I found Brandon relatively easily - got there a bit early and spent some time try to make my dumb laptop connect to an internet cafe spot.
Finally I headed to the gig, set up by the Brandon Folk Music and Arts Society (BFMAS) - they run the Brandon Folk Festival (22 years old! Who knew?). Matt, the BFMAS artistic director was there, and so was Paul, the sound guy, but the bar was closed and the lights were off and I was a bit concerned. Still, we had some time so we hung out. Then Dan Frechette, the main act and one of Mitch Podalak's favourite performers (see last blog) showed up with some friends. When told we had to wait, he just said, "cool, let's jam", took out his guitar and started playing. Dan's an amazing guitar player - and really is the 2nd coming of Pete Seeger (physically and as an embodiment of folk music - maybe a bit less of the political, or maybe Dan just didn't get into it that night - he has written 1400 songs...).
I'm not much of a jammer - I'm a terrible soloist and am vaguely uncomfortable when Dan yells "guitar!" and I solo away pitifully. Luckily, the barstaff show up and we get to set up. Dan and I get to talking and I like him a lot - he's got a crazy edge to him, but in a sweetly curious way.
Matt has apologized for not bringing out more people, but this was still one of my favourite shows on the tour. The folks at SUDS (the bar) kept cheering after each of my songs and the audience seemed to like it a lot. My voice feels great (so nice to get back in front of a microphone in a room where people listen). I tell stories before every song and it becomes a nice songwriter session. I sell and sign a bunch of CDs in between the break and the bar offers me $300 and a hotel room to come back a play - nice! Best of all, Matt mentions getting me back for the folk festival.
Then Dan gets on. Later Dan will say that he feels bad that he didn't have the energy for a great show. HOLY. Dan Frechette's an amazing guitarist and songwriter - if you like folk music at all, you need to hear him. He's pretty incredible.
Afterwards, Stacy, the general manager for BFMAS, whose house I'm staying in, takes me out to a halloween party. It's in a huge house filled with a ton of fun people who I'm introduced to and then promptly forget their names. I remember Daisy though, a transgendered activist who's awesome and very nice to talk to. I talk to Stacy for a while. Then Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, starts hitting on me drunkenly.
"You're VERY cute," she says.
"Ah,um, thank you..." I say, trying to switch topics, "soooo, do you live here?"
"No," she says, "but seeing you here, I wish I did... Do you know how you can tell I'm the goddess of love?" she asks...
"Um... noooo..."
"Because of my heart" and she points at a heart pendant she's wearing in the middle of a very low-cut dress. Stacy cuts in and introduces me as the guys who played tonight. Aphrodite wants me to play for her and offers to show me her breasts. I decide to head home.
The next morning, Stacy makes awesome oatmeal and sees me off. I'm not sure if I've conveyed it in this blog, but Brandon was a pretty great time - everyone I met (even Aphrodite) was friendly and fun - and playing with Dan Frechette was a treat. I hope to come back soon.
