"Out on the road, out on the road, I'm Willy Loman, I'm Tom Joad, Vladimir and Estragon, Kerouac and Genghis Khan..." Loudon Wainwright III

So we had bought the concert tickets months ago, and who would guess that the concert would be the same night as the opening round of the 2013 Boys State Soccer Tournament in Jamestown. As it is a school night we decided to skip soccer and go to a real live show. None other than a couple of my guitar singer/songwriter heroes. The opening act at the Belle was Loudon Wainwright III, who played all new music (from what will be close to album 20) and recited a couple of long pieces that were written by his father for Life magazine, and proved to be great setups for songs. I first saw him 27 years ago at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, and, yeah, he can't sing as well as he used to, and the playing isn't nearly as crisp (or complicated) but the sense of humor and storytelling were still there.

The headliner was Mr. Leo Kottke. He is really showing the wear and tear of aging, with what looks like arthritis and/or nerve damage to his right hand, and a pretty big decline in vocal skills. But still a great raconteur with stories that tease you and then deliver punchlines that are humorous and often moving. The twins were impressed with both characters but Kottke's skill and technique wowed them the most. I wish they could have seen him 30 years ago when his playing was at the peak - breathtaking.

Pretty small crowd, hope they do better in Fargo tomorrow night. We'll be off to Jamestown where BHS takes on West Fargo at 5:00 and Century meets Minot (upset 3-2 winners over Shanley in double overtime) in the Patriots quest for a three peat.

The photo is Loudon in the glare of the spotlights, Leo requested no photos or video so I honored that.