An Evening at Gallery 5

I have absolutely no musical talent, so my role is to be an appreciative audience for those who do.

Like my friend Jameson and his girlfriend Laney, who played at Gallery 5 tonight.

They just got back from nine months in South America and while working their way around the continent, wrote some music together.

As Lobo Marino, he plays guitar and she plays accordion; they both sing.

The music was impressive; his guitar showed a lot of Spanish guitar influences and the songs were funny and happy, as if they were having a great time when they wrote them and that came through as their voices blended.

The Hellblinki Sextet (three musicians and a puppeteer) performed their psycho cabaret next.

Part music show, part puppet show and part video montage, H.S. provided a lot to look and listen to.

I'd seen them at last year's Carnival of 5 Fires and remembered just how offbeat this Asheville, N.C. group was. A

nd I mean that in the best possible way.

Last up was two thirds of Arise, Sweet Donkey!

This time Laney was performing with Alison Self and her magnificent voice (and ukulele playing), doing their unique blend of Americana and folk music, those two voices harmonizing perfectly; there was even some a Capella singing.

Such beautiful vocal abilities.

Allow me to clap the loudest in appreciation for so many kinds of talent heard tonight.