All entries filed under Dave Fry Gigs

Tuesday, September 4^th, 2018

Kenny’s 41st on Sunday

I’ve made a point to make Kenny Siftar’s Labor Day Weekend party north of Bethlehem. He and his wife Lorrie put on a great bash on the Sunday and it’s a great gathering of musicians and friends with an overabundance of food and drink, a beautiful sound stage and a plethora of the local players.

I got to hang out for a change, and though I don’t like crowds, I had some good conversations with various folks. One woman came up and thanked me for what I do, saying she brought up her kids in the 80’s with my music. I am no longer uncomfortable with these chats.

A couple of years ago, I asked Kenny if I could open up the afternoon with a solo set, since no one seemed to want to go first. It was a good way to say hello. Steve Kimock usually was in attendance, and it afforded me the chance to jam with this world renowned guitarist. Last year’s set was spectacular.

This year, Stevie was in California, so I did the opener solo. I had a great time, playing my 000-15 through the big sound system. I had worked out You Can’t Get Me, I’m Part of the Union that morning and, at least, got it off the ground. I played well and then got off the stage for Steve Brosky’s acoustic set.

Another familiar face came up and talked with me about my new album, and, as usual, he asked if the material was all original. I said no, but the album is particularly good. I could see he was not interested. Again, this is a difficult concept for some folks who appreciate good music but somehow insist on a songwriter’s touch. A really good song is better than a half-assed original, in my book.

The rest of the day had all the players getting a shot on stage with all kinds of blues, rock and roll jams. I’m proud of the players in the Lehigh Valley and glad to call them my friends.

Anyway, it was good to be included in the rather large circle of friends on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in my hometown.

Tuesday, September 4^th, 2018

Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival

I am lucky to be a small part of some major festivals when I get called on to perform for the kids and families, mostly on an outlier stage. I get in free to see some great performers and I get a nice check, too.

I headed out to rural southern Jersey to the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, now in its 47th year. It’s held in a county fair grounds so there’s a covered stage area, outbuildings, local food vendors, camping areas, etc. I was assigned to large open air pavilion used for various agricultural animal shows, but they had a small area set up with a sound system and an arc of bleachers. A nice presentation space though pretty dusty with flecks of hay floating around.

I was co-billed with a fine magician who started out the afternoon with a good crowd. After his set, there remained a decent size group for me to work with. I moved the stage monitor off to the side so there was little between me and the audience. I did my solid stuff early, got the kids into the instruments and up and dancing. It was a good move.

There were actually some kids who knew my music and had a couple of my CDs, unexpected after a two-hour drive. I had an hour wait until my next set so I took in some music from the main stage and some local ice cream ($3!).

The audience for the magician was smaller this time and he adjusted by doing some up close card magic. When he packed up and left, there was no one left but the sound man John. One of the organizers breezed through and thanked me for being there and said it was important for the festival to have my music for the next generation. That was nice.

Eventually, a small family came back for the second set so I abandoned the sound system and moved my gear up to the front of one of the bleachers. The dad, the young daughter and the mom with a year old son became my focus. I was able to get them all playing instruments, giving the spotlight to the girl on rainstick and clatterpillar, all while under the riveting gaze of the young boy. It remains a joy to capture the attention of these very young people. I was also glad I didn’t save my really strong stuff for this second set.

I stuck around to sample some more festival food, talk with the few friends who searched me out (I was announced from the main stage several times, but only Fred came by to say hello), and then headed back home. It was a good day, though.

Friday, August 31^st, 2018

A very nice night at the Bakery

Things were hopping when I pulled up to the St. Peter’s Bakery tonight. I made it through some rainy Friday night traffic but arrived with 20 minutes til show time. A breeze, in my book.

Surprisingly, there were several familiar faces and friends on hand (some even made reservations!), and there were nearby tables of families with kids, and folks lining up at the register. I got set up, tuned and plowed into Shoo That Fly. Kids were dancing, bouncing, hugging and having a good time. Then, those families packed up and left, instantly changing feel and the median age of the audience. (I gave the young families a Peanut Butter CD) Now I could get down with my adult stuff.

I played well tonight, thanks to my Martin. It makes me play cleanly, and it responds with clarity. I’m having a blast with this instrument. It turned out to be a loud, talkative crowd, but with lots of other folks listening, so I was glad I had my tools polished and ready. The small PA amp I’m using is turning out to be the small and good sounding system I need, a small footprint with nice fidelity. I needed it tonight.

Another woman asked me up front if I would do John Gorka’s Good Noise from my Pearls album. I admitted that I didn’t remember it – this happens when a song is not in my immediate bag of tunes, but I promised to re-work it. She was right; it’s a good tune for our current times and I will get it up into rotation. Thanks, Barb.

My friend Bonnie Wren was there when I arrived. She is as good an audience as there is, and she made me concentrate on my vocals tonight. Louise is our favorite and I sang it for her. And harpist/pal Nick DePetros was there with his wife, listening to my first hour of stuff.

