Hallelujah! Last night I got another important part of my life back, my first show since COVID-19 at my home-away-from-home, Rockwood Music Hall. You can tell Rockwood is important, it gets its own macro. The artists were, Michael Daves, Tony Trischka, and Bruce Molsky; I’m starting off with Bluegrass and Old Timey. It was a 9 PM show, making me what my parents would call a dirty stay-out-late. I like that as I get to have dinner at home, a meatball parmigiana hero. After dinner I took the well-traveled trip to Rockwood, I could do that in my sleep, the D to the F. It takes less than an hour. New Yorkers have a difference sense of what makes a convenient show than the rest of the country.
I got there and was a bit surprised to see a line to get in. I was not surprised but delighted to see Mel working the door. Rockwood is a place where everybody knows my name, if by everyone you mean Mel and the owner Ken Rockwood. It’s still home. The tables were full, so I took a stool by the entrance. That was just until the show started, then I got up and stood where I could get a good view. I made a new friend, Max, who was on the next stool. He’s a banjo player in Peter Rowan’s band, he’s also his nephew. I wrote that like I remembered but I’m not sure it was Peter Rowan; my brain might have confounded him with someone adjacent to him in my brain. Whoever it was, Max was fun to talk to. We travel in similar circles.
I loved everything about the show, Bruce, Michael, and Tony are all virtuosi on their instruments, fiddle, guitar, and banjo, respectively. I love the kinds of music they play. It might seem odd, but it appeals to the Bach side of my brain. The tunes are complex, and you get rewarded by listening to what each instrument is playing individually. Each instrument gets its own line which dance around each other. There’s so much there there. Tony doesn’t sing but Michael and Bruce do. Michael’s voice has the reedy timbre I associate with bluegrass. Bruce’s is clearer. They go well together; they even did an a capella duet.
I also loved watching them interact. They are the opposite of slick This is three friends totally comfortable in their own skins and with each other. They joke around.
Tony: (Looking at Bruce) You start.
Bruce: What key?
Tony: Any key
Bruce: 12-Tone?
I love that these artists from this trad rural tradition made a Schoenberg joke. I wonder what they could do with Schoenberg, I suspect I wouldn’t want to hear it; it’s still Schoenberg.
I was surprised I didn’t know anyone at the show. The community is a big part of what I miss about live music. Then around two-thirds of the way through I turned around enough to see that Lily Henley was in my blind spot! Yay! I saw a friend and got a hug. Her entire name is ten letters, yet I never feel comfortable spelling it. Is it Lily or Lilly? Henley or Henly? To make sure I got it right I went to her website and what do I see in her “About” section? A quote by Bruce Molsky. I always have to check if it’s Molsky or Molskey. I’m never sure if there is a C in Trischka. Michael is the only one I saw whose name I always spell right.
Usually after a Rockwood show I don’t hop on the F train but walk over to Broadway-Lafayette to catch the D. I enjoy stretching my legs after a show. I didn’t do a Donut Walk™ yesterday so I decided to walk all the way to West 4th street. It was a beautiful warm summer night, perfect for walking. I had no mishaps on the D train. Because I walked I got home after midnight, there was a time that was early for me, now it’s dirty-stay-out-late.
This was a night I got to be myself. I saw live music at one of my favorite haunts where I saw Mel and Ken. I had a conversation with an interesting stranger. I ran into a friend. I got my first Lily hug in over a year. I had walk through Manhattan. I had ice cream during the day and peanut butter when I got home. I hit all my marks. Tonight, the experience is made complete as I get to go out for live music two days in a row. This time for the Irish Session at Mary O’s. Before that I need to go on a Donut Walk™. Before that I need to make breakfast. What delight will that be? I don’t know, that’s part of the fun.
Wise Madness 