Fragile Soul

So, you know that (at least) one of your friends is a creative soul, that among other things, they are a musician. You listen to a few recordings, maybe a video, and get a song stuck in your head. Then, they win a contest and end up hosting an open mic night. You know the music is decent, and you want to be a supportive friend, so you make plans to attend the event, son in tow.


Then, you think about how performing in front of friends may be a bit of a jarring experience. You start thinking about the things that may be going through their mind, like...are they just going to be polite and say you sound great or are they going to hit you with the "Sorry man, but you might want to find a new hobby..." line? Honestly, I expected a good show and if it was bad, I wouldn't have said a word because although I'm pretty upfront, I'm not without common courtesy when evaluating artistic expressions. Thankfully, I didn't have to contemplate either scenario.


Whether nervous about performing in front of friends or not, Rodney Golson and Pablo Baldetti, performers of Fragile Soul gave a stunning performance that I hope and expect to see again and again. With eyes fixed on a remote spot, Pablo left the Acorn and landed somewhere in a soothing world of rhythm all his own, leaving the audience to admire the ease with which he strummed his guitar like a comfortable old friend. In the meantime, Rodney closes his eyes and moves his body with inflection as he creates a scene of hopeful love and self-reflection, owning the dark side of man while offering the surreal plea to be seen with fresh eyes, a plea that so many of us have uttered using far less graceful methods.


If it sounds beautiful and uplifting all at once, it's only because it was. I honestly can't think of a better live musical experience for my son to have enjoyed as his first public one. I applaud my friend and his musical talents and I want to add something that I feel is especially important in today's technological world.

This experience wasn't about voice-overs, or more electronic sounds than true musical talent. There weren't any fancy backdrops or light effects. It was just two guys, on a stage, doing what they love and being kind enough to share it with the rest of us. The world needs more of that. But, I encourage you to judge for yourself.

Check out some of their music on Bandcamp, and then head over to the Fragile Soul Facebook page to keep up on when you might be able to catch a glimpse of them. - Kathy Foust