As the evening loosened up, I asked Nick if he had his harmonicas with him. (Dumb question, the bag was hanging on the brick wall next to him.) So I asked him to join in on a tune – from where he was sitting. I’ve done this before with some interesting effects on the room. We ended up passing things back and forth for the last 45 minutes. Even though there was loud chatter to my left, those that were listening tuned in to the interplay. Nick is a pro and it was quite wonderful to have him tonight. It made my job more enjoyable.

I have had separate occasions to use a remote instrumentalist, and the theatrical effect is dynamic. People are so used to music presented on stage, and when it bubbles up in their space, there is a noticeable shift in perspective. The audience noise usually drops its volume to adjust to the unamplified source, a dialogue is established between the actor on stage and the player in the audience. The overall effect is that this breaks the plane between the performer and the public. A rare and wonderful thing.

I gathered up my pizza (for tonight), bread (for the week) and sticky bun (for tomorrow morning), stashed my cash (a very good night for me) and headed back to Bethlehem listening to Bruce Cockburn. That’s a good night in Pennsylvania.

Thursday, August 30^th, 2018

Allentown Fair – day 2

Today’s show was interesting, again, not a big crowd but people who seemed to come out to see me play. In front was Samantha and Scootaloo, a mom and young daughter who have been fans for many years. Scoot was delighted to see me, and came over before the set, beaming with a number of front teeth missing. Growing up….

I did some kids stuff up front and headed towards some recent adult stuff. Scoot had an elephant puppet on, the only one in the crowd, when I wondered aloud that it would be cool to see everyone with a puppet on their hands. I remarked that I could double the audience. One lady sitting up front took to the challenge and started passing out puppets to men and women throughout the audience. Sure enough, everyone joined in on the situation. I did Baby Shark and then Splish Splash, with all of the puppets dancing, reacting with their neighbors. It was quite a remarkable sight for me, a reward for thinking outside the box. And the adults became kids before my eyes.

I asked the people to return the puppets to the front of the stage and then mentioned that I had absolutely no tips in my mandolin case. I then asked the puppets to bring up a dollar with them. They did. I mentioned I seemed to have stumbled on something here. Jeanine, my host, said at the end that it was a stroke of genius. That’s kind of overstating the case but it was pretty cool.

There is always something waiting to happen if you leave the door open for surprises.

https://www.facebook.com/jeanine.villanogeorge/videos/10215351731719905/?sk=wall&notif_id=1535600627763854&notif_t=wall

Thursday, August 30^th, 2018

The Great Allentown Fair – day 1

I’ve stopped wondering why I do this series of Allentown Fair sets, and now just enjoy the challenge of playing for a unique variety of people who are out and about at Ag Hall during the Fair. The Centennial Stage is tucked away near the 4H section with a good PA, nice stage, and wonderful host Jeanine Villano-George. She talked me into doing it for free (potential tips and CD sales) several years ago, but I’ve grown to love the gig.

Today’s gig had the benefit of being inside the air-conditioned Hall on a brutally 90 degree plus day in Allentown. There were some friendly faces, only a few kids and a good crowd of older folks cruising the Fair’s exhibits. Right off the bat I recognized Amy and Alena, two identical twins, and their mom and grandmother. They invariably show up for my set, this being their 4th year. As usual I had them up for Giants and the audience and I had a kick out of the sisters doing their sister thing.

I did a mixed bag of kids and adult tunes, talked about my new CD and asked that audience stick around for my friend Rachel Marie Schachter’s set following mine. I enjoy engaging with this group of people and there are plenty of chuckles.

Afterwards, I thanked the three generations of women for being there and that it was pretty cool that we can share these moments. The grandmother said that it was hard seeing me grow old, having raised her daughter on my music when I was young. The remark took me by surprise. I told her I was just happy to still be doing this, and, frankly, it keeps my mind young.

I’ll be back tomorrow for another Americana experience.

Monday, August 27^th, 2018

Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market

It was a wonderful Sunday morning with clear skies and warm temperatures. I set up in a pop-up along the walkway of vendors with another row of crafts and arts stringing along behind me.

There weren’t too many kids tooling by so I was able to break out my adult stuff. I struggled with some lyrics today and the new light strings on my Martin didn’t give me the volume and punch that I’ve been used to. Even though things were slow, the vendors nearby really enjoy the unplugged music I offer, often with some scattered applause. I bartered a Troubadour CD with my friend Tom, a potter and old pal. That’s what works in my book.

A sweet Chinese-American girl Kimi stopped by with her grandmother (who doesn’t speak English), wearing a Happy Birthday tiara, a ladybug umbrella and a pink bunny basket. She had hung out with me last month, and this month gave me a page from a coloring book, a bunny drawing and an homemade envelope filled with hand drawn and cut hearts. I was blown away. I asked Kimi if she was the princess or the swan. She said the swan.

fresh mixed ‘shrooms.

As usual, the two hours flew by, and though I thought I could have done better on the lyrics, it was a healthy practice and I know what to work on this week. I packed up my gear and came back to cruise the market, pick up some mushrooms, a buttermilk biscuit for Sunday brunch and my bartered clay works.

