To say that live music is soul-wrenching just sounds cheesy, so I would never say that.  But then I heard Beth Wood play with String Fever Saturday night at Yoga Balance in downtown McKinney.  I was surrounded by a diverse mix of old and young, some of whom are devout followers of this little woman with a fierce voice and bare feet.  I don’t know what all those folks gleaned from Beth’s music, but my experience was nothing short of help in resetting my priorities and some self-checking on living the life I want to live.

Its really hard not to fall in love with Beth and her music; she evokes the bittersweet and alive-ness of life.  You can almost hear your life speaking to you through the powerful, folksy vocals and resonant guitar playing she lays down.  Her music just makes you feel more alive.

I was reminded of how much I love listening to live music, and what I miss out on when I don’t.  Knowing that I have another chance to hear her this weekend gets me back on track with getting a regular dose of live music in my diet, and I think I'm back on track for good.

As a guitar player, I could have very easily gotten jealous watching Beth make it look so effortless and fun.   But I just couldn’t bring myself to have any ill-feelings for this smiling beauty, a siren-muse sent to show me what can be done with simple sounds and a lot of passion.  So not only have I made a pact with myself to seek out live music on a regular basis, but I’ve picked up my guitar-seriously-again.  I’m not aiming to move into performance, but I couldn’t help but be inspired, in some way, hearing her play.  The incredible, simple power from just one instrument and just one voice makes me want to play.

Folk and blues get teased for used up metaphors, but when Beth sang about kindness, child-glee, or recounted an everyman story, it was always with a new twist, one that made me feel more human.  I can’t ask music, or a musician, for any more than that.

The just-buy-me-the-guitar-and-then-I’ll-play-like-that jokes between my husband and me tapered off towards the end of another set.  The jealousy never really won out after all, and as admiration burned through, so did the realization that I will never play like that, and that’s okay.  Most people won’t – ever.  That’s what makes someone like Beth so amazing. 

You owe it to yourself to hear Beth Wood.