Hello. I saw two concerts this week. The first was a killer show by Jon Dee Graham. JD is a wonderful songwriter and guitar player from Austin, Texas. His gravel-toned voice and gut wrenching lyrics give your soul a firm jerk. I found myself laughing one moment and wiping a tear the next. We left the show thinking. He told a story about a recent trip to Berlin, which he described as a city with more shades of grey than he knew existed. He said he was in a down mood as he walked along a grey sidewalk and noticed graffiti on a wall that was only knee-high. The message scrawled on the wall was "I promise you a miracle." He's still waiting, but not giving up. He is confident that the message is legit. I loved his reserved optimism.

Then we went to see "an evening with Neil Diamond". What a contrast in shows! Graham was in a small bar packed with about 100 fans. Diamond was in a small event center packed with about 9,000 fans. Jon Dee Graham is as grounded as you'll ever see a performing artist. Neil Diamond is a tested superstar, taking advantage of ever stage pose he could. Neil is one hell of a performer. He has earned the right to turn his 70's guitar ballads into Vegas-style productions. Think about it. He built his star in the early seventies when people like the Stones were taking the world by the ear. Along comes this Jewish fella from Brooklyn with happy sing-along stuff like "Sweeeet Caroline...bom,bom,bom".

This week reminds me why I love music. It connects people. It moves people. Both a gritty Karl Childers look-a-like (Sling Blade), and a polished man-in-black can find a place in the world of music. One performing songs that make you wince, and one performing songs that you wake up the next day humming. Music, medicine for the soul.