Saturday, August 18^th, 2018

Madison Green Farmers’ Market

Well, I took another jaunt up to CT for my monthly farmers’ market on the Madison Green and the weather and the traffic were fine for this trip. I set up facing the spacious lawn with no one sitting down, only a few shoppers cutting by with their stylish shopping bags of greens, flowers, etc. Eventually a few kids and moms found their way over and we began to mix it up. One young girl was a delight; she hung out in front of me, picking up instruments, dancing along and shaking her hips. Her parents hung out nearby, laughing at her quite remarkable skills for such a young age. I made sure that she got a Peanut Butter CD. It’s these interactions that make my drive up here worthwhile.

It’s a three hour gig, but since I was playing well (definitely warmed up from Thursday’s farmers’ market and gigs at Musikfest), the time goes quickly. I get to roll out stuff that needs work – Chuck E’s in Love is now in hand (long time coming) – and reworking Bird of Paradise and others.

The ride home featured a looming electric storm over Western NJ, so I had a good visual panorama as I was driving the last hour to PA. Intense storm as I went over the mountain into Bloomsbury, NJ. I got back in to town in time to find out that Godfrey’s had another seepage bout that I’ll have to tend to in the morning.

Thursday, August 16^th, 2018

Bethlehem Farmers’ Market on Thursday

I did my only Campus Square Farmers’ Market gig of the season today, billed as Children’s Day. It was a good gig, but only a few kids, moms and grandmoms in attendance. The weather was fine, I played well and had some good moments throughout the two hours. The market also booked a exercise woman who had a suspended swing; she would hang upside down, do some balance exercises, etc. She particularly enjoyed my interaction with the kids. There was a stilt lady who also came by with a bubble wand. Nice touches for a kids’ day.

I’ve had a problem with the premise of booking me only once in my own neighborhood and booking me as a kids’ performer. I had, over the last several years, been able to book three or four gigs a summer. The vendors appreciated the variety of my music and I felt I had maintained a high level of quality for the market.

The new market music manager has changed the system, booking single appearances for a variety of younger, less-professional acts. I don’t mind having new folks get a chance to do these gigs but there is a significant drop in overall quality. A steady stream of singer-songwriters has diluted the appeal of the music as part of the market experience. Curation is important I think.

A friend who frequents these markets mentioned that I am able to retain an audience better than everyone else, and I am able to mix my material to the composition of the crowd, be it kids, students or adults. I think this is lost on the booker. So it goes.

The kids that did show up gravitated to the bag of instruments, scarves and puppets, many dancing and taking direction from me. Two young brothers hung out and eventually shook off some initial shyness and were soon bopping around the space. Two older sisters really surprised me. They were familiar faces and stayed the whole time, doing sisters stuff which I played off of. Creative girls, to say the least. Their mom said they look for my appearances and actually put it on their calendar. That was cool.

I got paid in advance (?!!) and was home in five minutes.

Tuesday, August 14^th, 2018

Steppin’ Out! at Musikfest on Sunday

I had the privilege to book the acts at Godfrey Daniels Day at Musikfest and did a good job of mixing strong local acts with a very strong national duo: The Best of Open Mike with Evan Miklosey

and Pete McDonoughSerene Green (the lads have grown up),

Dina Hall’s Songbird – Emmylou Harris tribute,

David Jacobs-Strain and Bob Beach

and my own Steppin’ Out!

The weather forecast was lousy the day before but it turned out to be a rainless day. Quite amazing! Whodathunk?

Steppin’ Out! has been a project I’ve nurtured over the last few years, with our annual Black Friday gigs in November. But this band has become more than a reunion project and I welcomed this opportunity to showcase our work at Musikfest this year on a more public stage.

We have practiced three times over the last month or two, without Reid (in New Hampshire) and developed a good set of tunes, both old and new. We worked Peggy Salvatore into more of the songs, especially backup vocals on my Troubadour tunes. The last rehearsal we ran through the two hour set I had constructed so we figured we were in pretty good shape.

We started out strong and established ourselves well with some familiar songs and then departed from the “same olds” with a nice version of Mr. Bojangles and some of the Troubadour songs. But as we went along, there was some hesitation in the band when it came to communicating the leads and arrangements. It was a minor struggle. I have a hard time remembering all the nuances myself and count on our collective ability to adapt in the moment. This chalks up to an unfamiliar experience for this ‘new’ band, performing on a big stage with big sound and a relative infrequent performance schedule. But the professionality comes through and we make it work, in a astounding leap of faith. (This is why I love these people – we trust in each other.) This is performance stuff that only we notice, but it still distracts us from the excellence that we’ve come to expect.

Peggy did a great job on Chuck E’s in Love (a new one for the band and a leap for me) and nailed her regular tunes. I welcome her presence on stage with us. Reid was, as expected, extraordinary on guitar and vocals and can always be counted on to have his antennae up for tunes he isn’t familiar with. Hub and Chris, the bookends, held down their parts well, with some effort (they add so much to the sound), Kris, on bass, was a little scattered but, considering he had just come up from a family vacation on the shore he was as solid as we could all expect from the young lad. Jeff did great on drums but we struggled synching up on the rhythm on Lessons From Pete (more guitar in the monitors, please). But Jeff came up a led his mini-set on guitar and finished off the night on keys with his Jailhouse Rock. His versatility adds some diversity of our set. This has always set Steppin’ Out! apart from normal bands.

