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<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">WEB FIRST:</span> Winsted gets new Director of Public Works- The Register Citizen News - Northwest Connecticut's Daily Newspaper
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Monday, July 9, 2007
Bill Staines in Concert - 7-7-7 - Lucky for Us
As this past Saturday unfolded, it was crystal clear that the skies would remain true to their mission of providing us with that magnificent clean blue palate we always pray for on days when the Winchester Center Concert Series brings yet another artist to town.
While the rest of the world seemed preoccupied with the fad-notion of the day being 7-7-2007 and so somehow being called lucky, and the very real and very important worldwide event of LiveEarth, we Center residents were all abuzz preparing the Green for the arrival of New England Folk legend, Bill Staines.
It's not me pulling literary license here when the term "folk legend" is used, Bill Staines is what every folk artist aspires to. A 40 year career to date, songs performed by Peter,Paul and Mary and the like, legions of fans that travel the New England States to follow him, and many cd's of original music and covers of traditional ballads alike.
With the village green precisely landscaped under Graham Waldron's direction, Bob Simmons and son arrived to rope off the green, drop off the hardware store light poles where we would place the 3 dollar spotlights so the evening wouldn't descend into total darkness; and erected the signature white tent to house the tables for the artist's merchandise and The Heifer Project's educational material.
Bill was driving down from his home in New Hampshire, and was due to arrive at 5 pm for the 7:30 show. Laura and I were just heading over to the Green about 4:45 to admire the landscaping when we noticed a gentleman walking towards the Church. From the press photos (I love it when the artist actually looks like the press photos, unlike a lot of my fellow Realtors), we could clearly see that Bill Staines had arrived a little bit early.
Tall, stocky but not quite burly, sporting a well-earned white beard and a friendly smile, Bill was at once likeable and respectful. As we would learn from his songs, Bill is accustomed to seeing new places and meeting new people from Maine to Alaska. You can actually feel that his avocation might be observing the human condition, as he seems to be constantly soaking his environment in and cataloguing it all for future use (or a song?).
He can't seem to help himself from telling stories. (He's also published a book of his travels). Upon meeting our son Christian and noticing the baseball trophies in the living room, he reflexively launched into telling us all the story of his first visit to a professional baseball game between the Boston Braves and the Boston Red Sox and how the game had to be moved to Fenway Park because the seats at the Braves Stadium were too tacky to be seated in after having been painted too closely to the time of a rainstorm.
A sound check later on the Green, and you realize this is a man that could play without any amplification or support at all; and the music would still be extra fine. He sat quietly and re-strung his 42 year old Martin guitar with timeworn setlists taped to its side like he has probably done 10,000 times before.
Near 7:30, the assembled crowd greeted Bill Staines; some like an old friend. An 82 year old woman sat right up front in her lawn chair, filming the entire show on her camcorder and later remarked to me that she had brought Bill a picture of himself performing in 1983. So yes, Bill Staines definitely has a following.
His songs were nearly all stories, and as someone who was raised on commercial rock n' roll, I sat in awe of what I must have missed during the 60's and 70's. Somehow though, I don't think my frame of mind in my teens and 20's would have allowed me to spend much time under a blacklight listening to acoustic tunes about blackflies or antique shops.
Singing rootie toot toot for the moon,
it's the biggest star I've ever seen,
It's a pearl of wisdom, it's a slice of green cheese;
And it's burning just like kerosene
And it's burning just like kerosene...
This a chorus we actually SANG, and we were all happier for it. There was also a tune about a guy who want to travel "to Morrow, Ohio" and when he continued to attempt to buy a ticket 'to-Morrow' and couldn't because you couldnt get to 'to-Morrow" tomorrow, because the train had left today, you are well justified in splitting a gut.
Bill Staines is not a throwback. He is a true folk legend, and a well spoken gentleman who has traveled the country to many of the backroads you and I wish we could; and he's done it with just a guitar and a road map. His voice is magnificent, the picking and strumming of the Martin clear and compelling, and when he stops playing, you instantly miss the music. I am not a musician so I will not even attempt to review his music from an artistic view. I think his 25 albums speak well enough of that.
We raised $999.50 for charity (had I known we were oh so close, I'm sure someone would thrown in a couple of more quarters), and the Green wafted with good vibes, happy applause and a little bug spray all night.
So, no matter what else might have been happening in the world the night of Saturday 7-7-07, all of us here in Winchester Center felt mighty fortunate to be right where we were, listening to our newest old friend, Bill Staines.
We have booked Bill to return to Winchester Center for a performance concert at 7:30 pm, Saturday, July 5th, 2008. That's 7/5/08 for all you lottery players. Mark your calendars.
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