The Appomattox Railroad Festival Saturday Oct. 11
October 11, 2008 9:06 AM
I caught Heather Berry and Tony’s last set at Baine’s around 9:00 PM last night, and, besides living up to their reputation as fine bluegrass pickers and singers, they seemed like genuinely nice folks. Baine’s was pretty full, which left me setting on the edge of one of the house couches until a few folks cleared out.
I’d always heard everyone brag so much about Berry that I didn’t realize how much her husband Tony contributed to the duo. Besides playing banjo, guitar, and dulcimer, he’s the perfect harmony partner for Heather. They delivered fine versions of “Wildwood Flower” and “Shady Grove,” and left me looking forward to more folk and bluegrass from the Good Ol’ Days Folk Stage in Abbit Park Saturday afternoon.
When the friendly folks at Baine’s started putting the chairs on the tables and prepping for the big weekend ahead, we—me, my wife Elizabeth, and a couple good friends—decided it was time to head home. We’d all make an early night of it (at least for a Friday) so we could get downtown in the morning and get a good spot to see the parade at 10:30 AM.
October 11, 2008 9:26 AM
Saturday Morning
It’s an exciting getting ready this morning… but there are too many things to remember. Elizabeth has to help out with a booth for the Appomattox Courthouse Theatre and her friend, who is picking her up, is stuck in traffic downtown. I need my digital recorder, laptop, and camera (luckily I remembered to charge the battery), and a plethora of small junk—sunglasses, Chap Stick, handkerchief, Rolaids, and—most important—some cold hard cash.
What will I forget this morning? I can’t worry about that at the moment because if I don’t get moving, I’ll be late for the parade.
October 11, 2008 2:50 PM
Saturday Afternoon
The weather, so far today, has been fabulous—around 70° with a slight breeze. A perfect fall day …
After the parade finished, the music got underway. I had wondered—with so many stages in play—if the sound would overlap. For the most part, it wasn’t a big problem, though I could hear a couple Silver Creek songs rolling across Courtland Field while the Appomattox County High School Jazz Band warmed up on the Courthouse steps. Once the High School Jazz Band started “Songs of Our Fathers,” however, all was fine.
I had said earlier that there was so much music scheduled this weekend that everyone would have to pick and choose, but this, as it turned out, wasn’t exactly true. It was pretty easy, for instance, to catch half of the High School Jazz Band’s set—which I did—and then walk over to Abbitt Park to see the latter half of Byron and Billy Massie’s folk-flavored set.
A father (Billy) and son (Byron) team, the Massies offered simple country-folk, beautifully played. The guitar (Byron) and dobro (Billy) worked quite well on country classics like Don Gibson’s “Sea of Heartbreak” and—perhaps the biggest musical surprise of the day—Prince’s “Kiss.” In the Massies’ hands, “Kiss” sounded almost like a traditional country song, save for the lyrics about undressing. If anyone carrying, guiding, or dragging youngin’s around noticed, no one blinked.
There’s still a lot going on and more—this evening—to look forward to. I’m hoping to catch the jazz trio—Square Peg—this afternoon (4:00 PM) in front of the Appomattox Courthouse and Deja Moo at Baine’s a little later (5:00-8:00 PM).
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