Part of the challenge in a two hour set is to rotate the spotlight among these talented people; that’s the most important thing on my mind when I write out the set. I have to mix musical styles, tempos, instrumentation, solo/band, lead vocals and leads, personalities, etc. I guess I’m the director (didn’t hit me til just now) and a Steppin’ Out! gig becomes a true theatrical production. We all recognize our little glitches but still we did a pretty good show today.

As we hit the hour and a quarter marker, I began to think that we were running short. I was also starting to feel some fatigue, having stood for the bulk of the set in humid weather. (This is still new territory for me, after two hip replacements, though it feels great to move to the music again.) I was doing some clock watching and pondering about the run to the end.

I added Rodeo Rider to the set on the spur of the moment (these folks trust me) and it was a good way to reset the mood with a nice, thoughtful folk/country tune. We followed with the mando/electric guitar acid jam on Clinch Mountain that was less solid than I had hoped it to be. But, we headed for the home stretch with proven tunes Texas Swing and Jailhouse Rock with people dancing as we finished at the crack of 9. I thanked folks for sticking around and brought the Godfrey’s day to a close. Done.

I was beat, drenched with sweat and relieved that we had pulled Steppin’ Out! off. Actually, it pretty amazing that a band that hadn’t played since November could command a situation like this. I wish we had had some time to unpack all that we did, but that’s part of a band gig. It took an act of will on my part as a musical director and the trust of my friends and bandmates to succeed in this project. It was a limited success. This band still means a lot to me; it’s a great vehicle for my ‘band’ self (non-solo/kids), my new material and for all of us as friends and musicians. These connections still run deep. I love Jeff, Kris, Chris, Hub, Peggy and Reid.

The Show:

Choo Choo Cha Boogie (F) Hub
Got What It Takes (A) Reid
O’Reilly Drinking at the Bar (G) Dave
Bloodshot Eyes (A) Jeff
Mr. Bojangles (D) Dave
False from True (G) Dave
Chuck E’s in Love (A) Peggy
Love Me Like a Man (E) Peggy
Rosie is a Friend of Mine (A) Dave
Walkin’ Stick (Am) Dave
Delilah (D) Reid
Georgia on My Mind (solo) Hub
I’m an Old Cow Hand (F) Jeff
Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian (C) Jeff
24 Robbers (G) Reid
Giant (Cm) Dave
Lessons from Pete (Am) Dave
Heat Wave (D) Peggy
I Saw Her Standing There (C) Dave
Lady Madonna (A) Hub
Rodeo Rider (D) Dave
Clinch Mountain BS (Am) instr.
Texas Swing (C) Hub
Jail House Rock (D) Jeff

Phew……

Wednesday, August 8^th, 2018

At the TV station on Wednesday

Thanks to the work of fellow kids’ performer Kira Willey, there is some family music during Musikfest (not at Musikfest) at the nearby WLVT-39 studios this week. She’s booked some impressive kids’ performers throughout the week and I landed the Wednesday spot. Two shows at 10 and 11 am, free to all.

I was there for load in at 8:30 pretty much before everyone else, brought in my guitar, stand, bag and CDs, ready for the 9:00 sound check. Really not much to do there. I was greeted by Katie, who was wonderfully welcoming. She informed me there was a dressing room! My goodness, such amenities. The later show would be taped.

We were all set up when Katie asked me if we could wait for a 10:05 start and there was no one there. It raised my usual doubts about playing in the Lehigh Valley, but as she opened the doors, moms, kids, toddlers and grandparents filtered in. There was actually a nice crowd with some familiar faces. Since the first show wasn’t being taped I opted for moving out from the sound stage and into the audience area with a big ole ABC rug. This was a good move. The sound man said, “TV-39 unplugged!” Me and Clapton.

I laid into my good stuff and there was a good response. About 15 minutes in, I realized that the toddlers were losing interest so I went for the scarves and it refocused the audience. I did my scarf progression that I had worked on in recent summer school shows and finished with Jelly in the Dish. Great visuals. I also did some of the new Bear Hunt verses so there was lots of new energy in the show. We finished up, lots of dancing and instrument playing and then I set up back on the sound stage for the second set.

Since this was being taped, I had to work with sound and lights for this set but that wasn’t a problem. Another good crowd came in and away we went. I repeated the scarf set, the Bear Hunt set and added a few different tunes. The scarves were particularly a nice visual for the camera men who had one on me and several on the kids. I can’t wait to see the final copy.

The staff at the station were really blown away with what I did, commenting on the great interaction, movement and on the control I had of what was borderline chaos. I get the feeling that the other professional acts do their set show and, I’m sure, involve the kids, but not the way I do it. The staff was impressed that I was able to gauge the audience and change on the fly and keep it real. I’m proud that I can do that, and it’s nice to see that recognized.

I sold a few CDs and was paid a nice professional wage, something I couldn’t have gotten from Musikfest. The station may use me for some more of their family outreach programming during the rest of the year.

I was exhausted but pleased with my work today.

