All entries filed under Dave Fry Gigs

Wednesday, August 30^th, 2017

The Great Allentown Fair – Part I

I opened up the Centennial Stage at 2:15 this afternoon, after a rather hectic drive through Lehigh Valley traffic, set up and actually started at 2:16, nick o’ time productions once again. There was a nice crowd of folks gathered with some familiar faces, some grandparents with kids and random elders cruising Ag Hall. I invited the few kids to grab an instrument and away we go. I was still in my hustle mode so I leaned on the hits like Cat Came Back, I Wanna Be a Dog, etc. that work well for this kind of audience. I, of course, chided the audience for their lukewarm singing and they responded nicely.

I invited three young sisters to come up and do Tutti Tah with me with an assortment of joy, bemusement and enthusiasm. The audience loved it. Later on, I brought up a dad and his young son for Giant and the Thunder Tubes and, again, it proved to be good theater.

The audience subsided after a while, especially when I tried to broaden the scope of the material from kids to adult songs. It’s a tough row to hoe when dealing with an audience like this but I enjoy the challenge. Upon reflection, I could have added a couple of my newer songs at the end, but was still not centered enough to do them.

I return tomorrow for another afternoon set. I’ll get there earlier, for sure.

Monday, August 28^th, 2017

Ron Anthony’s CD Release Party in CT

I was quite warmed up from the Saucon Valley Farmers’ amarket and primed to head up to The Space in Hamden for Ron’s CD Release party. He was most gracious to invite me to do a guest set in between his sets and I was looking forward to being part of the festivities.

Ron and good friend/bassist Denny Collin had worked hard in putting together this CD Berkshire Serenade, a fine collection of Ron’s original tunes. He insisted in keeping things simple (though his songs are far from that….) with just bass, guitar and vocals, in line with how he plays them out in public. That’s how he rolls.

The traffic was a little bonkers (no surprise) so I got there about ten minutes before the starting time of 6 pm, but time enough to check in with Ron, Suzy and a bunch of my old cohorts from the folk scene I was a part of during my ten years living up there.

The Space Ballroom is the third extension of Steve Rogers’ noble effort to present music in this community. The Space was my initial introduction to this scene when it hosted an open mike in a relative fire trap nearby, underneath a bridge – a great counter-culture vibe that reminded me of Godfrey’s. As he expanded into an industrial park (a great move – no neighbors, tons of parking…) I often played the open mike at the new Space. When Steve got a liquor license, he opened up another building, The Other Space, for concerts for the over 18 crowd. He then expanded by developing a larger adjoining room for bigger concerts – The Space Ballroom. Big sound stage. This was my first time on this stage.

Ron and Denny launched into their first set, and as I settled in to take in their music, I was assaulted by a very noisy woman who was talking loudly at a back table. I dared to ask her to keep it down. She did, at least for ten minutes. The rest of the audience was much more polite. I am spoiled with Godfrey’s. But, it also steeled my resolve to grab folk’s attention during my set.

As I got up on stage for my short set, I got a quick sound check from the sound guy, and launched into Don’t Call Me Early in the Morning, a request from Suzy, and a good way to get folks singing along. And, as usual, it worked well, especially when I let the crowd hear themselves as I drop out. I did chide them at first for being a New England audience in their initial hesitation (though not as bad as a Jersey audience, I added – a lie…). It set the tone for my set. I had the room in my hands.

I followed with Giants from native Nutmegger Kent Aldrich. Again, it worked well. I followed with Rosie is a Friend of Mine to a lesser success. I finished with Lessons from Pete which really connected with all. I thanked Ron for his friendship over the many years, and extended my love to my friends in the audience who were there to support Ron’s creativity. These folks made my time spent in CT worthwhile.

Ron and Denny finished out the evening with a standing ovation, and with his usual ‘aw shucks’ attitude thanked everyone for coming out. His extensive repertoire was magnificently on display tonight and I was proud to witness his craft among his many good friends and supporters.

The drive back was a bitch but I was armed with some good listening material. A long, long day from Hellertown to Hamden and back. Such is the life of a troubadour.

