Just a Blog After the Show

Graham Nash

Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA

March 13, 2019

When I was around 10 years old or so, on television at the time they were using Teach Your Children in a commercial for something or other.  I immediately loved it and latched onto that song, asking my mother who sang it, wanting it on cassette tape. It had spoken to me...because it was timeless and it says a lot, even in part in a commercial. And so I received my first CSN album for my birthday that year. I honestly can’t even remember if it was CSN or CSN&Y or Deja Vu or a Greatest Hits? Regardless, it had Teach Your Children as well as Our House on it, and it was a hell of a good start. 

My mother also listened to The Hollies a bit, so I was also exposed to that good stuff as a kid. The commonality, of course, being Graham Nash, a vital harmony in both bands and the one who penned the song that grabbed me in my youth. I loved their harmonies. Not enough can really be said about good harmony. Some groups have such distinct harmonies, they’re almost familial and their combined tone serves as a stand out voice in and of itself. The Beatles, The Mamas and the Papas, The Beach Boys, etc....Crosby, Stills, & Nash. It’s a wonderful thing.

So, this Christmas I needed a gift for my mother and nothing is better than a concert experience in her book; I stumbled across Graham Nash’s tour and found a small venue in Harrisburg where he would be performing and jumped on some tickets for her and myself. I am currently pregnant with my third child but at the time figured I wouldn’t be too pregnant to go by the time of the concert, so it was a doable wait. I saw he had been playing Hollies songs and classic CSNand/orY as well as his solo work during concerts, so it would be exciting to share that with my mother and I was sure she would enjoy it. Music is the gift that keeps on giving! 

I had never been to this venue in Harrisburg before, The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. Overall, it was fairly easy to navigate to and the trip wasn’t a pain at all. The weather was good and there wasn’t much city driving involved, it was on the outer side of Harrisburg on Market Street. The parking garage was connected to the building so you could get to the theatre through the building, which was neat and nice for my near-waddle pace. We made it with a spare hour to grab some grub, so we hit up a Freshido restaurant nearby. I’m convinced it’s Korean food, even though the webs told my mother it is Hawaiian; my dish was called the Gangnam Style plate and there was bulgogi meat and kimchi? I rest my case. It was a little spicy but good and didn’t even give me heartburn, which was pleasantly surprising! So much winning! 

We made it back in and found our seats after checking out the swag stop on the way in. There was the usual array of t-shirt, CD, and vinyl memorabilia but also a section of signed photographs, one of Joni Mitchell in a rearview mirror, signed by Nash, and copies of his new book “Our House” that just came out. Inside the theatre, actually the Sunoco Theatre inside the Whitaker Center, was about as big as The State Theatre, in State College, if you are familiar. It was quaint and lovely, with an orchestra section, where we were seated, and mezzanine and balcony sections that were directly on top of each other. They even had moody string lights along the balconies. We had a great view from our seats.

After some dimming of the house lights Nash and co. came out onto the stage to a cheering crowd. He greeted everyone immediately, waving to the balcony folks. He humbly thanked the Universe for bringing us all together at this moment in time. He said something akin to all they had were songs but they were “gonna sing the shit out of ‘em!” They opened with Pre-Roads Down, going next into Bus Stop which was exciting to witness with my mother. I was fairly sure he would play it because he has been but also really hoping he would because it was one from The Hollies I had heard a lot growing up. Afterward, he commented on the cheering, saying it really showed how old we were as a crowd, stating jokingly that we must be well into our 40s. He was pretty playful and funny the entire show. 

Different artists do different things on stage and have different relationships with their audiences. Graham Nash had a casual and intimate way about him. The show was, in a way, a mini Story Tellers; Nash introduced most of his numbers with a little anecdote about the song’s conception. Some introductions were short, one liners, at times just the song title and/or the year he wrote it, while others were lengthier tales. 

He started into I Used To Be a King after the quip “I wrote this right after breaking up with Joan” and then afterwards went into Wasted on the Way. Before Better Days he mentioned he wrote it for Anita Baker. Then Carried Away. Right Between the Eyes. Moving into Military Madness he said he was so tired of playing the song, not because it’s a bad song but because he wrote it about his dad leaving for WWII and the wars keep happening—-so he must keep singing. 

He introduced his two man band right away, after the first or second song. It was impressive how well they harmonized together covering classic vocals with Nash that you were so accustomed to hearing with CSN/Y; my ears deemed it totally acceptable! Shane Fontayne, who he said was most notably English and had played lead guitar with another band in England as well as Sting and “more importantly for you Americans”, Bruce Springsteen. His keyboard player was introduced as being from a musical family, hailing from Lubbock, Texas, which got some cheers. To the cheers, he said “If you know, you know!” This was a little setlist foreshadowing. 

Shane Fontayne was remarkable! It was fun watching him switch guitars from among his rack and recreate classic riffs. His guitar playing was superb and he did a lot of great emotive stuff, most notably on Wind on the Water, where he made sounds akin to a whale’s call, fitting to the song. Graham told the story of being off the coast of Africa on Crosby’s boat and having an encounter with a blue whale that was bigger than their 80 foot boat. He said that it was a near spiritual experience and he was inspired to write the song. 

They did a really cool rendition of The Beatles’ song A Day in the Life, after which Graham noted that it was great and “if you were a singer wouldn’t you want to sing that song?” Agreed! Before Marrakesh Express, he told of a time he was in Africa, taking a train from Morocco to Marrekesh. He spoke of his writing and said “most of my songs come from ordinary moments” although something like this might not be too ordinary to us, to Graham Nash, it was! The band took a 20 minute break after this. 

