I bid you adieu, Bluegrass Trio.

The Queen MAB summer concert series has been extended, adding fall tour dates. Nickel Creek was the seventh stop, at the "rock-n-roll house of worship," the Ryman Auditorium.

The inclement weather didn't deter Mandy, Brad, Lisa, Miller, Mason, Lori, Amanda and myself from hopping over to the East side of Nashville, for some pre-concert sustenance at Beyond the Edge.

Nickel Creek recently announced they are taking an "indefinite break" from recording together and touring as a group, so I had been looking forward to this show for awhile. Overall, the concert was superb, yet a little more mellow than I prefer. Lisa, Jamey and I saw them last year at the War Memorial with the Ditty Bops, and the band rocked out, tearing off into upbeat bluegrass rifts. Funny thing is, the Ryman is a better venue for acoustics than the War Memorial, but I don't feel like the band took full advantage.


Some memorable moments of the evening:

• Sara Watkins broke a fiddle string and plopped down onstage for a good five minutes to re-string her instrument.

• Chris Thile expressing what an honor it is to play at the historical Ryman, and the band's attempt to create an "epic Ryman moment," by covering Britney Spears "Toxic."
  

• A 45-minute-long encore with appearances by banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck and classical-jazz musician, Edgar Meyer, both Grammy Award winners.

I'm pleased and honored to have witnessed such an exceptionally talented band perform live and I look forward to their various solo projects.

Sean Watkins "Blinders On"
Sara Watkins TBA Spring 2007
Chris Thile "How to Grow a Woman from the Ground"