Monday, August 28^th, 2017

Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market

Amazingly these three hour gigs go quickly, and have their own flow to them. I enjoy setting up as the other vendors are setting up. We get to exchange pleasantries before folks start cruising through and I settle in under my pop-up tent: spread out the bag of instruments, set up my mandolin and guitar, put out my CDs, tune up and start off with some tunes I want to play. The vendors enjoy the beginning, especially with a nice acoustic sound track.

As the families start passing by, I shift my material to the kids’ stuff, engage the children passing by, watch them look at the bag in front of me, and away we go. Today, the $1 tips started early, some from some of the older women veggie shopping who appreciate what I’m doing. Even the younger dude selling fizzy tea next to me gave me a bottle as a tip. It lasted all day, including the trip to CT and back later on.

I’m doing this one once a month for their craft and arts Sunday, so there is a special vibe going on. More and more familiar faces, with folks stopping by to say hello, nods and waves from others as they pass by and kids lighting up when they see me. It’s all good.

One fellow stopped by who said he has one of my old guitars, a Favilla that was my first good guitar (not a Martin, though). We chatted and he later posted a picture of it on FB. He wants me to sign it. Really? I guess I will. I’m getting used to this. I’ve had the chance to run into a couple of my old instruments in the last couple of years.

Towards the end of my stint, the fizzy tea dude mentioned he liked my version of Voodoo Chile on mandolin. That was nice. He mentioned he’s started playing around on mandolin himself. I talked about how I took it up to force me to think in terms of playing scales and tunes since I’m not a great lead player on guitar. I also suggested that he start bringing it to these farmers’ markets and get some time in while waiting for customers.

It was one of the better farmers’ markets this year. I sold a CD (!!!) and a pulled in a bunch of dollar bills that go into my laundry day cash stash. I have an hour to decompress before my trek to Ron Anthony’s CD bash tonight.

Monday, August 21^st, 2017

Eclipse Party II

I headed back to the Da Vinci Center for the second visit in three days, today being the day of the eclipse and the joint was really jumping. Not bad for a moon day Monday. I set up my sound in the large room while the staff was dealing with the large crowd, now both inside and out on the lawn. Folks with moon shades, kids, parents and grandparents. I surveyed the crowd in front of me, a few families, some familiar faces and folk eating ice cream, waiting for the celestial show. A pretty motley scene. It was partly cloudy, and, eventually, the sun came out so that everyone got a glimpse of the sun and moon.

I started off and invited the kids to come up and grab an instrument and a nice core group of about ten kids or so jumped at the chance. A good start, but then I realized that quite a few faces were pointed towards the large screen television on the wall to my right. My effort was being diluted by the Demon Screen once again. The engagement factor was difficult but I rolled along. I got out Rocket To the Moon by Moon Mulligan (a single entendre song) but it was a good rock and roll tune, the kids were banging away so it worked, for what it was worth. Folks drifted in and out with several kids there for the long run. I added I Can See Clearly Now, Moonshadow but popped a string on Here Comes the Sun. Tough crowd.

Several families made a point to come by and see me, with several moms and kids coming up afterward to say hello and share some of their DF stories (“I saw you when I was a kid….”). The Da Vinci folks thanked me profusely, even though they were swamped in the moment. That was gratifying.

The eclipse had started during my set, so I packed up, put stuff in the car and took in the event and the crowd. It was good to see folks engaged in science, spending time with each other and enjoying the moment together. I borrowed some shades to check out the 70% blockage, and drove back home taking in the somewhat softer sunlight. Not bad for a late summer Monday gig. Not bad at all.

Saturday, August 19^th, 2017

Da Vinci Center Eclipse Weekend

I was glad the Da Vinci folks asked me to be part of this series of events at the center. I’ll be back on Monday for the main event, but it was good to do a Saturday afternoon for these folks. I worked up a couple of Moon and Sun songs and was able to work these tunes in, along with the other standard DF stuff.

There were some folks who made a point to make for the show, as well as families that stumbled upon the show, so it was a small, but interesting group to work with. There were all kind of challenges and wonderful rewards as we mixed up scarves, shakers, sing alongs, etc.

