| WOW...
What a fantastic night of magic..
Mainstage was one great performance after another..
The evening began with Hot Club of Cowtown. a great group who looked like
they were just getting out of high school... Suzanne Buirgy cranked it
up a few notches with her usual superb performance.. (get ready to hear
her as part of the Bukstel Houseconcert series this coming year). Willis
Alan Ramsey kept it going strong.
As great as the opening 3 acts were, we had finished with the prelimaries,
and were ready to move on to the big show..
PP&M did 6 songs in their set that came out of kerrville.. 2 from
buddy mondlock, i each from melisa javers, anne feeney, steve seskin,
and tim bays. As soon as they settled into their positions on-stage, the
photographers area in front of the first row was inundated with people
trying to take pictures. There were so many people that security had to
move out the ones that were there, to let new people in with their cameras.
The dance area was packed, as well as masses of people lined up against
the side fences. Ellen & I were lucky enough to get 3rd Row seats
(thank you lizrouse). I don't know that i've ever seen the mainstage area
as crowded (except for that country/western artist a few years ago who
appeared over the Mem Day weekend to the accompanyment of what seemed
like hundreds and hundreds of college/alchohol/loud/people). Mary had
the best line of the night when, after forgetting the second line to mellissa
javers' song, she recovered by saying: "I get so nervous when the
author of the song is standing behind me staring at my buttocks"
Bill Miller followed pp&m with an excellent performance and the evening
finished with a high-energy performance from groovelily. Groovelily's
violinist and lead femal vocalist plays a 6 string electic guitar which
straps onto her chest in a "why didn't i think of that" arrangement
which rube goldberg would have rejected as too simple. The band had bought
their batteries at walgreens, and the batch of 9 volts were just not working.
In between songs, the violinist called out does anybody have a working
9 volt battery ?? Who would be sitting in an audience with a battery in
their pocket ?? (those of you who know me can stop laughing now <gg>)
After giving up an extra one of my 9 volters, the performance continued.
Campfires were cooking at singkerrnicityand Coho. Coho moved out from
underneath their tarp to their campfire. For hours on end, great song
after great song. At one point in the evening, the circle had become exclusively
female singer-songwriters.
******************
Day 10.
Hilites of mainstage this evening were Janis Ian and Jack Williams. I
was somewhat out of it this night, as i hadn't consumed enough water during
the day, combined with temperatures that seemed to be the hottest of the
festival so far. A massage over at the earth goddess Barbara Dieckman's
helped, but i was still waking around more tired than usual.
The highlite of the night was the tribute to al grierson at threadgill.
Steve Brooks, Chris Chandler, Anne Feeney, Annie Wenz, Jack williams,
mike williams, steve gillette, Carol, Austin Kessler, Clint Hartung(?),
Gary Martin and heidi muller, and a number of others, either played songs
of al's, or played songs for to, or about al, or gave us some of their
earliest memories of al.
I finally collected on my bet of a year ago with smitty. (if you want
your half of the proceeds kid, just let me know) Let me tell you, it's
not easy to count out 9 singles to break a 10 at 4:30 in the morning..
first you have to find the right pocket..
It's been nice having our own little camp setup in addition to the tent.
It's nice ending an evening in quiet conversation knowing you only have
to be dragged willingly about 3 feet to the bed.
**************
Day 11 - Sunday - New Folk Day. It's morning, about 11AM, and the camp
coho group is enjoying their breakfast of shiner, chips and salsa. Alan's
looking a little green this morning.. Fresh honey bread goes great with
salsa, and the entire loaf just disappears into empty stomachs in very
short order.
It scorpion inquisition day, as the camp's collection of scorpions is
being shown around, with Lisa Markley in fast retreat... Camping with
a big bug phobia must be very stressful..
Off to new folk... later... Peace to all..
I know i've forgotten more than i've written.. my apologies too all who
names i've mangled, misspelled, or just unintentionally forgotten....
Coming to you direct from the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas
Brian (Breadman) Wolfsohn
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