Molasses Creek & Soundside Records Journal: News from Ocracoke Island and Beyond

Travel Adventures, New Photos, Radio Push Update, Live Clips from WHQR Show

2011-12-12T01:29:00.001-08:00

Hey fans,

What great adventures we have been having since we lastposted news!

At the end ofOctober and beginning of November we were off Ocracoke for about two weeks withshows at the Pittsboro General Store in Pittsboro, NC, an opening for a fabulousnew exhibit at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh, NC, and a performance forthe 40^th anniversary of the Green Grass Cloggers at WrightAuditorium on the campus of UNC-Greenville. After that weekend we returned to Durham for the NC ArtsMarket (an opportunity to hobnob with performance presenters from across thestate and visit with many wonderful fellow musicians.)

At the NC ArtsMarket, Gary with Laurelyn Dossett (songwriter extraordinaire! She wrote "House on a Hill" which we recorded on Catharsis)

Atthe end of the week, we scooted down to Wilmington, NC for a live performanceat the Public Radio WHQR’s studio entitled “Soup to Nuts” . . . we think wewere the nuts part?! The nextnight we joined John Golden and Geoff Morris for a concert at the Scottish RiteTemple. We have included someclips from the live WHQR show on our website homepage. It is a lot of fun so take a listen by goingto our home page at http://www.molassescreek.com andscrolling down the page to the playbox.

Returningback to the island, we had a week to prepare for Thanksgiving and the day-afterThanksgiving Ocrafolk Festival Fundraising show at the Ocracoke CommunityCenter. This evening was awonderful success, raising almost $3000 for next year’s event. In addition to Molasses Creek, on handto grace the stage were Donald Davis, Jef the Mime, April Trueblood, JubalCreech, Capt. Rob and Sundae Horn, and the Ocracoke Jazz Society.

December3 and 4, Justin Casey (of Carolina Still) traveled to Ocracoke with his finefolks to photoshoot the band for the upcoming National Radio Releasealbum. Justin will be designing Marchrelease, so it was imperative we had his eagle eye from start to finish on theproject.

Fencing Fiddler Dave

On Friday, we did a testrun on the Ocracoke beach with friend and photographer Jennifer Kidwell whoalso helped over the weekend with styling the band. Saturday was sunny, although a bit blustery and cold as canbe seen by the shivering blue Louie in the outtakes.

Lou solves the problem of playing in the cold!

Justin & Gerald

Marcy

Gary

We came away from the weekend with some great photos, andare now entrenched in the studio and behind the computer, finishing up looseends for a go-to-press date of January 6.

But the winning cover shot is . . . .Marse!

If any of you fans are interested in contributing to ourquest to take the national stage by storm, you can earn some great rewardprizes for your contributions. Justclick here, or follow the link on our website to “Support Our 2012 Radio Quest!” Thanks so much!

Leaping Louie!

Upcoming performances

December 30 ~First Night Williamsburg, Molasses Creek willperform at the Williamsburg United Methodist Church Old Fellowship Hall at 7,9, and 11 PM. For more information on the performers, directions, and how topurchase your admission button, visit http://www.firstnightwilliamsburg.org.Come on out, it is great fun!

2011-11-24T09:04:00.000-08:00

How Can I Help Support My Favorite Coastal Musicians &
Get Some Great Christmas Gifts?
Read on!
Molasses Creek 2012 Radio Quest
Spreading our music and Ocracoke Fig Cake around the globe!

Artwork by Lee Sauer

Hey fans! Molasses Creek is on the move and we're very excited! Beginning in the spring of 2012, we are working to move Molasses Creek music onto the national scene (and beyond), touring more extensively and spreading our harmonies and love of our coastal NC home around the world.

Stage 1: National radio promotion. In March of 2012, Molasses Creek will be working with radio promotion specialist, Kari Estrin, of Nashville, TN to bring Molasses Creek's music to 540 folk radio programs across the US, Canada, and Europe. Through this radio push, it is our goal to reach the upper levels of the folk-charts so that when we call concert halls in your hometown, instead of saying "Where is it you are from again?" they will say "Yes! I've heard of you folks and must have you come perform for us!"

All told, this radio promotion will cost approximately $14,000. Because this is such a large investment for us, we have started a fundraising campaign with lots of wonderful incentives for contributors. Molasses Creek invites you to be a part of the excitement. Let us entice you! Hmm . . . might make a great Christmas present for a Molasses Creek Fan!

Donor Levels and Rewards

Payment can be made by Credit Card via our Soundside Records online store through the buttons below, or by sending a check to "Molasses Creek" PO 553, Ocracoke Island, NC 27960. If you are sending a check or have any questions, please email us at info@molassescreek.com. Although certain rewards will not be available until March, all orders will receive a Thank You Card from us in time for Christmas. Please let us know if you would like to make your support a Xmas gift to a Molasses Creek fan, and we will make the card out to them! Thanks!

