mandolin rain in Savannah

I do hope Bruce Hornsby is in good health.
He and the Noisemakers played the final gig of the 28th Annual Savannah Music Festival at the Trustees Theatre this evening, in front of a sold-out house.
I had the honor of serving as an usher, which meant I could enjoy most of the show and even dance a bit.
(smile)
I could tell that Bruce Hornsby was up there to enjoy himself, playing the songs as he wished, soaking up the accolades from the crowd!
But, something about the show tugged at the back of my mind.
It felt like a farewell appearance.
He did an Elvis song - "Train, Train" - that was spot-on and lively.
But then he played "End of the Innocence" at a slower pace than normal, striking a few discordant notes along the way.
Ummm... what?
He played a dulcimer later, accompanied by a fiddler and a washboard man, laying down some humorous tunes. I very much enjoyed "Black Rats of London", a "history lesson" about the traveling of the plague to the Americas. Very funny!
But when he returned to the piano, he seemed a little forgetful.
An old buddy, Chuck Leavell (of Sea Level) joined him onstage for one number. That was clearly a high point for Bruce!
Then the show ended and he and the band lingered during the standing ovation.
Afterward, he, alone, returned to the stage for an encore...
a solo encore...
playing "Mandolin Rain" as a wistful song of love lost...
and I almost cried.
It was done so beautifully, so lovingly...
as if he were maybe playing it for the very last time.
I do hope he is well.