Thanks everyone for all the encouraging reactions I got to my last post. It makes a difference. That’s as far as I got writing yesterday. I still don’t have this procrastination thing beat. I’ve spent so much time listening to streaming concerts the last few days. The big thing was the GODERICH CELTIC ROOTS FESTIVAL. I have to make it up there one day for the real thing. I love Celtic music, especially the kind that makes you want to dance. I’m not as enamored with the syrupy sentimental songs. It’s quite different than singer/songwriter music that I hear so much of. I wish there were more of it at Falcon Ridge. There was lots of great artist at Goderich including favs, Joe Crookston and Cherish the Ladies, the highlight was RUNA. The first time I saw them my reaction was that I was going to follow them around in a psychedelic VW microbus. As Cheryl just pointed out I was the first RUNAtic. The last time I left New York was to see RUNA in Philly. The last people I hugged were Cheryl and Shannon. They have a special place in my heart but as always happens, I wonder if I’m building them up in my mind because of outside circumstances. Turns out that’s not true. This was perhaps the best streaming show I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t great for a stream; It was great for a concert. This wasn’t about me having fun doing back and forth with the musicians and other people on the chat. This wasn’t about enjoying the intimacy. This was getting totally lost in the music. If the computer weren’t on my lap I would have gotten up and danced. I was dancing in my seat. I found myself clapping, one two and four, to the music. The musicians are just that good. Shannon is one of the greatest vocalists, can hold her own with Sandy Denny. Fionán, who I write about often enough that Word puts the accent in his name, is an amazing guitarist. The original fiddler was Tomoko Omura, who has gone solo. I still see her when I can. She was a Japanese jazz musician playing Celtic music and pull it off without breaking a sweat. The latest fiddler is the amazing Jake James. He goes to my alma mater Queens College! I met him right before I went into COVID-19 hibernation. When we are back to normal I’ll see him at sessions. He had one solo that almost destroyed my computer as I had to fight standing up and cheering. They’ve added a mandolin player, Caleb Edwards, who brings Nashville to Ireland. I never knew RUNA needed a mandolin till I heard them with him. Holding down the beat is my old friend, Cheryl Prashker on drums. She’s the reason I’m a RUNAtic. They played at one of her “All About the Drums” show before they even had a name. She’s also one of the people that organizes the Festival. Goderich stole her from Philadelphia, so I don’t get to see her as often. I’ll forgive them as the Festival is so damned good. If someone wants to road trip from New York to the shores of Lake Huron next year, on the weekend after Falcon Ridge, I’m in. The festival was simulcast on Folk Music Notebook. Maybe I can talk Ron into letting me be the official FMN rep at the Festival.
I missed virtual Falcon Ridge, that was too hard for me; FRFF is so much about the community. I’ve never been to Goderich and got lost in the tunes. It’s good to be reminded how powerful music is. Humanity is lucky. Appreciating music is not an evolutionary necessity, but it happened. Perhaps somewhere there’s a species that writes olfactory masterpieces that we’ll never appreciate, and they feel sorry for us. We didn’t evolve to love music, but we created music to be appreciated by the senses and minds we have. Still damn lucky.
I think I’m going to go shopping now and call some lucky person when I get home. Or is that some unlucky person? I’m feeling good today, nice after a rough week. I even had extra good bacon for breakfast. They were out of what I usually buy last time I went shopping so I bought the better cut. It was worth it. I’m hooked now.
Wise Madness 