Amos

So imagine this......you get on a BOS -> LAX morning flight, hit LA a little bit past lunch time, and then get on another 6 hour flight to Lihue. By the time you land in Kauai, you've been traveling about 17 hours (if you include drive to airport, security, etc), and it's late afternoon in Hawaii. You get off the plane, somewhat dishelved depite flying first class, head to the outdoor baggage claim where it's warm, humid, you can feel a line of sweat dripping down your lower back and a screaming child is parked near your spot at the carousel. Finally, you get your bags, get the convertible rental car, put down the top, roll down the windows and enjoy the sea breeze. Now, only thing left to do is call that 808 phone number, talk to some guy named Bryce and get the keys to the cottage that cost more for 5 days than your monthly salary for your first job out of college.

Bryce actually does exist, answers the phone and says drive north to mile marker #23. There will be a gas station on your right. Look for the black SUV. And so you do, for 45 min, through the Aloha Friday rush hour traffic on the only main road on the island. Finally, you see mile marker #22, then #23, then the gas station and wow, there really is a black SUV there. Bryce gets out, introductions all around, says follow me and hands you a CD to throw into the dashboard player. It says, "Amos Lee" on it. Hmmmm....who's that? Oh well, no worries, throw it in there and give it a listen. Starts off with Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight. With that soundtrack, you drive through a neighborhood toward the Kilauea Lighthouse, then through private gates down a long drive, to a very private cottage on a cliff overlooking the Pacific and Secret Beach on Kauai.

That was my introdution to Amos Lee. Just hearing his music brings me back there, to what has to be one of the most incredible places I've ever stayed on vacation. For my birthday, besides the toaster-to-die-for, S surprised me with two tickets to see Amos at the Somerville Theater. (Right around my birthday, I saw a blurb in the paper that he was in town. I tried to get tickets but they were all sold out. Good thing given S had bought two tix weeks earlier.) I knew the seats were good but both of us were surprised to find ourselves sitting front row center (who knew row B would be front row?). Lucy Wainright Roche (yeah, Rufus' sister) kicked it off with a fun, acoustic mellow set. Then Amos with his bass player, keyboard guy and drummer brought me back to that first warm Kauai evening. Fantastic concert - one of the best I've been to. I love my birthday. :)