One kind lady came up before I started, introduced herself as a mom and grandmom raising her kids on my music. I hear this fine stories pretty often and are always appreciated. She then went on that she was a life-long piano teacher. Now that got my attention. We went on to discuss, among other things, her ear-training with her students, my seven years of piano lessons as a kid and other flotsam. A wonderful connection, and one that I exercised later on.

I brought out my sun and moon songs during the set, and they turned out to be some good tunes and connections. I could see the adults sing along with the pop tunes (I Can See Clearly Now, Here Comes the Sun and Moon Shadow) and the kids could simply jam on the stuff in mosh pit.

The special moment came when I did Giants with the Thunder Tubes. I had really leaned on the Piano Lady’s grandson, a really reticent tweener and would not budge under my incessant badgering. When it came to doing this tune I called on his grandfather to bring him up. He budged! I promised I wouldn’t bug him again in this lifetime. He came up did it. It was a very good thing. After the show, I chatted with Piano Lady. She thanked me for my effort, and I said that I accepted the challenge as an performing artist. It worked, and, actually, I think the audience responded to it, as well.

I love the scarves. They open up my performance explorations to creative movement with the kids. Not everyone wants to play a rhythm instrument. It is quite a challenge for everyone, especially kids. We used the open space in front of me nicely and the parents particularly liked to see their kids engaged like this. I get the best seat in the house.

The Da Vinci Center liked what I did for this smaller audience. I’m not worried about the size of the audience.

I’ll be back on Monday for the Really Big Eclipse Show. Should be very cool.

Saturday, August 19^th, 2017

Rose Garden Farmers’ Market on Saturday morning.

A spectacular August day after strong storms yesterday evening. I play this small community farmers’ market once a month, thanks to some support from a mysterious friend in the West Side of Bethlehem. I was initially taken by the scene, with the season’s change, now expansive shade and a different slant of the sun. A curious observation for me.

I set up under the same ole tree, connected with the honey lady across from me and the various veggie vendors I know from past markets (there is a nice camaraderie going on with these folks). I had a gig coming up at the Da Vinci Center later today so I did some prep on some new tunes while folks were setting up. I warmed up with Rocket to the Moon, Moonshadow, Cow Jumped Over the Moon and another tune, an efficient way to prepare for my next gig this afternoon. It worked.

I chatted with a fellow from one of the farms, a dude who plays with a local blues band. We struck up a nice friendship over the two hours. I could see he dug the Robert Johnson tune and while I was playing Rocket to the Moon (a single entendre song), I noticed him demonstrating the theme with a small eggplant in his pop-up with his co-worker. I notice these things. He came over during a couple of songs (I Can See Clearly Now, Here Comes the Sun, etc.) and sang along. It was nice to work with adults for a change in this situation, as well as fellow musicians.

Another dad with a very young son stopped by. The little boy was overwhelmed with the situation. As he tried to grasp this ‘liveness’, his dad picked up instruments to help out the connection. I noticed, while I was playing Giant, the dad knew it was in 3/4 time, no small thing. I mentioned that he must be a drummer, and it turned out to be quite accurate. It was a special moment. This kid is in good hands.

There were several small family groups that stopped by, and, as always, the ubiquitous bag helped me engage kids and grandparents and parents in the effort. Some even stopped by on purpose!

The time goes quickly and I get to practice my art under a big ole tree in my home town.

Saturday, August 19^th, 2017

Community Services on Friday

This was a good gig. I was asked to play for the Family Fun Day for the Community Services for Children here in the Lehigh Valley at their facilities on South Mountain in Allentown, near the State Hospital. It was tough to find but my gig instincts kicked in and wound my way up a couple of small streets to the campus. The organization had rounded up lots of community outreach groups, fire trucks, police cars, served up hot dogs, gave away teddy bears and information to the families that came up.

I was initially asked to do this pro bono, but I insisted on my minimum fee for this, and I’m glad I did. I was treated with respect, and, at the end, thanked profusely from many, many folks, and asked back for next year. I am gratified and glad I stood up for my worth.