$3000 ~ A Molasses Creek Gathering in Your Hometown!
Bring Molasses Creek to your home and show off to all your friends! We'll travel to your doorstep, bringing great music and that sweet & salty breeze from Ocracoke Island. Our performance can be for anything from a private concert in your home, to a fundraiser, to a community event ~ you decide. We'll even provide the sound system. The concert is subject to Molasses Creek availability and scheduling. Please contact us at info@molassescreek.com for more information about dates & touring to your region.

$1000 ~ Ocracoke Island Lighthouse Beacon
Thanks for helping keep our dream beacon burning! Donors will receive our accolades in the liner notes of our March National Release Album (deadline December 31) and will be entered for a drawing for a week's lodging on Ocracoke Island (Sept-April). Lodging is flexible, but subject to availability.

$500 ~ Treasures from the Sea
Just look what washed up on our beaches! An Ocracoke Island Gift Basket filled with some of our favorite Ocracoke treasures. All yours for being such a wonderful supporter! The basket will be sent to you in March of 2012.

$250 ~ Sounds from the Sea ~ Thanks for answering the call! Your reward is a Limited Release Molasses Creek Sampler Album with the band member's favorite song picks from our 124 tracks released over the past 20 years. The album will be sent to you in March of 2012.

$125 ~ Ocracoke Lifesaver
For coming to our rescue you will receive a special Molasses Creek T-shirt in March of 2012, timed with our national release!

$50 ~ Ocracoke Fig Supporter
You do give a fig about our music! Yipee! As a reward you may Choose one CD from our currently available Molasses Creek store. (Catharisis, More Better Molasses Creek, Follow the Heron, or Strangest Dream), We'll even autograph it and send it to you in time for Xmas (please order by Dec 15 for Christmas Delivery, and let us know if you prefer to not have it opened and autographed).

~ Thanks for all your support!
Gary, Fiddler Dave, Marcy, Lou, & Gerald
Your Molasses Creek crew

Molasses Creek Travels to DC area, Ocrafolk School & Island News

2011-10-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

Go Marcy!

Hello good friends!

HappyHalloween! There a buzz in the airamongst the younger crowd on Ocracoke Island which can only mean that (1)Halloween is upon us, and/or (2) many sugared treats are about to be consumed by youngsters.

Here are some upcoming dates. Read on after for moreMolasses Creek news.

November 4 (Fri), 8:00pm – 10:30pmMolasses Creek at the Pittsboro General Store, Pittsboro, NC. http://thegeneralstorecafe.com/

November 5 (Sat), 11am – 11:45 am NCMuseum of History, Raleigh, NC ~ Bicentennial Plaza Stage. http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/index.html

November 5, 8pm – 10pm (Sat) GreenGrass Cloggers 40th Anniversary Concert, Wright Auditorium, UNC Greenville, NC Ticketsavailable at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cfac/SRAPAS/ WrightAuditorium, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, with Molasses Creek ofOcracoke, NC, & The Freight Hoppers of Bryson City, NC! ONLY $10.00!General seating! Details to come! http://www.ecuarts.com/ Till then, catch usat gigs currently listed on our calendar, plus more as they come together.

November 10 (Thur), 7:30 – 9:00pm MolassesCreek "Soup to Nuts" show WHQR, Wilmington, NC. For more information visit http://www.whqr.org

November 11 (Fri), 8:00pm– 10:00pm MolassesCreek in Concert w/John Golden & Geoffrey Morris, Scottish Rite Theater,Wilmington, NC. Ample free parking. Tickets at the door are $15, $10 forseniors and students.

This last Friday, islanders gathered for the annual Halloween SchoolCarnival at Ocracoke School, a fundraiser in the brand new school gym. The night began with a costume paradearound the school circle, followed by carnival games (Pick your lucky duck,cork rifle target practice, bean bag toss, etc), a hot dog and Mexican foodsale, cake walk, and monster movies. The evening raises a good bit of money for the school and has the addedbenefit of stretching the Halloween holiday a little bit longer. Today is only a half day atschool, allowing the witches, superheroes, and buckets of toxic slime (FiddlerDave’s son Lachlan) several hours to create and destroy their costumes beforetrick-or-treating begins. Door todoor visiting usually wraps up safely by 8:00 PM so that there is plenty oftime to find a safe place indoors before the egging begins (a teenage islandtradition).

Molasses Creek tours to Avalon Theatre, Carroll County ArtsCouncil, and Towson Public School

Loading up for the trip

Approaching the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel. You mean that is going over us?!

