Stephen Yeargin

Last Friday (Aug. 3) we went to the John Mayer and Ben Folds concert (with special guest James Morrison) at the Sommet Center. It was the first time I had ever attended a concert at the arena, so I opted for the club seats to stay away from the screaming teenagers. No such luck. Between them and the 40-somethings that insisted on going for beer runs in the middle of sets, I have concluded that it is all just part of the experience.

All three acts were good, but I have a newfound respect for Folds and Mayer’s talent with their instruments. Studio albums do not do them justice compared to watching them live. Mayer was crowned one of three modern-day “Guitar Gods” by Rolling Stone magazine, and his soaring riffs ended any doubt I had about that title. I was not sure the piano was going to make it through several of Folds’s songs. He even played parts of a piece with his foot.

We already knew Folds lives and hangs around Nashville. This was even further supported when a sales clerk at the Mac Authority Saturday noticed Samantha’s tour shirt and remarked “You know, Ben Folds comes in here all the time.” Go figure.

Other than the concert, summer has been moving along at its usual pace. The trek has been a bit warmer than usual, with several days in the last week have temperatures over the century mark. We are going to Bar Camp Nashville next weekend to see what it is all about. The topics look interesting, and even if they are not, at least there is a bar.

Now to just remember that the school zones are back in effect and to stay on the school crossing guard’s good side to make it to work on time.