Sam Bradley and The Men are electrifying at Mercy Lounge Nashville: Catch a shooting star!

Sam Bradley and The Men in a packed house at Mercy Lounge, Nashville

I can’t find the moon tonight. And the stars must be hidden behind the midnight black sky. Where are you, stars? But there are red and orange and rusty colored leaves in the air and they dance and twirl and flutter along beside me. I drive into Cannery Row and park my car near Mercy Lounge in Nashville. Already, there are two lines of fans that wrap around the corner and down the sidewalk, waiting to get in. Laughing, giggly fans who know the evening will be fun. I get in line with all the others. Two massive tour buses sit parked at the edge of the driveway. Roadie-type stage crew with long pony tail hair and skinny jeans walk to and fro, busy preparing for the evening.

A sly wind blows through my long hair, caressing my face like a gentle lover. I drink it in. It is cold and refreshing. A cleansing of all the negative vibrations in the air - the world. A celebration of this moment in time. Orange autumn leaves flutter on the sidewalk. A car horn blares in the distance. Finally, the doors open and I - along with the hordes of people - shuffle through the leaves and get inside. It is already packed. The brick walls are gorgeous and the oak wooden beams and poles remind me of a rustic cabin in the middle of the woods. I find a stool next to a brick wall with a group of other girls who are inviting and kind. I order a club soda and lime and settle in with my new friends. “Who are you here to see?” a tall blonde asks me. “Sam Bradley and the Men,” I tell them and then add, “Do you know them?” The blonde answers, “I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never heard them perform. I’m looking forward to it though.” I smile and say, “I think you’ll enjoy them.”

Red and blue lights sparkle around the stage like the moons that weren’t outside tonight. Elizabeth and the Catapults are the first to perform. They’re quite good – folksy and rock’n’roll and I enjoy them. After 30 minutes or so, they tell the audience that Sam Bradley and the Men will perform next and that they’re great. I already know this. My new friends smile in anticipation. They trust what I tell them.

Mark Kerry on drums wearing his signature eyeglasses, Jeff Riedlinger on bass wearing a dark v-neck sweater, and Dave Meszaros in a white t-shirt on lead guitar, gather on stage and set up their equipment. And, then Sam comes out with his guitar. Wearing a grey, red and white striped woolen shirt that’s as soft as a baby blanket, he smiles, takes center stage and begins playing. Sam’s personality is pure sunshine. He is a troubadour of the anodyne. His lyrics and voice are soothing, relieving the pain in one’s heart. He sings some of the fans’ favorites like Too Far Gone, Wide Open, Sea Blue, Whiskey and a wonderful new jazzy blues song written by Mark Kerry, his percussionist.

As Sam sings Wide Open, I am immediately transported into my other worlds - ancient worlds - where I am wandering through medieval lands. I gather my long skirts around my ankles and run through dark passageways made of stone until I burst out of a tunnel’s end into a crisp, beautiful twilight. He stands there, tall, blonde and gallant. I fall into his wide open arms and breathe a sigh. “It is good to see you again, my love,” I whisper to him.

Sam’s voice comes back to me in song. My new friends lean over and in my ear tell me they love Sam. “I know,” I say quietly. Sam’s voice is smooth as ice and as melodic as a meditation. After each song, the audience screams and woo-hoos. Sam giggles, smiles and exudes a happiness that not many performers ever express. He talks to the audience between songs, thanking his band mates, thanking Nashville. He thanks Justin Nozuka, the “next” performer for the opportunity to be on the road with him. Sam says he loves Nashville and in fact, has moved to Nashville and the audience claps and yells for him again. Sam makes the crowd feel as though he's your friend and they embrace him as a neighbor in Nashville. But, it's not just Nashvillians at this event. People have driven from the north and south to hear Sam Bradley and his band.

Sam’s intelligence permeates his songs. His wisdom shines through his personality as he dances with his guitar and looks into the souls of his audience. His band mates smile and never once falter in their support of Sam.

Sam sings Sea Blue and waves crash onto the hearts of everyone in the audience. Again, I am transported into my other worlds, my heart bubbles and tears stream down my cheeks. I can’t help it. Stars are sparkling and glinting on the top of each small, quick wave so that the whole stretch of the ocean seems to be giggling in the moonlight. A black horse and his rider approach me. He is dressed in black with long black shiny hair that moves with the horse. He is known to me as Gypsy. His eyes are so blue, so pale, that they take my breath away every time I see him. I am lost in those eyes. 

After just returning from a tour in Manila, Sam is now at the high point of his U.S. and Canadian tour and well on his way to becoming a worldwide superstar. He and “The Men” have blended song and music so well, so concise, that I could have easily been listening to a CD. Simon Cowell, the British judge and creator of England’s “X-Factor” and the U.S.’s “American Idol,” has often told contestants that many people have great singing voices, but not all of them are performers. He has said that one must be a performer as well as a great singer to make it in the music industry. That’s what Sam has. Not only is he a great singer and songwriter, but he is a true performer. He engages the audience, befriends them, opens his heart to them. And, sends them to other worlds.  Sam is a shooting star right before our eyes.

Which reminds me. To celebrate Sam, you can catch a shooting star on November 18^th. Cast your eyes skyward to glimpse a dazzling celestial display, as the annual Leonids meteor shower – named for the constellation Leo, from which the meteors appear to originate – lights up the heavens on November 18^th. Sam plays at the Fox Theater on November 17^th in Boulder, Colorado and then at Antone’s in Austin, Texas on November 19^th. He’ll be traveling somewhere on the road between Colorado and Texas on November 18^th. He'll be traveling in wide open spaces where he, too, can catch this celestial vision. To celebrate Sam, look at the sky and watch. Astronomers predict one of the most dramatic shows in years, with dozens of shooting stars visible between midnight and sunrise. (You can visit leonid.arc.nasa.gov to find out what to expect near you – anywhere you are.) For the best view, head to an open space, away from the glow of streetlamps, then watch as all-natural bursts of bright white, blue, and green streak the night sky – and don’t forget to celebrate Sam and make a wish for Sam Bradley and “The Men.”

Turns out we didn’t need the stars outside tonight, after all. They were all inside at Mercy Lounge, and Sam Bradley was the brightest of all.

In every experience there's an opportunity to grow, enhance your life, or learn something invaluable about yourself. Every experience can make you stronger if you allow it. In tonight's experience with Sam Bradley and The Men, I found ancient memories...I found the stars.