Avalon Theatre, Easton, MD

Two weeks ago, Molasses Creektraveled up to the DC area for several performances. We began on the eastern shore of Maryland in the wonderfultown of Easton, home to the Avalon Theatre. Over the years, the Avalon has hosted many incredibleperformers (Kingston Trio, Bela Fleck, Tony Rice, Jay Unger & Molly Mason,the list goes on). Molasses Creekgave a performance and squaredance at the Avalon’s Stoltz listening room, andducked in to a local elementary school for a concert for 4^th & 5^thgraders.

The Avalon Theatre is housed underthe Avalon Foundation, a non-profit organization that sponsors a lot ofcreativity in the region ~ music and theater performances, art exhibits, aradio and TV station, live music at community events, and performances in theschools. Many thanks to Ryan, Tim,Suzy, and crew for their warm welcome.

Farmer's Market in Easton

Gerald and Fiddler Dave's berth

Whilein the area, we were graciously hosted by Marcy & Lou’s friends Catherineand Tom Hunt-Alspach at their beautiful home in Oxford. Gerald and Fiddler Dave even got tosleep on their beautiful boat, although it was a bit blustery to take it for asail.

Carroll County Arts Council

Fiddler Dave ~ "Darn! I left my animated shorts at home!"

AfterThursday and Friday concerts, Molasses Creek traveled to Westminster, MD onSaturday to perform for the Carroll County Arts Council. The near-sold out show was a greatsuccess, and we got to cross paths with many friends from area. Marcy almost gave husband Louie ahaircut with some stage shears. Thanksto Sandy Ox and all the folks at the Arts Council for creating such a warmwelcome!

Hike to Chimney Rock

View from the top!

Also while in town, we were invitedto a fabulous lunch by Tom and Judy Reilly, and their friends Issac &Kathy. We had crossed paths withthem at Deepwater Theater and the Ocrafolk Festival on Ocracoke Island, and itwas a real treat to get to know them and their beautiful town better. Thanks for hosting us!

Westminster is also home to CommonGround on the Hill (http://www.commongroundonthehill.org/index.html),an organization that brings together performers and audiences to promote “humanunderstanding, tolerance, fulfillment, and enjoyment.” Our friend and fellow performer, BobZentz, has been telling us about Common Ground for years. We enjoyed our visit to their home andlook forward to many happy returns.

On Sunday, we visited with Marcy’ssister and husband near Frederick, MD (what lovely baked goodies!) and onMonday morning traveled to Towson High School in northern Baltimore for a visitto the student classes of Dave Rhen, musician and music educatorextraordinaire. Dave has performedmighty fine sax with the Ocracoke Jazz society on his frequent visits toOcracoke Island. While inresidence, we discovered that musician Noah Paley’s daughter Alice was a seniorthis year at Towson High. We wereinspired by the generosity and creativity of the teachers & students, andthe arts supportive environment at Towson. Keep up the great work Dave!

Ocrafolk School completes a 5^th successful year

By Fiddler Dave

Photo by Ann Ehringhaus

Swearing that they wouldn’t eat again for a month, elatedOcrafolk Schoolers headed out from Ocracoke Island this last Friday afternoon afteran amazing week of learning, food, fellowship, and near perfect fallweather. Twenty-nine studentsjoined instructors to focus on a subject of their choice:

~ Island Photography with Ann Ehringhaus

~ Island Cooking (and eating) with Debbie Wells

~ English Paper Piecing with Debbie Block

~ Exploring Ocracoke Music with Gary Mitchell

~ Ocracoke Sampler: Ocracoke’s History, Culture, &Seafaring Traditions with Philip Howard, Dave Frum, and Capt' Rob Temple

Each class could only fit around six students, so theOcrafok School provides a unique opportunity for visitors and residents toengage with teachers on an intimate level.

Morning music with John Golden & crew

Afterchecking in, everyone gathered on Sunday evening at the Pony Island Restaurantas owner (and fisherman) Vince O’Neal welcomed visitors with a meal of thefinest fresh fish and hush puppies on the eastern seaboard. The next morning we arrived bright and early for anincredible breakfast at Michael and Paula Schramel’s Flying Melon Restaurant,mustering energy for a tour of the Ocracoke Lighthouse and Springer’s PointPreserve (a famous haunt of Blackbeard the pirate).

John Ivey Wells gives a tour of Old Drum Fish

Ocracoke Traditional Old Drum Meal

Edwardo's Empanadas

Preparing the Tomatillo Sauce

Fish Cakes

Mondayafternoon we met with our instructors to begin class. I joined Debbie Wells and the cooking class at the historicSoundfront Inn to plan for the week of oyster stew, traditional Ocracoke OldDrum, Fig Cake with homemade coffee ice cream, lemon chess and chocolate pie(guest instructor Jen Esham), pan seared scallops, crabcakes, shrimp empanadas(guest chef Eduardo Chavez), vacherins with custard and raspberries, poundcake, oyster po boys, fennel slaw . . . hmm, my mouth is watering. . . .how onearth could I still be hungry!

