Geof Morris once referred to him as “Andy ‘It’s really sad that the only thing that the only song of mine that the .net knows is that silly Roast Beef song I did’ Gullahorn”. And up until Saturday, that was pretty much all I knew of him.

(In case you’re wondering, Roast Beef is a silly song Andy wrote about Andy Osenga’s missing (amputated) toe. It is pretty funny.)

Last Saturday I had the privilege of meeting Andy Gullahorn when he came as part of the Behold the Lamb Christmas tour to Cedar Rapids. My first impressions were these:

  1. He’s tall. Almost as tall as me. That sounds like a funny observation, but compared to the other guys on the tour, who are mostly all short, Andy seems like a giant.
  2. He’s a heck of a guitar player.

Then I got to hear him in concert, and I discovered two more things:

  1. He’s really funny.
  2. He’s a heck of a songwriter, too.

The first song he did was a little piece of satire entitled Holy Flakes. It had the place laughing through the first two verses, and then suddenly quiet when the third verse revealed the moral of the story. I was thrilled. I can’t think of the last time I’ve heard a song so funny and yet so pointed at the same time. The second song he sang was Freedom. It’s a more serious piece, but a masterful bit of songwriting.

When the concert was over, I beat a quick path to the CD table, and purchased both of Andy’s CDs. (My purchasing choices were made a bit easier by the fact that I owned nearly every other CD they had for sale that night.) I don’t think I’ve listened to anything else since Saturday night. The songs are spare, not a lot of fancy production or instrumentation, but the lyrical content is right on. A song like Beginning of the End resonates with me in ways I find hard to describe.

Last Saturday provided me with many wonderful opportunities. But near the top of that list was the chance to become familiar with Andy Gullahorn. You may now count me as a big fan. Oh, and if you get the chance, go visit his website. You will see the humor shining through. :-)