It couldn't have been better.

Yesterday, I was at the aforementioned table, next to us was Jean, Erin and Josh, and Madame Gashee was standing in back of me for a while. Well, until Naemanson stole my seat. (I accused SINSULL of getting him to sit there so she wouldn't have to listen to me blasting out choruses. I would have understood, but she swore that wasn't what happened.) In any case, I wound up smack in front of the performers. I don't know if anyone's had the opportunity to be about 4 feet directly in front of Don Sineti, but it's an experience! I could sing as loud as I wanted, and the buzz I got from the harmony probably loosened a couple of fillings. Close enough to see Gordon Bok's fingers and the little dance they did. (One finger on a fret, bends finger backwards at first joint to pick up adjascent string, straightens, then moves finger up a fret and back. Should have put a tiny little hula skirt on it.) And Cliff Haslam. If you can imagine...my favorite voice in the world singing an incredible song I'd never heard before, 3 feet from me. I had tears in my eyes just from the beauty of it.

It was great to see Kendall again. He might have looked like Death Eating a Cracker, at some point (as he described himself) but he looked very Kendallish to me. Must have been frustrating as hell to be around all that music and not be able to sing, but Kendall, your presence sure added something to our voices.

Too many highlights. The sound guy definitely was one of the stars. When you don't even notice the amplification...when you can still hear the folks on stage clearly, but the audience harmonies can also be heard - on gentle songs as well as loud, rowdy ones, and the night is pure magic because of it...

...it couldn't possibly have been any better.