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Phenomenal

I don’t go to enough live music events. With TV, the Internet and trying to be grown-up and hold a job, it seems that some things get less time than they used to.

And that sucks, because one of the great pleasures in life is finding a new artist and becoming a fan. It’s like knowing a really good secret before everyone else … except you get to share it.

So, I’m going to let you in on a not-so-well-kept secret: Ruthie Foster is phenomenal. Just like the title of her latest CD, The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster.

I saw Ruthie perform live as one of the opening acts at an outdoor concert that was headlined by the Doobie Brothers. Outdoor concerts are usually not the best place to showcase your talent. People are milling around, talking with friends and making multiple trips to the food tent. It’s not like being in a club, where there’s a better attention focus.

To make an audience stop, sit-up and take notice at an outdoor concert takes a special kind of performer. Ruthie Foster is that type of singer. She’s powerful, soulful and playful. She will capture your attention. The concert I saw was one of the few times I’ve ever seen an audience plead for an opening act to come back out on stage.

Whether she is breaking your heart with the Lucinda Williams tune, Fruits of My Labor or pulling you up out of your seat with Heal Yourself, Ruthie Foster makes you feel like you’ve found a new friend.

Check out Ruthie at her website: http://www.ruthiefoster.com

If she comes to a venue near you, get out to see her … and then share the secret.

Ruthie Foster, blues, gospel, soul, Lucinda Williams, Fruits of My Labor, Heal Yourself