Coming back from break, Nash looks at Fontayne and playfully asks if he thinks they should really do this [next song]. To much delight, they break into Love the One You’re With! I was thrilled. I never would have expected to hear it, so it was perhaps my favorite number of the evening? Perhaps. Taken at All; Golden Days; Immigration Man: he tells of the time he was stopped at the gates after a trip to Canada and denied re-entry to America. They let Crosby and Stills in. Even Neil Young, he said, was allowed back in but he was denied. He was a mad Englishman as his friends laughed at him from the other side. He said he wrote Immigration Man before he even made it home. 

Just a Song Before I Go was dedicated to the child of a woman that he had met on break. He shared how he wrote this one on a $500 bet from a low-level drug dealer whose house he was at while in Hawaii. He still has the $500 and said that the song became CSN’s most popular hit and had he known, he would have written a better song. The conception of Cathedral was, perhaps, the funniest tale of them all. He said that while in England touring with CSNY he had a day off after the last show. He chose to rent a Rolls Royce with a driver, find a dealer, and then drop acid, spending most of his day laying in the grass in the middle of Stone Henge, which was accessible at the time and wasn’t fenced up back in the day. He later made his way to the nearby Westminster Cathedral where he said he walked over top of a grave of a soldier and had the weirdest sensation in his legs, not from the acid, as he attested to knowing the affects of the drug. Upon inspection he noticed the day the man in the grave died was his birthday. “I don’t know if I was him or he was me or what?” but what followed was an ecstatic experience that led to the writing of Cathedral. It was interesting to learn that not much of that song was made up, which one would be led to believe, but rather gathered from a completely real experience by Nash. 

He mentioned again about the ordinary moments inspiring his songs, and went into a tale of an ordinary “shitty rainy day” when he was simply out walking around with Joni Mitchell window shopping. Joni spotted an interesting vase in a window and bought it. We could excitedly see where this was going. He said they came home to a chilly house and he lit a fire, she filled the vase and then he sat down and wrote Our House. 

As for the foreshadowing, the keyboard player was from Lubbock, Texas, which is, incidentally, where Buddy Holly hailed from. The three of them moved center stage and played a lovely harmonized rendition of Holly’s “Everyday” which was excellent. I had read they were doing this, but forgot all about it in the excitement so I was still pleasantly surprised. Their final number, which I was able to record (although I wish I had captured Love the One You’re With or even Everyday) was what I had expected, Teach Your Children. My mother went to hug me, but saw I was recording on my phone, although that didn’t stop us from exchanging happy glances and singing along. We had come full circle. A good time was had by all, even the baby who had been kicking away the entire concert. 

Graham Nash at the Whitaker Center was truly a bucket list epic show. I am very grateful to have been able to experience it with my mother and especially in such a quaint venue. Nash’s intimate explanations and introductions to his songs were wonderful and insightful. I love when artists actually take the time to connect with their audiences like that, especially ones who have played for so many years. It really makes for a better show. His sharing of his writing process was insightful. Although somewhat less “ordinary” than the lay man’s moments, it was neat to see that most of his songs basically did come from ordinary days and events in his life, each was “a day in the life” of Graham Nash, if you will. Who wouldn’t want to sing about that? 

The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra at The Rowland Theatre

The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra Presents:

THE CLOWN PRINCES

Saturday, May 14th, 7PM

Rowland Theatre, Philipsburg

Saturday, May 14^th I had the honor of going to our locally treasured Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg to see The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra conducted by Rick Benjamin that did a show there to a mix of silent films, entitled The Clown Princes. The performance included films by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd as well as a selection of American theatre orchestra favorites. The show cost $20 and was filled decently well with fans of all ages, including some fun ladies in their flapper garb, feathers and pearls who really got into it. I went with my mother and my Aunt Peggy. It was a really good time!

Something about me…I have had a Buster Keaton thing since college. I love Charlie Chaplin, also; who doesn’t love the Little Tramp? But I, for some reason, was incredibly drawn to the Great Stone Face and his contribution to the silent film era so this was an exciting event. Silent films are pretty interesting. The acting had to be big enough to get the ideas and gags across with absolutely no sound, while also being entertaining and filmed from the best angles. It relied heavily on slapstick and stunts, most of which were done by the actors themselves who were, in many cases, directing the films as well. These guys were hard core. They were pioneers in filmmaking, our forefathers of visual comedy, acting and directing. It was such a cool experience to see these silent films on the big screen with live music from a real ragtime orchestra like it would have been at the time of their production. We were actually encouraged to hiss and boo at the bad guys, and ooh and ahh for the good guys.

The first selection was the 1922 film Cops starring Buster Keaton, directed by Keaton and Eddie Cline. Afterward, the band played an orchestral interlude for reel change music, as would have been traditional back in the day. Rick Benjamin, the conductor, spoke some about music history, and how most of the films were made around the year that the Rowland opened, in 1917, and also how rare music would have been back then. He spoke of today and how music has become a kind of “sonic wallpaper” as he called it, as in it’s everywhere in the background. He said he thinks that it actually devalues the music.

In the silent film era musicians, writers and publishers were all in high demand to create the musical scores for movies. People didn’t have access to music like they do now and they would only be able to hear music if a family member or a friend played an instrument, or if they were able to catch a live performance. It makes you think and it’s really true. Music has been devalued because it is so ubiquitous now. It’s everywhere from elevators, waiting rooms, cars, stores and commercials. He’s right, it IS sonic wallpaper! So much so that people probably don’t even realize a lot of the time that it is there sticking to the wall. In the silent film era, however, the music stood out and was more important because it wasn’t as prevalent. It was a luxury!

The second photoplay was the 1920 film Get Out and Get Under starring Harold Lloyd, who was a boxer turned actor. This film was directed by truck driver turned director, Hal Roach. Loyd’s “Glass” character was more like the common man. People loved Buster’s “Stoneface” and Charlie’s “Tramp” because they were goofy and different, Benjamin said, but they loved Harold Loyd because he reminded them of themselves. I wasn’t as familiar with Lloyd as the other two clown princes, so it was really neat to see this film.

