Friday, October 03, 2014

Oh, Paolo!


This guy. *Swoon*

So last night was an interesting experience.

A crazy storm came through the metroplex for about 10 minutes with 90 mph winds yesterday.

Some areas were hit worse than others. White Rock Lake area and East Dallas area seemed to have gotten hit the worse. Power outages, trees down, etc.

As I was driving to get to the venue last night, once I got to Mockingbird off the highway, it was very easy to see what had happened. Signal lights out, trees down everywhere. It was a mess. After finally making some headway and weaving in and out of the M streets, I finally make it to the Granada. I quickly notice that the power is out on this entire block of Greenville and notice the very long line starting to form at the venue. "This should be interesting" - I said aloud to myself in the car.

I parked in the Granada parking - there were people everywhere, but the atmosphere so bizarre with no power on the entire block. My new friend Nikki called me just as I parked and she said she asked someone what would happen if the power didn't come on...they told her that Paolo will still put on a show - it would be a candlelit acoustic set. Um, at this point I was hoping the power would stay out :)

So we made our way to the end of the ever increasing line for the show. No one was allowed in, so the amount of people in this line was crazy! It just kept winding and winding...luckily we ended up about 1/2 way in line. We stood in line for almost an hour with one guy coming around saying that a generator was on the way and they would be letting people in shortly. They finally started letting people in at 8:45. Doors were supposed to open at 7.

Immediately as you enter the Granada, the ambiance was...low and candlelit. Nikki and I went and purchased concert t-shirts and got a glass of wine, then trickled into the theater. Candles everywhere with the exception of the stage being lit up by a single generator. We pick our spot and we wait. As the people come piling in, it starts to get warm as the a/c obviously isn't working and the waft of vanilla candles starts to get a little strong. Nikki and I both found out that we have super sensitive nose powers in common last night.

Not long after, the music begins and Paolo takes the stage. The instruments are powered, the mics are powered and there are basic lights for the stage. Nothing fancy...no fancy light show. But the music was mindblowing.

I honestly am having a hard time putting this experience into words. I have seen a lot of concerts and live shows in my lifetime, and this one is definitely moved up to the top 5 list of my all time favorite shows. Paolo brought it. He did not disappoint. I was in shock and awe at how far he has come. I started listening to him when my friend Mike turned me onto him many years ago. He was just a baby. Cute, but just a baby. Loved his music.

Well, he has definitely grown into a man whose voice has matured vastly.

If you ever get a chance to check him out live, you MUST go. You will not be disappointed. His studio recordings have NOTHING on his live performance, and the studio recordings are amazing.

I talked to my friend Mike on the phone on my way to work this morning and told him about the show. He said it perfectly...."Anyone who is a true music fan would enjoy the shit out of a Paolo show. No matter what your music preference. He's the real deal".

Yes, he is.

What a memorable experience....I definitely won't be forgetting this evening anytime soon.

So, a heartfelt thank you Paolo for being a true gentleman, bearing with us and Mother Nature and delivering an unforgettable performance. You are one in a million.

Here's a small taste of part of one of his live performances:

Paolo Nutini @ Pinkpop 2014

No comments: