My all-time favorite country musician is Hal Ketchum, so it felt like the stars had aligned when I found out he was performing during our one and only full night in New York City. It had been nearly a decade since Amanda and I had last seen him in concert, and not long after, he put touring on hold because of worsening symptoms from his multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Gee Gee graciously agreed to watch our kids plus Nola and Nina so Caley, Caleb, Amanda and I could attend the concert.
A few days before the trip, Caley created an alternate plan for the older kids to attend “Kids Night Out,” a Long Island City event which promised three hours of fun and pizza, allowing Gee Gee to have a little downtime with only Eilidh to manage. This arrangement worked out well, as Gee Gee was undoubtedly a little tired from a long day in a very hot New York City.
Amanda and I met Caley and Caleb at the subway station, and our trip into Manhattan was remarkably efficient, especially given some of the subway woes Amanda and her mom had experienced earlier in the day. We were at the modest Hill Country BBQ venue in no time, and as we were going in, Hal was heading out, and we were able to get a photo with the legend before the concert started!
Pre-concert selfie in front of the cozy Hill Country BBQ venue.
We ordered a variety of meats and sides upstairs before getting wristbands to signify our access to the downstairs concert. Amanda and I secured a comfortable table about 20 feet from the stage while Caley and Caleb finished ordering the food. The BBQ was solid, prices were reasonable, and we found ourselves amongst roughly 65 other Hal Ketchum fans enjoying the food, drinks, and music.
Hal took the stage a few minutes before the scheduled 7:00 p.m. start and immediately began with his opening number, a cover of “Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues,” followed by one of his best-known hits, the title track of his best-selling “Past the Point of Rescue” album. As he worked his way through an 80-minute, 16-song set, he played songs from every album of his catalog.
Hal told a short story to introduce nearly every song in the set.
No longer part of a major record label, 10 years older, and a few pounds heavier than when we’d last seen him in Galesburg, Illinois, Hal had a decidedly different on-stage persona than we’d seen in the past. He shared humorous stories from his past, lending insight to the stories behind the songs he had written and performed over his 30-year career. Hal’s stories and voice shined throughout the show, but his musicianship was matched if not exceeded by the impressive guitar work from his friend and bandmate Kenny Grimes.
Caleb captured a photo of Kenny Grimes and me following the Hill Country BBQ concert.
Amanda, Caley, Caleb, and I all enjoyed the show and but would have been happy with a longer setlist, and more stories and songs. We gave Hal a shout-out as he was leaving the venue, then hung around until after 11:00, chatting about life, and playing a few rounds of the fun and convenient iPhone party game Heads Up. Knowing we were way beyond our estimated return of 9:00 to 10:00, we decided to take a taxi home. Caley and Caleb jumped out to grab a couple of slices from our favorite Long Island City pizza spot Slice while Amanda and I made the short walk back to the apartment.
When we arrived, our kids were asleep in their respective beds though Caley and Caleb’s kids were saving their dwindling energy to say goodnight to their parents before turning in for the evening. Amanda and Gee Gee took a short Uber trip back to the Fairfield Inn, and Caley, Caleb, and I stayed up a few hours longer before calling it a night a bit before 4:00 a.m.