Gary Mitchell and Steve Tweedie

Themusic class visited with local musicians & historians Martin Garrish andJackie Willis, sat in on a Molasses Creek rehearsal, toured the radio stationand Soundside Studios, and worked on a recording of their own.

EnglishPaper Piecing sequestered themselves on the beautiful upstairs porch of theSoundfront Inn, hand quilting away and telling stories.

Dave Frum shows off the morning's catch

IslandPhotography and the Ocracoke Sampler spent much of the stunning week outdoorson Ocracoke and Portsmouth Islands. The sampler class also kayaked, fished & clammed, sailed with Capt.Rob on the schooner WINDFALL, and made their own fig cake and meal wine.

TheOcrafolk School is an event housed under Ocracoke Alive, a not-for profit501(c)3 with a mission to enrich the Ocracoke Island community by encouragingand sponsoring cultural, artistic, educational, and environmental activitiesincluding the production of plays, musicals, musical events, exhibits, schools,workshops, and festivals. Nextyear’s Ocrafolk School is scheduled for October 21-26, 2012. New class information will be posted inJanuary of 2012. To join theOcrafolk School email list to be notified of updates, send a message to info@ocrafolkschool.org and ask to beincluded on the mailing list or visit www.ocrafolkschool.org.

Ocracoke’s Charles Temple on Jeopardy

Don’t forget to watch Jeopardy on November 2 to cheer onOcracoke’s hometown hero, Charles Temple. Charles won the Jeopardy Teacher’s tournament earlier this year toqualify for a spot in the Tournament of Champions. Go Charles!

Ocracoke Alive Membership Meeting Fast Approaching

If you are on Ocracoke Alive on Tuesday, November 15, weencourage you to come out for the Fall Membership Meeting of Ocracoke Alive,our new arts organization that houses the Ocrafolk Festival, Ocrafolk School,Winter Concert Series, and Ocracoke Artist in Residence School Programs. The meeting will be at 7:00 PM at theOcracoke Community Center. http://www.ocracokealive.org/home.cfm

Molasses Creek Headed to Easton & Westminster, MD

2011-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Shows

October 13 (Thur), 8pm – 10pm Molasses Creek Concert at the Avalon Theatre, Stoltz Listening Room, Easton, MD

October 14 (Fri), 8pm – 10pm Molasses Creek Traditional Ocracoke Square Dance/Concert at the Avalon Theatre, Stoltz Listening Room, Easton, MD

Because of your enthusiastic response, our friends at theAvalon Theatre in Easton have added a second night of Molasses Creek fun onFriday, October 14th. MolassesCreek will direct a Traditional Ocracoke Square Dance for half the show andwill perform a one set concert (different materials from Thursday night'sconcert). Tickets will be $20 witha $10 price for return attendees from Thursday's show. Look forward to seeing you there!

Tickets available at http://tickets.avalontheatre.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=5&c=7&pg=

October 15 (Sat), 7:30pm – 9:30pm Molasses Creek performance with the Carroll County Arts Council, Westminster, MD

Buy tickets online at http://carrollcountyartscouncil.ticketleap.com/molasses-creek/

November 4 (Fri), 8:00pm – 10:30pm Molasses Creek at the Pittsboro General Store, Pittsboro, NC

November 5 (Sat), 11am – 11:45 am NC Museum of History, Raleigh, NC ~ Bicentennial Plaza Stage

November 5, 8pm – 10pm (Sat) Green Grass Cloggers 40th Anniversary Concert, Wright Auditorium, UNC Greenville, NC Tickets available at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cfac/SRAPAS/ Wright Auditorium, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, with Molasses Creek of Ocracoke, NC, & The Freight Hoppers of Bryson City, NC! ONLY $10.00! General seating! Details to come! http://www.ecuarts.com/ Till then, catch us at gigs currently listed on our calendar, plus more as they come together.

Congratulations to Jamie Coberly, our newsletter winner from last post. Jamie won a Scotch Bonnet shell washed up on Ocracoke beaches during hurricane Irene. All winners should contact us at info@molassescreek.com to arrange having their prize sent. To be entered in our drawings make sure you are signed up as a fan on the Molasses Creek Facebook page and/or signed up on our Molasses Creek newsletter list. Next newsletter we will be drawing for a 2011 Ocrafolk Festival T-shirt!

Molasses Creek Performs at Carrboro Music Festival

Molasses Creek had a great time at the Carrboro Music Festival on the weekend of September 25. We performed at the Carrboro Century Center right across from Weaver Street Market.

With 25 stages and over 200 performances, the Carrboro Music Festival features an incredible array of musical styles. After an early evening performance, Gerald and Beth headed back to Franklinville while Gary wandered the town and Marcy, Lou, and Fiddler Dave caught a performance by their friends in Craicdown.

