Falcon Ridge Part 1

Kathy wants me to write my Falcon Ridge entry and her wish is my command. I am not going to give my usual multipart discourse into every detail of the festival. I’m still easing myself back into writing. I’ll write today until I’ve had enough and see if there is anything left to say later. After you read this, you should go read River’s blog about it, This is My Home. Now on with the show.

For the first time since 2019 I had my normal Falcon Ridge transportation, Fred drove me. The experience starts with his arrival. We went up as is our want a day early, Wednesday. For the first time we were the first of our camping community to arrive and we had to stake out the land for our group. This was Fred’s first time at the new site in Goshen, so I chose the spot. I don’t know how I did; the ground was not quite flat, but it was close to where we camped last year, and I thought that would make it easy for people to find us. Paul did and we set up our tents. The Joe’s party, Joe, Andrea, Cate, Lynx, and Genevieve came with their RV. Once we were safely found Fred, Paul, and I went to eat. Mel was there before all of us but camped with the volunteers. She is part of the family so hung out with us.

Joe’s camp is known as the Dharma Café, after a Kennedys song. Our camp is the Budgiedome, even though the Dome itself didn’t make it to this year’s festival. Our combined camp is Buddha Pest. The Dharma Café is the Buddha, I’m the pest.

That sounds like way too many unimportant details, which it is, but it is a microcosm of one of the chief wonders of Falcon Ridge, the people. Do you know how there are some people that make you feel good every time you see them? There are so many of those at the festival. There is a reason that the regulars refer to it as home. It is filled with Elven magic like Rivendell or Lothlorien. It’s not spectacular wonders, it’s ambient, it is in everything you taste, smell, breathe, see, and hear. You feel inadequate trying to explain it, it’s ineffable. Can you tell that I’m rereading LOTR for the zillionth time and just finished Good Omens? Wednesday and Thursday or are so much about seeing family for the first time in a year. Ok, enough general musings, it’s time to get down to highlights.

On Thursday our camp was joined by my Budgiedome associate, promoted from assistant, River. We didn’t do any presenting this year, but I can’t get through it without them. They brought their person, Erica. I had met Erica once before, but we are still getting to know each other. Turns out that not only do I love Erica, but they proved kindred to our entire camp. Carolann was performing on Thursday with her band No Fuss and Feathers and only staying the one night, but she wanted to spend it with “the Budgiedome people.” NF&F are my people too, that’s Karyn Oliver, Jay Mafale and Catherine Miles.

 I then went down to the Thursday Night Music Stage, Kathy and Scotten, this needs a better name. It was booked by Kathy who has great taste, so it was filled with people I love. I’m going to just write about the highlights of the highlights. I have seen NF&F so many times that I was surprised that I heard songs I didn’t know. Loving them is a given.

The closing set alone was worth the trip up there. From left to right the performers were Joe Crookston, Robinson & Rohe, and Rod Picott (pie-cot). Joe is perhaps my favorite Falcon Ridge discovery ever. He started as one of the emerging artists and played the Budgiedome. I think that was 2008. He didn’t win me over to the next year when he returned as a most wanted. He’s now one of my maximal elements. It’s not that he’s better than everyone else, it’s that nobody is better than him. Those are not the same thing. He’s also one of my favorite people. That’s true of all the people in that set. I have often written about Liam Robinson and Jean Rohe. They are my Brooklyn peeps that I see often. They too are maximal elements and my favorite in the New York music scene. Then there is Rod. I haven’t seen him in about 5 years which is ridiculous. I first saw him opening for his childhood friend Slaid Cleaves over 20 years ago. He is one of the great songwriters and he sings from the depths of his soul. I have been trying to get him to Falcon Ridge for 20 years. Thank you, Kathy, for making that happen.

That was as good a song swap as I have ever heard. Here’s a tip, watch the other musicians when one is performing. Great musicians appreciate great music. Jean’s smile during Joe’s hilarious divorce song, you read that right, hilarious divorce song, was radiant. Should she be worried that Liam was singing along with Joe? Rod thought he had staked out the breakup song lane but realized that there was room for this one too. 

Carolann invited people up to our camp, for a song circle. There was Tom Smith, who played the Thursday Night Stage before I got down there, a colleague of mine from Folk Music Notebook whose name I can never remember though we became friends, Joe from the Dharma Café crew, and Joe Jencks. Nothing beats an intimate song circle like that. I love that amateur Joe played along with the professionals. That’s always been my dream for late night circles. Joe did a song about the Edisto River, the longest black water river in the US. The water is black from Tannins absorbed from the bark of Cyprus Trees. It is essentially natural sun tea. I confirmed that on Sunday when I asked Caroline about it. She’s a wetlands scientist. You will hear more about her when I get to Sunday. I now see that’s not going to be today. I am only going to make it to Thursday in this entry even though I feel like I’m leaving out so much great music and great people. I’m not going to worry about any of the things I’m leaving out. The important thing is to get this posted.

To be continued…

Cover Photo Credit to Neale Eckstein