After intermission we were treated to a selection of American theatre orchestra favorites, including 1921’s I’m Just Wild About Harry, 1904’s The Cascades, and W.C. Handy’s 1915 blues number The Hesitation Blues. The third photoplay section was 1916’s Easy Street starring and directed by Charles Chaplin! It’s amazing to think this film came out just one year before the Rowland opened its doors in 1917. The music to this film could actually not be found so the entire score for this one was reconstructed by Rick Benjamin based on musical settings of the time.

This was a very entertaining show. Benjamin asked the crowd if we would each bring “two and a half” people with us if they returned. We cheered that we would, of course. It was a great time; highly entertaining watching Joseph Ellis do the drums and sound effects along with the film. They pulled out all the bells and whistles, literally. Quacky noises for people talking or giving speeches, sobbing noises for when people cried. With just 11 members, The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra sounds pretty boomin’! I highly recommend it!

Also, interestingly, it is the eve of the Rowland Theatre’s centennial. The Rowland was opened on June 4^th, 1917 by Charles Hedding Rowland and its very first offering was a silent film entitled “Within the Law”. Currently, the Rowland Theatre’s Board of Director’s is in the process of collecting funds to restore the marquee to the original glass structure that appeared in 1917. The original marquee apparently extended over the roadway about two feet. In conjunction, they will be designing a plaza in front of the theatre to protect the new structure that will be made of bricks, extending the sidewalk. People can order a personalized brick for $100 each. The Rowland Theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places and really is a local treasure. I look forward to seeing the finished marquee in 2017 and supporting them in the future as they continue to bring entertainment to the Moshannon Valley area, just like this showing of The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra’s The Clown Princes!

Discipline & Listening: “The Ben Taylor Experience”

In December of 2013 I attended a house concert, my very first, at the Oak Mountain Hideaway House, which is actually just over the river and through the woods from my home.  This was a delightful and highly meaningful experience for me, one that I will (God willing) always remember that has taught me a valid life lesson, in all actuality, maybe a few of them.  The atmosphere was chill, the hosts were warm and accepting, the house was lovely, and the talent was AMAZING!  My first house concert experience was with Mr. Ben Taylor, son of musical legends James Taylor and Carly Simon.  YES!! Conceived of the sperm of JAMES TAYLOR and birthed out of the vagina of CARLY SIMON!!  I watched him perform in a living room, in front of a grand fireplace complete with Christmas décor.  I also was fortunate enough to meet him afterward and perform a song for the man on the guitar that he played that night, which blew me away and almost brought on a panic attack all at the same time.  It was like meeting the son of gods; it was like having a conversation with Hercules??!  Okay, I am well aware that he is just a man, but aside from his amazing music, he’s my type of people.  As it were, it was a night of music, listening and lessons. 

Upon arriving at that house concert I had never heard any of Ben Taylor’s songs, so I had a completely open mind and blank canvas to accept the strokes of his brushing artistry, or finger picking, beep booping sound box wizardry, what have you.  His music is an interesting mix of impressive finger picking with a touch of pop and some beat box mashing sprinkled on it.  He performed mixes, including his mash up song "Fire and Vain" created using two of his parents' most popular songs.  He did a cover of his father’s, but more importantly he thoroughly introduced you to his style of music in a very intimate way.  Declaring himself an honorary member of the “S.S.S.” club, meaning the sensitive singer/songwriters, he told stories and explained himself in a very personal and down to earth way.  His music is inviting and thought provoking.  This man’s a thinker, that is obvious right away.  His newest album “Listening” had recently been released and we heard tracks from it.  I sat on the stairs in this magnificent living room, with a perfect view of him at work.  It was like being on the set of Storytellers.  After his sets I was left with the feeling that I actually got to know the man, although this was nothing compared to my experience later on in the evening. 

After enjoying snacks and wine while mingling around the place, we ended up approaching Ben once he had settled onto a bright red futon in the basement after giving autographs upstairs for awhile.  At the time, Ben was in the midst of a conversation with a woman I will refer to as E.  E and Ben were talking about a dream that she had at some point in her life about a light house and being somewhere lost in time, one in which she felt held significance and a connection to Ben for some reason. Ben now wore a huge, mesmerizing ring on his right hand that he fiddled with. His report with the woman was open and frank, reflective and not dismissive at all. She was explaining that she sensed a connection between the two of them, something to do with the lighthouse dream. I was sitting right beside him on the futon now, following their conversation, just listening and waiting to continue speaking to him. We had introduced ourselves already but E trailed on and I don’t like to interrupt a good conversation, hell, even a bad one. He described life as a series of “harmonic blips”. So many songs [lives], he said, were similar with the same harmonic blips. And sometimes it recognizes a harmonic blip in another song [life]. Can a blip of oneness create or clone itself or something like that, he mused. Can it?  He said to E to recognize it for what it was---a harmonic blip in time in these bubbles of oneness that we are. Profound. Even more profound hearing the actual conversation, I'm afraid my memory isn’t the best of story tellers. At the end of their conversation I remember him saying “What do you want me to do about it? Should I write a song about it?”  He also referenced an episode of South Park.  “That reminds me of that one episode of South Park...write a poem, mmkay??  Make you feel better, mmkay??” Harmonic blips, bubbles of Oneness and South Park.  Oh, yeah.  My kind of people. When speaking of life and the soul, and how we all hailed from Oneness he said "I don't know what seduced me out of Oneness and into form...[but] I’m not afraid to die because I know that I will go back to that Oneness. My only fear is that I won’t be able to feel or create or write or express [in that state]...” Sitting around musing how linear time is just a created illusion and discussing life after death...my kind of people.