Craicdown in action

Pea Island's Temporary Bridge in Hatteras To Open Soon

John Golden and Gary Mitchell stoically await the opening of the Pea Island Bridge (Actually they were dressed up for a Civil War performance at the Chicamicamico Life Saving Station)

After many weeks of waiting, the word has come down from the Department of Transportation that the Hatteras bridge will be complete and (hopefully) open this coming Tuesday. On October 6, officials reported that the paving of the road and temporary bridge at Pea Island was finished. “Crews still need to install four of the 12 bridge bearing supports, anchor the bridge in place, finish installing deck panels and install the bridge guardrail. “ If you are traveling Hatteras & Ocracoke direction, best get your information directly from the DOT website at http://www.ncdot.org/travel/nc12recovery.

After Hurricane Irene passed through over a month ago and cut a major channel in Hatteras Island, the fall tourist season slowed to crawl on Ocracoke and Hatteras. Travel to our village has been difficult even for residents due to the limited available spaces on the Swan Quarter and Cedar Island Ferries. Our thanks go out to everyone who has been working hard to restore life to normal!

Molasses Creek Plans National Promotion

Molasses Creek has been meeting via phone with Career Assessment Specialist Kari Estrin out of Nashville, TN working on planning a National CD release and promotion set to launch in the spring of 2012. We are very excited and pleased with the way that Kari has helped us to take a fresh look at both the business and creative sides of what we do. Kari has worn many hats in her long career in the folk music industry, from tour managing folks like Tony Rice and Janis Ian, to assisting direction of the Merle Watson Festival, to writing for Sing Out Magazine. Find out more about Kari at www.kariestrin.com.

Ocracoke Island’s Charles Temple Returns to Jeopardy

Sir Charles Temple

Many of you remember when our good friend, Charles Temple, made Ocracoke Island proud earlier this year by winning Jeopardy's Teacher’s Tournament. Aside from the $100,000 prize money and having his smiling face posted across the nation, Charles also won the right to compete in the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions. This last week, he flew to California and rubbed elbows with some very brainy folks. He has now returned to our humble little town and is keeping mum about the results of the competition. The tournament is going to air around the beginning of November (Nov 2). Keep your eyes peeled for our boy! We’ll be celebrating with him here on Ocracoke (even though he already knows the results!)

Mandolin Orange

Mandolin Orange

This last Sunday, Ocrafolk Festival favorites Mandolin Orange came to the island to give an album release concert on the Live Oak Stage at Books to Be Red on School Road. The beautiful fall sun brought out villagers for a community potluck and to enjoy the wonderful performance by Andrew Marlin and Emily Franz. Fiddler Dave had caught the duo with their full band the previous weekend at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC. “Over 400 fans packed the place!” said Fiddler Dave. “I usually see them as a duet, but they really delivered and more of a rock-like concert.

There wasn’t any stage diving in Carrboro since Andrew was recovering from a broken pelvis from a fall that he had a couple of weeks before.” After three encores, Emily finally begged the audience not to make Andrew crutch back onto to the stage. Mandolin Orange’s new release, “Hard Hearted Stranger” is actually a two CD set that features both the magic of the duet and a larger band ensemble. Find out more about this duo at www.mandolinorange.com.

Halloween’s Coming

It’s pumpkin carving time. Fiddler Dave and son, Lachlan, carved up a doosie for this year’s trick or treaters. The way the warm weather is going, it is going to be one nasty-smeeellly jack-o-lantern by October 31!

Cross Country Ocracoke Style
by Fiddler Dave

Kitty Mitchell, wife of Gary & past member of Molasses Creek, has been hard at work with a new running club and cross country team at the Ocracoke School. This last week, Ocracoke hosted a 5K race for the Hatteras Island team down South Point Road towards the beach. Cheering on the eighteen enthusiastic Ocracoke runners (5th grade through high school), I was impressed not only at their commitment, but also how a small school of 150 students (K-12) provides wonderful opportunities for students of different ages to interact, appreciate, and support each other’s talents. Thanks to Kitty and all the helpers who brought this to life!

Guitarland with Louie!

by Lou Castro

We have a Baby Taylor that sounds great for such a tiny guitar. It’s so small that I play it on the ferry all the time behind the wheel, windows open or closed. It also goes on the beach all the time. I have always been impressed with Taylor Guitar’s consistency and great tone unplugged or plugged in, but what really sold me was the Florentine cutaway on their 815ce model. I looked everywhere for my Rock and Roll Cutaway and nobody seem to make guitars like that (Wechter Guitars make a double Florentine cutaway model similar to Jack Black’s acoustic in “Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny”).

