It Smells Like Music

No...the title of this post is not a play on Nirvana's smash hit from 1991. It's one of my favorite things that Katy has ever uttered. We were at Merlefest, and I smelled something unfamiliar. I asked Katy, "What is that smell?" Her witty retort was, "It smells like music." I still have yet to figure out exactly what music smells like, but with some time I may be able find out what makes up that alluring scent. Perhaps, I'll be able to bottle it up, and sell it - TM Adam King.

Recently we attended my 4th Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC. As far as music festivals go, this is the most family friendly one that I've attended. So it was great to take Amelia (Yes, we took our 10 month old to a bluegrass music festival) to share in the music, moments, and memories. We always love hearing live music, and discovering new bands. With the lineup at this year's Merlefest, Katy and I were most excited to see The Avett Brothers.

Katy has seen them many times, and I've seen them on 4 separate occasions. You may be asking yourself, "Why would you see 1 band so many times?" Well....some bands are worth it to me, and every show is different. Every time we've seen The Avett Brothers, they have had someone different accompany them - sometimes for the entire show. Halfway through their set, I turned to Katy and said, "I hope they play 'Murder in the City'."

It's one of my favorite tracks of theirs, and I had never seen them play it live. It's a great song about murder, revenge, grace, family, and love. It's a murder ballad, but not in the typical way.  A few minutes after I told Katy about my hope. Scott Avett began a solo, and the familiar chords rang out amongst the hills surrounding the Watson Stage. It did my heart good to hear that song, and that's why I love live music. It's also the reason I'll see some bands multiple times.

I have a question that I like to ask people. It tells me a lot about them by answering 1 question - so I'll ask you to0:

What are your top 3 concerts of all time? I'll give you my 3...with a caveat - my list changes based on who I've recently seen, and how I'm feeling that day.

1. Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Bonnaroo 2003
2. Nickel Creek at The Ryman 2014
3. Ben Folds with the Nashville Symphony at Jackson Hall 2010 (#3 is constantly in flux)

So....there you have it - Go!