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It was a blustery and cold winter night when my husband, my sister and my dog and I drove to the Paramount Theatre in Austin to attend a weekend concert.  My husband and the dog dropped us off right at the door. We were fortunate because some concert attendees seemed frozen by the wind chill as they entered the theater.

I knew we were brave to be out on a night like this, but I hadn’t been to a live concert since December, and I was anxious to hear some good music.

The musicians were all from the southeastern Minnesota area, and I wanted to support them.

The first performer was Amanda Grace. With her acoustic guitar skills and soothing vocals,she sang about the people and experiences that have deeply touched her life. Her son added to the powerful emotion of each song as he accompanied her on a wooden box drum.

The second group, Fires of Denmark, used synthesizers and guitars to create their original blend of mystical electrifying melodies. I don’t know much about this kind of music, but it seemed very difficult to play.

The third group, City Mouse, was my favorite. I would describe their sound as a blend of the Eagles and Alabama.

This group has been together for 50 years! Their rich voices blended perfectly and a variety of instruments were featured including; electric guitar, banjo, drums, harmonica, keyboard and more.  The best part of their performance was the display of pure joy on all of their faces.  It occurred to me that this group of musicians is so fortunate to have found a passion that they have been able to enjoy for 50 years.

I would like to thank the staff and volunteers at Austin Area Arts for their commitment to bringing talented musicians to our community.