Spending Mother’s day with Nickel Creek at the State Theater in Minneapolis could have only been better if my Mother was actually there. Having been a long time listener to Nickel Creek, this was my first time experiencing them live. Friends and family who have had the pleasure of attending one of their shows have absolutely raved about this 20+ year long run they have been on. Chris Thile, the absolutely fantastic mandolinist and vocalist, joked between songs that they had spent the previous 6.5 year hiatus “working on naming their instrumental songs” shortly before busting into “Elephant in the Corner”, another beautiful instrumental. The group had an amazing amount of character as well as an abundance of energy that lasted every minute of the two hour long show. The crown was on their feet the entire duration of the encore, dancing, clapping, singing and laughing. Speaking of the crowd, there is a reason you want to see a band like Nickel Creek in a venue such as the State Theater. The crowd, though varying greatly in age, were virtually silent during all the right times and enthusiastically involved during the appropriate times as well, allowing for every perfectly timed chorus to be heard the way it was intended. Sara Watkins, who plays fiddle was absolutely on fire. Pitch perfect vocals matched with fantastic fiddle will force it’s way into just about anyone’s musical tastes. Chris Thile on mandolin, bouzouki, mandola and a few instruments I didn’t know existed, was absolutely charming during the show. Not only while playing, somehow, but he especially shined between tracks. Sean Watkins (who is Sara’s brother, for anyone who doesn’t know) managed to perform flawlessly as well. I really have not heard such pursuit of perfection musically before in my life. This will truly go down as one of my absolute favorite shows I have ever attended, aside from some annoying issues with venue management. If you were there, you know what you heard – if you were not there, well, I feel like we all owe you an apology. Nickel Creek is a band on a tear, who should never be missed.
You must be logged in to post a comment.