Nickel Creek on stage. Saw it.

I got to experience the reunion tour of Nickel Creek. To summarize how it was without the fluff, it was awesome. To explain it with the fluff I have to start with the ticket purchase.

I heard about Nickel Creek getting back into the studio through Twitter. Then I promptly forgot about the tour that would be associated with the promotion of product of that studio time. Thanks to my second favorite form of entertainment, YouTube, I was reminded. I looked up the tour and saw that I had less than three weeks before there was a show. I tried to get my former roommate to come with me. He was after all the person who tried to introduce me to the band. I let him know that this was his chance. Having once told him that I would give the band a listen when I saw them live, them no longer being disbanded made it a joke on me.

The show was held in the beautiful Majestic Theater in downtown Dallas. I went alone. Turns out it was bad timing for my former roommate. My seat was just four rows back from the stage. Something that would have worried me as I was right under the wolfers but the sound carried well enough without the audio needing to be turned up too loud. I managed to have a good conversation with the ladies sitting on either side of me. They were both there alone as well and neither one from the area. Things started with Sarah Jarosz playing her set. During it I made a mental note to look into more of her work. She was rather good. Side note, she looks younger to me in person than she comes across through singing and videos. Her soulfully rounded voice didn't connect to the youthful face I saw on stage. Good nonetheless.

We waited a bit, though not as long as I expected, for Nickel Creek to get set up and come to the stage. I shall note that once again I attended a concert where I was not all that familiar with the music of the performer. I knew and am quite a fan of Chris Thile. I missed him the last time he came through town and decided to not make that mistake again. He seemed to talk more between set than when I saw him with the Punch Brothers. That may have been what encouraged the heckler. More on that later.

The lights lower and here come Sara, Sean and Chris plus a gentleman who played the bass. The audience cheered like a bunch of nuts. They jumped right into their set. There was a mixture of old versus new. Coming out of one song we were told that every word of it was true and that the same was true about the next tune. The next tune being an instrumental piece. Every word.

After wrapping up another song Chris launched into one of my most enjoyed parts of the night:

Chris: That last piece was a happy tune. It's safe to say this next piece isn't. Well, it's safe for me to say. Maybe not you guys. That's the advantage of knowing the set list. I can say it, you cannot. I can accurately say that the next song isn't a happy tune --
Heckler (from the balcony): I can't wait to hear it!
Sara (from out of nowhere): You may have to.
Audience: cheers wildly
Chris: Yeah, it's safe to say the next song isn't happy. Knowing the set list, sir, I can tell you that it may only agitate you. I know that about the next 3 minutes and 15 seconds... or 7 minutes if I keep talking. It's full of anger and doubt and actually may be perfect for you. You know what? I dedicate the next song to you, sir, in the balcony. I give you permission to let it all out. We can have a moment of silence just the two of us to start. Does a hushing motion to the laughing audience and then turns to the balcony and does a you-and-me gesture. 

He stood there silently for a moment before launching You Don't Know What's Going On. It was awesome. They were back lit with red lights and Chris played his mandolin so hard I wondered how long before he needed to refinish the instrument. Nuggets of joy like that continued. Chris later let us in on the reason Nickel Creek took a six and a half year break. They simply ran out of names for instrumental songs.

The show was incredible. I got a new appreciation for Hayloft. Destination is one of my new favorite songs. In the true form that these guys are incredible performers they left us with the greatest performance of Where is Love Now. Due to the acoustics of the Majestic being what they are the four of them unplugged for the final song. They came to the front of the stage. There were simple white light beams pointed at the ceiling. They started to play. I thought for sure they were going to do an instrumental and was surprised when Sara lowered her fiddle and started to sing. My wonderment peaked as her beautiful, lilting voice rang out in the quiet auditorium. I was carried through to the end with my mouth open in awe. It was one of the many times when music left me with the desire to hold myself. I felt as though I needed to keep my heart from flying away. As they sang and played the lights slowly lowered from pointing up to at the audience. Slowly swallowing Sara, Sean, Chris and the bassist in the light until it completely engulfed them. The last few notes rang out and the lights faded to black. There was a moment of silence where I heard a man a row behind me whisper what was on my mind. A simple, "wow." At that moment I knew I wasn't alone in being haunted by that performance.

The show was incredible. Funny, entertaining and filled with the stirrings that make music seem human. I had butterflies in my stomach throughout the show and loved every minute of it. Even the heckler because we were laughing at his expense at the end. (Something I completely condone when someone is senselessly rude to performers and fellow audience members.) Nickel Creek. I'd go to another of their shows in a heartbeat as my wild cheering annotated as they bowed.