There was a good chance of rain, but the CSC decided to go for it outside in the road between buildings. They set up a small tent with a small PA, and I settled in for the two hours. Just my voice was amplified, but that was just enough for my part. As it turned out, it was an almost sunny day. Good weather for all of us.

I set out the musical chum of instruments and went fishing. Kids took part as they do, and for some, as the organizers said later, this was a unique moment for a lot of these kids (and parents). They had never participated in this musical workshop, so I enjoyed each interaction as it happened.

It was a good session all around, connecting with new folks and kids.

Sunday, August 13^th, 2017

Musikfest at Godfrey’s Day with SouthSide Ramble

This is always a nice set, especially being part of the Godfrey’s Day at Musikfest, with Dina and Kris and Andy Killcoyne sitting in. We didn’t have a chance to practise for this one but Dina is comfortable with Andy, since they play together often, Kris and I are tight and all of us had passed around the tunes electronically (the new way to prepare) so we felt confident in tossing things up in the air on stage.

Don’t Call Me Early was the first song and it’s a good opener, but Andy is a little unfamiliar with the ‘celtic genre’ but began with fills early on. I asked him to stay away from the ending, but never had the chance to lay it out in a practice. I found myself telling him, “Don’t play, don’t play…’ while I was landing the tricky ending. I think he felt the burn. It was a rocky beginning, but things smoothed out nicely quickly. I planned a set where Dina and I swap fronting the band and it works well, giving the both of us to retreat into backup mode. Very comfortable.

Andy is used to running a premier local jam, and often finds himself leading the band behind less professional folks on stage. I am quite comfortable in leading my songs, and confident in establishing the tune’s structure and endings as well. Andy and I don’t get to work together that often in a formal situation like this, and his natural instincts turned on, to fill the spaces. I understand this, but I’ve been doing this for a long time, both with a band and as a solo. But that’s why we needed some face time for this gig, and develop the trust in each other.

Dina and I swapped tunes, I got to play mandolin in support of her tunes, Kris was solid on bass, and Andy settled in with some fine Strat leads. The mix of tunes, instruments and patter was good and we played well. It was only an hour set so the time flew by and I had to cut some songs out, but I got in Legends and Lessons from Pete and ended with Rosie is a Friend of Mine. Dina stepped up as well with her good stuff plus a new One Big Love that she dedicated to the turmoil in Charlottesville this weekend. Quite appropriate and a tip of the hat to her for connecting the song and the situation. A nice FB video showed up, with a scan of the song, kids playing up front, panning to an audience listening to good music and back to us on stage. It captured the beauty of the moment in these fractious times.

It was a good set and appreciated by those in the audience. I thought it wasn’t as tight as it could have been, and not as good as the Trio stuff we did last Saturday. Still, it was a good representation of the local folk playing on the big stage in support of our home town venue. Claudia Schmidt did a knock-out solo set, the Best of Open Mikers did strong sets, April Mae and the Junebugs did a killer opener, and Chaise Lounge finished the evening off in style. I was in charge of booking the day so I was glad that it fell together nicely. Godfrey’s did well, promoting our spot in the now crowded LV arts calendar. My friends Terry and Dave did a great job on sound. Mike Duck did a wonderful job handling the emcee work, as well. Ramona worked her tail off, as always. Good friends all around making for a nice day celebrating Godfrey’s at the major festival in our town. All hands on deck!

I’ve been maintaining a low profile these days, so I had a good time roaming the courtyard and running into familiar faces, both old and new. It reminded me why I enjoy this festival. It is as much about running into friends and acquaintances on the fly, sharing our connections across the years and situations. One young dad came up and said he remembered me from a 1st grade assembly in the early 90’s. Several other young families came up with their kids who are now Dave Fry fans. Older folks that used to come out to Godfrey’s in the past reconnected. I had a good time being surprised by each and every situation. I’m learning to enjoy some gratification from these encounters. Some folks even said I look better these days. Hmmm. This is good news.

