Damien Rice Rocks the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville [Video]

I am trying to remember if I have ever cried at a concert.  And, I don't think I ever have.  Well, until Wednesday night, when I saw Damien Rice in concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.  I have been a huge fan since I heard Damien singing "The Blower's Daughter" in the opening frames on the movie Closer, starring Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Natalie Portman.  That is one of my favorite songs EVER and it made me an immediate fan of the man who wrote and sang it.  And, finally, last Wednesday, I had the chance to see Damien Rice live for the first time.  And he was absolutely hypnotic.  I could not take my eyes off him.

I will confess.  I splurged on these tickets.  I bought front row seats from StubHub! and I paid through the nose for them. But Damien was worth every single penny of the $350 (don't judge) and I would pay it again tomorrow.  I have been probably been to a hundred-plus concerts in my lifetime and this was truly one of the best.  It was simply a guy, his guitar and two hours of raw emotion and musicality.

Watch this.  Here's a sample for you.  It's Damien Rice's song "9 Crimes" and this was filmed during his Ryman show.  And pay close attention to how he closes the song.  He literally steps away from the mic and sings into his guitar.  Unbelievable!

I'll admit.  I cried during this song and others.  My stepfather, Allan Quinn, used to cry during musical performances all the time and he always said he was moved by talent, not emotion.  With Damien Rice, I was moved by both.  And there were times I sat there with tears pouring down my face.

When I tell you that I have seen just about everyone in concert, it's not a lie.  I have seen everyone from Garth Brooks to Lady Gaga to Blake Shelton to Pat Benatar to Tina Turner to Foreigner to Kelly Clarkson to Shaun Cassidy to P!nk to Janet Jackson to Jason Aldean to Patti LaBelle to MC Hammer to Reba and Brooks and Dunn and even Milli Vanilli (don't judge).  But, I can tell you, without a single doubt, that Damien Rice, who literally stood alone with his guitar in a cloud of smoke of fog, was the single best concert I have ever seen.

And so it is . . .