Eleven years ago I left the comfort of my hometown on the

Eleven years ago I left the comfort of my hometown on the other side of the country to live in a strange and distant land called Seattle. It all started with a short stint working at the big M (Microsoft) and one of the few things I remember about that time is having a chat with my boss in the lunch room about what I could do to really experience the Pacific Northwest and he mentioned a music festival called Bumbershoot. I was intrigued and looked at the bands playing; lo and behold one of my favorite groups, Nickel Creek, was peforming (along with R.E.M.)… I was sold. That would be the last time I’d see this incredibly talented trio perform until two days ago at the Moore Theater.After a six year hiatus, these three musicians and life-long friends came back seemingly stronger than ever and with a renewed sense of confidence and ease in their interactions and performance. I had forgotten how many songs were stored in my lost memory bank playlist but I found myself singing along to nearly every one, even the instrumentals. I reminisced fondly of high school and college studying, reading or just lying in the grass on a summer day humming along to Chris Thile’s super high mandolin parts or Sara Watkins’ violin runs. Yes, I’m from Kentucky, but it was obvious from the size of the audience at The Moore on Saturday that you don’t have to be a country girl to love Bluegrass music.

A couple of my favorite moments of the night came from Thile’s bumbling attempts at storytelling and banter between sets. He is charming in his seemingly clutzy but more likely just goofy way of telling the tale behind a song. He began a long rambling story about the way they go about naming instrumental pieces. “We started off so terribly with titles like ‘The Smoothie Song’, I take full responsibility for that one,’ and commented that it was the real reason they decided to take such a long hiatus (entirely in jest… probably) adding the terrible pun “the Creek just went dry,” followed by groans throughout the room. Thile went on to explain the title behind “Ode to a Butterfly” that made me laugh in spite of myself. “At age 16 or 17 I was sitting in the rec room at Murray State,” which plucked at this Kentucky girl’s heartstrings, “and I watched as a butterfly just kept bumping into the window over and over and I sort of felt like that was me. But later I thought about it and realized it totally could have been a moth. So maybe it should have been ‘Ode to a Moth’.” Ok, so maybe you just had to be there, but his boyish sense of humor and playful stage presence won over the crowd from the moment they walked on stage.

It may have been six years since Nickel Creek have played together, but the show felt as if they’d never parted. I’m just glad they decided to give it another go, and may the Creek never run dry again.

Be sure to check out the rest of the slideshow from the night’s performances by the opener Secret Sisters and of course Nickel Creek.

The entire stage was lit up with a textured background to give an eerie feel at times and a fun playful mood at other times.

Nickel Creek seriously knows how to put on a show, I just wanted to get up and dance.

The interaction between the three of them can’t be faked. The fun and joy they show comes straight from their hearts and all the way down to their toes.

Chris kept switching “visitation” from Sara to Sean and back as they played instrumentals or as one was singing and the other just playing. It was so much fun to watch!

I thought in the past Chris Thile had a bit of an ego, being the lead in most songs for NIckel Creek, but really doesn’t every group need a leader? Now I think that he’s just that good.

Chris Thile’s antics made everyone giggle in spite of themeslves. He was quite goofy on stage but I fell for it hook line and sinker.

Sean Watkins has a voice that could make you cry, it’s incredible how talented all three of these musicians are… years of hard work will do that.

Sara blows me away every time I hear her violin parts. Chris may be the “rock star” of the group, but she shines like a star on stage.

All three of the musicians that make up Nickel Creek can sing beautifully, entertain with ease and play their instrument like it were a piece of them. It’s a sight to behold.

Secret Sisters opened up for Nickel Creek. They really brought the Southern style to this bluegrass/country show.

Chris Thile has made a splash in his other band called Punch Brothers during Nickel Creeks’ six year hiatus.

Chris Thile, Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins make up this incredible bluegrass group. They’ve known each other since they were around seven years old.

This trio of musicians has been in together in Nickel Creek for twenty five years. That’s simply incredible, and their music shows. it.

Secret Sisters have a charm that only Southern ladies seem to capture and it follows through in their music as well.

One of the best things about Southern ladies is they know how to tell a story. That translates really well into lyric writing as well, which was obvious with this act.

These ladies really know how to capture a crowd, with their lovely harmonies and sweet demeanor it was an easy task.

It was really fun to watch this group, their set wasn’t terribly long, as is usual for openers, but they kept the crowd capitvated.

Secret Sisters were a really good fit for this crowd, typically most of the patrons hang out and drink in the lobby during the opener but these ladies pulled them in.