I even took the opportunity to mention that I’ve played all of the Musikfests, along with polka king Walt Groller. 34 years. I challenged him to dueling polkas next year. It was a good day on the planet. I love my town.

Tuesday, August 8^th, 2017

Topsy Turvy Tuesday at the IceHouse

I signed up to do my Topsy Turvy Tuesday set this week, anticipating the fact that Musikfest no longer books kids’ music during the festival. It was a small but responsive audience of about 30 people, with familiar faces in the crowd. I was lucky that my friend Dave E. had his wits about him to help me call Doug to come down and open up for the morning’s show. It turned out fine.

It was a mix of Fry-fans, young kids, grandparents and moms in the big open space that served well, especially for the young lad who was born to run…. There were some folks visiting grandparents from England, and their young daughter was quite precocious; she knew my stuff and had her favorites and it was a delight to have her chat with me in an English accent. There were three girls who simply wanted to dance, and the scarves gave them the opportunity to express themselves that way. Other kids gradually warmed up, and, again, the bag of instruments gave me the way to connect. Still, there are some very shy boys that don’t quite know how to react. I make an effort to engage each child in a non-threatening way (I am quite daunting…) and succeed in various ways. That is my main artistic challenge.

The secondary challenge is to engage the adults as well, and enjoy adding asides, curious verses and more, in order to entertain them as well, especially if they buy my CDs. (Just kidding, kinda…)

It was a good gig under the radar during Musikfest.

Tuesday, August 8^th, 2017

Holy Family Manor on Monday

I was asked to do a pro bono set at an old folks home on Monday, to help bring a little Musikfest to the residents. I haven’t done one of these gigs in a while, and I forgot the challenge that this audience requires, and how important music is for folks in these situations.

There was scepticism from some ladies up front when I brought out my bag with puppets, scarves, et al, but I explained to them why I carry these with me. I also knew that putting shakers, tambourines and maracas in their hands would be an important connection with them, some of whom were in relatively unresponsive modes. As I rolled through my songs, I added some tunes they would know (You are My Sunshine, Tennessee Waltz, Hank Williams tunes, etc.) and it was good to see them singing along as best they could. I did my other stuff, including Hannah, a young girl, volunteer and Fry fan from the past, who did I Wanna Be a Dog with me in front of the crew. I found myself drenched in sweat with the effort to entertain these folks who went to considerable effort to come down for the music. I also realized that I should have done my homework and brought more singalongs that they know, stuff I have packed in my musical library from similar gigs in the past. I can always do better.

The two ladies up front thanked me at the end and said they had a good time. A gentleman in the back who played tambourine waved goodbye. Folks visiting older relatives were glad I was there. There may not be applause at the end of each song, but we all chipped in, in our own way, to celebrate making some music together. It’s the best I can do.

Saturday, August 5^th, 2017

Deep in the weekend, part IV, the best for last.

This is the big one, a nice afternoon set at Liederplatz at Musikfest. I only get this chance to do my adult material in an acoustic band situation quite rarely, especially in a concert setting like this, great sound and a listening audience in a festival courtyard. I put together my friends John Christie and Kris Kehr for this jaunt, and a set list of new, old and some kids’ stuff, too. A very nice mixture of folk music and commentary for a listening audience on a perfect day.

Kris, John and I had worked up some good material, and, in spite of a rocky gig the day before (perhaps because of…) we really did a fine job. I was tickled at the end of set. Kris was solid as ever and John provided some great (often nasty) guitar leads. We didn’t need a drummer – that’s how strong we played. I had a rough set list and took it on the fly and weaved through the blues, country, novelty, Canadian, rock and roll material and played strong and sure. I also committed to playing standing up, not an easy thing with my hip problems, but it felt great to move to the music, and add to the theatricality of the show. (Yes, it is a show….)

My good friend Bruce Gaston showed up for his yearly set during my show, and I am always glad to see him in the audience. He is a manualist – he plays music with his hands. Vaudeville at its finest (and I feel I’m part of that tradition…). I love to sit behind him and watch the audience react to the initial sound (a tortured balloon) and then recognize the Bruce’s ability, genius and practiced craft, all delivered in a compact 5 minute piece with great entertainment chops. He’s amazing, and he gives my set an incredible breather, and sets us up for the grand push. Really, I relish having Bruce Gaston in my audience.

