I returned for my kids’ show on Sunday, and thankfully, they moved the stage into a pavilion away from the sun and the sound of the bands on the main stage. I followed my good friend Clarence the Clown’s show, and I enjoyed our common sense of vaudeville, cheap theatrics and even cheaper humor.
Before I started, I took off onto the grounds, now filled with automobiles of every vintage. Last year, I took my mandolin with me to get pictures with it and similarly aged cars. I took some nice shots of it with some early 20’s vehicles, comparing the technology of building instruments with the rather simple tech of the early auto age.
Today, I had my 0001-R Martin with me, though not terribly vintage, it has racked up quite a few miles of gig-wear and is showing some signs of some age. This time I decided to find the “Woody’s” and found some wonderful cars to pose my Martin with. I’m glad I have some pictures of this fine instrument in such interesting backdrops.
I opened with few folks in the audience, but with one familiar face right up front and digging into the bag of instruments, the daughter of the woman who booked me. This girl has been the only audience in the park for me for several years, and now she is headed into 5th grade. Gradually, other parents, grandparents and kids showed up and we were on our way. Again, one very young child with his two new parents sat on the bench, and was all eyes on me. I never get tired of seeing the magic in the music when these new eyes and ears take in the experience of live music.
As I wound up, I did Baby Shark and Knock, Knocks by special request from my fan. I could see the finish line. I did an interesting fumble when I did a flip flop on the Banana/Orange joke. I did the the Orange first, repeating it several times, and then when I delivered the Banana, I realized I had done a mirror version of the joke. And Barbara, who booked me, was in the audience, and we had quite a laugh. I said that had never happened before.
I gathered my stuff and headed off to Otto Bost’s Celebration of Life in Hellertown, already in progress, glad I could finish off a very busy weekend in Macungie.