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Roots On The River and Fred Eaglesmith's Musical Marathon
by Fern MacDonald Editor's Note: It is important for the readers who don't know Fern personally to understand that she has been battling some serious illness in recent months and even years. She feels truly blessed that she was able to attend this festival, and all that were there felt blessed that she was there as well. She is a courageous, strong woman with a great attitude about life and how it should be lived.
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River Fest -- Sat, 6/8/2002 After a late night of hangin' with my Fredhead pals, I awoke to a clear, crisp Vermont morning. It was early enough and I could already smell the good odors of a country inn breakfast slowly creeping through my open window. Our view of the Connecticut River seemed even more beautiful this morning. Horsefeathers is a great place to retreat, especially after a night of exceptional merriment. It is "pin drop" quiet, compared with the noisy atmosphere of Rick's. The Friday show had been so exciting that it had been hard to sleep, even on that comfy bed. Watching the Fredhead song circle after the concert, just seemed to wet my enthusiasm even more. I had slept some because of my trusty heating pad and amazingly, I wasn't stiff and in exceptional pain this morning. "It's those songs," I thought "and the genuine love of friends coming together that had done the trick." I knew my spirit was on the mend and I was even humming this morning, instead of popping pain killers. If the pain was there, it wasn't half as noticeable. I had a full eight hours of great music ahead and it would be a clear spring day. The best part was that I would see Fred and the boys again.....and my Fredhead pals It's was a winning combination any way you look at it. The venue had been changed. Instead of being in the parking lot of the old Chemco factory, we would all meet behind the Rockingham Motor Lodge. It was grassy and just plain easier on the concert-goer than a parking lot, where the sun would have showed absolutely no mercy when it hit that pavement. I had the advantage of having two keys to rooms at the motel, since my dear friends Dana and Andy were in #14 and Mary Ellen was in #18. No portos for me. The night before, I had set up my trusty ole heating pad, and while lying on Dana's bed before the show, folks had come to visit. I was able to meet Donnie, Pokey Dokey (formerly a Stew Dog on "20 Odd"), the Texas clan, several Canadian Fredheads......the list just goes on and on. Dana would go into the parking lot and yell for folks to stop by. It was a funny sight with me lying there and people going in and out. Some Fredheads just walked by and were flagged down through the open door. We all laughed and talked as if a year hadn't passed since the last Bellows weekend. Sunscreen, plenty of bottled water and Tylenol for all the floating pollen were essentials on this day. It got warm very fast and the sky seemed bluer and brighter than I had seen it in a long time, as blue as my daughter's eyes when she was first born. It was a perfect day for an outdoor festival and the music that carried us through this day was glorious. Washboard Hank started the show. It was just after noon and folks were floating about but by the time Hank finished, everyone seemed to be singing and clapping. Hank was as much fun as he'd ever been when he was part of Fred's band and I loved seeing him again David Olney has a treasure chest of tunes. He is one fine songwriter and as Ed Molley said later, "His talent reminds you of Townes himself." One of Steve Earle's favorites, Olney was masterful on that wooden stage. Recorded by many, folks were thrilled to hear him sing his own compositions for a change. His time went by way too fast and when he was done, we rose to our feet and cheered. Ah, Willie P. Bennett! It isn't often that
we get to see ole Willie P. do a solo show around these parts and for
those of us lucky enough to be there, it was an extreme treat. As
you all know, Willie can do things with his mandolin that "ought to be
illegal," according to Dana Jones. I couldn't have said it better
myself. His time seemed to go by in five minutes but he Jon Dee Graham is a masterful artist with an
ability to capture your heart and soul. His latest CD was a true
life saver, given to me by Charlie Hunter himself, with a card that said,
"When things get tough, just play this one real loud." And so I did
and when those words came forth live about struggle and survival from the
man himself, I broke into tears of joy. Good I had to bail on most of Josh Ritter's and Mary McBride's sets. They are both wonderful artists with great stage presence. Lucky for me that I have had the opportunity to see them both several times. I just needed to get out of the sun and have a heating pad to my poor ole back. Besides, I wanted a real bathroom. The advantage of being in either of those Rockingham rooms was the ability to hear the music perfectly. Technically, I didn't miss a note and I did catch a piece of each of their sets. Barbecue and then Robbie Fulks followed. Robbie is crazy fun. On this late Saturday afternoon, he was solo. I've seen him with and without his band and I can confirm one thing -- he's one funny, talented guy. He gets the audience going and everyone enjoys themselves. As Fred said later during his own set, "Robbie Fulks is a gentleman." He treats other performers with the respect that he wants himself. Most importantly, Fulks is a great musician. See him live. You won't regret it. The sound was great all day. Though
outdoors, Charlie Hunter has a group of folks that know exactly what they
are doing. You don't go to a
Flying Under Radar
concert and come away disappointed because the sound was muddy or under
par. These people know their stuff and they do it better than just
about any other series out there. As a result, I can't remember when
Fred and the boys have sounded better or tighter. Fred not only did
a long version of the "White Rose" story before the song itself, but he
also did my favorite story before performing "Water in the Fuel." It
was here that I cried. I just couldn't Fern MacDonald
E-mail me about this review Click here to read Part I of this review Click here to read Part III of this review Click here to read Part IV of this review All content © 2001 Miss Lana's Texicana Music Central. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced or copied without the permission of the site owner. This includes html code.
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