This week was hard. I didn’t even really want to do this. I thought about just posting the gallery, typing “the band did a good job,” and calling it a day. Not out of duty. Not for any noble purpose. Just out of exhaustion. It’s been an onslaught since before Savannah Sunday even showed up to load in. First the pundits I probably watch too much. Then the self-anointed pundits, who I probably read too much. And last week was different. It was the anniversary of 9/11. The

If you want to know where Aiken’s heartbeat can be felt loudest, you only had to be in The Alley last Thursday night. Chairs lined up before sound check, anticipation building with every passing hour until Heart & Soul returned to the Bud Light Stage. By showtime, the crowd was alive, dotted with bright red Randa’s Roadies shirts—a surprise fan club from Randa Berry’s church that cheered every note she sang.