The Taylor 815ce usually has a natural blond finish but Marcy found this custom made piece with a Tobacco Burst and no pickguard! Wow! Lately I’ve preferred natural or ‘burst finishes! The top is Sitka Spruce and the side are Indian Rosewood. The binding is Curly Maple, the fretboard is Ebony and the Rosette is Abalone. This guitar was about six times the price of the Dean so it does not get thrashed and comes out for gigs where I have elbow room. I’m hoping NOT to bring it to Gerald (real name) Hampton or Jack Willis any time soon. I trust these guys with repairs that I can’t do myself.

Fun in Greenville with the Green Grass Cloggers

Thanks to photographer Tom Whelan for these great photos taken in Greenville!

Fiddler Dave & Lou Castro of Molasses Creek

Gary Mitchell and Marcy Brenner of Molasses Creek

Green Grass Cloggers go!

The whole Molasses Creek shebang!

Hurricane Irene has passed Ocracoke By ~ Visitors Can Return!

2011-09-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

As hurricane Irene bore down on Ocracoke Island,residents scurried about making last minute preparations for the storm andjuggling the familiar fall-storm question “Do I stay or do I go?!” With the evacuation called and schoolcancelled, Gary and Kitty Mitchell decided to head to Burlington, NC for avisit with Gary’s parents. FiddlerDave, Amy Howard, their son Lachlan, and friend, Jennifer Kidwell, travelled toCarrboro, NC for a small vacation, while Marcy Brenner and Lou Castro remained onOcracoke Island to hold down the fort.

Waiting for the ferry

Might as well have a picnic

Philip Howard is staying behind. . . better leave him some extra food!

The storm started coming through Ocracoke onFriday, August 26. All throughoutSaturday and into the night, residents pondered two questions . . . where didthe flood waters go and were they returning? Late into the evening, reports began to surface from Manteoand the mainland about high waters, but as the storm passed the expectedbacklash of this storm surge never came back to Ocracoke.

Fiddler Dave and Lachlan attended a production of Paperhand Puppet Intervention in Chapel Hill

At the Carrboro Farmer's Market

Here is a brief Marcy storm report.

Our story ishow many days does it take to move everything up and in for wind and highwater, including dozens of instruments?! And how many notes can Lou get inon the electric guitar before the power goes out again? Iwondered if any of the stitches I sewed on my quilt by lantern light would comeout straight. And the beauty of a twin cedar tree twirling around in theyard like a “weeble” wobbling and not falling down.

Mostly,I feel grateful. And worried about our friends who took the brunt ofIrene’s strength.

On Hatteras Island, Sunday morning light brought amuch different story. HurricaneIrene had cut four channels through the island severing power and traffic southof the S curves in Rondanthe.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110828/articles/110829710&tc=yahoo

Fortunately for Ocracoke, there is an islandgenerator that can provide power for permanent residents. As the equipment cannot handle a visitorpopulation, it wasn’t until a week later that property ownersand then visitors were allowed to return.

Back to the olden days before electricity!

Although life is gradually returning to our smallisland, everyone relies on the summer and fall tourist trade to make it throughthe long winters. With day-trippers cut out from Hatteras direction, the season remains somewhatuncertain. Rumors abound that NCDOT will have road repairs by the third week of September, but there are somany variables in the repair involving weather and the ocean that there can befew guarantees.

Returning on the Swan Quarter Ferry with some pretty cool trucks!

Inthe end as we keep Hatteras Islanders and friends from Down East all the way upthe coast into Vermont in our thoughts, we can be thankful that hurricaneIrene’s physical effects on Ocracoke were minimal.


Many treasures are washing up after the storm.

And more unusual visitors

For now, spread the word. Ocracoke is fine and open for the fallseason!

Not many visitors. Time to have a Traditional Ocracoke Squaredance!

Molasses Creek records Stephen Foster’s “HardTimes Come Again No More”

Original sheet music for Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More"

Marcy and Lou in at Soundside Studios

With all of the storm drama affecting the coast,we couldn’t help but think of Stephen Foster’s heartfelt song “Hard Times.” Last week we went into the studio andrecorded a version to share with all our friends. Listen to it by visiting the Molasses Creek homepage at www.molassescreek.com. The lyrics are below. You can also download it from our site. Feel free to share it with friends.

Renew Yourself at Ocracoke Island’s “Ocrafolk School,” October23-28, 2011!

Every year, travelers retreat to the pristine beaches of thePearl of the Outer Banks, Ocracoke Island, NC for fun, relaxation, and renewal. But come the last week of October there is yet another great reason tojourney to this remote destination. The Ocrafolk School!