Sunday, August 5^th, 2018

Musikfest with Ed and Kris on Sunday

This is always one of my favorite gigs at Musikfest in that it gives me a toe-hold in doing my adult “serious” folk music and I get to play in a trio with bass, lead and my rhythm guitar. Folk power trio! Ed McKendry and Kris Kehr are both tasteful and intelligent players and we communicate wonderfully on stage. I have complete confidence in their skills and only have to worry about my own. No minor thing.

We had an hour and half show at 2 pm and there was a very good house waiting for us. (The rockabilly band before us was great, but had just found out that their van was just impounded for illegal parking in a lot behind the stage. They were digging up cash to pay the company and were no longer in fine spirits.) Terry and Dave were on sound and we were plugged in, checked, comfortable and ready to go at 2 pm. Dina Hall brought us on and away we went. We started strong with Don’t Call Me Early, Nadine and Mr. Bojangles. I nailed the words and delivery and overcame some lyric hurdles that I had boned up on. Bojangles was one that was new to the set. Well, all right! Good to do them early on.

I had decided to stand for the whole set in order provide some more energy, and, though I was beat by the end, it felt good and I know it helped out the show. My new hips did fine but it was really, really hot. I also had a bastard fly landing on my left arm for most of the first hour and that was more of a distraction than remembering the words. It’s always something. (The other guys had no problem – I had showered before the gig, so…..)

I worked on Ten Men this week so I could land this song for the first time at today’s show. I got real close, and since it is a politically charged song, I felt some weakness in the delivery, and it was new for the lads so it could have been better. But, we pulled it off and it is now in the rotation. That’s why I like these big stage gigs; you get to see where you’ve come since last year and see if new material is really ready.

I gave Ed a couple of songs in the set and backed him up on mandolin. He did two of his originals, mercifully for me, some of the easier ones, I got the chance to step out of the limelight and the crowd loved the tunes. I love to play backup, too.

I then did a three kids’ songs. Since the recent Morning Call article had mentioned that I would be doing some, I did inserted The Cat Came Back, I Wanna Be a Dog and Giants. All of them got the audience to vocally react and it turned out to be a great diversion from our ‘serious’ stuff. Kris’s daughter Lili and Noah (from yesterday’s show) came up to play Thunder Tubes. Lili is delightfully chaotic and sprinkled some of that in the set. Vaudeville lives. The kids’ set helped to shake the dynamics and set up our final run.

We did False From True as a slow blues to return to ‘normal’ and followed with a sprightly Rosie is a Friend of Mine, both nicely received. I did a solo Irish Ballad which I could see shocked a few folks unfamiliar with my sense of humor and followed that with Rodeo Rider. As the finish line closed in we jammed on Pay Bo Diddley and finished with a strong Lessons from Pete. I was feeling fatigued by the end and was glad to bring the show to a close.

There were a few standing O folks and some generous applause, but, at that point, I really don’t have a way to gauge that sort of stuff. I have to get my stuff off stage for the next act. I wish I could take the time to drink it in, but I have never been comfortable with any kind of praise. But I’ve learned to say thank you.

Both Ed and Kris felt good about the show. Kris said I played really strong (I do listen to that kind of praise) and we went about getting our gear together. I hope we’ll have time to break down the gig together. I thought we did really good, held the audience, mixed up the tempos, genres, did a few kids’ songs and some meaningful tunes as well.

Musikfest didn’t supply folks to sell CDs this year and it really cut into my product sales. They had said that we could keep our commission this year (a long time bone of contention) but also didn’t help us out with personnel. When I finally got packed up and headed to the merch table there were only two folks there. One gent bought Pearls and two Troubadours (the first complete DF adult set I’ve sold) and another man bought my first Troubadour download card, something new I’ve tried this time around. Still, I’m glad I’ve got new stuff to sell.

I had a nice chat with the download guy and he complimented my crisp vocals and diction. He also said that he had never heard The Cat Came Back!!? I told him that those vocal elements are setting my new CD apart and we agreed that a song rises or falls with the vocal delivery. In hindsight, that’s where I’ve made the most progress over the last ten years and I owe that to playing for kids (always be clear) and from my vocal lessons years ago with Gloria Davis in Allentown. She was merciless in her demand for me to ‘perform’ the lyrics so that they convey meaning and emotion. She was right.

I was drenched in sweat, fatigued but I think The Trio did quite well today, worthy of a main stage set of aggressive folk music. I look forward to hearing from folks about how they thought it went and listening to the tape of the event.

I love playing in my hometown at a major festival. I wish I could do it more than once a year. Thanks, Ed and Kris!

Saturday, August 4^th, 2018

Stone House picnic

I’ve had the opportunity to play for this company picnic in the past and was invited back for the next generation of children coming through this organization. Larry Eighmy has been gracious to include me in these festivities featuring great food, music, swimming pool and even some large, blow-up slide and bounce tents for the kids at his place on the other side of South Mountain.

I had played here years ago when Larry’s kids were kids. They’re now in college and it was good to see them again. Their generation had outgrown me, but folks in his company are now having their own kids and he asked me to extend the legacy. I was glad and proud to do it.

I set up under a tree and proceeded to mix it up with the kids and young parents who gathered. There were some ‘fans’ from my Village School gigs a few years ago and they had some fun, especially the young girl with the flamingo dress on. She loved to spin around and show her flamingo stance. Other parents with some very young kids had the opportunity to share some new experiences with their kids. I love it when a young child sees live music for the first time, often clapping their hands in joy. Their eyes are riveted on me and my guitar and I play directly to them. Connections.

