Start with the ending

Last Friday night my wife and I double dated with my brother and his wife. In celebration of my little bro's recent birthday we took in a David Wilcox concert. Wilcox is a solo folk artist who is as much a storyteller as he is a singer/songwriter.

His show started with a clever yet insightful song, Start with the Ending, my favorite of the night.

The show was at Little Brothers down on High Street. Boy am I glad that there is no longer smoking in bars. The small crowd of 100 ranged in age from college students to 60 year old married couples. Most were deeply acquainted with his music even reminding him of lyrics when his memory failed him.

I was drawn into the magic of the night and mystique of the man. As the night continued a theme began to emerge... which seemed to be as much a shock to Wilcox as to the crowd. He shared repeatedly about the recent death of a close friend which added depth to songs of longing and loss and hope.

I was struck at how present Wilcox was. It was as if the evening was a give and take between him and us. The room seemed small. The stories and songs seemed to be about more than just a concert but almost like a church service that begged us to consider the bigger questions of life.

The songs were not Jesus hidden behind kitchy images... but were honest takes on selfishness, fear and love. His songs ring with the honest truths and pains of life. His stories, like parables put abstract ideas into concrete terms that the congregation could wrestle with during the following days. If you want to get a taste of David Wilcox, I recommend Live Songs & Stories.