Chris Knight at Gerstle's

By Brandy Dixon

There was standing room only at Gerstle's when Chris Knight took the stage for a much-anticipated solo acoustic show. Knight is a proud man, proud of who he is and proud of where he comes from. It shows in his songwriting. He has seen the highs and the lows and life in between and isn't afraid to let us know all about it. There's no sugar coating on the stories Knight tells. It's all about real people and real life at it's most bittersweet.

On August 22, armed with his guitar Knight took the packed house on a ride down the small town back roads of rural Kentucky, painting pictures with his words, guiding us through other people's daily lives that we can relate to, be they good or bad. Knight gave us a set of classics including "Framed," "Hard Candy," "It Ain't Easy Being Me" and "Long Black Highway," a goose-bump-raiser of a song which features a Louisville shout-out (of sorts). We also got to hear some incredible stuff from The Trailer Tapes including "Move On" and "Hard Edges" The Trailer Tapes was recorded in 1996 and led to Knight's first CD. The recordings weren't released until recently, when high demand from fans made it feasible. It was a long time coming but it's out now.

Chris Knight puts on an amazing show with a band or flying solo. He has a great connection with the audience. He draws listeners right in and doesn't let go until the very end, a knack he shares with another Kentucky-related songwriter by the name of Prine. Make it a point to get out and see him. Check for upcoming dates on his myspace page myspace.com/chrisknightmusic and to pick up The Trailer Tapes - it has been in steady rotation in my CD player since I bought it and when you hear it, you'll understand why.