10/25 James Smith the Autoharp Man was back with his one man history show. He sings the real old songs and tells the stories behind most of them. And he plays the autoharp, a rarity anymore. He is a regular on our concert series and we look forward to him coming. This is real folk music at its best.
10/25 This was the Pinehardt Historical Farm Day, an annual event where Dr Pinehardt opens the historical farm to the public. The farm focuses on the 1930's and tries to replicate what it was like living and working on a farm in Alabama then. It takes hundreds of volunteers, of which I am one, to put this show on. There are people demonstrating how to make soap, hew logs, run an old sawmill, grind corm meal, work bees, milk cows, pick cotton and so forth. He also has a museum which houses a vast collection of old tools and implements. The farm is also home to many vintage shacks, barns, sheds and other old buildings. I helped Tim Scott run the turpentine booth, we do this every year. We demonstrate how the tree is tapped for the rosin, how it is collected, taken to the mill, distilled, and show the final products. For our distillery we have an old moonshine still. Its funny how many people recognize what it really is and the stories they tell about the moonshiners they knew or even how they used to make whiskey.
10/18 Last night a local group called The Fender Benders played at the store. I had never heard them so didn't know what to expect. But they were really good and we all had a really nice time listening to them. They are a trio made up of James Calvert on lead guitar and vocals (it was James 18th birthday), his dad David Calvert on bass and drummer Colby Duke. They played a mix of folk rock music and blues, covers by Eric Clampton (Crossroads,) Jimmy Hendricks (Foxy Lady, Hey Joe), Allman Brothers (One Way Out), Steppenwolf (Born to Be Wild), Stevie Ray Vaughn (Texas Flood) and ZZ Top (Blue Jean Blues)and more. They are a new band, but they were pretty tight. James Calvert's guitar work was excellent he covered all these guitar masters to a tee, I was extremely impressed. He has been playing guitar since he was 8 and he is very, very good. He will be able to play with the best of them if he keeps at it. The backup on drums and bass was good. The vocals were a little weak, but then I am comparing them to some of the greats in the industry. It was a very good night and I want them to come back. They did a 60's tribute set which everyone enjoyed (If Your Going To San Francisco, Mr Tamborine Man, Something Is Going Down by Buffalo Springfield, Teach Your Children Well). It was a great night. When they come back don't miss it.
10/11 The Honey Suckle Fiddle Show is always a great crowd pleaser and this was no exception. We had a full house and the music was wonderful. Roy Crawford, the Alabama Fiddle Champ many times over, plays many old timy fiddle tunes of all kinds: reels, jigs, hornpipes, Cajun waltzes, old dance tunes you name it and Scott Miller a very accomplish musician on guitar and clawhammer banjo and hammered dulcimer back him up wonderfully. Old time music at its best.
10/19 Ken Johnson and Andy Simms both songwriters from Nashville put on a whale of a show. They were younger than I expected and both have written hit songs sang by major singers on major labels. It was a nice laid back night of great original music.
10/4 This was David Brazil's first concert and he put together a really good show. David has a wonderful voice and good guitar work and writes neat songs. He mostly sings about relationships gone bad, or that are one sided. Pretty deep, heatfelt songs. My only suggestion to him would be to incorporate a few faster happier songs into the mix.
