It’s a grey morning in Baltimore and, at least through the limited scope of my unwillingness to ACTUALLY go to the window and look around, it looks like the rain has washed our street clean of cars. Or mayhaps everyone decided to get up a little early, or simply run away.
It’s a not-so charming fact about Charm City that it smells like wet dog in the rain, possibly due to the fact that it’s been acknowledged as one of the top 10 dirtiest cities in the nation – but I technically Live over the line and there’s no sign of such olfactory offense here in Catonsville. Of course, betwixt bagels and hot coffee and the eggs I’ve got cooking up in the kitchen, I might not even notice – but generally I’ve never noticed that distinctive moist Baltimore stench in my own backyard.
This past weekend Heather and I went out to West Virginia for a couple of shows and one of our Open Mic Events. The shows were fun, the open mic was sort of sad – the first one we’ve run sans Bryn’s presence definitely showed who brought the locals out.
Without her on the ground in the area, we didn’t even see a couple of our “regulars” for our irregular event.
But the weather was beautiful and the two other shows we played were outdoors – those two things got together and made for a wonderful weekend. Plus, in addition to booking the shows, our friend Erik grabbed us a Lovely little cottage of a place to stay out on the farmlands out there and Heather and I had a nice night gathered around a laptop watching a Terry Pratchett movie in about as idyllic surroundings as one can imagine.
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Seth Horan! -
We haven’t seen HIM since California, where he “almost met Kristen, but she was too busy throwing up”. Well, you know, we for memories in interesting ways. -
Holy shit Seth is great – a great performer, great musician – and someone who humbles me every time I see him both with his talent and mutual admiration. -
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Me and Rowan bouncing our way through our set at Teavolve in Baltimore, MD.
Sunday we got back into town for the last of my Sunday night Takoma Park Open Mics, a bittersweet night. LEA was my feature, totally by coincidence. We’ve had many great artists, I had to cancel about two months of great artists, but LEA’s performance was one of the best and it just so happened that I’d booked her for the night that was destined to be our last one.
Absolutely no complaints there. The last couple of weeks had been very, very slow and the feeling of slow had been exacerbated by a disturbing tendency to lose the “cool kids” to the exterior with the nice weather, coming inside only for one another (the same problem we once had at Jahva House, all those years ago… except these cool kids for 40-somethings rather than 20-somethings) and undermining the whole sense of welcome and community that I work so hard to foster.
So maybe it was time for us to change things up – and what with the turnover at Teavolve in Baltimore I just can’t run TWO weekly open mics, not with the touring that’s coming up. Ada, the owner of the one of the local restaurants that’s been courting the Takoma Park Open Mic, came out to see what all the fuss was about on the very last night and she was impressed. We chatted for a while and if I get to the point that I feel like taking on another weekly obligation, it might just end up at her place…
Sunday night itself was absolutely delicious. We had a lot of my favourite regulars and a good number of surprise not-so-regulars and one or three brand new people including the not-so-new-to-the-audience but first-time-performer Joel Pomerantz. I think I MET Joel initially as a performer back at the Year of the Rabbit in the late 90s but shortly thereafter he became “just” an audience member of proponent of such local organizations as SAW (the Songwriters Association of Washington). I think the first couple of times I saw him out and about at open mics I’d asked if he was going to perform, but quickly his quirky a capella performances faded from the scene, if not from memory.
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Joe Isaacs -
Matt Holsen -
Shannon Bishop -
Kristen Jones -
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Israel Dempsey -
Mary Ann Ryan -
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Oh Mike Geezey. I’ve encouraged you in many venues and I think it’s important that you have a safe place to express yourself. But the door swings both ways and tonight you crossed the comfort line. I’m not sure where his future lies with Capital City Cheesecake but I think that his song about date rape IS truly a lesson song, NOT a threatening song – but there were some poor choices in language… -
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And so it was absolute glee that I saw Joel had signed up to perform – and he even performed his “classic” “Bowling”. It was even better than I remembered and though most of his set was given over to what I was SORT of expecting (advertising SAW and the Electric Maid) it was kind of great to hear that in the intervening years his singing voice has gleaned gravitas and stylization and further eliminated his usual shaky stutter.
It was a highpoint for me. And I thought it was great, especially after last week’s Geezey Incident that we could show that we were accepting of someone who was kind of a bizarre performer – without that performer being seen as threatening.