I had folks up on stage for Giants and Thunder Tubes (great interaction, as always), I badgered the audience to sing along, we got some good jamming among the three of us going, some serious tunes, my Stan Rogers tune Giant that continues to be fun, Rosie is a Friend of Mine had some ladies dancing up front, and Lessons from Pete finished out the set on a strong note, with spotlights on John and Kris. I thanked everyone for coming out, big thanks to Terry and Dave for the superb sound, mentioned that I have played every Musikfest and landed to gracious applause from the hometown crowd. Very, very satisfying and one of the better gigs of the year.

It’s not a tight musical presentation, but I think folks recognize that the musical spontaneity, the song diversity and the friendly presentation make for a pleasing show. I am proud of what I do, and glad to have friends help be do it.

Saturday, August 5^th, 2017

Deep in the weekend, part III

I headed back to Das Awkscht Fest for my family set in a pavilion off to the side of the swings. These sets have been tough to gather folks for over the last several years, but I respect the festival for trying to include family shows. Again, they hire the local clowns, magicians, jugglers and other friends who ply the trade here in the L.V. I had an 11 am show, knowing I had a 2 pm show at Musikfest.

It was spectacular weather, almost a crisp fall day, and as Balloons The Clown drove off, having performed for no one, I settled in to play tunes. I was glad they had a PA set up, just to broadcast that I was playing. A mom and her two sons pulled up outside the pavilion, and seeing that it was empty, they hesitated to commit to coming in. Luckily, they were familiar faces and I encouraged them to look through the bag for instruments. (I can’t tell you how important that bag is, in engaging kids, and transferring their social angst with a live musician into something less imposing.

As I played, families drifted over and joined in, egg shakers and maracas, rain stick and puppets, all headed out into the crowd. It was never a big crowd, but kids, parents and grandparents and myself (and the sound guy, too) had a good time.

As I finished up with few folks in the pavilion, one grandmom was having her hands full with her toddler grandson. She was a former special ed teacher who had worked with me in the schools, and she asked that I do Spider on the Floor. I obliged, and it was interesting how the boy linked in to the tune, obviously bemused with the live version of one of his favorite CD cuts. Stopped him in his tracks.

I’ve run into this phenomenon with young children who have to process the live rendition of familiar tunes, especially when it is my voice on the CD and now live in front of them. Fascinating and enlightening. I love these experiences.

Off to Musikfest for the final gig of the tour….

Saturday, August 5^th, 2017

Here is the weekend, part II

Das Awkscht Fest is a premier vintage auto show, right here in the Lehigh Valley, and the promoters actually book L.V. acts to play in the wonderful band shell in the Macungie Park. I was asked to put together a band for the Friday afternoon schedule so I asked Kris Kehr, Dina Hall, John Christie to join me in a fairly benign gig, great sound system and a smattering of audience members. An opportunity to play for pay.

We put in several practises. Dina, Kris and I have played together before, but we had some new tunes to try out. John Christie, a friend who has worked with me on family gigs, was available and eager to join the project. John worked on the material and his guitar work was professional.

A beautiful day in the park and in the bandshell. It’s alway fun to have full stage sound with monitors. We got set up and started in on the set. Things were a little rough early as we adjusted to the situation.

It was a tech nightmare for me and I was quite lucky to have Dina Hall to lean on while I dealt with my guitar problems. Dina has become a very stable performer on stage, with command of her guitar, vocals, introductions and all the finer points in leading a folk band. She saved the day.

I was set up to lead my tunes on guitar and then back up Dina on mandolin, things I love to do in this musical combination. I broke a string during “I Can See Clearly Now”, a new and challenging song in the repertoire, and my guitar went wildly out of tune, to the point that I didn’t want to hit the last chord. We limped through it. Tough. Thankfully, Dina had some tunes to lead with while I changed my string.

I had a wonderful time finding my role as a mandolin sideman, adding fills and rhythm chops. good stuff.

