I haven’t written since Friday, I’ve had a busy time since then, Friday Sunset Singing Circle, then both days of Clearwater, but I’m going to keep this short as I’ve also been sick.
Friday was my last singing circle of the year, there’s one more, a week from Friday but I’m going to be seeing Bobtown. I expect you to be at one or the other. I usually call it the Friday Sunset Singing Circle with Terre Roche, but Terre couldn’t make it. It was led by the rest of the crew, Richard, Lisa, Lois, and the rest. Sorry, I don’t know everyone’s names. It’s better with Terre but it’s something I’d be going to regularly even if she weren’t there. I was joined by Fred and David. Next year I’m working on getting all my friends to go.
Fred picked me up at 8 AM on Saturday for Clearwater. We got there shortly before the gate opened. I often get there an hour earlier. There was no need, we still got a spot in the third row at the Rainbow Stage. I spent very little time there anyway.
Here’s what I watched.
- Songs for Pete & Toshi: David Amram, Josh White Jr. Tom Chapin, The Kennedys, Mike + Ruthy, Tom Paxton & the Don Juans, Joanne Shenandoah
- Songs of Peace and Struggle: Kim Harris with a special guest appearance by Reggie
- Margaret Glaspy
- The Mammals (Featuring Mike + Ruthy)
- C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band
- They Might Be Giants
- The Kennedys
We did a lot of socializing before the music and Fred got breakfast that made me jealous, a ham & cheese crepe. I had eaten at home. I had tater tots with cheese and bacon have Kim Harris. That’s the last that I’ve eaten. My Crohn’s disease kicked in, my small intestine was obstructed. I soldiered on, it was just discomfort, not pain.
Margaret Glaspy was a disappointed. I knew her back before she was well known and she’s friends with friends. I’ve even sold her merch. That’s let to me giving her the benefit of the doubt. Now I see she’s another sensitive singer/songwriter and not very exciting.
The Mammals/Mike + Ruthy I’ve seen many times, they are one of my bands. Yet they can still be a pleasant surprise, they just keep getting better. They are now a folk-rock/Americana band that’s as good as anyone out there. They did a song that would have fit in with The Band canon, not as just another song, but as one of their masterpieces. They hit all the marks. They were joined by their son Willie on sax for one song. He just played one note, but he played it well. He made it a rhythm instrument and it added to the sound. I wish I had a chance to tell them how much I loved them and how much those around me loved them.
After that my Crohn’s worsened. My plan was to go over to the dance tent and not dance, but relax in the shade, it was hot. I got waylaid by Fred Gillen and Laura Bowman from The Greenheart. They had a table in the activist area about Green Living. I didn’t even know they were doing this even though I knew they were in Nepal for a while. That was part of their Green mission, working with school children in Kathmandu. I’d always stop and talk to them anyway but that meant spending extra time. I have never seen Fred so bubbling with enthusiasm. It was infectious. They produced a book about their trip, with great pictures. I want to go. Their next expedition is a concert at Mount Everest basecamp. Why there? They are going to clean the camp up, it’s filled with litter from irresponsible climbers.
I haven’t seen Laura in years. I even forgot her name, but not her. She is always bubbling with infectious enthusiasm. We had to talk about Nepal and just catching up with each other.
Then I started fading and went to hear Zydeco at the dance stage. Dancing was out of the question. I put my stadium chair down and enjoyed the music and watched the dancer. My head was at people’s calf level. One calf I saw was vaguely familiar. I looked up and the hair on her head looked like Janeen’s. It was Janeen! I tapped her calf, the only part I could reach, and said hi. Hey Janeen, I didn’t know you liked this kind of music. If WFUV has a Zydeco or Cajun Dance Party, I’m there. I will dance.
