Last Night: Vic Chesnutt Tribute at the Tractor

Vic Chesnutt on tour in 2009 with bandmate Guy Picciotto at his side.

My goal last night was to raise a grand for Vic Chesnutt's family, and we came damn close--$970. The last $20 donation came from the bartender working the show, who wasn't previously familiar with Chesnutt, but was so moved by his story and the performances that he tossed part of his tips in at the end of the night. It was just that kind of evening.

I don't know if I can even cite highlights, because the whole damn show was magical from start to finish. I have never witnessed the Tractor going completely silent just so that everyone could hear each and every note, but that happened again and again. One of the things I found most moving was that you could hear Vic's influence in everything--not just because people were playing his songs, but because they obviously had spent a great deal of time putting their own spin on the material and wanted to honor the man with their rendition. Everyone had such great stories to share as well, including Ian Moore's recollections of filming Slingblade with Vic and and Dave Bazan reflecting on his previous collaborations with the man. Abbey Simmons from Sound on the Sound was kind enough to take video; her clip of Bazan doing "Flirted With You All My Life" is below: