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Part III -- The
Rockingham Meeting House, 6/9/2002
Funny how fast time seems to fly when you don't want it to. Sunday
morning came way too soon. The Saturday night song circle had turned into
a gathering in the parking lot of the Rockingham, thanks to our very own
Hat. The bar was too noisy and so Renee decided to take it outside
in front of her room on the far end of the Motor Inn. There, the
music wouldn't disturb anyone. Ingeniously, Renee set up candles,
lamps at her door and put tons of food on the hood of her car. We
ended up with a bunch of great guitarists, from Ed and Jody and Steve
LaSala (more Hollerers) to a guy I'd never seen before. He performed
an amazing version of Jimmy LaFave's "Texicana." Pokey got to play
with Washboard Hank. There was a guy on harmonica who was extremely
talented. Later on, he picked up a guitar and blew me away
accompanying others. I asked him if he was on the digest, but he
just shrugged
and said he was a lurker. Before it was over, he had disappeared
into the shadows where he came from. Still, I will always remember
how good those two "nameless guys" sounded on that chilly Saturday
evening. If I try really hard, I can still hear their guitars.
Wonderful job, whoever you are.
Everyone
sounded fantastic, from Ed and Jody's rendition of Steve Earle's "Pilgrim"
to Steve LaSala's version of Fred's "Pistols and Rifles." It was
time for the Meeting House concert to begin and I had managed to surround
myself with some of my favorite Fredheads in that pig pen style pew.
The rest were sitting in different sections on the main floor of the
building. Some were even in the balcony. As I looked around at all
those dear, familiar faces of folks I have come to love so much, I heard a
member of the historical society say ".......and this place was built in
1787. Finished in 1801, it went from being a church to a meeting
hall. Back then
there was no separation of church and state you know.........It was vacant
for 40 years and is one of the oldest restoration efforts in America
today." The structure itself is very impressive and the grave yard
outside, adjoining the building, tells a tale of its own. There is
absolutely no electricity, so when musicians perform there, they are at
the mercy of their own talents.
"It's in the book of Fred" the man from the historical society said, as he
brought me back to earth, while everyone around me laughed including
myself. (Editor's Note: This cleverly funny announcement can
be read at the end of this review).
I originally saw Mary Gauthier (pronounced Go
Shay) when she opened for Fred at the first Fredhead Meeting House
concert. I had heard some of her music but never saw her perform.
She was wonderful but quite scared two years ago. Today, on this
sunny Sunday afternoon, I watched a completely confident performer charm
the entire audience. Mary is a brilliant song writer. I love
her voice, her style, her stage presence and her honesty. She is one
talented gal and has become one of my favorite female artists, ranking
easily with the likes
of Gillian Welsh and Lucinda Williams. Her set was first rate
Gauthier and included such jewels as "Christmas In Paradise," "Karla
Faye," "Louisiana," the new "Falling Out of Love" and my favorite "Drag
Queens in Limousines." The audience cheered so long and loud when
Mary finished that an encore was definitely in order. She ended with
the superb "Burning Sugar Cane." Mary has a new CD that may even be
on the shelves as I write this. I think that just about anyone who
loves Fred's music will also love Mary's. Yup folks, she's that
great!
And so, here we are again, with Fred and the guys
standing in front of that high rise pulpit, their voices rising above us
in perfect harmony: Skip playing pizza box and/or spoons, Dan on
dobro, Willie on harmonica and mandolin, Fred and Roger on guitar, Darcy
on upright bass and Hank on washboard and banjo. I can see and hear
them so clearly that I don't even
have to close my eyes anymore. It is Bellows Falls at its finest
hour, where all Fredheads lucky enough to be present, can bask in the true
beauty of Fred Eaglesmith's songs. Almost every word takes on new
meaning, with no frills, no lights, no gimmicks, just the glory of what
makes the music so great: strong lyrics, passionate vocals and glorious
harmony. What more can you ask for on a sunny afternoon in
Vermont, with the rolling hills shining like green castles through huge
aging windows. This building has seen many things but I had to
wonder on that special afternoon, if it had ever seen anything like this.
I wept because the guys sounded so amazing, because Fred was so funny and
because I had been able to live 'my dream' once again. Years ago the
Beatles sang, ".....roll up for the mystery tour." It was a fantasy
then but Bellows Falls is reality. It happens every year in early
June because of
folks like Fred Eaglesmith and his band, Charlie Hunter and his crew, and
people that call themselves Fredheads. They come from all over
America and Canada to witness the reality of Bellows. This year,
someone even came from Europe. Bellows Falls 2003 WILL happen and
you can live the dream yourself. It's like a pilgrimage, I guess, where a
bunch of very special folks are brought together by a very special group
of musicians. My advice, start
saving today but make your reservations now! According to Elke and
Bodo, for example, Horsefeathers already has only one room left.
Just say to yourself, "Bellows Falls 2003 or bust and do it!"
Fern MacDonald
A Special Set List:
Don't You Try To Change My Mind
Makin' Whiskey w/Hank on banjo
The Boy That Just Went Wrong
If You Ever Loved Anybody
Do You Love Me Now? w/Skip on spoons
Old John Deere
(Happy birthday Roger)
30 Years Of Farming
Rough Edges
Fred solo:
He's A Good Dog
I'm Just Dreamin'
Oxford County Line
w/band:
Highway Callin'
1st Encore w/band:
Sweeburg General Store
2nd Encore w/band:
(Hank singin' -- good ole hockey game)
Flowers In The Dell
This is a transcript of the opening announcement
made before the concert at the historic Rockingham Meeting House...
Fred Eaglesmith Concert, Rockingham Meeting
House, June 9, 2002:
Welcome to the Rockingham Meeting House, our town's oldest architectural
artifact. It was constructed in 1787, the year the U.S.
Constitution was written, and completed in 1801. It was built at a
time when there was no separation between church and state. It was
employed as a house of worship until 1839 and as a town meeting house
until 1869. It was empty
for a period of about 40 years. During that time, vandals and
souvenir-hunters removed the door hinges and spindles from the pews.
In 1906, the Town restored the building to its present appearance.
It was one of the nation's earliest and most successful attempts at
historic preservation. In May 2000, the Meeting House was designated
a National
Historic Landmark. This all means a lot to us, which is why we ask
you to show respect
for this building and the burial ground.
I'm very happy to be able to make a special
announcement today about an exciting discovery made just this week.
An excavation at a back corner of the cemetery unearthed some crumbling
scrolls covered with obscure markings. According to the first very
tentative translation completed just this week, the text appears to have
been written in an ancient Canadian dialect, and appears to be titled The
Book of Fred. According to the text, this Book is expressly to be
located in the Old Testament between Ruth & Esther, which is
apparently where Fred himself wished to be placed. Just who Fred was
is not clear, but he appears to have been the leader of a tribe of nomadic
Ontarians. It is the only book in the Bible that refers at all to
trains, farm foreclosures, or an especially wise and revered elder called
Ernie. One chapter in particular appears to describe a long journey
by the Ontarians to the land of the Vermontites. The Ontarians made
the journey at the behest of a Hunter, so it is likely that the Ontarians
were starving and looking for food. It is from this chapter that I'd
like to read a few verses. Please remember this remains a very rough
translation "They cometh at last to a Place where the People and
their Hams were rocking, and there they parketh the Bus, and entereth a
House of Meeting, and gathereth themselves therein." And a man of
the Vermontites rose and saith unto them: "Welcome all ye who gather here
this day. Welcome unto Fred, unto all Ontarians, unto Mary the Baton
Rougeite, welcome even unto those whose very heads are made of Fred
himself. "But sitteth not on the backs of pews, that they not be
torn asunder. "Nor bringeth thy food nor thy drink into the House of
Meeting that
thy spills defilith not the unvarnished woods. "Turneth off thy cell
phones, that the Bells of Verizon disturbeth not the joyful noise. Indeed,
lifteth up your hearts in the presence of singing, as did our ancestors
here in this place, and go forth with gladness." Enjoy the concert!
Richard Ewald
Historic Preservation Coordinator
Town of Rockingham
E-mail me
about this review
Fern's Bio
Fern Central
Click here to read Part I of this
review
Click here to read Part II of this
review
Click here to read Part IV of this
review
View pics of this event!
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