My spring break adventures continued Tuesday night with a trip down south, all the way to Brooklyn to see Sami Braman with openers the Stephanae, aka Stephanie Coleman and Stephanie Jenkins. Stephanae is the proper form of the plural in Gordonese, my native tongue. I love both Stephanae individually but have never seen them perform as a duo. I still haven’t as they were joined by surprise guest Reed Stutz. I had never seen or even heard of Sami, but I checked her out and liked what I heard. I’m always looking for new musicians to love and to play on Gord’s Gold. After seeing her the verdict is in; I love Sami and will be playing a song from her album Riveter a week from today.
The show was at Jalopy, one of my favorite venues and a clubhouse of the Brooklyn folk music community. Even though Jalopy is difficult to get to, once I’m there I’ll see people I know. As I have not been walking enough, I eschewed my usual train to a bus route and walked from the Carroll Street station on the F train. I don’t think I’ve done that during the plague years. Apparently COVID-19 warped spacetime as it was a far shorter walk than I remember. One thing that makes it seem like more of a trek is that you have to use a vertiginous walking bridge to cross the Prospect Expressway. Next time I do that I should take pictures.
The show time was listed as 8 PM but I wanted to get there early to get a good seat in the pews. I was running behind but made up all the lost time when the walk took half the time it used to take before spacetime was warped. I arrived just when I wanted to, 7:40. I walked in and Coleman, I never call them by their last names in person but in third person when they are both there it’s a necessity, says, “Is that Gordon?” It was! The bartender said that doors weren’t until 8 and asked if I could come back. I didn’t want to do that, so I asked, “As I’m greeted from the stage is it OK if I stay. She said yes. I got to see the end of their rehearsal. I now have to admit to a blogging failure. They were discussing the way they were going to sit for the show and Jenkins asked, “Are you going to say bad things about it on your review?” I told them that I’m an honest blogger and write what I believe. I can tell you now that I liked what they went with. That’s not why this is a blogging failure. Jenkins then made a great pun and I said, “That’s making my review.” I do not remember what it is. Just make sure to give her credit for being clever.
When the doors opened, I was joined by the entire Rauchwerk clan. I had forgotten that I had made plans to see the show with Dan. I forgot because I’m also going to a concert with him on Friday that Coleman is playing in. I forgot that it wasn’t an either or, but that he was going to both shows. He was joined by his parents Michael and Star and his brother Noah. You might know Noah as the other half of the brothers band The Lords of Liechtenstein. I love that family and was happy to see them.
Reed, Coleman, and Jenkins, aka Reed, Jenkins, and Coleman were up first. This was quite impromptu, Jenkins met Reed for the first time on Saturday. While this was clear during rehearsal, it was not during the performance. You’d think they were a polished trio playing together for years. Don’t you hate musicians talented enough to be able to do that? I don’t, I love the Stephanae, I just hate that I’m so much less talented.
Don’t ask me how but it came out during the rehearsal that Sami loves Capybara. That of course gave my opinion of her a leg up. I don’t just a person by the color of their skin but the weirdness of their passions. She played in a fairly standard bluegrass configuration, guitar, fiddle, stand-up bass, and banjo standing around a condenser mic. That doesn’t mean they are a bluegrass band. There was some bluegrass, but Sami’s influences are far broader than that. Sami is the fiddler. They appeal to the Bach part of my brain which means that I often closed my eyes and listened intently without distraction. At one point it almost sounded like there were two fiddles. There wasn’t, just Sami. The last time I heard fiddling like that was from Brittany Haas with Hawktail. Later I found out that Brittany co-produced the album.
I was destined to love the band. One of the songs they played was called Weevils in the Grits. Guess what I had for breakfast yesterday. That’s right, weevils! No of course not, it was grits. That’s the song I’ll be playing on Gord’s Gold. Sami Braman is officially one of my musicians. That means you must go see her at the first opportunity.
As it was Jalopy there were people I knew in the audience, Melanie, and Richard. Richard is Jenkins’ father. I have been to both their homes for house concerts. I love the tight folk community. After the show I saw Christian and Michael. They had been giving lessons in the school part of the Jalopy Theater and School of Music. I am of course slighting someone that I can’t remember because I’m an idiot and there are always people … and puns that I don’t remember.
It’s nice going out and having things to write about. It did wonders for my depression. Writing about it does wonders for my depression. I’m not doing anything exciting today, so I’ll write about yesterday tomorrow. Does that make any sense? If not remember that spacetime has been warped by COVID-19. I don’t know how to end this, so I’ll show you a picture of a capybara.
Wise Madness 