Shame on you.
You know who you are. You're the person who bailed out on this show when headliner Counting Crows canceled and the opening bands moved from the Mesa Amphitheatre to the Grind.
You missed the bargain of the year.
For $5 -- five dollars - you could have seen Sam Phillips stand in front of a crowd of maybe 200 at the most, looking nervous as a substitute teacher in front of a ninth-grade Latin class, but belting out songs with a voice so strong it could drive a nail through a two-by-four. She was in control. Plus, her husband, producer, performer and all-around cool guy, T Bone Burnett, performed with her for no extra charge. The only quibble: She didn't play long enough.
Good as Sam Phillips was, Buffalo Tom was better. They brought a manic energy to the place that simply doesn't turn up on their CDs. Bill Janovitz, the lead singer and guitar player, broke a sweat early and never slowed down, whether the band was blasting originals off the small-but-enthusiastic crowd up front or sailing through a Bob Dylan cover.
Guess you had to be there. . .