It’s becoming impossible to travel on the weekends by public transit in NYC. The maintenance desperately needs to be done but until they’ve caught up for the years of neglect it takes forever to get anywhere. So, what did I do yesterday? I traveled to Brooklyn to see Kristin Andreassen and Lauren Balthrop. I was not familiar with Lauren, but I love and trust Kristin’s taste enough to make the two hour and twenty-five-minute trip.
It was a house concert in that I’ve never been to, Park Slope Parlor Concerts. I refuse to tell you what neighborhood it’s in. I found out about it because Kristin posted on Instagram on Thursday but gave no information on how to make a reservation or the address. I sent her a text. She said she was driving but would get back to me. I then got an email from Lauren with the details. Just now when looking for Lauren’s Facebook page I discovered that there was a Facebook event for the show. Not only that but I was invited, I accepted. I was an idiot and didn’t put it in my Google Calendar. Apparently, I did this months ago. It is so difficult not having a brain. I don’t know how oysters manage so well.
The email said the show was at 8:00 and there would be the usual preshow pot luck. I didn’t know what time the doors were, so I shot for 7:00. Thanks to transit issues I got there at 7:25. I knocked on the door. I when I was let in I was the first one there and they were still eating dinner. 8:00 was the time for doors. I’m an idiot but I’ll consider this serendipity. It gave me some quality time with Kristin, I haven’t had that in ages. I got to meet Lauren, her mother, her boyfriend, I’m not doing well with names, and Launa, the host. Launa is a regular at Miles of Music Camp. That’s taking place next week at Three Mile Island in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. I have never been there but from talking to many people that have I know that I should, and that you should too. It’s one of those life-changing, emotional-battery-recharging experiences. I am such a fan of this camp I have never been to that when people in the audience were discussing it I could answer questions that people that were teaching there couldn’t. Kristin, you’ve done a great job indoctrinating me.
When Launa let me in I heard Kristin say “Gordon!” but I didn’t see her. She was in the kitchen eating dinner. As I walked in, I still didn’t see her. I was confused. Then she turned around and I saw her. She had her back to me, which wouldn’t stop me from recognizing someone I know well, but she had dyed her hair blonde. When other people arrived, I was happy to see that others had trouble recognizing her too.
As a regular in the Brooklyn folk scene I was surprised that I only knew one person, Tom, a regular at the House of Love. I gathered that most of the people were campers.
One fun thing about house concerts is seeing how other people live. Launa lives in a gorgeous brownstone in the neighborhood I won’t tell you. Launa I’m open to being adopted by you.
Lauren and Kristin performed as a duo. That wasn’t that surprising as Kristin loves collaborating. They are both singer/songwriters and switched off on whose songs they did. Even though there was carpeting on “the stage” and not a lot of room Kristin managed to find a spot to clog. The floor under the seats was hardwood and they just moved a few seats when she needed to dance.
Lauren is one of those funny people that writes sad songs. It balances out the depressed people that make funny music. She managed to write a tragic love song about a tree that died. It was a true story. One of these days I’ll get better about taking notes; there were a few other songs I wanted to write about and now they have fled my mind. She played the electric guitar and the piano. I was hoping she would as there was a grand piano on the stage. Someone suggested that Kristin do her clogging on the Steinway. No, it wasn’t me. I don’t think I heckled at all. I must be slipping.
I was going to say that I took on a new position in the folk world but on second thought I’m pretty sure I’ve done it before. I was a music stand. I sat in the comfy chair but as nobody else would sit up front I moved there. It would also help in taking pictures. Kristin and Lauren worked on a new song, a cover, on the ride from PA to Brooklyn. They were not confident in the lyrics and printed them out. Kristin said, “Is there a music stand I can use?” Then looked at me and said, “Here Gordon.” I love that she didn’t even ask, just handed it to me; she knows me well. I did a good job, they didn’t miss a word. I’m available for parties.
I came up with something new to right about Kristin. Either that or it’s old and forgot that I wrote it. That’s the trouble with simultaneously being a genius and an idiot. If I were Leonardo da Vinci I would have painted the Mona Lisa twice. Kristin combines two very different strains of music. Her background is in Old Time and Trad. She performs many songs from those genres. Her original songs are complex works filled with extended metaphors and creative use of language. She writes what John Elliott calls “Clever songwritery songs.” They are clever more in the Dave Carter rather than the Cole Porter way.
They did a song from Kristin’s upcoming album with Kari Groff. If you follow the link, you’ll see that it’s too Kari’s psychiatry practice. Old-time fiddling and child psychiatry go hand in hand. Their album as The Brightsiders is for children. It teachings them to deal with emotions. Each track is a little skit followed by a song on the topic. A few years ago, they released two tracks as singles and I of course got them. They music is great. I love children’s music that’s written by musicians that usually write for adults and that doesn’t talk down to the kids. These are delightful. I should talk to Anne about it. They’d be great on the family stage at Falcon Ridge. My ulterior motive is to have them play Budgiedome. I’ve been trying to get Kristin there as long as I’ve known her; about 12 years.
I didn’t stay too long for the post-concert socializing as I had the long trip back to City Island. I had a nice talk with Launa and exchanged contact information and then one with Kristin. Whenever I say goodbye to Kristin it always evolves into; ‘I have to go now. Wait! Just one more thing.” That gets repeated.
On Friday I got my hopes up for ice cream and then didn’t get any. After I left I decided to feed my craving. I know the neighborhood, near the Union Street stop on the R train but didn’t know a good place for ice cream. I looked on Google and discovered that Ample Hills Creamery, the best ice cream in Brooklyn, opened a store right on Union! It was on a strange block close to Second Ave. The block was primarily residential. There were no lights on anywhere. Then I got to Ample Hills and it was packed. It’s larger than the original one on Vanderbilt. That was good as it meant the long line went much faster. There were more people serving. I had a scoop of dark chocolate and a scoop of chocolate milk and cookies. It was heavenly.
Come join me today at Washington Square Park at 4 PM for Sing the Nat’l Anthem seated, kneeling, upside down, or sideways. This is something Melissa Tong organized in protest of the NFL National Anthem kerfuffle. “Come sing the National Anthem with me seated, kneeling, upside down, or sideways, alone or with friends! Instruments welcome!” I will be playing my kazoo. I should bring my concert model.
Wise Madness 