  

At some point while we were all sitting around him my father mentioned that I play the guitar, which mildly embarrassed me but I’m grateful that he did it now.  When asked, I replied that I dabble.  I mean, seriously, this is James fucking Taylor’s son. I dabble, I dabble! I basically am a monkey playing with a coconut and a string compared to this man, his father and his mother. He jumped up eagerly and retrieved his guitar out of the case, the guitar he played that night that appeared to be ancient and well loved, worn in, abused, even.  Like it had grown into Ben somehow at that point, it was THAT well used.  Most of the time I honestly held that thing gawking at it in awe, clutching it to me like the bouquet awarded to the queen of the prom!  It was beautifully scratched and dinged, like an ancient musical artifact.  I remember sitting there wondering in the moment if James Taylor had ever possibly picked up this guitar of Ben’s while jamming at his parent’s house or something?  It was a little overwhelming to think about. The whole thing still remains somewhat surreal to me, while also being one of the realest moments of my life.  But there I was, sitting there holding this artifact guitar in front of Ben Taylor and a handful of strangers. I wasn’t prepared for this, I was trying not to fall into a panic attack right there. Luckily there was wine! I had my sister grab me another drink. Ben pretty much demanded that I play him a song. So I did. 

I ended up chicken shit, and all I could muster up was the most nervous rendition of a cover that I could do. Honestly, it was more a severe case of Swiss cheese brain. I couldn't even remember my own songs in that moment, at least not enough to make it through an entire song. So I went with an automatic cover, which turned out fine. Everyone sang along, including Ben, so that was fabulous, but it was rather embarrassing that I just couldn’t recall one of my original songs to play for him, especially when he specifically asked me to play something that I wrote after I played the song that I did. (KNOW THYSELF!!) "Discipline!" Ben Taylor said. This is when I realized I needed a much more intimate relationship with my own work...and also to grow a big dangly set of balls. It was pretty pathetic in a way, but in the end, I’m glad I didn’t play anymore, because the true theme of the evening was his last album’s title...”Listening.” There were many magical words of wisdom spoken that night, and to think I would have missed out on them had I broke into a song, had I been cocky about myself, or overly eager to impress the man.  Instead, I mostly listened.  At this point, I held his guitar like it was a newborn.  I fondled it and fiddled around on the strings, but didn’t start into song.  I was listening to everyone else. We had a good conversation going, why interrupt it with Ego? My Spirit was drawn to listen. 

It was while holding that guitar that Ben Taylor bestowed some of the best advice onto me. He critiqued my playing, which was awesome. He told me that my pocket was good and was apparently impressed because for being a man that seemed rather in touch with his feminine side (in the sense of spiritual balance) he explained that was ONE thing he was sexist about; he thinks that men are better with their strumming hands, better at holding the rhythm. But he wasn’t mentioning this in a derogatory way, he was complimenting me. He said my left hand was good also, but my right was notably better. So that was pretty sweet, having Ben Taylor basically tell me I have good rhythm, even for a girl. We then listened as another girl that was there cradled the guitar as she crooned out an a Capella song that she had wrote herself. We all tried to convince her to just learn to play. "A little DISCIPLINE!" Ben said this a couple of times that night. Indeed.

This experience has taught me about the value of listening, to others as well as to myself. It has given me the drive to listen to my own story, my own music. It helped me to see that I should take myself more seriously as a singer/songwriter, even if it is just for fun because it is expression. Simply because I am a bubble of oneness expressing itself with my own harmonic blips. I have so many songs because I am simply compelled to compose them. So then I write these things out as I am compelled and I won't revisit them enough to actually hear what I am even saying. I have since this experience started to have my songs recorded, the songs that I couldn't remember in that anxious moment with Ben. In recording my own music, I have been able to revisit each song and get to know it in an intimate way again. I get the chance to actually LISTEN to myself. I learned a wonderful lesson from Ben about the value of being an artist, the discipline it takes, and the art of listening. So, thank you, Ben Taylor, for the wonderful experience, thank you for your impromptu critique, and more importantly...thank you for listening.

Me playing for Ben Taylor at the Oak Mountain Hideaway

Ari Hest and the Oak Mountain Hideaway

ARI HEST

@ Oak Mountain Hideway House Concert

August 23, 2014

I attended the Ari Hest concert at the Oak Mountain Hideaway House back on the 23rd of August of this year. This was my second house concert at the Oak Mountain Hideaway House and my first time hearing Ari Hest.  It ended up being yet another memorable experience! The Oak Mountain Hideaway house has such a warm and inviting atmosphere and this is a wonderful local venue to enjoy a good night of music. I had not heard anything by Ari Hest prior to the night of the concert but after his intimate performance and getting to meet him, I was officially a fan. His music is impressively moving and there is truly something to be said about being able to experience a recorded artist’s voice without going through a microphone or anything electronic whatsoever, simply projected through the air in its natural state. Ari Hest standing with his acoustic guitar in the middle of a gorgeous living room; you don’t get any more unplugged or acoustic than that!

Ari Hest’s performance was so incredibly intimate, like an episode of Storytellers or a private performance by an old friend. He openly discussed his musical influences and shared the stories behind the songs as he performed them. He played one that he wrote for his niece, Rebecca, speaking lovingly of her and her presence in his life. He urged the crowd to make requests if there were any and was obviously at home with the laid back environment. He donned a plaid button down and a pair of Keds, and with them he brought on some contagious foot tapping. Ari has an intense finger picking style that he says he owes to the musical influence of Lindsey Buckingham, one of his favorite guitarists. Lindsey would be proud, because he had an impressive playing style, and I loved how he incorporated knocks on the body of his guitar into songs.

