It was cloudy. It was humid, and you felt really sticky. It was November 2nd and it wasn’t a day you’d really want to stand outside for an hour. But this hot, cloudy, humid Texas day was completely different than the rest. Why you may ask? Well here’s why; because Sam Turner and the Cactus Cats performed at Rudder Plaza and BTHO of any worry or anxiety or sadness one may have felt for that one hour they blessed our ears with their vocals. If you didn’t have the opportunity to be at Lunchbox during their performance, I’m going to try my hardest to describe to you through words on a screen what you missed (although trekking to Houston to see first-hand what you missed is highly encouraged).

So, let me just start by saying that their debut album, Wanna Be Your Man, is on iTunes and I’ve had it on repeat since the moment Sam Turner strummed his guitar. That being said, Rudder Plaza felt so alive that cloudy day. Sam Turner has this ability to belt out such soulful songs that they almost aren’t even songs any more, but more like raw emotions, melted so harmoniously together with the guitar and the bass and the drums. Turner’s raspy voice and the rest of the band’s life-giving energy makes you ask yourself over and over again, “Is this actually live music?”. They’re that good. Just when you think it’s probably time to go to class, Sam Turner draws you back in with a song like “Pretty Woman”, tapping his feet to the rhythm and causing you to do the same without you even realizing. As if you didn’t love Sam Turner enough, in between sets, he gave shout-outs to all the organizations set up in Rudder Plaza that day, I mean c’mon guys, can we make him an honorary Aggie for the day? Near the end of their set, they performed a song that took you way back in time, to the sixties, to a time you weren’t even in yet, but you felt as though you were because Sam Turner told you that you were. Sam Turner and the Cactus Cats’ performance of “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” did just that to the cluster of Aggies standing and watching or moving and grooving while eating their popcorn. And then people started to dance. Students started to dance around, hooking arms and swinging around while Sam Turner’s vocals talking of love and life echoed through the depths of your soul. It was that good. Even after it was over, everything you had just experienced resonated inside you. You felt as though nothing could bring you down and you bought every koozie, t-shirt, and green vinyl record that they sold. Needless to say, I’m booking them for my future wedding, maybe even having them sing as I’m being lowered into my grave. And as if Sam Turner and the Cactus Cats couldn’t get any better, they ended their entire concert with the words every Aggie lives to hear, “BTHO Auburn”.