ahhhhhhh. Going to a show at The State Theater out by the East Falls Church Metro is kind of like going on a vacation in the amount of time it takes to go to a dinner party. The show that Last Train Home put on this past Fri., 10/4, heightened that feeling even more. Going out there in the dark, it's all highways and byways and an old time theater look made out of brand-y new blue board, like vacation destination Branson, which I have seen, or possibly 'new' Nashville, which I have not-just on a smaller, much, much, much smaller and friendlier and less disneyfied scale.

The clean and cavernous interior of The State, the good sound system and the rolling-stone-pyrotechnics-on a radio-shak-budget pump up the performance of any band that gets on the stage. Now in the case of Last Train Home that has been performing around DC since 1997, I am pondering that this past weekend's show (their first headliner at The State) let's us local's glimpse what life will be like with the band on a four foot high stage instead of a two foot tall one. You'll get no complaint from me-they've got it in them. Performing regularly with seven to TWELVE musicians you could say there is collectively already 180 + years of performance experience under the bright lights. Frontman Eric Brace's new tailored, embroidered, and black and white rhinestone accesorized suit could count for 80 years of showmanship by itself. Lesson, it never hurts to sparkle!

Now what about the music?.....stay tuned