Reports from Kerrville 2000

Larry D. Lyons Photos

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Day 1 - K2K

(Fri, 26 May 2000)

I find it interesting that i rarely use the word magic and it's deriviates. The only times are during the kerrvile festivals, and Halloween...

The ranch turned into a festival today.. Energy came through the front gate, and parked itself in the meadows, on the hillsides, in the treelines, and in the camps that people had set-up during landrush.

The ballad tree, hosted by bill ward, was slow getting started, and only about 20 people were there at 3PM. By 4:30 when i left, that had grown to about 50.

The mainstage activites started with Hugh Blumenfeld doing a great set, considering the heat, and sparse audience. Both early mainstage, and the ballad tree were affected by the exhaustion people experienced after getting to the ranch, and setting up their campsite. The first night on the ranch has always been spent collapsing. That's i've always gotten in on the wed before the festival starts.

Lisa McCormick, and Dianze Ziegler had excellent sets, but Bill Ward was certainly the highlight of the evening. I can't remember if it was 2 encores or 3, but great songs, great presentation, and a thoroughly enjoyable presence. Don't miss him when he comes back as a featured performer next year at the Soth Florida Folk Festival.

Other obligations took me away from seeing Steve Dan Mills, and the Augie Myers Sextet.

The campfires started slowly, but, at least they started. There has been virtually no musical activity so far this week. Camp Stupid was, uh, uh, Camp Stupid, Camp Calm, was indeed calm, and Camp Coho was also pretty quiet. The camp at the corner of the road by the main bathrooms has a nice circle going, with C Dan Bowling, and a number of other players having at it. Nashville was dark, but the early festival energy, as in previous years, starts at Camp Singkerrnicity, Annie Wenz, Megan McDonough(sp?), Steven Taylor, Peter Rowan, Stephanie Corby, Eric Gerber, and Kerrvirgin Eric Schwartz all combined to make me feel like i was home again... It was during one of eric's songs that i just felt myself slip into that mellowness and comfort zone that is Kerrville. Stephanie started the evening telling me that she was going to take it easy on her voice. That lasted until it came around to her... Eric Gerber has an entire new (excellent) repetiore, and Eric Schwartz was a great new addition.. I never thought i'd hear the term "shtetl dust" in an engligh folk song, but there it was, in "Moishe the kid"..

All in All, it was an early night, as everyone packed it in about 2AM. It was another beautiful night, with great breezes, accompanied for the first time this year by the energy that is Kerrville.

Love to all out there, specially "the Kid".. Get here as soon as you can.. If you can't, i'll do my best to keep the energy flowing out into the ether.

Coming to you direct from the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas

Love to all..

Brian "Breadman" Wolfsohn