I don’t know how it works economically, taking a six piece on the road to play clubs.

Hornsby’s hits are decades behind him. And he’d be relegated to soft ticket dates or the dreaded day job if he didn’t take a left turn and play with the Dead. What looked like a mistake way back when has not only kept his career alive, it’s reenergized it. People don’t go for the hits, they go for the experience.

And what an experience it was.

Made me want to go home and practice so I could get up on stage too. You see they were having so much fun!

There’s no set list. It’s like a bunch of friends, musicians, gathered in the basement to play. You can see them interacting, trading off solos, having fun.

When was the last time playing a gig was fun?

It’s what you do to get paid, to stay alive. It’s on hard drive to meet audience expectations. It’s draining, you’re fatigued, you’re going through the motions. But the pure joy of playing was palpable Saturday night.

You can argue all day long about the implosion of recording revenue, or you can go on the road and play. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Playing?

And Bruce didn’t only tickle the ivories on his Steinway, he did a few numbers on a dulcimer, and then there was the accordion.

And the hits that were played were reworked. It’s like Bruce listened to Dylan and got it. Do you really want me to go on the road for decades playing the same damn hits the same damn way? I’ll die inside!

I don’t care if you think you don’t like this kind of music, if you were there, you would have been drawn in, you would have been closed. This is the musical tradition that’s gone on for centuries, this is not spend a lot of money to run a single track up the chart, this is learn your instrument, be able to play without thinking and go out and blow.

This was a treat.

In an era where everybody has access to recording, where everybody can fake it in the studio, where so many are just making music to get rich, Bruce Hornsby is a revelation.

And it’s not only him.

There’s the reed player and the bass player resembling a spinning top, so energized by the music he can only burn off the energy by moving his body with the notes.

And the guitarist who doesn’t fight for attention, but adds accents, who only takes over when the assembled multitude gives him the reins.

And the second keyboard player.

And a drummer who doubled on spoons.

You can’t really describe it, you’ve got to feel it.

And Saturday night, we did.

Bruce and troupe got a standing ovation. Not because people wanted more so much as they wanted to pay respect, reward the players with the adulation they deserved.