Rye Whiskey and The Punch Brothers

Last weekend I had the pleasure of surprising the love of my life with probably the best Valentine's gift EVER!  My boyfriend and I are both musicians and he is a huge fan of Mandolin artist, Chris Thile.  Chris Thile is probably best known for his stint with Nickle Creek, but has since launched his own musical endeavors with a self titled band that later evolved into what is now known as The Punch Brothers.  I discovered the band was performing in Roanoke on the 19th, and snagged a pair of tickets for the evening.  I was going crazy trying to keep it a secret, but I was so excited I almost couldn't contain myself. 

The Punch Brothers is a five man string band.  Featuring Chris Thile on the mandolin and lead vocals, Noam Pickelny on the banjo, Gabe Witcher on the violin, Paul Kowert on bass, and Chris Eldrige on guitar.  Together they play the most incredible blue grass influence by love, life, and some good ol' rye whiskey (and probably other assorted beverages). 

I was concerned the whole surprise would be ruined by the weather as Roanoke got hit with a snow storm...but the tickets were non-refundable, and the show wasn't canceled. As they say in show-biz...the show must go on...and so it did!  So glad we did too. 

The show was probably one of the best I've ever been to.  These guys know how to bring down the house, and fill the room with the spirit of their sound.  Opening with "New York City," appropriately the first line sings, "Snow falls on the Hudson, souls are lost by the lonely dozen. She was here and then she wasn't."  Appropriate due to the number of empty seats thanks to the weather, even though the show was actually sold out!  Oh well...their loss.  Every second of this show was captivating.  From the first note to the last, and all the comical banter in between.  At one point guitarist Eldridge missed his intro to a song, Thile stopped the show and said "We're gonna try that again, because I LOVE this song...when the guitar comes in on time."  Additionally Pickelny added, "The guitar will be delayed due to snow."  The guys had a fantastic chemistry on stage, and wrapped up with an encore of their ever loved "Rye Whiskey".  

My favorites for the evening had to be "Hundred Dollars," "This Girl," and the show stopping finale, "Rye Whiskey".  Check them out RIGHT NOW! 

The evening did not end with the encore though folks, OUR encore was actually meeting this incredible band afterward, getting autographs, and even snapping a photo with Chris Thile (who also high-fived me on a job well done with the best Valentine's surprise EVER).  If he remembers us at all, it will be for being "The Valentine's Couple."  Valentine's surprise 2012 = Smashing Success!!! Now what will I do next year?