Anyone can put on a "good" performance these days. Not everyone can put on a show that comes straight from the heart. Carolinian chanteuse Laura Boosinger and her musical partner Josh Goforth came to Greenock and wowed the small yet passionate audience with their cohesive bluegrass pairing.
Proceedings began - perhaps appropriately - with "Banjo Pickin' Girl". Those in attendance weren't slow to clock the terrific bond between Laura and Josh. It was also a fine indicator of what was to come from Josh, a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist who is a regular session player in Nashville.
Laura's music comes straight from Appalachia. Great understanding of the origins and purity of what she sings makes Laura's performance all the more sincere. Of course, it helps too that she's a dab hand at the claw-hammer banjo and guitar, over which her voice flows so gently. You could be fooled into thinking that every song sung was from her own pen. Josh's vocals never reached the same heights, but sat nicely just the same on "Someone I Used to Know".
Laura is routinely invited to play at Merlefest, and if you've witnessed her live, it's easy to see why. All who caught her in such confined quarters should consider themselves extremely lucky. Likewise with Goforth, who is much revered for his prodigious playing throughout America.
Laura and Josh recently cut their first album together - "Most of All" - and judging by this performance, it will be the first of many.