LEA was amazing. From her opening chord I got those chills that I so RARELY get nowadays, and Kristen joining in on cello was simply amazing. The richness of LEA’s voice filled the room, the beauty of her, her performance, her chords – her soul – just shone through the room. I gave her upwards of a full 35 minutes I think, using perhaps most of our “extra” time for the night on her, and despite my later sweating over the clock, it was thoroughly worth it. The new material (and it was almost ALL new material!) is inspired, and she’s just gotten more dynamic and passionate. To have her come play my little open mic is beyond flattering – the fact that she KEEPS coming back when invited just blows my mind. Here’s an artist who could OWN NERFA and Falcon Ridge and all the rest, one of the best performing artists that I’ve ever seen – I’m just floored by her. Many people come up and say that I’m on their list of “people that they don’t understand WHY they’re not FAMOUS” – well, my experience shows me that a) you need a slightly fuller package that I’ve got… stop tittering… and b) it’s not just what you are but who you know and c) you’ve got to pay your dues and do it for a long time (as Arnold Schwarzenegger said “it’s reps or mileage”) – and beyond that my experience has showed me that there are a huge number of devastatingly talented humans out there who “should” be famous…. But LEA’s on MY list of people who I simply don’t understand being still “local”. She’s been doing it for far longer than I have (she performed at my college, partially inspiring me to pick up a guitar… I bought a Takamine because she played a Jasmine), and IS the full package – beyond beautiful with extra ethnic visual interest, great writer, great performer, incredible and DISTINCT voice… varying styles, well-traveled…
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Yup, it’s a happenin. ilyAIMY’s back in the studio working on the new CD. Above – my guitar awaiting abuses at Asparagus Studios in Takoma Park, MD.. -
. And heather doing the same.
If I had some sort of “elevate in Life” spell, and I could get unselfish enough to NOT cast it on myself, I’d get that sparkle all OVER LEA.
Whatever – I’m just going on and on aren’t i? It was a great night. LEA was a huge part of it but we had a lot of great performers and the night ended out with Crazy As A Good Thing with Heather and Kristen and I plus Bruce Lebovitz on violin, LEA on djembe and Frank Cassel on banjo. It was the way it was SUPPOSED to end.
As my brother would say “good times, good times”.
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In addition, you had to be able to demonstrate your craft in your booth… like if you’re selling the below grumpy turtle, you best be able to make ANOTHER grumpy turtle whilst you’re hanging out! (I must admit, I almost bought this grumpy turtle) -
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There were a couple of instrument builders at the Mountain Heritage Festival in Charles Town, WV including Rizetta Music above… who is now building carbon fiber hammered dulcimers! -
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And carbon fiber Appalachian dulcimers too!
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for the night we were put up in a friend of a friend’s guest cabin… giving us not only a great night’s sleep but also a chance for me to practice my night time photography… (which needs some practicin!) -
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This is what greeted us upon entry to our “guest cabin” in West Virginia – dried flowers, birds nests and snake skins… beautiful and eclectic… it’s like comin’ home! -
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Well, except home never had a bed like THIS!!! -
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The next morning in West Virginia I spent much of the morning sitting on our backporch and looking around. -
The weather was absolutely perfect and eventually I just HAD to go for a walk! -
I startled the local groundhog…. I wanted to squeeze him SO BAD! -
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This was “the Magic Apple Tree” that grew up the side of the cabin – completely flat and trained to grow up the wall, somehow the creator of this fine vegetable beest had trained five apple trees into one and the plant fruits five different types of apples! -
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Our cabin during the day! -
The owner’s Jack Russell, Jackson. -
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It’s a wondrous day at CraftWorks at Cool Spring in Charles Town, WV – we weren’t sure what to expect, but what a fun day! -
Great space… by the time we were done I was convinced we need to have a festival here! Though the load-in is kind of ass…. -
All set up and welcomed by CraftWorks’ owner – we played to a big crowd of friendly humans. -
CraftWorks at Cool Spring is mostly a community arts centre – and there was some cool work in the studios inside, including this octopus painting! -
Aught. Let’s go HOME.
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Shannon Bishop -
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Bruce Lebovitz -
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Brennan Kuhns -
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Mark Sylvester -
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Chris Colvin -
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Mary Ann Ryan -
Lea was marvelous and she brought us plenty of brand new material, playing with both Mark Sylvester (on lead guitar) and Kristen on cello. It was an absolutely scintillating evening. (there, see Heather? A new positive adjective) -
The room on our last weekly Takoma Park Open Mic – t’was quite full. I was really, really glad to be able to send us out on such a fantastic note. -
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T’was our last weekly Takoma Park Open Mic and DeJohn made a new friend and played a couple of songs with him… truly in keeping with the awesome culture of my open mic!
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