I was there for almost an hour and dozed off. That was good. I needed it. I woke up in time to make it the Rainbow Stage for TMBG. Clearwater has a terrible new policy. There’s a walkway in front of the seating area. They let people stand there. So, we got there early to get a good seat and couldn’t see a thing. It was TMBG who I have no trouble for standing for under normal circumstances, but not when I’m sick. I tried it for a bit then had to sit down.
Then we were off to see The Kennedys, I knew they had something special planned. This is three weekends in a row that I’ve seen them. What was special was that they were joined by the Walkabout Clearwater Orchestra on Be Silent No More, and then Stand. Even though I was feeling sick by then, I still stood for Stand and was delighted to see others join me. Jake and Anne came down for the day and found me at the Kennedys. He had something important to give me so that worked out well.
I wanted to see Willie Nile but did not feel up to it, so we headed home after that.
When I got home I didn’t go online, I just relaxed and then went to bed early. I was hoping to feel better in the morning. I did, but I still had the obstruction, so I didn’t eat. I figured I could make Clearwater and spend the day like I did on Saturday. That was not to be. I went to the Workshop Stage for the first three acts.
- Greenheart
- Singing With Friends:
A Harmony Workshop with Mipso - Rhiannon Giddens
The last was the set I was most excited about in the entire festival, even more than the Rainbow Stage with her band. Here was a chance to see her in in a small venue and sit right up front. There is nobody better than Rhiannon, the woman can do anything. The workshop stage is not just music but learning about music. She gave the history of the songs and her own history. She had great things to say about cultural appropriation. She sings everything even Scottish Mouth Music. People ask her why she’s singing it, she said, “We don’t stop white people from singing the blues.” Of course, some people do. If you approach the music with respect and perform it out of the love of singing it, that’s what matters.
We got her amazing singing, her educational, charming, and funny banter, banjo, fiddle, and even guitar. That was as special as it gets.
Greenheart was wonderful, it’s ridiculous that I have never seen them. Not only are Fred and Laura in it but also Steve Kirkman and Julie Corbalis. There’s only one person in the band I don’t know. As you might guess they sing socially conscious songs, with an emphasis on the environment. They do it without being preachy. They are having fun, so the audience has fun.
Mipso was my discovery of the festival. A four-piece string band with bluegrass roots. Now they play the genre I call “not bluegrass.” People who don’t know think it is bluegrass. They have gorgeous harmonies and arrangements and sing great songs. I thought I knew of them, I had good associations, but I have never seen them. I must have meant to see them once because I liked their description.
I was feeing very ill and in pain after Rhiannon. I decided to go over to the first aid tent and perhaps just lie down in the shade and have someone check to see if I need more. They were wonderful. I laid down on the gurney while they discussed what’s wrong and my history. The took my blood pressure, pulse, and blood oxygen. As sick as I was my BP was only 112/82. The 82 is high for me but the 112 low normal. I just realized I was probably dehydrated to some degree. When a woman came in with Insulin Shock I had to get up. I laid down on a mat on the floor. My plan was to stay there till Rhiannon’s main stage set. As I told Fred when he left me at the tent I’d have to be sicker than this to miss Rhiannon. I got sicker. I realized to not be in pain I had to lie down. I texted Fred and he came back and to the tent to take us home. I feel bad that he had to miss the rest of the festival. He thought of asking the EMTs for transportation to the car for me. We went in a gold cart. That made things simpler. In the car I put the seat back to stay horizontal. I was able to make it home. I immediately got into my sleeping clothes and headed downstairs where there is air conditioning. My room is too hot. I spend the next three hours crashing on the couch, I spent most of the time sleeping. When it cooled off I went upstairs, went online for a short time then went to bed.
Sometime during the night, the obstruction opened. I’m having my recovery day now. My intestine gets stretched out and I haven’t eaten so I’m weak and uncomfortable. I’ll be fine tomorrow and plan on going out.
My short entry is 1676 words. Now it’s hot and I have to head downstairs and eat for the first time in 48 hours. I’m going to go for my traditional post-illness peanut butter omelet.
Wise Madness 