At about 2AM on a very hot summer monday nite, I was awakend by a knock on the front door. I was expecting visitors and they had finally arrived. The Rockridge Brothers (from Stockholm, Sweden) were on a mini-tour of Upstate NY, and had driven in from Oneonta after a show at the Oneonta theatre. I'd known Krisitian Herner, the banjo player, for a few years, and hosted he and his wife Rachel Eddy for our 2010 Garage concert and was looking forward to meeting the rest of the band. Since it was a hot nite the first order of business was for the guys to take a dip in the pool, then we had a few beers and got acquainted staying up talking till almost 4AM? My memory gets a little foggy here. It was great to meet Ralf, Peter, and Pontus and get to know them a bit before we all crashed. Claire got to meet them in the morning when we finally rolled out of bed.
We had planned a garage concert for the next night and invited about 80 friend, neighbors, family, and musicians to come over for the show. It was the third annual garage concert (we call them garage concerts even though the concert is in the backyard because the first annual was in the garage - but we've outgrown it) So we spent the day getting to know each other some more, hanging around the pool, showing the guys some local culture in Rome, and picking a few tunes. There were a few anxious moments when Peter's wedding ring came off in the pool, but on Krisitains advice we waited till the water was calm it it showed up, so he was off the hook back home. The guys helped Claire and I set up the backyard for the concert, and ice down the beer and things were ready for the evening show.
About 6:30 people started arriving and I think we had about 60 guests, many first timers to a house concert (most people around here don't have a clue what one is) and they were not sure what they were getting into. And to have a band from Sweden in someones backyard in Rome NY - Hmmmmm....... We usually have a cocktail before staring the show so people can get settled in and mix a bit and enjoy the company. Then we herd everyone into the backyard for some live music.
Our standing tradition is that the Fahy Family Band always opens the show and it is one of my musical treats to play a set with my Daughter Kelly, and niece Elly. I hang back and let the girls lead the show and Kelly does a great job singing and Elly plays a pretty good standup bass.
Kelly Ellie
They have been known to pull a fast one on me from time to time, but this year we stuck to the set list - a mix of Carter Family, Truckstop Honeymoon, Creedence, Hank Snow and Donna the Buffalo - good set. Before we finished, we invited the Rockridge Brothers up to do Wagon Wheel with us -wow - Kelly sure sounds good with a full band behind her!! There is a link to the video at the end of the blog.
Kristian Ralf Peter Pontus
After the break the Rockridge Brothers took stage - or maybe better said exploded into their first number. You would have thought that they were playing Carnegie Hall, Merlefest, or Woodstock - with the energy and drive they put into their performance! Most of the folks there had never really heard a good old time band before, and many were only mildly acquainted with Bluegrass, so they couldn't have had a better introduction to old time music. They are all really good musicians - harmonies perfect, crisp breaks, tight arrangements and overall good choice of songs and tunes, and everything played at a brisk pace that had the whole crowd tappin their toes. They have played together for about 10 years and it shows in how they blend together. Awesome musicians each. Not only were they great to listen to, but their stage presence is very inviting to the audience - they talk to you like your an old friend and you feel like part of the show. The set will live long in my memory (boy am I glad I got a good recording!!!) and on my ipod. Here is a link to their opening number
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6zBl9RnFCE&feature=g-upl&context=G24d1a1dAUAAAAAAACAA
A lot of our guests were blown away by the show -they never expected to see a GREAT band in our backyard, and be able to get to meet and talk to them. They played a full set and were coaxed into an encore. Then after a short beer break to cool off we moved inside to the garage for a jam session with my local music friends. It was a treat to play with them, and we shared songs and tunes for a few hours more. Not too many of the guests left - they stayed to listen. Pontus was showing Ellie some stuff on the bass (he has a new #1 fan in the US now) and it was cool to hear my bass played so well. An evening that a lot of us will remember a long time.
After the guests left we stayed up for quite a while and enjoyed the pool and it was a treat for Claire and I to have some time with the guys. We enjoyed a lazy breakfast the next day, last dip in the pool and on their way to their next show we took them to visit Fort Stanwix and said goodbye after a meal at Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse. The visit was too short........
Claire and I are hoping for a return visit - but this year we might have to get a bigger yard to hold the crowd!!! Here a link to the FFB and Rockridge Brothers doing Wagon Wheel - enjoy
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