100 Reasons I Love This Music Community…
This is by no means an exhaustive list. It took me a short amount of time to spew this up, because there really are so many people and so many reasons why this music community means the world to me.There are probably another 100 I could spout off right now…but for now:
In no particular order, I thought I would let you know why I love you all so very much…
1) Ian Fitzgerald’s songwriting makes me want to quit songwriting, then start writing songs again just in the off chance I could write one that is even remotely as genius as his.
2) Eva Walsh’s fiddle makes me cry, but her laugh stops the flood gates and makes me smile before I lose it.
3) The countless “holy sh*t, did you just hear what he played?!” moments I have encountered while playing with or watching Mark Whitaker.
4) Edrie Edrie, for even if our music choices are in separate “genres”, she still is so supportive and loves this town’s music.
5) Dan Blakeslee…period
6) Walter Sickert’s art.
7) Matt Smith’s ability to somehow book as many shows as he does…and they are all amazing shows.
8) The way the red hue of the Lizard Lounge somehow comforts and warms my soul.
9) Dinty Child and how he plays every instrument…better than most people who have one of them as their primary instrument.
10) Session Americana’s table.
11) Go out to see any band, the chance that Billy Beard is the drummer is 1 in 3.
12) Laurence Scudder plays viola with an effects chain through an amp. Badass
13) Ryan Fitzsimmons’ string breaking fervor when he plays.
14) Danielle Miraglia’s steady thumb and thumbing, bassy foot percussion stompbox.
15) Every time Jenee Halstead sings “Jolene”
16) David Gallagher’s soulful tone on “Old Time Religion”…”YEAH, IT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME!”
17) The equation of Toad’s stage…more people on it equates to the better time had.
18) Tom Bianchi, being awesome pretty much 7 nights a week (Baker Thomas, LLOMC, holding rhythm down for everyone and their mother)
19) The Sinclair and how they treat a local nobody just as good as a well known touring act with backstage goodies and dressing rooms…and the on stage sound is amazing!
20) The Harvard Square Business Association and how much they love local music (Bill Manley, you are the man!)
21) Narragansett’s commitment to local music…Hi Neighbor!
22) Noel Coakley’s beard, and absolutely gorgeous singing voice.
23) Each year more and more friends seem to be showing up at Newport Folk Festival
24) The family at Newport Folk Festival
25) Eric Royer can play 4 instruments at once…better than I can play one of them at once.
26) Ellie Buckland, Isa Burke, and Mali Obosawin’s harmonies.
27) The Suitcase Junket’s musical contraptions
28) Will Houlihan’s falsetto
29) What Randi Millman has done for music at Atwoods.
30) That Dan Baker doesn’t need to play out constantly to remain one of the best songwriters in the North East
31) Ruby Rose Fox’s voice…every time I hear it I get the shivers.
32) How Nate Leavitt can rip a furious guitar solo or break your heart with his words
33) Singing “John Brown” with Jimmy Ryan
34) Joe Walsh’s mandolin
35) Roy Davis’s banter, and his songs.
36) Brian Lima and Steve Benoit’s photos of the Newport Folk Fest
37) The family reunion that is the New England Americana Festival.
38) The only thing bigger than the actual band OldJack is Dan Nicklin’s passion for playing music in OldJack
39) The timbre of Sam Otis Hill’s voice when he covers Robert Earle Keen.
40) Joe Fletcher’s instagram feed and the stories that become songs from his travels
41) Jenn Harrington’s YouTube channel
42) The rumble I get in my chest when Julie Rhodes belts out a note
43) Hayley Sabella’s unrivaled vocal control
44) The chorus of Jake Hill’s “Talking F’in Steve Earle Blues”
45) Patrick Coman’s Local Folk on WUMB
46) Everything Lyle Brewer has ever done on a guitar
47) Jess Fox plays a fiddle she made…beautifully
48) Chuck Melchin’s songs make me cry and that makes me feel great
49) That we have Michael Spaly back on the East Coast.
50) M.R. Poulopoulos and how all he needs are 3 chords and some amazing words to make an incredible song.
51) Marc Pinansky and his uncanny ability to churn out fantastic EPs…seriously, they are always good.
52) How Riverview Studios feels like home and Sam and Kramer are amazing folks.
53) The music being cranked out of Dirt Floor Studios and how Eric Lichter has become like a brother.
54) Connor Millican – the musician, the songwriter, the community advocate. He is one of the good ones.
55) The natural break in Ward Hayden’s vocal
56) How much of a badass Sarah Borges is
57) How much of a badass Sarah Borrello is…something with those Sarah B’s, I tell ya!
58) Christopher Paul Stelling’s guitar…and the sounds he pulls from it
59) Steve Allain and Tracie Potochnik as a duo
60) Allysen Callery’s finger style guitar
61) Krista Baroni – HUGE voice from a tiny gal
62) The Meadows Brothers…basically I just wish I was their third brother. Incredible songs, even more incredible harmonies and chemisry.
63) How Charlie Darwin from The Low Anthem still brings tears to my eyes
64) Bryan Christopher Minto…killer harmonica, #dogfingcity, supportive as hell dude
65) Smith&Weeden, cool bros playing cool rock n’ roll
66) That I get to play as a band in a night once a month at Toad for Roots in the Round
67) Residencies…
68) Keytar Bear
69) The first time I heard Jonah Tolchin sing
70) James Maple is equally a sweet guy as he is a badass
71) The Pen in JP and all the wonderful pickers that have lived there
72) Shooting ‘Hoot and Holler’ a couple months back and being serenaded by them for a couple hours while doing it.
73) The terrible (but weirdly comforting and familiar) smell of certain venues
74) House concerts and the wonderful few who host them
75) All that Brewster Productions (and Jon Dorn) do for the community
76) Cold Chocolate’s Hot Bluegrass
77) How even when folks move away, they are still part of this family
78) Hugs from Brian Barthelmes
79) Pretty much everything about The Whiskey Boys
80) I can walk into Toad 7 nights a week and something good will be happening on stage.
81) Jason Dunn’s “Boston Does Boston” project.
82) Michael J. Epstein’s creativity…and his moustache
83) Will Dailey is a rockstar…but I can still count him as a friend
84) Almost Famous on WATD
85) Abbie Barrett’s posts promoting shows…oh yeah, and her songwriting. Equally as excellent
86) Charlie Rose can pop up anywhere with anyone, local or national.
87) Running into Mayer Danzig at shows
88) Brendan Hogan’s knowledge of everything music (as heard on WUMB)
89) The catchy-ness of a The Rationales tune.
90) Jim Seery can book, rock and cook…seriously, the Plough has delicious food
91) When Joe Stewart does sound for shows I play at the Lizard Lounge
92) the David Lamb tribute show at Club Passim and the warmth and love in the room that night
93) Burren Table Sessions
94) Dietrich Strause lyrics
95) Bands that could have different members every time you see them and it still works
96) Banjo Babes calendar (and Maggie Mackay’s banjo playing…and Chasing Blue’s energy)
97) Ryan Spaulding’s heart
98) Dennis Brennan’s Wednesdays
99) People who go to music clubs to listen to music
100) YOU, all of you who make me thankful everyday I am a musician in this town. I am constantly in awe of the talent and amazing people I come across every single time I step into a club or tune into a local radio show. I love you all. Keep on keepin’ on.
