Erie may be a small city, but thanks to some amazing venues and patrons, we get big city entertainment without the traffic and the ticket prices. Within 2 miles of our home, one of the greatest and newest venues sits on the campus of Mercyhurst College: the D’Angelo Performing Arts Center.

Mercyhurst is known around here for its voice and musical education and so when they built a theater, they did it just right.  The acoustics are gorgeous and there’s not a bad seat in the house.

Along with a film series, the Opera at the Met series and speaker events; we have had the privilege to see acts from all over the world, from the amazing drumming of Japan’s Yamato to the jazz of Oregon’s Pink Martini.

But this past weekend, we saw one of the greatest shows we’ll probably see in our lifetimes: the Dave Brubeck Quartet.

Dave Brubeck, a jazz legend, is now in his 90th year and has only played once in the past two months due to illness.  He had to be escorted to the piano and he sat on a padded chair rather than a bench.

And then, magically, the years fell off of him.  As soon as his hands touched the keys, he was young again; all of us in the audience were shown what life looks like at 90 after living through your love, your gift.

This man changed jazz, changed music, and we might have been witnessing one of his last live performances — in a small and intimate theater located in this small and intimate town.  As we all left, we knew we’d been part of something beyond special.