"Oh my..." My thoughts trailed off midsong.

It was last Saturday evening and me, TheWife™, and Stepson#1 were at a folk show. It was old friends Ellis Paul and Vance Gilbert. In a very cool format twist, they skipped the warmup/main act thing and instead shared the stage, trading songs and stories. I almost felt sorry for Ellis, having to keep a relatively straight face as the jokester Gilbert cut up on the other side of the room. I don't remember the song, but Vance declared that he had an interpretive dance for it. Somehow, Ellis made it through.

Now, we've seen Ellis Paul many times, but neither of us had seen Vance Gilbert. My only experience with him was the occasional song from college radio and the stellar record that both of them put out in 2003, Side Of The Road.

Well, after one song or so it became quite apparent that I'd been missing something truly great. Having absolutely zero vocal ability, I'm always jealous a fan of great singers. Gilbert has a beautiful, clear-toned tenor that just about knocked me out of my seat. It certainly sent me (OK, Stepson #1) out to the lobby to buy a copy of Unfamiliar Moon. I had no intention of leaving that theatre without the ability to hear my new favorite song again.

And that song, "Unfamiliar Moon," is one of those tunes that makes you glad you're a live person with working ears. It's a sad and powerful ballad with country-ish tinges that showcase Gilbert's voice. When he hit (and held) those long notes, my eyes welled up with... well, what is that anyway? It's almost like an internal emotional store expands beyond its bounds. It hurts. It feels good. Very overwhelming, is what it is.

My thought was, "Oh my...," and then I was gone.