Songs of Love

We walked up to the Vaudeville Mews entrance only to be stopped by a couple well-meaning fans encouraging us to see a great artist there that night. Wisely. Yeah, we know. So we walk in, pay the $5 cover, order a beer, and settle in with all 3 other people. Yep, roughly 5 people in Des Moines came out to see Wisely at an early Friday night show. Sure, I can come up with a lot of excuses (Oktoberfest, early show, Des Moines radio sucks, what do you expect from the town that gave the world Slipknot, etc.), but I was disappointed. That feeling wouldn't last long.

Seconds later, we were informed the show was pushed back to 9:45. Refund, right? Yeah, not so much. Nonetheless, the bartender encouraged Willie to play a few tunes for us - and shockingly, he did. Class act. We got to sit back and enjoy 5 or 6 great Wisely tunes (I forgot - I was a bit excited). It was as personal a concert I have ever and will likely ever experience, and it was unforgettable. It was a truly interactive experience as Willie asked for requests. He was about to finish with my new favorite tune Through Any Window before Mrs. 2poppy made some wiseass remark about my geek-crush on Jenna Fischer. Willie had lost the desire to do the tune. Dammit.

We come back a few hours later to see the rescheduled show. Yep, another $5. Really, Mews, really? But it's only $5 and it is Wisely, so be it. The crowd has engorged to about a dozen or so, not counting the night's next band moving in all their equipment right in front of the stage. We were rewarded with about an hour of excellent Wisely tunes until the Mews basically forced him offstage to make way for that other band. He sounds as good live as you'd expect. And we got Through Any Window.

Thanks, Willie. I've seen so many concerts that I've lost count (not that I ever kept count). Yours was truly a unique experience and one that renewed my passion for music in ways I never expected. Plus Mrs. 2poppy now has a crush - and keep in mind she picks her music crushes quite carefully.