Lynn from the band Rabbit Foot playing her new Brooks banjo at the Olympia Old-Time fest!
The folks in Olympia sure know how to put on a great party and an amazing festival! We had a great time playing the Saturday night square dance and had the honor to kick off the night for fellow Portlanders The New Five Cents, who rocked the dance into the wee hours with caller Fred Park.
Fred was a trip to do a dance with. He possessed and explosive energy and unhinged enthusiasm that to me was reminiscent of the days when I played in punk bands. At one point he snapped the mic away and hissed to me while I was playing, "Yeeesssss! We're going make this thing rock!" When we came back in to the tune at full volume at the place where he instructed, he growled ROCK! and clenched his fist as if he was holding a Les Paul instead of a washboard, and began playing the most demonic washboard I've heard. It was thrilling and we were suitably cacophonous; a good way to top off our set.
We had the pleasure to start out and do most of our set with T-Claw, who is one hell of a caller and also one of our favorite players of the NW Old-time scene, and the amazingly talented young'un, fiddler and caller Maggie Neatherlin.
Other highlights of the weekend were the workshops and performances conducted by John Haywood, Brett Ratliff, and Travis Stuart, and the after hour jamming at the Pig Bar. Also during the Friday night concert, Lynn Piper of Rabbit Foot debuted a new beautiful banjo that Brooks had made for her. It sounded fantastic.
What a heck of a weekend. Can't beat it, no way. Thanks Oly Old-Time volunteers & organizers!!
-EB
Fred was a trip to do a dance with. He possessed and explosive energy and unhinged enthusiasm that to me was reminiscent of the days when I played in punk bands. At one point he snapped the mic away and hissed to me while I was playing, "Yeeesssss! We're going make this thing rock!" When we came back in to the tune at full volume at the place where he instructed, he growled ROCK! and clenched his fist as if he was holding a Les Paul instead of a washboard, and began playing the most demonic washboard I've heard. It was thrilling and we were suitably cacophonous; a good way to top off our set.
We had the pleasure to start out and do most of our set with T-Claw, who is one hell of a caller and also one of our favorite players of the NW Old-time scene, and the amazingly talented young'un, fiddler and caller Maggie Neatherlin.
Other highlights of the weekend were the workshops and performances conducted by John Haywood, Brett Ratliff, and Travis Stuart, and the after hour jamming at the Pig Bar. Also during the Friday night concert, Lynn Piper of Rabbit Foot debuted a new beautiful banjo that Brooks had made for her. It sounded fantastic.
What a heck of a weekend. Can't beat it, no way. Thanks Oly Old-Time volunteers & organizers!!
-EB