This fall retreat for grownups is accepting registrationsfor its fifth year of week-long workshops and activities for adults. Classeswith space still available are "Island Cooking" w/chef DebbieWells, "The Ocracoke Sampler" w/local historian Philip Howard,Capt. Rob Temple and Ranger Dave Frum, "English Paper Piecing (hand piecedquilting)" w/Debbie Block , and "Exploring Ocracoke Music"w/Gary Mitchell of the band Molasses Creek. This year's other offering,"Island Photography" with Ann Ehringhaus, is full and currentlytaking registrations on a waiting-list-only basis. All classes are limited to6-8 students, and the registration deadline is Oct. 3.

Debbie Wells is a local chef of renown, originator of Ocracoke's popular"Back Porch Restaurant" (featured in Saveur, Gourmet, Bon Appetite,The New York Times, and the Washington Post). Her "Island Cooking"class will emphasize local seafood, other meats, some old-time Ocracoke specialties,vegetables, 'Mexican day' with guest chef Eduardo and elegant desserts, andwill include a visit to the local fish house and a clamming trip.

"English Paper Piecing" is an old method of hand piecing quilts. Bybasting fabric onto pre-cut pieces of heavy paper and joining the piecestogether with a simple hand stitch you can create a quilt top of any size ordesign. After learning the basic method from Debbie Block, each participantwill work on a design of their choosing using squares, diamond, triangle and/orhexagon shaped pieces. No experience necessary but a love of fabric,color and quilts will help you to enjoy this class.

Ocracoke Island is known for having quite a vibrant music scene. In the"Exploring Ocracoke Music" class, students will spend the week'behind the scenes' with Gary Mitchell of the Ocracoke band Molasses Creek(award winners from A Prairie Home Companion) exploring and visiting themusicians, rehearsals, recording studios, history, venues and local radio thatmake it all happen. No musical experience is necessary, but certainly welcome.

Philip Howard, eighth generation islander and descendent of thequartermaster on Blackbeard's ship, joins Capt. Rob Temple and ranger Dave Frumto bring alive Ocracoke history in the "Ocracoke Sampler" class.Students will hear island stories, see fifty-year-old Ocracoke home movies, beguided through ancient family cemeteries, read original Life Saving Serviceshipwreck logs, sail on the schooner Windfall 2, sing sea-chanteys, listen totraditional ghost tales, tour a preserved maritime forest, and much more.

The school, which began in 2007, is held yearly the last full week of Octoberand includes workshops exploring island history, culture, food, art, music andcrafts through hands-on activities. In addition to the classes, studentsparticipate in group meals, music and other events throughout the course of theweek. The Ocrafolk School is sponsored by the private non-profit "OcracokeAlive".

For more information, email gary@ocrafolkschool.org, call 252-928-4280 or visit www.ocrafolkschool.org.

Evacuating from Hurricane Irene: Band on the run from Ocracoke Island!

2011-08-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hi there fans of Molasses Creek!

As many of you have probably guessed, officials at our home on Ocracoke Island, NC, declared evacuation yesterday to prepare visitors and residents for hurricane Irene. We had to cancel the Wednesday Ocrafolk Opry, and Thursday Molasses Creek shows at our Deepwater Theater so that we could race around securing our homes in anticipation of high winds and probable flood waters coming through the village. Move those picnic tables! Board those windows! Tie down those propane tanks!

For those of you unfamiliar with our island home, Ocracoke is 23 miles of the coast of North Carolina and is only accessible by ferry, a 2.5 hour ferry to the mainland "ports" of Swan Quarter and Cedar Island, or a 40 minute ferry ride to Hatteras Island to the north. Right now the track of hurricane Irene centers right over the Outer Banks, and although visitors are required to evacuate, the 950 island residents have approximately two more days to make the decision of whether they would like to leave or stay. Once winds reach 50 mph the ferries will stop running and your decision will have been made!

Currently, Fiddler Dave and family (Amy and son Lachlan), and Gary and Kitty (wife), are heading towards Chapel Hill and Burlington to sit out the storm, while Marcy and Lou are planning to hunker down on the island. Although all of the island businesses regretfully close their doors and hope for safe passage through the storm, some residents are taking advantage of this enforced vacation to spend a couple of days traveling and being tourists! Remaining Ocracokers gather together in safe houses wait out the fury of mother nature, playing and writing music, feasting, and telling stories.

The small Ocracoke School (K-12, 150 students) was actually set to begin tomorrow, but has obviously been postponed so that residents can prepare for Saturday afternoon landfall. During hurricanes we can almost be assured that the power will be out for a while, and that the village will see flooding. Sometimes the storm surge brings enough water into town so that motor boats and kayaks can travel down the streets. Fortunately, the water eventually washes over the and through the town and then out into the sound (or vice versa depending on where the wind is driving from).

Because the beaches of Ocracoke are all protected by the National Park Service, there is no building right at the dunes. We can only hope that the wisdom of past generations to place their houses tucked back towards the soundside will help us today in providing the most sheltered spots away from the wrath of the storms. But nature is fickle and time will tell. We will try to keep you posted on the storms effects on the island with updates from our island families . . . and perhaps some pictures!

