Caitlin Rose - An Introduction

Photo: Lance Conzett

My mouth hung open throughout the whole set. I looked over at my husband, and he had an equally awestruck look on his face.  With a voice reminiscent of Patsy Cline, the crowd was blown away when she took the stage...

Saturday night, Grant and I made our debut at the Ryman Auditorium.  It seemed almost ridiculous that we had never stepped foot in the historic church before that night, but we hadn't.  I was immediately transported back in time and I could almost feel the spirits of the previous artists who graced that old stage.

Sitting on the old church pews, in front of those old stained glass windows, was a total new experience. I felt "at home." Then the lights dimmed and she took the stage.

Armed with a guitar, a killer band, and a rhinestone "Opry" jacket, Caitlin Rose belted out the first few notes of her first song and I knew that was it. Instant fan.

We listened to song after song, each one better and better and mostly from her new album, Own Side Now. My personal favorites were Spare Me, Shanghai Cigarettes, and New York. That is until the finale. Caitlin stepped away from the mic and let her voice fill the auditorium.  She sang "Sinful Wishing Well" and I felt a tear come to my eye. "Beautiful" doesn't even come close to describing it.

So who is she and where did this girl come from?! Well, where else? Nashville.

Being both a big city, and a small town, I've actually met Caitlin before without realizing it. We were crammed together side by side at a Deer Tick concert at The Basement a few years ago and we briefly spoke about how great they are. That is, before she hopped up there and did a few songs with them and Jonny Corndawg! I still didn' realize it was her until I was flipping through old photos and saw one I had snapped of her singing with them. 

So, in conclusion, I'm calling it right now. This girl is going to be big! No, scratch that. HUGE! And where else for it all to begin but The Ryman, which fit like a glove. And in Caitlin's own words, "so did the jacket." Agreed.