A Cherished Night with Ellis Paul at Off Cabot

‘The world ain’t slowin’ down’ - Ellis Paul

Do you ever have your brain kicking you to do something? The generous Off Cabot staff recommended that I attend An Evening with Ellis Paul. I was on the fence for most of the day, and if that voice didn’t tell me, ‘If you don’t go, you’ll regret it,” I would have missed a profound evening with the amazing and talented musician, Ellis Paul.

Off Cabot attendees were treated to an unforgettable evening with Ellis Paul on Sunday, June 8. Beverly is enormously lucky to have this amazing local theater for people to take a much-needed break from reality and enjoy a show. The atmosphere of this cabaret-style theater bursts with high-quality glowing passion for the arts.

Before Paul took the stage, Jim Trick, an acclaimed folk musician and certified life coach, came out of retirement to perform. He noted he wanted to brush off the cobwebs and perform more going forward. “I’m the happiest guy in the room tonight,” he cheerfully said. “I get to do this and then watch Ellis Paul.”

Trick has a warm and calming voice that blends magnificently with the strings of his acoustic guitar. Every rhythm sounded hopeful. His selection of songs centered around self-worth, relationships, and human connections. He asked couples to clap if they were romantically involved until unveiling that he was singing a break-up song.

In between Trick’s songs and stories, he talked up the powerful presence of Ellis Paul. He told the audience to hold on to every note from Paul and cherish the moment because nobody knows what tomorrow holds. “The future and past don’t exist; what we have is this.”

And then Ellis Paul was welcomed with a mighty applause. Paul’s musical career has spanned four decades. His passion for music started when he was in third grade, when his parents took him to a concert. Originally planning to be a doctor, he fell in love with music while studying at Boston College.

The words to describe Paul’s reflective and passionate nature flow straight off the music charts. Paul’s energy radiated from the stage into the audience. I admired his enthusiasm, stage presence, infectious smile, and his positive outlook on life.

Attendees happily sang along to ‘3,000 Miles.’ More of his line-up included ‘Marie is a Beautiful Mess,’ ‘Gold in California,’ and ‘You’ll Never Be This Young Again.’ You could fall into a trance watching Paul’s work because it is breathtaking. He went from playing the guitar to the piano and even a harmonica.

With the melodies came a lot of stories, which is my favorite part of any concert. Paul shared stories about a man whose life turned around when he met a horse therapist, anecdotes behind his song about Johnny Cash, and a heartwarming story about his father. Recently, he came to understand his father’s advice, giving him a new outlook.

Performers who base music primarily around self-discovery are influential. For some, this is the music we need to hear. I immediately forgot about all my stresses at the concert with Paul’s magnificent performance. “I want my audiences to be transported by my music. Sometimes the journey can be a relief, no matter what,” Paul said.

He commended Off Cabot, saying he wanted to perform in the theater’s space more. The way music chimes in Off Cabot’s performance center rings beautiful harmonies.

And then came the final song of the evening. “I’m going to write whatever I want to write about - so this is about the apocalypse,” Paul addressed. In this piece, “The Last Song Man Kind Wrote,’ was this lyric, ‘I don’t want to lose a day.’

Off Cabot’s An Evening with Ellis Paul was the best time to be in the moment. Check out more of Paul’s work and think about attending a concert.