Jewelicious

Currently: Aurally satisfied, at least

So, Jewel. Actually quite a performer, I am pleased to report. Girl hasn't quite outgrown an early coffeehouse vibe, notwithstanding that her coffeehouse has neither coffee nor is a house and features a breathless cast of thousands upon thousands of fans. The self-styled "little blonde jukebox" played a long, acoustic, call-out set (no, I will not play Foolish Games yet, because it's my most popularly requested song, so that's what I end my long solo sets with, so stop yelling for it, silly people, I'm not deaf, and who decided that I would take requests anyway?) in between shorter sets with her band of merry men. I don't usually stay for the whole performance, but the time passed faster and far more pleasantly than I'd anticipated. She didn't play a whole lot of the more produced numbers, which saddened me because I really like them, but the song choices were an understandable compromise. Her entrance number, an a capella, sudden-piercing-from-the-dark rendition of Somewhere over the Rainbow was beautiful and slightly melancholy. Lovely.

Also, newcomer-to-me Toby Lightman has a set of PIPES! She's a (seriously birdlike) mini-Jewel with longer, curlier hair and a decidedly folksier, huskier, and less poetically pretty sound. Just enough of a rock edge to get the people moving - really enjoyed her performance.

It's my third season volunteering at Wolf Trap, so now I can officially say that I've wandered the grounds dozens of times, always wishing that I had someone with me to enjoy the park's magic. Sigh.