeling the energy and love of the crowd, broke out in dance. The faced each other while playing and did everything from a nerd dance to a Russian dance and the crowd roared. It was not a HUGE crowd but it was a respectable sized crowd and those who attended were so happy they were a part of this magic.

There was great expectation and those expectations were met and exceeded by these two artists last night. Bravo to Gram and Eric for the impressive show they presented. These guys threw out tons of spirit and joy to their audience and it stuck like glue to everyone as they looked on with great big smiles and hearts filled with love. 

These are the kind of moments the world needs to experience. This is the peace and harmony that is lacking in so many lives. We listened and let ourselves be transported to the place in the song and the emotions that it imposed; all outside worries and concerns were temporarily erased. That is what real music is supposed to do. Thank you Gram Rea and Eric Erdman, you did your job well and exceeded our great expectations!