Regarding the Rufus Wainwright concert in Chicago

[Editor's note] My love for Rufus Wainwright's music dates back to the early days of college life. At the time, I was 19 years old, living in Gainesville, and going through a musical awakening of sorts. Thanks to new friends and an amazing Amazon recommendations page, I discovered brilliant bands like Pink Martini, the Scissor Sisters, Dangerous Muse, and Paris Combo.

Rufus Wainwright, with his haunting melodies and deep tenor voice, stood out from that crowd and filled the airwaves of my dormitory.

Well, this past Saturday afternoon my pal Barbara and I had the privilege to see Wainwright live. Backed by the awe-inspiring Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Wainwright performed at Ravinia in Chicago and he delivered a program unlike any other I've seen.

The first half of the concert featured Wainwright and the CSO doing works by Berlioz and Mendelssohn. Then they put the Bard to music and did five Shakespearean sonnets. Following an intermission, Rufus performed some his acclaimed songs without the orchestra.

It was then that Wainwright's talents really dazzled. Not only did he perform standards like "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk", "Going to a Town", and his wonderful cover of "Hallelujah". Not only did he preview a new, previously unheard song aptly entitled "Barbara". Not only did he play the piano and the acoustic guitar. But he was also disarmingly charming and self-deprecating throughout.

Not being able to play a complicated piano tune, he would throw out a "Whatever!" and kept going. He revealed himself to be a surprisingly salt-of-the-Earth kinda guy. Well, as much as one can be wearing an ascot and leopard print slip-ons.

Simply put, Rufus Wainwright is one of the greatest talents of my generation. It was irrevocably confirmed in Chicago.

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