When it came around for me to present the next song, I got fuzzy sounds from my guitar. The battery was dieing so I had to sideling myself again, find a battery, de-tune two strings and reach inside to pull the bad one out and replace it, re-tune my guitar. Then I broke another string. Melt down in Macungie. Again, Dina stepped up in style, as did John and Kris.

Eventually, I had my guitar back and ready to play. I mentioned that at least we weren’t playing in public (not too many folks in the seats). We finished off with Lessons from Pete, and it was the real deal. We ended strong. We actually had some folks come up and thank us for the music. We were the only acoustic band on the schedule, and were appreciated for that sound.

Tomorrow I travel with two guitars.

My nightmares most usually revolve around technical glitches, like faulty chords, mike stands, guitar failure, followed by getting-to-the-gig trauma woes, but today was in real time, though I survived thanks to my real time friends on stage.

Tuesday, August 1^st, 2017

To CT and back.

There are times when I question my drive to earn money in CT, my old home state for 10 years. Over the last week or so, I’ve driven a bunch of miles, made some righteous money but in two of the shows, have faced a very lethargic audience. Today was notable.

I was glad to be included in this series of family shows in a very nice park setting, with a splendid grass lawn, under the trees on a beautiful summer day. Folks pulled in with strollers, kids, blankets, food, for an hour in the park with children’s music.

As I plied my craft, the kids came up, played along, asked questions (why do you have bare feet?) and we all had a good time. But….

I noticed there was little response from the audience in places I expect response. Even with the kids. I remarked at times that this was a TV audience, not expected to respond. I found myself, time and time again, asking for a response. Part of it was the distance from the crowd, but a larger part is the cultural distance from live performance. These folks like to socialize, eat snacks, enjoy a day in the park, and I am only a vehicle for child care. It all shows up in the fact that I sell no CD’s after the show. I am a tool.

There are always great moments with the individual kids, but I scratch my head with the adults.

Sunday, July 30^th, 2017

Community in Coopersburg on Sunday

I was asked by good friends Christine and Craig Thatcher to return to this 16th year community benefit for Coopersburg folks who need the help. Community taking care of community.

I glad I could do the opening set at 1 pm, part of their ‘kids first’ effort to bring the families out to the festival. It worked much better, with balloon guy, crafts, etc. I was set up with a great sound system on a fine stage (yum!) pointing toward another tent with some seating. Unfortunately a hot space of macadam between us. And, as I supposed, there were more elders than children in the audience. But, then again, that’s okay. The old folks get it faster than the kids.

It was a very good set, especially with musicians Craig and Nyke in the house. I had better play good. I did and it was fun to play a good, crisp set for a good cause, in front of people who listened, supporting my friends on a perfect July Sunday afternoon. I got paid in food that I am enjoying even as I type. That’s pretty good!

Sunday, July 30^th, 2017

The Best Damn Art Museum in the state of Connecticut.

This is such a good gig for me. The good folks at the Florence Griswold Museum hire me regularly (a beautiful thing) for various events, not the least is the Midsummer Festival in Old Lyme. This small coastal CT town was abuzz, with art shows, events, food, music, etc going on, along side the museum’s festival. The joint was jumping. I had a very small part.

The FloGris is a spectacular site that includes a contemporary museum, wonderful grounds along a river, an elegant New England house that is a museum unto itself, as well as an active, hands-on children’s art workshop. It celebrates the first America impressionists’ community/colony. These artists would gather at Florence’s house, head out to the nearby river and paint au plein air. And their artwork adorns the wall of the old house. It’s a magic place. https://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/

I had two sets in a small barn area, a good space to work in, and engaged a bunch of people, kids, new parents, etc. as they happened on the site. No big spotlight on this gig, but I do what I do. Small gatherings but some good contact. They pay me well, but they pay me as an artist. That’s why the remains a special gig.

Long ride home in I-95 traffic, but these treks to CT are good for me. It’s nice to know I’m appreciated outside of the Lehigh Valley.