I did a couple of sets, ate some big ole shrimp and babaganoush. I was treated as an artist should be and I’m thankful for that.

Saturday, August 4^th, 2018

Das Awkscht Fest

I had a morning set at this wonderful auto show in Macungie, and though I don’t draw any sort of crowd, they hire me as part of their children’s programming. They did move my ‘stage’ to the middle of the children’s play area, put me under a pop-up tent and gave me a sound system. After some torrential rains last night, the day cleared up nicely, and, in spite of some mud, I started out.

There were some folks who came out to see me, so I had some kids and adults to play for and I did a good mixed set of music, involving the general audience. One lad, Noah, was there from last year with his grandparents, and though he was at first hesitant to join in (he’s ‘matured’ over the last year), I was able to poke and prod him into participating and eventually won him over. He came up at the end and was quite chatty; he wanted to by a CD so we settled on Playground. He talked about how he likes to buy CDs of artists he likes (he was wild about his new Styx album – as his grandparents rolled their eyes). So I autographed the Playground one and he made sure I signed it on the cover and on the CD itself.

I took the opportunity to cruise the Packard cars (this year’s feature automobile br

and) and decided to go back after my show to get some pictures of my Martin with some of the vintage cars. I had done the same with my mandolin a couple of years ago, finding a 1923 Buick about the same era as my 1921 Gibson. I found some great shots.

I also got some fine mud stains on my guitar case to help out my folk cred at the open mikes.

Friday, August 3^rd, 2018

West Deptford Library on Friday

It’s been a good summer for local gigs but this one was down in Jersey in West Deptford at the Free Public Library. It’s an hour and a half drive, standard for most Young Audiences gigs and the drive down was smooth.

I was greeted by the children’s librarian and I set up without a sound system in the community room. I was introduced to the teen aides that work at the library. I’m sure they didn’t know what I was all about.

A very nice crowd of 60 kids sat on the rug up front with parents and grandparents in chairs in the back. It was hard to get the kids to move up close; not ready to commit, for sure. But we backed them in.

Since this was a new venue, I was able to do my strong material and the show turned out very nicely. Lots of asides for the adults. But, it’s still hard to get the kids to participate from the beginning. I don’t think the kids get much audience skills these days. I made my little spiel about participating and creating community.

There are always some very bright and creative kids that jump out during the show. When I started Tutti Tah, one girl said, “Me and my sister know that one.” so I asked them to come up. It was cool to share the stage with kids on the second song and it helped warm up parents and kids right away. When we were done, the girl said she did Tutti Tah at her school, leading about one hundred other students in the performance. I took some time to explain that this was remarkable and essentially “folk”, being able to take these songs into her community. Special, indeed.

I was getting nothing from the ten or so teen aides, the ones who are supposed to help bridge the gap, but they aren’t schooled in how to let down their social guard and be ‘kids’. Understood. So, for Giants, I invited three of the teens up to play Thunder Tube and help break down the barrier. I asked them to make monster faces, but they couldn’t. But, it was important to involve them in the process.

For Names of the Animals, I broke out the bag of instruments, got them up dancing and the room was transformed into a party. At the end, I thanked everyone for coming out and invited the kids to come up and give me five. I only sold one CD – this is a sign of the times, folks.

The drive home was through a torrential rain storm but got home around 2 pm. It was a five hour day but a rewarding one all around. The library will have me back.

Monday, July 30^th, 2018

Final Summer Slide in Allentown

An interesting day as I wrapped up my 12 Allentown schools for the summer with a 9 am set for the Dodd ES kids and a 10:30 set at Jefferson ES.

The Dodd show was in a small gym with an incredible echo and I used that to center the kids on the first song I Like Peanut Butter. It was a creative bunch of kids, for the most part but the several kids were pulled out at a time (testing?) over the set so those kids had to reset when they came back. They came up with a good Bear Hunt (Chucky Cheese – yelling and screaming – (hmmm, “pizza!”, munch, gulp!) verse and the All Around the Kitchen was again a great vehicle to finish out the show.

There was a telling situation during the session. The teachers were rather chatty off to the side while I was playing. I noticed that the kids and myself were distracted a little, so I asked the teachers to be quiet. They settled in, but, as I looked over shortly thereafter, I noticed they all had dived into their cell phones. Nuts. Not involved with the process.

I headed over to Jefferson ES, a more inner city school and there were more teachers and they remained a part of the action. Again, these kids were engaged and responsive. I noticed several young ones were not as involved as I would like, but during the show, they had moments of participation which I celebrated with the teachers.

As I found out later, some of these kids were pre-K kids, heading into their first year of school in September. The teacher was pleased that the kids were getting this experience as an initiation to learning how to listen, follow instructions and have some fun, too. That was a valuable reflection for me.

The Bear Hunt was fun: The Pool – wet and slippery – (swim “splash”, go underwater “blub, blub”, “dinosaur in the pool!” splash, splash). One young lad had been insistent on adding “dinosaur” to anything I was doing so this was a great time to add a dinosaur to the proceedings. It was a nice nod to his creativity and the other kids loved it.

