Music at the Barn

Yesterday I went to Barnfest with some friends.  It was an all-around great day.  The weather was gorgeous, sunny yet not too hot.  We sat on a slight rise close to the sound man with an excellent view of the stage.  And the day was full of good folk music.

The experience reminded me that one of my goals for this year off is to have music in my life more often.  One wonderful way to do that is to make an effort to see live music.  Barnfest was a great chance to hear a variety of talented musicians in a beautiful rural setting.

Of course, even though all of the musicians were talented, I still had my favorites.

One group I especially enjoyed was the Roe Family Singers.  They are an old-timey band who managed to play both a Bill Monroe tune and a Carter family song during their 30 minute set.  Plus, one guy played the saw and there was clogging! What's not to love?

Michael Johnson had some really lovely songs and his patter was quite humorous too.  My favorite quote was his example of the funny things people say in Nashville, "Well, if you're anything like me, and I know I am . . ."

However, my favorite was the headliner of the day, poetic singer-songwriter John Gorka. He has managed to elevate awkwardness between songs to an art, and the lyrics of his songs blow my mind.  I will have to try my best to listen to more of his music.

The day was also a reminder that this year I want to play music as well.  So, today I will get my guitar out of its dusty case, see if I can find some very simple songs and start working on callouses on my fingertips.

Stay tuned for more musical adventures!