Sunday, July 30^th, 2017

A trek to CT for two days

I had my semi-regular gig at the Madison Farmer’s Market on Friday afternoon, and prudently planned for Friday traffic and got there a mere 40 minutes ahead of time, enough to catch a quick meditation to help erase my traffic mentality.

It was one of the better Madison Green gigs I’ve had, with some new families getting to know me and several familiar families, mom’s, grandmom’s, kids, etc. One small girl got into it early, and then passed out shakers to her larger group of family members, including a bunch of men(!) who all started to play off to my right. The young girl and the grandmother then began to dance around the family circle, waving their instruments. A very nice moment. I gave the girl a CD, of course.

As the folks settle onto blankets under this large shade tree on a wide green, the kids come up, go back to the folks, play instruments, get pizza and ice cream from the vendors, let the moms shop (the secret of my FM success). It’s a good, extended time in a peaceful space. It’s a strange and wonderful gig, and I love it.

Then again, I got $17 in one dollar tips. No $5’s. There are things about CT that drive me nuts.

Up to Ron and Susan’s place for some companionship with my noble Innkeeper for the Displaced Folksinger. Food, conversation and bed.

Thursday, July 27^th, 2017

Acoustic Jam in Emmaus – round three

I finished up the day in the courtyard of a coffeehouse in Emmaus for my developing monthly jam. It was a good night to be outside with just a few folks, and a good way to wrap up a busy day. Only a few folks showed up, but just enough to make it interesting A couple of fiddles, mandolins, a banjo, a bass and uke player and others. I enjoy leading the way as well as making space for the others to contribute. There are always surprises and I like how the genres move from bluegrass to swing to soul to folk and I enjoy the patter that goes on in between. It is as much a social session as it is a music session.

It was a very nice way to finish off a day filled with music. Off to CT tomorrow.

Thursday, July 27^th, 2017

Da Vinci Center – round one.

I had three gigs today, starting off with a last minute pick-up at the Da Vinci Center’s summer camp. It was in my wheel house, with their theme of music, beats, codes and more. I had the K, 1st and 2nd kids, with some counselors tossed in. A good group to work with, though one boy proved to be a challenge early on, and I had to assert myself and put him in the back. I tried several time to encourage him, but nope. It worked out in the end.

It was fun to engage the kids with some science, with music, physical vibrations from the guitar and the Thunder Tubes. We worked on rhythm as well as just having fun. I had a nice talk one of the directors, a fellow engineering student who drifted into science/education. Nice to know that younger folks are picking up on this as a vocation.

A couple of the counselors brought in some instruments – harmonica and guitar – and I gave them the opportunity to join in. Always involve the counselors.

I’m coming back for a previously booked gig next Friday, and I also picked up a gig in August for the moon eclipse. I’ll work up some sun and moon songs for that one. A very nice connection developing with this educational center in Allentown.

Monday, July 24^th, 2017

Final trip to Trenton and Urban Promise

I had a one set visit to a daycare/camp in a small, urban church today, one that I remember from last year. The group was a little sluggish, having been glued to a big screen Netflix cartoon series. The counselors were off to the side and uninvolved. Such is the reality of these centers. It takes a bit of work to shake them up and get them involved, and there’s not much help from the teen counselors.

A couple of the kids knew me from last year and were warmed up to have some fun. Others were new and, I figured didn’t know much English, so I had my antennae up to figure how to play this out. I explore several ways to engage them. One boy seemed not to know English and was uncomfortable with the Peanut Butter, and other response tunes, so I got him up with the Thunder Tube. He lit up. Another older boy seemed put off by the “childish” stuff, but when I introduced the rain stick and gave it to him to play for the rest of the session, he also locked in and did some great dancing with it. Another male counselor started to dance with Jelly in the Dish with some stylish moves. I invited him into the group when everyone was up and dancing. Scarves, puppets, shakers made for a lively 15 minutes at the end.

I gave out foam noses at the end as they rounded up the instruments for the bag.

I always have my doubts of how to interact with such a wide gulf of cultures, but – and I am always amazed – it always works. I relish these opportunities to learn and grow.

Lightbox Title