Seattle, WA- I retake my seat after spending time exploring the venue that is WaMu Theatre. There is such a lively atmosphere about the place. If I didn't know any better I never would have realized that Washington Mutual, the banking institution to which the theatre owes its name, had just recently suffered complete bankruptcy and been purchased by JP Morgan/Chase for a mere $1.9 billion.

Ten more minutes and the lights finally go down. The crowd starts to clap and roar with excitement. The opening beat starts; a strong rhythmic stomp, accompanied by a soft, but equally rhythmic, flawlessly synched guitar riff. A finely executed locomotion ambiance, one of the best I have ever heard, and the sound quality - phenomenal. I bought the band's CD during the break between the opening set and the main event.

Incidentally I learned that some of the lyrics had, in fact been written on board trains while traveling across middle-America. Also, their recording methods remind me very much of those used by Coldplay on "Viva La Vida". Let me tell you, these guys really know their stuff. And yet I immediately realized this was not the work of the dynamic duo that I had come to see.

That is, I knew that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss would, as music venue tradition dictates, have an opening act. I also knew that because both of their reputations so greatly preceded them, their choice would not just be good, it would be extraordinary. It was likely that I would enjoy the opener just as much as (if not more than) the main event. However, I had completely neglected to research who would have the honor of introducing the legendary Led Zeppelin lead vocalist himself, Robert Plant, teamed up with the always-lovely bluegrass belle, Alison Krauss.

This captivating steam train stomp carried on for several measures, building upon the audience's anticipation. Suddenly, a perfectly harmonized, pleasingly piercing voice rang out, like a tone from the finest of silver bells, cutting through the WaMu theatre cleaner than a $16.7 billion asset withdrawal. The sound was so crisp and so vibrant, impaling my soul like a rogue javelin at a state track meet.

The stage was now brightly lit, revealing the devastatingly delightful Sharon Little, along with the electrifying band that was responsible for the explosive sensation I had just experienced. I honestly believe, in retrospect, that had I not been seated I would have easily lost my balance and fallen over. Who could have known that such an enormously large voice could come from such a small, "adorable" girl? The aptly volunteered description came from an anonymous audience member sitting in the row directly behind me.

The entirety of the opening set left a residual effect upon me, and I never did recover from Little's joyously bewildering first impression. The remainder of the set included songs from Little's album, "Perfect Time for a Breakdown," and explored a subtle variety in sound, unified by a series of consistently captivating lyrics, all powerfully co-written by Little and her lead guitarist and Jack-of-all-Trades, Scot Sax. That is, in exception to "What Gets in the Way," which was written by Sax alone.

Plant and Krauss couldn't have built a stronger foundation for themselves. When intermission finally came and the audience had to bid a fond farewell to the adorable blonde from Philadelphia, everyone in the audience cried, died a little inside. Then they rushed back out to the lobby to buy themselves a copy of "Perfect Time for a Breakdown."