the sun set like peach sorbet, a soft contrast to the bass that throbbed insistantly, overpowering my heatbeat and leaving me gasping, gasping when it paused between songs and for effect. when ed and the boys finally came out, the crowd surged up, a writhing, screaming mass of good ole boys and their girlfriends, here for a rock concert scheduled between the demolition derby and the tractor pull. three rows ahead of us, two guys held their fists up almost the whole show, gyrating and headbanging and generally making me smile. after a few songs, the sun finally gave up the act and let darkness come home; a breeze picked up and sent us the scent of smoke machines, livestock, and sweat. when they left the stage, the crowd in the bandstand stomped their feet and the rest of us screamed and screamed until they came back out. ed sang a solo, acoustic overcome, which would have been plenty, but then they came out for another set, four more songs, beautiful. i fell asleep smiling during the car ride home, as my heart slowly regained control of its rhythms and my mind stopped soaring with his voice.