House of Lords hit the stage at exactly 7 p.m. with the raunchy style of rock and roll that made their new album "Sahara" a hit. They sang most of the songs from "Sahara" and also "I Wanna Be Loved" and "Pleasure Palace" from their debut album "House of Lords." The song "Can't Find My Way Home" had a very special meaning that night. The band dedicated the song to the troops in Saudi Arabia. House of Lords thoroughly prepped the audience for Nelson.

At around 8: 30, Nelson hit the stage. Their first song was "Fill You Up." By this time, the fans were on their feet singing along. Although many fans didn't notice, Sam Hilliard (Matthew's and Gunnar's 17-year-old brother) was in the audience. Nelson brought the house down with songs such as "(It's just) Desire," "More than Ever," "Will You Love Me?" and their next video release, "Only Time Will Tell." From the first song to the last, they carried the audience through the show and they also played a heartfelt ballad called "Love Me Today" which will be featured on album number two. The song was written about their late father and their sister Tracy, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 1986 and since has beaten the deadly disease.

As for the Nelson review in The Boston Globe, I don't know where Steve Morse was, but he was definitely not at the same concert I was. Everyone who left the concert was raving about it."Too Much Sugar and Too Little Spice"?? Any reviewer who has talked to Matthew and Gunnar will tell you that they really are that nice. As a matter of fact, they're even nicer!

Everything that Gunnar and Matthew put on a piece of paper is a life experience. It's 100% of Gunnar and Matthew. Some may feel that they don't know what they're talking about, but they've lived through more than anyone can imagine. For a year, they lived in their Mustang convertible, but rather than gripe about it, they made it into a positive experience. That optimism is what comes out in their songs and in their attitudes. If they seem very grateful, it's because they are. They had finally won over the city that caused them to cancel their whole U.S. tour. (I was told that four weeks before the concert, the band hadn't even sold half of the tickets needed to fill the Orpheum.)

In the end, I thought that the concert was very uplifting. When I left, I had the feeling that nothing was unobtainable; that I could do anything, just as long as I put my mind to it and never give up. As a line in their song "Fill You Up" goes, "If you follow your heart, it will all come together." The Nelson concert was phenomenal and House of Lords did a superb job as well. n