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Hal Ketchum at the Joyful Noise Coffee House Saturday 3rd February 2007 by Melanie
Once in a blue moon,
something happens at a concert when all the elements and variables align
themselves - - the audience is right, the acoustics are right, the mood is
right - - and something magical happens. That's how I felt at this
concert on Saturday. It was absolutely amazing! Hal looked great, and
sounded extraordinary. His voice was completely at his command, and
it flowed like honey over warm mahogany! :)
The performance took
place in a church sanctuary, which provided absolute quiet and stillness,
except for the sound of Hal's voice. I could tell that he enjoyed that
too, and there were moments when you could have quite clearly heard a pin
drop.
Kenny Grimes accompanied
Hal on the guitar and back-up vocals, and they worked together
effortlessly. Kenny's amazing guitar work was repeatedly acknowledged by
the audience.
The show lasted close to
two hours, and Hal sang around twenty songs! I can't imagine that he
missed anyone's favourite. He also sang several from the new release
including Alamo and Little Red Dress. And to make the
evening even more magical, Hal sang the complete version of Poor
Lila's Ghost. It was mesmerizing, and certainly has a Celtic feel to
it. How on earth can he remember all 26 or so verses? I think the
audience felt quite honoured to have Hal perform the entire song for us.
The evening was absolute
perfection. There was nothing else Hal could have said, or done, or sung,
that could have possibly made it any better . . . .
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