Ari’s voice is deep and robust but also beautiful on the high end. It was the perfect blend of vibration and gave an amazing feel to his songs. He told the tale of his song inspired by Norah Jones and you could almost feel her come through during the performance. He spoke of another song, Until Next Time, which was about a chance meeting between two souls, which I think was my favorite. He is a quite excellent songwriter as well as performer. Some of my favorites were Until Next Time, Cranberry Lake, The Fire Plays, and Less. Cranberry Lake was incredibly fun because he sang it as a duet with Oak Mountain’s hostess, Annmarie. It was wonderful listening to his stories and watching him perform; he was so relaxed and chill. You seldom get to witness an artist in this kind of venue...in a living room...having an intimate, personal moment with a select handful of people. It really was like an episode of Storytellers. It must have been just as exciting for Ari.

Ari is excellent on the guitar and I was majorly impressed with his style, being a Lindsey Buckingham fan myself, but what was even more impressive was the fact that he also played the piano. He sat and tickled the ivories for us a good bit during his performance. I’m always excited to see a singer/songwriter that plays the piano as well as the guitar so I really enjoyed this about Ari Hest. He’s good at what he does. He shared the fact that he comes from a musical background, on both sides of his family and ironically his father did not want him to get into the music business but then he ultimately ended up doing it anyway.  It’s a good thing, too, because it’s obviously his calling. Another cool thing about Ari, though, is that at one point he WAS signed to a record label but is now an independent artist, which I find very commendable.

We met Ari after the show and had our picture taken with him. I asked him to sign a copy of his album The Fire Plays that I bought after the show. I also grabbed a copy of Sunset Over Hope Street and a copy of his newest album Shouts and Whispers. He was so eager and happy to oblige us. On a side note, he also is much taller than he seems while he is performing once he is beside you with his arm around you. He’s a very talented guy and totally worth checking out!  It was a wonderful experience getting to see him and enjoy his music, especially in a venue like the Oak Mountain Hideaway House. This was actually Ari’s second house concert at the Oak Mountain Hideaway and if he should ever choose to return again, I will certainly be in attendance! Good times!

Uncorking the Allegheny Spirit

The 4th Annual
"Uncork the Alleghenies"
March 8, 2014
Blair County Convention Center
Altoona, PA

IF you happen to like wine and cheese, you're in luck, because these two delicacies only get better with age.  Hopefully the same holds true for festivities that involve both?  On Saturday March 8th I attended the 4th Annual Uncork the Alleghenies, our area's wine tasting and buying extravaganza, and it really is all that!  It was almost overwhelming, but luckily my body was powered by delicious cheese samples and my nerves were calmed by the flowing samples of wine!

This event was similar to a tattoo convention or the Expo building at the County Fair, only I had a glass of wine and was encouraged to drink until tipsy.  For $25 (at the door) you are given a souvenir wine glass and a bag for all your goodies.  Immediately people start handing you brochures and flyers.  Right out of the gate you have to adjust yourself if you're going to make it without dropping your glass!

Immediately upon entering, we found Clearfield's Bee Kind Winery, a personal favorite, where we took advantage of their volume discount. I purchased a bottle of their Bee Berry Blue, which is blueberry wine sweetened with honey. My friend got the Bee Berry Red, which is raspberry. Both are quite sweet!

Farther meandering found us at the wine smoothies booth, where Nutten But Nuts offered samples of their various kinds of blended treats. I tried the Java and the Orange Creamcicle, and I ended up buying a pouch of the Orange. Just add white wine and ice, blend and enjoy! This booth also had bags of Green Bean Chips which i couldn't pass up. My friend and I also sampled one of their wasabi covered peanuts, which were interesting. I found a booth where a woman makes jewelry from vintage silverware. She calls her business At My Table. Remember the super cool vintage spoon rings fellas used to make for their sweethearts? She bends those out of spoons....and forks! I purchased a unique fork ring from her! She also had octopus pendants made from forks and all sorts of other neat pieces. There were artists and artisans everywhere you looked!

Another splendid enjoyment from the event was the food stuff. Samples upon samples of homemade chocolates, cheeses, dips and smoked meats surrounded us. It was hard to decide which was best. Thank goodness for the pretzels and crackers for cleansing our pallets, but sometimes a girl just wants something that sticks around. We tried Jalapeno chocolate from a candy man from Baltimore. It was such an interesting juxtaposition, but not as hot as you'd think it would be, but still pepper chocolate. I didn't try the Ghost Pepper flavor. Blame me? I ended up buying a box of Raspberry Cordials from DuBois' own Hockman Candies. They are the most delectable things I have perhaps ever tasted, and on a plus my husband doesn't like them! I also bought some cheese from Clover Creek Cheese Cellars, LLC located in Williamsburg, Pennsylvania. It's all natural and farm fresh. Their Wild Mushroom was intriguingly different, and their take on Gouda was so pungent I had to buy a block of each. Their Uncle Joe blend and their Swiss, which I left behind, are well worth a mention.

To sum up, some of my favorites from the wine tastings were Happy Valley's Red Throat Rose, Juniata Valley's Summer Tanajer as well as their Cat's Eye Red and Cat's Eye White. I enjoyed Green House Winery's Hoe 'n the Garden and Tramp 'n the Weeds almost as much as their names! Wapiti Ridge Wine Cellars' Bobcat Blush, and Sophie Rose were delicious. I tend to like mid sweetness, and lean toward blushes, but I'll try anything once, twice if they're still pouring. I loved that this event exposed you to so many Pennsylvania based businesses, artists, and artisans! If you enjoy wine and cheese half as much as me, you would really dig Uncork the Alleghenies. It's definitely not something you do everyday!

