Sweet and Sticky...

So this walking definition of "lanky" bounds on to the Charlottesville Pavilion stage Sunday night sporting light blue seersucker slacks, a bow tie and white suspenders and declares "It's great to be back down south, where the air is sweet and sticky."  A dramatically more gregarious Justin Townes Earle, as compared with our last laid-back encounter at Barksdale's "Stretchin'" series a few years ago, got things rolling for this Big Surprise Tour stop, two 90-minute sets with Steve Earle's gifted son, NY's Felice Brothers (former subway buskers), the Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch, and the Old Crow Medicine Show, who each had their own time punctuated with frequent cross-pollination.  Although we may have preferred an indoor listening room to reverently take in the all-too-rare Welch/Rawlings appearance, the Pavilion is a fine shed as outdoor venues go and as the thermometer threatened the century mark at showtime, the shade and a dog's breath of a breeze made it tolerable.  And the ice-cold Bud in the 16-ounce aluminum bottles.  Highlights were definitely the chance to hear Dave get his long-deserved share of the spotlight with some new material we hope ends up on a CD.  And James Felice, the hulking accordion player and his whiskey barrel of a voice.  I missed seeing these guys at FloydFest and am grateful for a second chance.  An added plus was a nice chat with Robin Williams who's getting ready for a live HD DVD recording session with wife/roadmate Linda and Their Fine Group up in Staunton later this month.  Something to watch for.

Friday we witnessed a diverse night of music in Bruce and Adrian Olsen's Soundog Studios in north Richmond...light was too low for pictures but imagine a spacious barn of a studio with candlelit tables and chairs, Tiffany-style lamps, a grand piano gracing oriental rugs at the far end and one of Richmond's rock legends pulling it back a notch or two but still maintaining his edge and attitude.   It was a CD release party for Bruce's leaner, more earnest and earthy heros kings and lovers, recorded right there with pals Johnny Hott, Bob Rupe, Stephen McCarthy, Steve Bassett, and Joe McGloen with Adrian on percussion.  Original material.  They even did their own earth-friendly packaging.  And thanks to Adrian, we were treated to two compelling musical appetizers, singer/songwriter Keegan Dewitt from Nashville who also scores films, and Annie & The Beekeepers, a delightful acoustic trio from the Boston area comprised of Annie Lynch on lead vocals and guitar & banjo, Alexandra Spaulding on cello and harmony vocals and Charlottesville's Ken Woodward on bass.  They met Adrian at Berklee and with his help, recorded the Squid Hell Sessions EP which is available through CD Baby on their MySpace page.  Fine work. 

Do take a minute to check out Ashland Coffee and Tea's   new Website and a full calendar of music over the next few months, with all our local favorites plus plums like Eliza Gilkyson, Bill Kirchen, Moondi Klein & Jimmy Gaudreau, and in November, Chatham County Line and Chris Smither.  Jackie Frost and some of her musical boyfriends take the stage this Saturday. 

If you want to catch George Turman and his friends Paul Prestopino and Dick Kniss plus Daniel Clarke and Libby Dunton at our next JAMinc/In Your Ear studio concert on the 21st, click here quick...we're almost sold out.  It'll be a loving tribute to Peter Paul & Mary and then some...a very special night.  And reservations will be available soon for our two nights at IYE with harmonica/keyboard king Howard Levy on September 24th.  Save the date and check back.

One more thing...a pretty impressive lineup near Wintergreen on Saturday, the 22nd including the Infamous Stringdusters, Jesse Harper, the Sons of Bill and FloydFest faves William Walter and his guitar man Tucker Rogers.  It's called the Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival.  Hard to pass that one up.

Find some shade and some sweet tea and take in some live music...it'll help the dog days pass.  And welcome back down to the sweet and sticky south Wally!

TT

(Turman photo by Charles Dunton)