Since opening our doors just a few months ago we've been blessed with many memorable performances, but on January 14th and 15th it felt like the planets lined up and took everything to another level.

When we booked Carbon Leaf as our first nationally known rock act, we knew they were a great band but we weren't quite prepared for what took place on our stage. Frankly we had been so focused on who was coming the next night, and all the challenges and significance attached to a Marianne Faithfull date, that we just thought "Carbon Leaf will be fun" and left it at that.

What we got wasn't just fun. It was riveting, deeply soulful, and while it's not often you can use the adjective beautiful in describing a rock band's performance, in this case it's more than appropriate. Towards the end of the show, their acapella version of Learn to Fly... without microphones or speakers... to an audience standing on its feet motionless and in reverential silence... well, it was one of the most exquisitely beautiful moments you could ever see on any stage anywhere. A totally spellbinding few minutes.

As the Haiti earthquake had just struck and we had a theatre full of people, we felt we had to do something. Five minutes before showtime, theatre management and the band huddled and agreed to announce that all of the band's profits from CD and T-shirt sales and the theatre's commission that night would be donated to a charity at ground zero. Theatre staff agreed to match that amount. We thank Carbon Leaf for helping us raise $1,106 for the people of Haiti, which was wired the next day to a very trustworthy organization called DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS, our funds designated to assisting with the construction of an inflatable 100-bed medical center in Port Au Prince. We're glad to report that the hospital was erected and began treating the wounded roughly 48 hours later. In addition, Carbon Leaf agreed to donate their T-shirt and CD profits from their next four or five gigs as well. Thanks, gentlemen, you're a Class Act.

In a business littered with those called "living legends," Marianne Faithfull inarguably is one, and we'll admit that the adrenaline level amongst theatre staff was sky high on show day. As many of you know, Ms. Faithfull has a narrow but extremely passionate fan base, and at least two of us working the show had been devoted to this woman's music and writing since we were teenagers. Which was, ahem, quite a while ago. Add to that a young associate manager who at the age of 27 went in the space of three months from having "heard of her" to soaking up Ms. Faithfull's music and legend like a sponge.

Those of you who don't count yourselves as fans can skip the rest of this... but for the Faithfull folks out there... a few notes and answers to your questions. NO, she wasn't a Diva, she was precisely the opposite, a total sweetheart to work with. Funny, bright, charming, making no demands at all, not a bit regal even though we felt we had royalty in the house. Which we absolutely did. (Along with a prince of a road manager, Andrew Burns.)

YES, she sounded just great even though plagued by a small cough... and YES, she looked fantastic as well, and YES that was a great outfit. Our young associate (who was fortunate enough to help Ms. Faithfull as she packed to leave her hotel,) insists we report that Ms. Faithfull was wearing a ravishingly beautiful hand-made black Chanel jacket onstage, with a Paris label and accented with an almost antique diaphanous silky white collar and cuffs.

And the band... WHAT A BAND... Rob Berger, Greg Cohen, Doug Pettibone, all driven solidly by the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member to hit the Gibson stage, Pete Thomas from Elvis Costello and the Attractions...

As to the lady herself, we'll let a ticket holder named Rick Morris from Asheville tell you what he thought in his late night and entirely unsolicited review...

"From her first note, Marianne Faithfull's debut at the Don Gibson Theatre exceeded even my forty-year fan expectations. The power of that voice was a visceral wave that washed over the audience like a nearly forgotten antidote. Whatever bad might have clung to you as you came through the door of this sweet little music box was erased with that first glorious sound.

With a band of luminaries from the downtown NYC scene and beyond... the unfathomably charismatic Ms. Faithfull gave us song after brilliant song. The set focused mainly on material from her latest recording "Easy Come, Easy Go" with a nice seasoning of her iconic songs mixed like spices in a perfect curry.

The sound was five stars out of four - yes it was that good. Tasteful lighting and 400 seats made it feel like what a church ought to be, something unnameable and fulfilling. The venue is understated and lovely, and if this show is indicative of the booking, I'll make the ninety minute drive again and again.

I've seen a lot of amazing shows in my life, so please take it as a grand compliment when I say thanks so much for such a stunner."

Speaking of tasteful lighting (and by the way, hand on heart, we don't know the above quoted Mr. Morris from Adam,) a quick note to close.

This theatre is fortunate beyond words to enjoy the good works of Mr. Stan Lowery, our esteemed Production Director, and his superb crew, Cliff, Cat and Doug. The relationship between a PD and a traveling company and artist is the single most important one a theatre can have, by far. Ask 1964, Marty, Suzy, Alison, Marianne... and they'll tell you, they love this guy. For those of you that entered the hall on the night of Ms. Faithfull's show and were heard to murmur "WOW" under your breath when you saw the stage for the first time... for those of you who watched as the orbs and column lights subtly moved from shades of cranberry to honey against the deep red and purple backgrounds... and somehow the whole stage glowed... that was all Stan Lowery. The man who looked like the single happiest person on the planet when Ms. Faithfull twice hugged him goodbye.

So there's your little peek backstage. Thank you to all the Faithfull fans who came to little old Shelby to see the show, especially those from Washington DC, Atlanta, Austin, New York City, Taos New Mexico... and believe it or not, Denmark!

But most of all... Thank you Ms. Faithfull. We were profoundly honored to have you. Travel safely.