The biggest surprise at last week's Glen Campbell concert near Jim Thorpe was its sensational opening act.
Campbell's children Shannon, Cal and Ashley are three of the musicians in this extraordinary quintet called Instant People - all of whom returned to back up Glen for the main show.
And what a show it was.
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Glen Campbell is seen performing at a recent concert. Campbell is now on his farewell tour and is battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the 75-year-old superstar appeared at Penn's Peak last Thursday as part of his ongoing "Goodbye Tour," serving up a luscious smorgasbord of hits from his long, prosperous and tuneful career:
"Galveston." "By the Time I Get to Phoenix." "Gentle on My Mind." "Southern Nights." "Where's the Playground, Susie?" "Wichita Lineman." "Try a Little Kindness." "True Grit." "Rhinestone Cowboy."
Does that make your mouth water, or what?
Glen's rich and supple voice - clearly country but easily accessible to fans who don't like that genre - is as strong as ever.
Yet the show's most notable aspect was Campbell's willingness to struggle with his illness in public.
He forgets lyrics. He calls on bandmates to remind him what key they're in. The entire band ground to a halt on the opening of "Country Boy," when Glen began singing "Rhinestone Cowboy" instead.
As he introduced "True Grit," Ashley kept calling out "Dad! Dad!" Finally, she walked over to him, saying, "You have to capo this up to A" - and then she helped him do it.
All this was just fine with Campbell. And with the band. And with the audience.
Such frank acceptance of imperfection is refreshing in a culture that seems to keep demanding better and better.
It certainly wasn't the best show Campbell ever performed - and the audience couldn't have cared less.
He was called out for three encores - the final tune coming from his critically acclaimed 2011 album "Ghost on the Canvas."
He took a break about two-thirds of the way through, leaving his three kids to perform a dazzling and beautifully harmonized version of "Hey Little One," from the star's 1967 album "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" - the first country record ever to win a Grammy for Album of the Year.
The set also featured a rousing version of "Dueling Banjos," in which Campbell on guitar traded licks with young Ashley on banjo.
As for Instant People: Knowing nothing beforehand, I was prepared to tolerate them while waiting for the main attraction.
No such luck.
Their six songs were a masterful blend of country rock and indie pop, with the flavor of Dave Matthews, the Wallflowers and Little Feat; yet their CD - which was selling briskly at intermission -- sometimes sounds like Peter Gabriel's early solo work.
Their set was smooth, polished and beautifully composed, with all five members often singing harmony.
I could have listened to them all night; but Glen's show was the true crowd-pleaser, a fine farewell from a man whose career has spanned 50 years, 70 albums, 81 hits and 45 million records.
