Vinnie @ The Dirty Grind Independent Artist Community 30/01/2022

Sometimes we all need to take time out to find our inner peace and hit the reset button on it and that's what I was looking for today, something that would take me back to zero where I could refresh and start again. I had jumped around live music all day and nothing was giving me the sense of calm that I wanted until I came across Vinnie aka Acoustic Rhapsody playing at The Dirty Grind. I have heard Vinnie play a few times, have even taken notes at his sets but for some reason I hadn't been able to find the words to blog him until today.

The Dirty Grind made me smile as soon as I landed as the build is one of my favourites from Trompe Loeil and one that I used as a house for many years, although their build has an extension added which suits it perfectly. Looking around I saw Vinnie sitting in the corner of the room on a stool, just a man and his guitar and I hoped that I had found what I was looking for. I couldn't see any dance balls and my hud wouldn't really suit an acoustic set so I settled into one the the many couches they have around the room and waited for Vinnie to start and when he started out with Carolina In My Mind by James Taylor I exhaled deeply and felt my body begin to relax. This is exactly what I needed.

Vinnie's voice coming through my speakers, into my headset was soothing, his acoustic guitar playing a perfect balance, and such was his performance that like a full bodied red wine that awakens your palette, I could almost taste the music.

Brandy by Looking Glass, the way Vinnie sang this I could so clearly picture her walking the streets after the bars had closed. With each song that he sang from Blackness Of The Night by Cat Stevens, Norwegian Wood by The Beatles, Learn To Fly by Foo Fighters, Hold Me Now by The Thompson Twins, The Song I Hear, an original, Hello It's Me by Todd Rundgren and You Can Close Your Eyes by James Taylor, Vinnie took me on a musical journey for he didn't just sing the words, he told a story.

They say that music soothes the savage beast but for me it also soothed my soul.

Thank You Vinnie.