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Notes from the Road
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date: 5/10/00
locale: Godfrey Daniels, Bethlehem PA
5pm and I've reached downtown Bethlehem right on schedule. The radio announces a tornado warning for the whole county, and, as usual I ignore it. The day has in fact gone from sunny and 80 to 50 and overcast in just a couple of hours, and, well, you know what they say about weathermen.... But then I turn west onto E. 4th St. and see that the color of the approaching sky is a darkly glowing jade and I'm glad I'm off the road.
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Rachel Bissex, Rich Prezioso and Jacqui Manning of Small Potatoes, and Ruthie Foster and Cyd Cassone are already at the club, eating an excellent chili and uncorking a bottle of wine. It's our first concert of a two-week, 12-concert tour that will take us from Virginia to Vermont, and it's something to celebrate. As participants in last summer's Falcon Ridge Folk Festival songwriter showcase, we've been invited to do this year's preview tour - a little publicity for the festival, some extra exposure for us - and the promise of a good time. |
| Warming up at Godfrey's. L to R: Cyd Cassone, Ruthie Foster, Rich Prezioso, Jacqui Manning and Rachel Bissex. |
For some of us, it's a first meeting. For all of us, it's the
first time we've really gotten to hear each other play.
With the turnout expected to be low even before the tornado weather, we decide to do an intimate, acoustic round-robin. With no sound check, we have two full hours to hang out and jam. Ruthie has a sizzling bluesy voice and her partner Cyd has a percussion arsenal. Rich has pyrotechnic skill on the guitar, not to mention a slide and a National steel, and his wife/partner Jacqui is one of a few folks who knows how to play a pennywhistle achingly. Rachel is a great singer and uses a pair of brushes on an old beat up cosmetics case to good effect. All of them have fine and surprising songs that they keep pulling out of the sparking air.
I hate to report that the best set of the night occurred before the doors opened, but there's something campfire-like about new friends jamming in a closed club under a glowering sky the color of deep ocean. That's OK - most of the audience was already there. Godfrey Daniels is a successful club because of its dedicated crew of volunteers and at least eight are here tonight. As the night goes on and one song follows another, I start to think that this tour will be successful too. There is a feeling of real comraderie and a sense that we are responding to each others' songs. There is soul and comedy and sentiment and story. Something for everyone. And we get to give out festival tickets at each show.
Now if we can just get some people to come out....
If you want to hear some dynamite new songs from Ruthie Foster and Small Potatoes, they'll will be on the next issue of Fenario - coming soon. And Rachel won't be far behind - she's in the studio this weekend and promises a CDR of a great new ballad.
Here's the rest of the tour:
May 12 Phila Folk Song Soc HC (members only) 215-247-1300
May 13 Sa Hartwood Concerts, Fredericksberg, VA. 540 372-3424
May 14 Su Moore Music, Rockville MD. House Concert. 301-309-0983
Reservations required (301-309-0983 or mooresp@erols.com).
May 16 Tu Common Sense Cafe, Portchester NY 914 935-0027
May 17 W Acoustic Cafe, Bridgeport CT. 203-335-FOLK (3655)
May 18 Th Club Passim, Cambridge MA. 617-492-7679
May 19 Fr Night Eagle Emporium, Oxford NY. 607-843-7378
May 20 Sa Fox Run Coffeehouse, Sudbury MA.
Reservations required. (978-443-3253 or lalcorn@ultranet.com).
May 21 Su Burlington Coffeehouse, Burlington VT. 802 864-5888
May 23 Tu Skiff Mountain Concerts, Kent CT. 860 927-1682
Maybe we'll see you or your friends somewhere down the road.
Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com
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