This was one of the better sessions I’ve done, thanks to the kids and teachers. I told them so.

The whole series was a chance for me to work on some techniques – especially with recurring themes (Bear Hunt, All Around the Kitchen), the opportunity to pass these songs around the larger school district community (the teachers loved this idea) and the reflection time at the end of each show – a chance to have the kids take time to think about what we did. That’s really important – something I do with these blogs. It’s how we re enforce what we do as learning, creative beings.

Sunday, July 29^th, 2018

Emmaus Community Park on Sunday

I knew this would be a strange gig as we set up at 5 on stage in the community pavilion. No kids and families were gathering, but old folks with lawn chairs started setting up in and outside the pavilion. I was glad that I was asked to take part in this summer series but I don’t do oldies, polkas or youth band stuff. But I knew I had a full sound with John Christie on guitar and Kris Kehr on bass, and I was right.

We started strong from the beginning with Don’t Call Me Early, The Cat Came Back and July. We followed with Mr. Bojangles, Nadine and other equally strong material but no amount of clever patter and good renditions of obscure songs could hold this particular audience. Bit by bit old couples drifted off to their cars in the far parking lots and after an hour (out of two), the energy was ebbing in the building. This is a challenging kind of music for the general public.

I sprung BoJangles and We Are Welcomed on the boys and they did fine. I also did Here Comes the Sun out of nowhere and they did fine not playing. Spontaneity!

I had to check myself from making comments (I did make a few) on the departees, but thanked those who hung around. About an hour and quarter in, I felt that we should end it up early (9pm?! closing time), so we finished up with Pay Bo Diddley, Lessons, Dixie Chicken and brought it home at 8:40. The organizer lady didn’t complain and said she enjoyed what we did.

I realize I don’t have the repertoire for these kinds of gigs – giving ’em what they want. In spite of no drums, chick singers, etc. John, Kris and I have a remarkable full sound, especially on this wooden stage. It was Phat! and each of us played strong. I’m proud of what we did.

A couple of times I found myself distracted by the departing audience, muffed a few words in Rosie is a Friend of Mine and didn’t set up the right rhythm for Dixie Chicken (came out Bo Diddleyish), but the lads caught on. My Martin roared, John got nasty on guitar and Kris rocked on bass and I sang well. All in all, a good, creative gig.

Sunday, July 29^th, 2018

FatherFolk set on Saturday

Often my summer vacation boils down to this one gig in rural PA outside of Reading. A loose organization of friends and musicians have been holding this weekend gathering in a hidden grove behind a corn field and down a dirt road. Amateurs, semi-pros and a few folks like me have the chance to do a short set on a nice, rustic stage with fine sound equipment and play for each other. It is the epitome of do-it-yourself folk music and I relish the chance to perform here.

I missed last year and folks were glad I came back this year. I got a 1:30 slot, and after a longer than usual trek, I got there with time to spare. I got ready and took the stage on time. Shane, the sound guy, makes it so comfortable and a listening crowd gathers in the grove so I was ready.

I started with We Are Welcomed and nailed it. I followed with I Can See Clearly, Giant, Lessons from Pete. I broke a string and my friend Dan lent me his Martin and I finished with July. I could have done another one, but without my Martin and in the spirit of the occasion, I packed it in. It was a righteous set and worth the drive.

I hung out a little bit, changed strings on my Martin for Sunday’s gig and enjoyed the beautiful summer day in a peaceful glade in Nowhere, PA. My soul is soothed.

Friday, July 27^th, 2018

Bethlehem Summer Slide Finale

Today was the culmination of a month’s work in Marvine (three schools) and Fountain Hill (another three schools) with Allentown Public Theater and Mark and Aiden McKenna’s efforts in front of the schools’ communities. Importantly, this was the chance to document our work for United Way (the funders) and the schools themselves. We made sure that the video cameras were working.

The first one was at Marvine. I led off with The Bear Hunt and some of the school’s verses. I had the all of the kids sit up front and did a fine job. The parents ate it up, the kids were into it and there were many great moments. Mark and Aiden did Billy Goats Gruff with large props, their narration with the kids’ voices chiming in. The large scope and the ‘on stage’ situation worked well. APT followed with a selection from a book, as they acted out the story. I supplied some funky guitar for the end. I finished with All Around the Kitchen with their dances and decided on the fly just to ask the kids there to come up with their moves. Visually, it was great, with APT folks coming up and dancing with the kids.

The second show was at Fountain Hill in the cavernous gym. There was a much bigger turnout for this one, with parents and siblings sitting on the bleachers. It was the same routine and the effect was wonderful, especially with a larger group of kids. Both The Bear Hunt and All Around the Kitchen were smashes with parents filming the whole thing. Many, many delightful moments.

The Fountain Hill kids came up with a Red Tornado for their Bear Hunt addition and before the show, one of the teachers came up with a finger-painting of a red tornado. Again, exactly the response that a Teaching Artist wants: to expand the music into visual arts, movement and more. Multiple intelligences!