Give Me Some Sugar: Saturday Night on the Town

Pure Cane Sugar
@
Zeno's
State College, PA
February 15, 2014

Truth be told, I had never been to Zeno's until last night.  Embarrassingly enough, I never made it into this local hotspot.  Heard great things.  Frequented by friends.  Never had the honor.  I had, however, seen Pure Cane Sugar @ Aldo's in Altoona for the Harlots and Halos Festival. At least, I saw a fraction of Pure Cane Sugar, they were completely acoustic and also without Molly, who was home with a sick baby that night.  Last night was a new experience as I was witness to the full sound of the band and the tremendous vibration of the three part harmonies those lovely ladies make.  A mighty chord was struck as I saw Pure Cane Sugar perform in all of their harmonious glory at Zenos.

We lucked into a table up front thanks to the determined efforts of my girl, Melissa! We got ourselves a pitcher and prepared ourselves as the band set up. It was a full house on this night and the ladies were fantastic. They opened, to my delight, with a beautiful rendition of Bob Dylan's A Hard Rain. Kate comes out ready for the show. They share verses, each one bringing her own timber and shine, working their way through the cerebral tale of a song. What an epic way to open! Throughout the night we enjoyed many of their originals which induced bopping and dancing; it became contagious. They have an impressive selection of covers they play and excellent musical taste, bringing their own jolly rock to everything they do. We heard covers of Bruce Springsteen's I'm on Fire, Big Hard World by Eddie Vedder, Come Together by the Beatles. They played Old Man and Southern Man, which I heard at Aldo's, but were so much fuller with Molly's vocals and the backing band this time.

Molly beat on the bongos in perfect rhythm. Natalie crooned out her sultry sound while working a tambourine like a pro. Kate's ferociously fast on acoustic guitar, switching between her 12 string and 6. On this night, they were backed by a lead guitarist, bassist, and drummer. It was interesting to see them initially without the full band so I had the ability to compare. I was ecstatic to hear Mr. Soul this time!!! They also did a solid performance of Dolly Parton's Jolene and a great take of The Civil Wars' Barton Holler. Excellent taste in music!

Kate is impressive on acoustic guitar; her pocket is flawless. Molly is a sight on the bongos, wildly drumming, her hair flying as she is lost in the rhythm. Natalie is like a beautiful gypsy, singing and dancing. It's impressive when people can create such a signature sound from their harmonies the way that Pure Cane Sugar can do. Nuances are incredibly important and there is something to be said about a good harmony backing or shaker. I haven't seen such rhythmic tambourine and phenomenal femininity since I saw Steve Nicks in 2012. These local girls rock. Pure Cane Sugar, every Saturday at Zenos bar. It's a time!

Richard's Rhythms: A Local Night of Music

Richard Sleigh at the Elk Creek Cafe
Milheim, PA
January 9, 2014

I met Richard Sleigh last year at the Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering.  The two Melissa's were lucky enough to have randomly set up camp right next to him after already meeting him in the parking lot shortly after arriving and then attended two of his workshops at the event. I learned a lot from Richard about rhythm and the harmonica. I also was at the chapel for his solo performance that weekend and it blew me away. This man was so chill and laid back, so easy to speak to and learn from and still left the entire church silenced and awed by his amazing short show. When Melissa informed me Richard was playing at the Elk Creek Cafe on the 9th, I was in!

I left Greenwood Furnace with a copy of Richard's 1988 album Steppin' Out. Melissa took home a copy of The Joliet Sessions. So we have been listening to Richard for a couple of months now. It was so great to see him play again, and this time he had the backing of a lead guitarist and drummer, which added to the sound. It's still amazing to hear someone completely rock out a solo song on the harmonica and have it come across with as much feeling as Richard does. His timing is impeccable, his performance is damn near flawless. He is an incredibly impressive musician.

On this night, as well as some solo harp numbers, we heard songs done with his band including "Playing With Fire" by the Rolling Stones, "Bad, Bad Whiskey" by Amos Milburn, Santana's "Black Magic Woman", "The Heart of Saturday Night" by Tom Waits and others. Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" excited the hell out of me. It was interesting to hear the horn part done on the harmonica. Later, Jerry McCain's "She's Tuff" was a pleasant surprise because it's been one of my favorites on Steppin' Out. Also, after having been moved at the chapel performance when he invited Simple Gifts to join him for his last number, I was psyched to hear "Long, Black Veil" again. Phenomenal! However, the song that I was the most impressed with at Greenwood Furnace was a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh, Well". He played this one on this night, and it sounded even better with the added percussion nuances added by the drummer. Oh....Well DONE!!

All in all, this was a great night. Elk Creek is always wonderful, we enjoyed some tasty tapas and beer. I had a good time and Richard put on a terrific show. If you haven't ever seen the local musician Richard Sleigh perform, he is definitely worth checking out and apparently plays a regular gig every second Thursday at The Elk Creek Cafe in Milheim. This show was great but it also made me appreciate seeing him last year in such an intimate setting and in such a raw, personal way. It was cool being able to speak to him again. He sounded great with his band, but is one standalone artist, that sure can make a harmonica speak to you and one hell of a nice guy to boot! He ended his night with a coffee and a piece of carrot cake; sounds delicious. The man has excellent taste. Richard Sleigh, we salute you!

Bob Seger and the Sweatin' Bullets Head Band

BOB SEGER AND THE SILVER BULLET BAND
May 3, 2013
Bryce Jordan Center
State College, PA

This experience was on the list of those that I refer to as bucket list epic, being such an honor to see a revered artist this up close and personal.  It was somewhat reminiscent of my Neil Young experience, although NOWHERE near as phenomenal (I mean, come on, we're talking about eye contact with Neil Young!)  They certainly proved that they can still put on one hell of a show, and are, in essence, still the same!

