Brandi Carlile Show

We went to Tucson over the weekend to see Brandi Carlile perform at the Rialto. It was an amazing show, and I didn't even mind that we were standing the entire time. She and her band were so awesome, and it was clear that she was happy to be there, singing, not just singing, but singing for us. The audience returned the love with rapt attention (and not just a few marriage proposals). The energy was phenomenal. In addition to singing from her self-titled CD and the recently released "The Story," Carlile closed with her versions of Folsom Prison and the amazingly well-done rendition of Hallelujah. Wow! I was extremely happy to see that "The Story" is today's NPR's Song of the Day.

So that we didn't have to drive back to Phoenix late at night, we stayed at the Historic Hotel Congress, the site of John Dillinger's capture. The hotel rooms are about the size of a matchbox, but very charming because they maintain the original feel of the hotel. (And come with signs reminding guests to "respect our historical plumbing".) In the morning, we had to leave fairly early so that we could pick up the dogs from their no-cage boarding and daycare facility, but we ate a quick meal at "The Cup," the Congress' cafe. They had vegan french toast, so I splurged! Yum!