Time for the second half of our day at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. rtb and I met up on the very long line going into Damrosch Park and were afraid that we wouldn’t make it in. We needn’t have worried. By the time we got inside there were still plenty of seats and we got some good seats up closer than we had been for Emmylou the other day. Unfortunately there was not a lot of room between rows and the seats are not made for asses as big as mine so it was a tight fit up there.

Once we snagged our seats I went out to have some of the Hill Country brisket bbq with coleslaw and cornbread all washed down with sweet tea. Perfect.

Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale opened the evening. Lauderdale broke a guitar string on the first note of the first song and declared that a good omen for the night. Their set was fun with each of them teasing the other and making good use of the great musicians in their band. There’s a lot of history between them and it shows in their music and their banter.

Middle set was Brooklyn band The Lone Bellow, which is Zach Williams (guitar, lead vocals), Kanene Donehey Pipkin (mandolin, vocals), and Brian Elmquist (guitar, vocals). On stage with them were also a drummer and bassist (upright and electric). This band works hard to sell themselves and sell their songs. They have beautiful harmonies and have a fanatic following.

Headliner Rosanne Cash played basically the same set and told the same stories I saw when she was at Town Hall earlier this year but she still captivated me with her charm, music, and stories. Again she played her latest album in order and to read the stories associated with the songs, you can go here: http://www.kronosphere.com/music/2014/03/20/rosanne-cash-town-hall-18-march-2014/.

During intermission there was a woman playing spoons sitting in front of us and I could hear the spoons during some of Rosanne’s songs.

Rosanne pointed out the big beautiful full moon behind us and it lent a magical light to the evening.

For the last song, Rosanne brought everyone out for Ray Price’s “Heartaches By the Number.”

Set List

A Feather’s Not a Bird
The Sunken Lands
Etta’s Tune
Modern Blue
Tell Heaven
The Long Way Home
World of Strange Design
Night School
50,000 Watts
When the Master Calls the Roll
Money Road
Radio Operator
Ode to Billie Joe
Moving On
Seven Year Ache
Heartaches By the Number

By Carene Lydia Lopez