There was an opening act that were locals from Pennsylvania called the Badlees.  They were a 6 member piece with 2 guitars, a mandolin, etc.  There was a guy that was amazing on the electric fiddle and had a great solo.  There was a playful pissing contest between the two guitarists.  Overall, they were quite good.

Soon out came the timpani and saxes as the Silver Bullet stage was set up.  We had incredibly good seats for this show, floor level, on the right side of the stage.  There were SO many horns!  I was seated next to a gentleman I ended up talking to throughout the show.  He had seen Bob Seger around 15 times or so at this point, the first time being in 1977, so it was interesting to hear his reflections on past and present performances.  He said that in the 70's it seemed you were either into Bruce Springsteen or Bob Seger, and he was always on the Seger side.  He loves how he 'paints a picture with his words'.  I had just seen Fleetwood Mac in Pittsburgh a week or so prior to the Seger concert and we discovered he was there as well!  Small world!  He had seen them about a dozen times before and we both agreed that seeing them leaves no doubt to be had about Buckingham's prowess on the guitar and his sheer talent.  He said out of all of the shows, it was the BEST!  I was obviously glad to have experienced it even more if that were possible.  It was good to know that it wasn't just my biased opinion, also, because I had nothing to compare them to other than Stevie Nicks, but I thought they were absolutely magnificent!  I digress...

The Silver Bullet Band brought it like nobody's business.  It was everything you'd want in a show.  They played a decent set list, leaving out Still the Same, which I had hoped for, but still you couldn't even be upset about it.  Fire Down Below, Main Street, Old Time Rock and Roll dedicated to the college boys, Her Strut, Come To Papa, with Alto on timpani, etc etc!  The man next to me said it was a bit shorter than other shows, but was great considering he also threw in Come to Papa, which he doesn't do as often.  I maintained my composure until he started into Like a Rock, and the vapors came and I teared up.  It wasn't the one that I thought would 'break the seal', but it's just SUCH a damn good song!  By the time he sat at the piano for some songs and started into We've Got Tonight, I was almost sobbing and by the end I believe I briefly bawled.  Beautiful.  I was eventually moved beyond tears, to an inner realm of nostalgia, deep in the vein of experience.  Bucket...list...epic!  

On playing Turn the Page he told the story of how he wrote it in 1970 and then when Alto joined he added the moody intro to it.  Sunspot Baby was too much fun!  During Hollywood Nights he threw one of his sweat drenched head bands, splashing audience members with droplets of his sweat.  It was very energetic.

The band was impeccable.  They had the drummer from Grand Funk Railroad.  The Motor City Horns were SO much fun to watch.  Craig Frost on keys, Chris Campball on bass, Alto Reed, of course.  The back up singers brought some serious percussion to the mix and added so many nuances; they were wonderful.  Alto was so incredible on the saxes, etc.  He really does embody 'cool' naturally.  This man is awesome and chalk full of energy.  At one point he was playing 6 or so maracas IN EACH HAND!!  He got the crowd going and still can kick a pretty high leg while playing some mean sax!  The horn section was great, along with the female backup singers who were also working some stellar percussion in; I can't recall that I have witnessed a woman work a tambourine and shakers as well as I did that night, not even Stevie Nicks.  It was seriously impressive.

Seger's voice, to me, was impeccable.  I was told he'd been a little rough there for awhile but has been taking care of himself better the past couple of years.  It showed!  I was impressed with how his voice still sounded so much like the recorded versions, certainly the same cannot be said about all performers.  He remains true.  He told us things like "There's only one place to go, and that's higher!" when going into Katmandu.  In the heat of the moment, I believed the man!

Bob Seger was obviously sweating profusely throughout the show, and had head bands to help sop up his musical juices.  He tossed them into the crowd throughout the night, at one point smiling at my mother's friend who accompanied us and was seated nearest the side of the stage to our right.  He tossed one her way, but it curved off in front of us.  It's pretty awesome having icons ten feet away from you tossing their bodily fluid filled head gear at you.  

They did a number of encores.  Against the Wind was performed majestically and we were instructed to walk into the wind...it makes us stronger...face it!  The man and band put on one hell of a show that night.  It's funny how I had wanted to hear Still the Same but in life things are often not still the same, but as Mr. BOB SEGER told me that night, "It always remains and it never forgets!"  He ended the show with Rock and Roll Never Forgets and...you guessed it, another sweaty head band toss!!  Splash those musical juices, Mr. Seger!  You've worked for it, sir!  Turn the page...

Philadelphia Freedom!!

I am sitting here waiting for my snack, crackle, pop at the chiropractor with the family.  Celie is playing with toys at my feet actually being an angel tonight.  I'M SO GLAD.  I have to pack and prepare when we get back home for my LADIES TRIP to the 15th Annual Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center!!  An overnight adventure outing with grown ups!  Well, mostly. He he.  Just four girls hitting the road for an epic adventure and experience!

I haven't been out by myself for a very long time, and I can't remember if I have left Celie for this long with Joey before? Possibly once.  This is going to be the ultimate girls' night out, girls' day out, girls' trip out, party out, drink out, black out?! Let's hope not.  ....mostly.

I am traveling in the company of the fabulous Ms. Black List Tattoo herself and her entourage. We are the entourage!  Woo!  She will be having her unique new head tattoo judged in one of the categories at the convention.  It's a big deal!!!  We are pretty psyched.  We got a room only a few blocks away.  It should be a good time.

Back home now and I have everything pretty much packed and ready.  Throwing a load of my pants in the dryer for morning then heading to bed.  Big day tomorrow!  I am anxious for some kid free social time!!  We leave at 7:45.  Let's do this!! 

