Rain, Please Go Away!

Austin City Limits 2011 proved to be a hot, humid rainy experience...shocking, I know! This year I only went on Saturday, primarily to see Stevie Wonder, but also partially because I don't find the whole "music festival" experience all that appealing.  Believe me, as an aspiring artist I desperately WANT to, but I'd just much rather be on stage performing for hundreds or thousands than in the tightly-packed crowds watching.  Sure, music festivals sound great in theory, but I've always found they are not nearly so rosy and perfect in the execution.  Somehow, I always end up getting sick...and it's so hot in Austin, Texas come September that I usually feel so gross and tired I end up wanting to just go home and shower instead of staking out a prime spot to see my favorite band.  That being said, without fail, each year I buy a ticket anyway and march on down to Zilker Park!  This year, despite the rain and the heat and inevitably sticky feeling all over my body, I had an awesome experience that almost made it all worth it.

 I was incredibly excited to see Allison Krauss and Union Station, but her performance far exceeded my expectations!  She just always puts a smile on my face!  Her music is lively and soulful and her voice nothing short of angelic.  But it's not just that...there is something about her music that is soothing to me.  

When I was in school at the College of William and Mary, I was going through some of the roughest times of my life.  Far from home and trapped in what seemed like an endless cycle of pain, I loved to take drives around the beautiful countryside and just listen to her music.  It always brought a stillness to my heart.  Because of this, I knew that seeing her live for the first time in my new home of Austin, Texas, after coming so far (literally) from where I had been, the show would be special to me regardless.  

Allison's music has an organic quality about it.  I don't listen to a ton of folk music and am usually not the type to want to listen to songs about hoeing the crops or dancing at the hoe down, but let me tell you, this woman makes you wish you were born in a Louisiana swamp stomping at a community hoe-down...at least that's what her music does to me ;).  It always makes me crave simplicity and feel a deep connection to those around me on a humanity level.

So...I was standing there dancing like a fool to one of her tunes, when it began to rain.  What is it about rain that makes us feel so blissful and melancholy all at the same time?  Knowing a great majority of her songs like the back of my hand, I thought to myself "I hope they play 'Rain Please Go Away!'"  And sure enough they did!  Getting to see a band adapt to a live situation like that and move around the order of their songs to sing about something that was actually happening was so much fun!  I've posted a couple of videos I took below so please enjoy!  And if you don't listen to the Krauss now...you definitely should!

"Rain, Please Go Away"

Also, as a side note, I thought her outfit was adorable!  She always looks so stunning and this was no different with her beautiful pink dress and flowy hair.  Verryy conducive to playing ACL.

"Baby, Now That I've Found You"

Music connects us all and brings so much to our lives.  Don't forget its beautiful power!

XOXO,

Kristin