A little bit country

A friend once told me that he liked country music because every song tells a story. At the time, my conception of country music was dominated by Shania Twain and "Achey Breaky Heart" so his claims fell on deaf ears.

Tonight, after my board duties for The Nonprofit were done, I joined a few of my fellow board members at The Bluebird Cafe, an unassuming little restaurant located in a strip mall near a major Nashville highway.

We were a bit late for the start of the show, featuring one Larry Jon Wilson and his acoustic guitar. Everyone in the restaurant was silent. No throat clearing, still as statues, don't you dare even whisper silent.

We were shown to our tables, served our beers and we watched this master storyteller in silence. I'm not a big country music fan, but Larry Jon was pretty enthralling. His voice was rich with wisdom and he coaxed light melodies from his guitar. He interspersed his songs with tales from his youth - and finally, I understood what my friend meant about country music storytelling.

I hesitated to order my dinner - barbeque! - but my hunger was too strong so I silently ate the meal when it arrived.

Larry Jon sang one song about San Francisco. It was a song about a homeless man asking for money. It seemed pretty appropriate.