Last night I got to see a live Prairie Home Companion show. They were here a few years ago but I missed it and was so happy to have another opportunity. It has also been raining for about 2 straight months in Vermont (I am not exaggerating) and last night was the first warm, clear and STARRY night in a long time. So it was a perfect night for this. My friend Michaela and I were fortunate to have awesome seats because I bought them online the morning they went on sale (the minute they went on sale to be exact). The show will air on Sept 6th since they started at 8pm not 6 and couldn't do a live broadcast.
It was really fun to see the show in action - Fred Newman, Sue Scott, the amazing musicians in the All Star Shoe Band and of course the man himself. He referred often to how peaceful and beautiful Vermont is and talked so much about the train ride from NY to Vermont that I want to do it now. I've taken that train from NY to Rhinecliff and Poughkeepsie many times when I lived in NY State, but since I've been up here, I hadn't done the longer version.
The performance was at the fairgrounds in Essex Junction, near the train station and it was funny to hear the train whistling during the show as well as the screams of the people on the rides at the fair which just started last night.
They made lots of jokes about the alternative culture and invented the seedy "east Burlington" (people actually smoke cigarettes there! 
) (which doesn't exist) for the Guy Noir skit. I've never seen video of Keillor doing his Lake Wobegon story telling. He does not use notes or a script. He's doing it from his head. And what amazed me was his ability to start a thread, go off on a tangent and quite a bit later, wind back to the original thread. I think that was especially noticeable to me because I do a lot of public presenting.
He does not stop performing. Even during the intermission he was leading the entire audience in song. Though when others are performing, he allows himself to fade into the background and let them be center stage.
I loved being able to watch Fred Newman at work doing his sound effects!
I can't believe I didn't bring my camera but it was a wonderful and memorable experience.