Idgy Vaughn and Gabe Rhodes in Greensboro, GA

My mom wants to thank the folks at the Lake Welcome Center on Lake Oconee for organizing the Roadhouse Concerts at Savannah's just a few miles from her house. I had such a good time at Idgy Vaughn's shows there this weekend that she thinks I'll visit more often. Mom's probably right.

If I didn't live in Indiana, I'd probably attend most of the concerts. The lineup is impressive. In particular, I'd love to see Stevie Coyle, Diana Jones, Amy Speace, Dionne Farris and Eliza Gilkyson. I've seen Corinne West before, but I wish I could have caught her act earlier this month, too.

But Vaughn's shows were the ones that made me rearrange my summer vacation schedule. My friend Cindy and I were smitten by Idgy's performance in Bloomington, IN, a couple of months ago. Cindy got to see Idgy again the next night; I had to come back to West Lafayette to give a seminar. Now Cindy's the one who's jealous.

I was a bit worried going into Idgy's shows this weekend because Will Sexton, the guitarist who normally accompanies her, is on a promotional tour for the state of Texas. I needn't have. Gabe Rhodes, his replacement, is terrific. Perhaps that's not surprising considering he grew up around Texas music legends such as Willie Neson and Townes Van Zandt, who played with his mother, Kimmie Rhodes. He's also played with his mom, Willie, Ray Price, Houston Marchman, Billy Joe Shaver and a lot of other great musicians.

Still, Friday and Saturday were only the second and third times Gabe had ever played with Idgy. With only a couple of exceptions, it was hard to tell. He was particularly good at setting a melancholy mood for "St. Francis Fire," a song about a group of schoolgirls who perished in a fire a hundred years ago. He also stretched out with some great blues licks on Idgy's cover of "Can't Let Go," a Randy Weeks tune popularized by Lucinda Williams.

I did miss Will Sexton's harmonies, but that's hardly worth mentioning because Idgy's voice is so engaging. Her vocals are riveting when she sings "Pearl of Georgia," an endearing song about her daughter, and "Good Enough," a heartbreaking song about her mother. They're saucy and funny when she sings "Redbone Hound" and "Mr. Wrong," peppy tunes about love gone awry. And at the Lake Welcome Center, a small venue that simulates the feel of a living room, the songs seemed especially personal.

I'd love to hear Idgy there again, but in the meantime I'll check for the next time she returns to the Midwest. And, yeah, I'll be checking out the schedule for future shows in the Roadhouse Concert series that might give me an added impetus to squeeze in another visit with my parents.