Before I get into the lovely concert last night, may I just say that I think I caught one of the many communicable diseases that Matt brought back with him from the evil casinos. Now put that together with sitting outdoors in chilly, wet weather, and staying up past my bedtime for some late-night tech support for the fam. What you get is a stuffy head, sore throat, and an unusually bad attitude. Grr.

But back to the extremely enjoyable concert. After wrangling with traffic and parking for a while, Adam and I made it to our seats just as the concert was getting started. The format was relatively fast-paced - one group would come forward to sing one or two songs, and then make way for the next group. We heard from bluegrass staples like The Nashville Bluegrass Band, and from an amazing brother-sister duo Cody and Sierra Hull. At 15 and 12 respectively, those kids had more talent and stage presence than some of the adult performers on the tour! It was great to watch.

Finally Alison Krauss and Union Station (AKUS) took the stage. There's a reason why they are the top-performing bluegrass group in the country right now, and they showed it last night. They did renditions of "Down to the River to Pray" and "Man of Constant Sorrow" from O Brother Where Art Thou, and also got into some of the songs from Cold Mountain. Alison Krauss' voice is just incredible.

Aside: Seeing a concert at Wolftrap feels a lot like sitting in the middle of Anderson Auditorium at Montreat. Its much more open to the breezes and sounds of the park around it, but there is that familiar feeling of being protected by a high, rounded roof. I missed Montreat a lot last night, especially during Down to the River to Pray, which was a special song for all the small group leaders the last time I was there.

After a few pieces by just AKUS, some members of each band came forward to form smaller ensembles to sing various pieces from Cold Mountain. It was interesting to watch people who didn't normally perform together - they tended to watch eachother more and interact in a way that a group like AKUS doesn't do as much.

The icing on the cake last night came in the form of bluegrass classic Ralph Stanley, who entertained the crowds with frantic flatpicking that belied his age. At one point the rest of the members of the show came out and were dancing on the stage while he played, which he seemed to enjoy. He closed out the concert by getting the audience to sing along to Amazing Grace.

What a fun night! After making our way back to the car, Adam and I capped the night off with a little hot chocolate on the way home. I had a short talk with the fam, and then happily dropped off to sleep. :)