Old Crow Medicine Show @ The Electric Factory x 2

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW

The Milk Carton Kids

The Lumineers

@ The Electric Factory

Philadelphia, PA

August 4, 2012

It is a wonderful thing being able to see one of your favorite bands live.  It is even better being able to see that band more than once, especially in a fairly intimate venue.  I discovered Old Crow Medicine Show in early 2006.  I fell in love with them straight away!  I was in a musical funk, disgusted with the popular music on the radio at the time.  I detested most things that were offered to us via the main stream.  Ironically, I found OCMS’s old timey sound refreshing, even though it sounded like it had been around for decades.  I immediately made the crudest “mix CD’ I could for my best friends and passed the music along to them, because, let’s face it, it was awesome!  The music, the voices, the stories---it was all good.  We consumed their music like fuel and obtained all that we were able to from whatever sources we could find.  I was in the beginnings of dabbling with guitar play at the time and Wagon Wheel was one of the first songs I played.  Their music will always take me back to that time of my life. 

On the streets of Philadelphia, on route to The Electric Factory.

I was lucky enough to make the trip to see OCMS at The Electric Factory in Philadelphia in 2009 for The Big Surprise Tour.  It was amazing and one of the best performances I had been to at the time.  I got to see Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings in the Dave Rawlings Machine, which was very epic.  Old Crow and the gang put on a hell of a show!  After busting out into a very exciting rendition of Billie Jean in honor of Michael Jackson’s recent death, the night ended with everyone on stage together performing The Weight.  It was marvelous.  I was also lucky enough to see them again this year in August at the same venue.  It was interesting to compare the different line ups.  The first time I saw OCMS Willie Watson was with them, and his shrill, melodic voice was my favorite.  This second time I saw them they had Critter Fuqua, a founding member, with them again, but had also dropped Willie Watson.  It was a wonderful show, but I missed the sound of Willlie.  Overall, however, it was a great performance and it was interesting to compare the sounds and show of then and now while also being able to check out two great opening acts! 

On August 4^th there were two opening acts at The Electric Factory, The Milk Carton Kids, followed by The Lumineers.  We weren’t sure what the opening acts would even be when we ordered our tickets, so seeing these bands was just icing on the OCMS cake!

The Milk Carton Kids, an indie folk duo hailing from Los Angeles, California, I found very pleasing.  They were dressed in suits, reminiscent almost of the early Beatles or Buddy Holly, but their sound was more reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel.  They came across as somewhat timid in their gentlemanly attire, although the lead guitarist was pretty bad ass!  These guys only formed in 2011, but have recorded two albums, Prologue and Retrospect.  I loved their sound. 

The Lumineers were excellent!  They have gained mainstream popularity lately after releasing their self-titled debut album in April of this year and it was a great surprise getting to see them perform.  They had great energy and were a crowd favorite.  Many of the people we talked to that night were there to see The Lumineers.  One fan in particular informed me that they had just recorded their first album, after playing together for ten years.  This person also informed me how members Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz bonded through music after the loss of Jeremiah’s brother, Joshua, in 2001.  I was also told how they played the NYC scene together with little luck, until moving it out to Denver, Colorado and meeting up with their cellist Neyla Pekarek.  Their fans were very into them and obviously knew their shit.  I think a good amount of the people were actually there to see The Lumineers.  Jeremiah was very interactive as the drummer and brought a bass drum up front to use by a microphone as he sang back up.  I had never witnessed upfront percussion that was so energetic before.  Wesley and Jeremiah were very enthusiastic and and Neyla was very impressive on the cello.  Their music is fun and on this night they even did a version of Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues!  They were a great show.

Old Crow Medicine Show is a great live band.  If you have never seen them, I highly suggest trying to catch a show!  They have an energy that is hard to capture in words.  Having seen them both times it was interesting to see how things change and how much things stay the same.  At the time of this concert I hadn’t heard their newest album, Carry Me Back, which had just came out in July of this year, so I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into, other than knowing what I got into last time.  The first show was great, but I hoped to be a LITTLE less intoxicated on this night! 

OCMS, as I said, are without Willie Watson now.  I’m not sure as to the exact reason of the split, but they told him to go eat a sandwich and wished him their best...or something to that nature.  He actually left to pursue a solo career in LA, I believe.  Their sound is the same and yet sadly different without him.  I had been watching a lot of videos on YouTube of Ketch and Critter performing together.  They have a great chemistry and sound amazing together so I looked forward to seeing them perform together live.  They also had a new man with them they introduced as Chance McCoy.  “I see what they’re doing with his tight pants and his long hair,” my friend said.  Chance was an obvious Willie Watson replacement, but a promising one at that.  It was in no way the same, but by the end of the show we decided it wasn’t that bad. 

The plus side to having Chance with them now was his ability to play more instruments.  He played the fiddle along with Ketch, and added a different feel to things; he was high energy and very eager on stage.  He was a good addition but still lacked the voice and presence that Willie Watson brought to the plate.  Overall they still had really good energy and it was jolly fun.  They were definitely enjoying themselves.  Ketch and Critter were great together and it was awesome to hear more of the original sound with them together again.  A lot of favorites were played, some old, some new.  Wagon Wheel just isn’t the same without Willie.  They played some songs off of the new album.  My husband, who was not with us at the first show, drove us down and was here with us this time.  We enjoyed beverages and listened to live music for hours while meeting and talking to some really good people.  We had a very good time at this show.  They ended the night with everyone on stage doing The Band’s The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and then lastly Dylan’s I Shall Be Released!!  It was glorious! All of the bands were great, I recommend them, and I highly recommend The Electric Factory in Philadelphia.  It is a truly awesome venue!  

- Missie Sue

SOURCES:

The Milk Carton Kids: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Milk_Carton_Kids

The Lumineers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lumineers

Old Crow Medicine Show: http://www.crowmedicine.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Crow_Medicine_Show