Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

When traveling from Tuscaloosa, the indications that one is growing closer to New Orleans begin as early as Meridian, Mississippi, when I-20/59 splits. With each successive sign, my heart swells until finally, I crest that one hill on I-10 West and see that beautiful skyline, and the city welcomes me home.

I got that feeling for the first time in 23 months on Friday as we drove in for a long weekend visit. That evening, I got a similar feeling when we went to see Paul Sanchez perform, also for the first time in 23 months.

We typically stood in front of Paul when he was with Cowboy Mouth, and he always recognized us, no matter how long it had been since our last show - like reuniting with an old friend. Friday we went to say hello before his solo acoustic set at Clever Wine Bar, and he said he remembered us. He also gave Jason a shout out during the set, thanking him for his support over the years. After the set, when I relayed a greeting from our friend Healey, he asked about her and her boyfriend Mike (though I'd not mentioned Mike at all).

That kind of memory, regard and appreciation for his fans is one reason that we so enjoy seeing Paul, but certainly not the only one. His music soothes the soul, partially because, as my friend Aura pointed out Friday night, his voice is "smooth like butter."

Friday's venue was quite unique. The wine bar is one of many businesses converted from an old cannery. Despite the exposed ventilation and pipes, the location is quite chic and cozy. When we arrived, all of the bar stools and the tables closest to the small corner stage were taken. We picked a large round table near the rear of the bar, which had its pros and cons. Although the standing crowd that filled the bar by the middle of the set obscured our view of the stage, the cushy chairs around the table provided a relaxing place to enjoy our beverages and the music.

Although scheduled to play only from 8-10 p.m., neither Paul nor the crowd was ready for the set to end. He continued on for another 25 minutes, giving us nearly 2 1/2 hours of wonderful music.

The set consisted of an excellent mix of classic and new, cover and improv. Among the familiar tunes we heard were "Light It on Fire," "Little Blue One," "Slow Down," "Here I Sit in Prison," "Hey Bartender," "Irish Boy," and "The Hate Song." We also heard some newer tracks from the recent albums Exit to Mystery Street and Stew from New Orleans (a collaborative effort with John Boutte). "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?", "I'm a Believer," "If I Only Had a Brain," and a rousing singalong of "You Are My Sunshine" rounded out the set, along with a ditty made up on the spot about those in the crowd who continued to talk loudly (and who presumably were oblivious to the fact that Paul was making up a rather amusing song about them).

One funny moment of the night unrelated to Paul occurred when a stranger came over to our table for a very odd exchange with Aura. Aura still was at work when Robin, Jason and I went to the cannery building, which has an excellent little pizza place called the Olive Branch Cafe. I had 1/3 of an olive calzone leftover and convinced Aura to eat it (which she did ever so daintily). The strange woman came over and told Aura that she looked like a pizza-eating queen holding court over all these "guys" (Um, hello! Guys?). She then told Aura to try the wine. Apparently the fruity/flowery cocktail in front of her wasn't good enough.

After the set, we listened in as Robin interviewed Paul for Aura's New Orleans theatre/music podcast "Backstage on the Bayou" (http://www.backstageonthebayou.com). For those of you who are Paul fans, the episode should be up within the next week or two.