Listen to the Mockingbird...

After more than enough of Ben Franklin's favorite bird and all the super sides on Thanksgiving day thanks to nephew Matt King and his new bride Liz, we hit the highway to at least make some attempt to walk off such a fine feast.  Destination:  milepost 5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the trailhead for Humpback Rocks, an awesome outcropping where I camped as a Boy Scout.  It's a short hike but a steep one, marked "strenuous" on the trail guide, an assessment with which I concurred while remembering the mashed potatoes and corn pudding from the day before.  Made me wish I had a couple extra young legs like Em's puggle Opie, who easily outpaced her master's parents.  I love treks like this one where you huff and puff a bit for a spectacular payoff...a 360 degree vista with haze-free views of the Shenandoah and Rockfish Valleys.  Windy and clear with a few snow-laden clouds blowing by for an extra edge.  Invigoration. 

The climb was also effectively a way to justify another good meal, a few drafts and some live music in Staunton's new restaurant/listening room, The Mockingbird.  As described in an earlier post, this new venue is now open at the western end of Beverley Street downtown...there's the main dining room when you first walk in, and there's the separate Roots Music Hall which on this night featured our pal Jesse Harper sharing the bill with Staunton favorite son Nathan Moore.  Jesse went first with the seriously tasteful accompaniment of keyboardist Wells Hanley.  Jesse's becoming a solid and compelling solo artist with well-crafted originals like "One True Thing" and "Memphis" along with well-chosen covers including his spot-on take on James Taylor's "Bartender's Blues."  (And for something completely different, check out Wells' zany video "Brainiology" here, also starring Robby Sinclair and Curtis Fye.  Whew!)

Then the hometown boy stepped in to stake his claim, with some spiffy duds and illuminated slight-of-hand, and of course the clever and insightful homemade tunes that won him the Telluride Troubadour title in 2008 and lots of new fans including me at FloydFest last summer.  Plus he's the son of a couple of my old classmates at Lee High School, all-around good guy Steve Moore and the former Gloria Lutz.  We had a fine reunion...and the show was terrific too.  You need to check out the Mockingbird's Website and find out who you might like to see there (like the Honey Dewdrops on Dec. 11) and make a night of it.  Again, the former chef from Richmond's Six Burner, Lee Gregory is running the kitchen, which was slammed on this Friday night, but they still cranked out some deliciously imaginative fare.  It's great to see so much going on in my old hometown.  (above photos by Emily Timberlake)

 

Thanks to B.J. Kocen for the chance to share judging duties with Kay Landry at Ashland Coffee & Tea for their 2nd Songwriter's Showdown a week ago.  I had a blast.  And congratulations to Clay Motley who took first, and won us over with a smoothly delivered set of solid tunes to his own adept accompaniment on guitar.  Another round of contestants appeared tonight and will from now on...a great way to spend a Monday night, whether you're competing or just listening.  And don't forget the paid professionals on their way to AC&T this month, including the Taters, The Gobstoppers and Tony Furtado respectively Wed-Fri nights this week, Adam Steffey & Kym Warner on the 9th, Robin & Linda Williams on the 11th and a very special John Cowan Christmas on the 18th.  And don't miss Charles Arthur's CD release party there on Tuesday the 15th.  The project is called Back At The Christmas Shack and you can preview a few choice tracks here.

So what the heck was Alison Krauss doing at the big game in Charlottesville on Saturday?  Randy and I are dying to know.

Have a meaningful 12th month...TT

rabbit