My fellow artists thanked me for my work today with Mark saying that it was great that I opened and closed the show. Frankly, I agree. Great connection with the kids and audience, wonderful energy and visuals and a sense of community at both venues. It’s what I do so I’m not aware of it when I’m in the moment.

Doug Roysdon emceed the affair and connected the dots, saying it was important that the teachers, the kids, the artists, the school district and the parents really came together to make this a success. This was the proof of what we are trying to do and we pulled it off wonderfully.

There’s lots to unpack in this month-long session and the three organizations hope to distill it at our monthly TA of LV meeting in August. Good work in the community.

Wednesday, July 25^th, 2018

Allentown Summer Slide – Day III this week

Today was a curious tour with a 9 am session in West Allentown at Muhlenberg ES and then back downtown at Washington ES for a 10:30 am gig.

I’ve played Muhlenberg many times and the school has had a reputation for an appreciation for the arts, reflecting the relative upper middle class neighborhood. The kids were waiting when I got there (on time!) and I started with I Like Peanut Butter and I was taken aback with the lack of energy in the group, especially the older kids. Not interested…. I spent some time explaining what I do and how I do it, and that the kids should be willing to take a chance.

It was consistently sluggish throughout the get-together and I made a mental note to back off a little. They did come up with a good Bear Hunt verse: an Iron Pigs game, a loud, crowded Iron Pigs game. Crack of the bat, “It’s Outta Here!” and a loud cheering sound. That was the most response I got from them.

We ended with All Around the Kitchen and the kids and teachers came up with some new moves: The Macarena, Do Ce Do, Wiggle Worm and the Hoppy, Hoppy Hoppy. Again, it was a good finish though there were kids who didn’t move.

During the reflection time, I commented that I had to just shut up about the inaction, when one teacher said, “Don’t. The kids have to hear it from someone like you.” That was a surprise! Later on, I thought that it’s a cultural flaw, and one that can be traced to the parents hands-off child rearing, with screens and devices (non-active) being prevalent in the home. Just a thought.

I headed into the inner city of Allentown for a group of kids in Washington ES. What a difference. Though there were some non-active kids, for the most part, these kids were sharp (some even said they liked math). The older kids were engaged and I leaned on the teachers to get involved as well.

The Bear Hunt addition was cool: The Bermuda Triangle, dangerous, mysterious Bermuda Triangle. We made our arms into plane wings, motor sounds and then “poof” and silence. I liked this one. I’ve been doing some discussion before Giants to have them construct an imaginary Giant and the conversation is fun. All Around the Kitchen brought out the regular Floss, Hype but new ones included Running Man, the Mate and the Fresh.

These kids were great and it was a treat to work with them. They pulled me out of a creative funk. My next Allentown sessions are on Monday. Ten down, four to go.

Tuesday, July 24^th, 2018

Allentown Summer Slide – Tuesday

Today was another good day, this time in inner city Allentown: Central and Cleveland Schools. Again, traffic was snarled on Rt. 22 and I had to invent my passage into town. The folks were waiting for me at Central, including another teacher who was a fan. She said she shares my music with her kindergarten kids on a daily basis, especially I’m Gonna Tell. I got it going promptly shortly after 9 am.

There were more parents and teachers at this one and I had a great time playing off of them, encouraging them to dance and the energy flowed between them, the kids and myself. That’s why I aim for the adults, too. One enthusiastic woman came up at the end who plays for the kids, teaches pre-K and raved about what I did. The kindergarten teacher said she would share my CDs with her. Great!

These kids came up with the Bear Hunt entry of Dorney Park, Wildwater Kingdom and we did a cool trip down the water slide and a big splash at the end. I also added some dance moves from the teachers at the end: The Twist, The Shopping Cart and the Fishing Pole. Very spontaneous and creative on their part.

At the end, I try to have the kids reflect on what we did but I also ask the teachers to what they liked. That is perhaps the most valuable feedback.

I headed off to Cleveland ES, a school only a few blocks away for my 10:30 session. I’ve played this school many times with my friend and former Cleveland teacher John Christie. It’s a small neighborhood school in the inner city and, again a mix of bilingual, Latino, Black and white kids.

We were in the small cafeteria in the basement (I know it well) and the kids settled in. There were more older boys in mix, and I had to adjust accordingly. I cut out some of the ‘kiddie stuff’ and did some more ‘adult’ conversation. I focused on Giants, for some reason, and we imagined what a giant would look like. The chat was pretty lively and I admitted that they scared me. Sometimes the dialogue is as important as the music.

Some of the older boys were hard to break down and though they aren’t any trouble, they simply refuse to participate, as if it’s below their interest. This is the hardest part of some of these gigs: to try to encourage, explain why I do what I do, and not get personal. I don’t always do it right. But I have some tools in my gig bag (Thunder Tubes!) that have some effect.

For Bear Hunt, these kids came up with a haunted Tree House, with a rope ladder, bats zipping past and creepy vines growing up on us. Very creative and still somewhat macabre. All Around the Kitchen was a riot and the teachers were taken by surprise when I asked them for their dances. But, they stepped up, as expected. The teachers said they enjoyed my wackiness, the interaction and the movement.

These summer sessions are turning out to be quite productive for me, and the schools, as well.

Lightbox Title