Here's the band news!

Molasses Creek at Greenville Sunday in the Park

One of our favorite performances every year is Greenville Sunday in the Park in Greenville, NC. This year we narrowly evaded a stormy August 14th, but by the time 7 PM rolled around the temperature was perfect and the 600 attendees were ready to listen and dance. Our friends the Green Grass Cloggers were on hand to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Molasses Creek will be backing them up at a big birthday bash on Nov 5 at Wright Auditorium at UNC Greenville, NC. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cfac/SRAPAS/. Hope to see you there! Thanks for the concert producer, Stuart Aronsen, for these great photos!

Molasses Creek featured on the Best of WUNC's Back Porch Music Sampler Vol 13

For 34 years, WUNC radio out of the University of Chapel Hill, NC has hosted a wonderful music program called "Back Porch Music." Hosts Freddy Jenkins and Keith Weston have kept the tapes (and CDs) rolling on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Freddy and Keith chose Molasses Creek's "Red Haired Boy Meets Miss Liza" off of Molasses Creek's 9th release, Follow the Heron Home. For stations and online listening options visit http://wunc.org/programs/backporchmusic. Listen to the entire track at Molasses Creek's Follow the Heron Home page at http://www.molassescreek.com/heron.cfm

Fiddler Dave Appears in the German "Brigitte" Magazine

Over a year ago, German travel writer Beatrix Gerstberger came to Ocracoke Island to write about magical places along the coast of North Carolina. While on the island she interviewed Fiddler Dave, Fiddler Dave's wife Amy Howard, and her father Philip Howard. Little did Beatrix know before the interview that both Philip and Amy had spent time in Germany and had friends over there keeping an eye out for articles on friends in the states.

Fast forward to June of 2011, when one of Amy's friends in Berlin, Germany, Jule Heiniche, happened to pick up a copy of Brigitte while waiting for her hair cut at a salon. The magazine is a slick production akin to Cosmopolitan. Jule began leafing through the travel section and turned to an article on North Carolina (since she had just returned from a stateside visit earlier that month). Much to her surprise, she came across a picture of Fiddler Dave sitting on the steps of his father-in-law's gypsy wagon sawing away! "Geiger Dave Tweedie" hopes to tour to German hair salons with Molasses Creek sometimes next year! Perhaps a little curly perm? Here is a picture of the entire Molasses Creek crew around Philip Howard's styling travel trailer.

Photo by Ann Ehringhaus

Guitarland with Louie!
by Lou Castro

I can’t believe it, but lately I’ve found some great guitars! Or have these great guitars found me? I’ve been getting into jazz with my friend Serge Gracovetsky (not his real name) and tried many of my rock and roll guitars with the Ocracoke Jazz Society. I’ve always been a Hendrix freak so my guitars generally all have or can get a “single coil” pick up sound in the neck position. This is why I generally use Stratocasters or Fender/Strat type guitars for electric gigs. However, none of these could really deliver a nice full even tone across the strings (all over the fretboard). I even tried a Telecaster with heavy strings, but Serge kept saying “No,no,no, zees will not work. Zees is unacceptable. Zees will not do.” so I ended up “borrowing” Aaron Caswell’s (not his real name) hollow body Ibanez AF75-BS for a year.

In the meantime I shopped around for my own “jazz box” and finally found a fantastic deal in the Dean Palomino! This jazz box cost around $450.00-$500.00! I had Betsey Paulson, at the Music and Consignment Shop in Kill Devil Hills, order it, (she’s a Dean dealer). I removed the pickguard immediately and gave it to Jack Willis. This guitar does not rattle or have weird overtones. It has so much bass in the neck pick-up that I matched the Dean with a tube amp that I found to be painfully tinny and the combination is unbeatable!

This brings me to the features that made me choose the Dean over an Ibanez (whose stuff I love and own – used to work for ‘em. They are always innovating – more on that later!) I have lately been looking for an electric guitar with P-90’s like an old 50’s-60’s Gibson Les Paul, Les Paul Special, Les Paul Jr., Les Paul Jr. Doublecut(away) or Melodymaker for some screaming Duane Allman slide guitar tone. This guitar comes stock with three P-90’s and a 5 way pick-up selector switch so I can get jazz, country, blues, rockabilly, 50’s rock n roll, slide guitar AND strat sounds! Plus it has a rockin’ Florentine cutaway (pointy cutaway!) Leave it to a metal guitar company to come up with this screamer! I used it with the Ocracoke Rockers for Jim and Mary Ellen Piland’s (not their real names) party and took it for a stroll down the old rail at the community center! It’s a great guitar that can take a beating and plays all styles of music with class. It’s like a Gibson ES-175 with 3 P-90 pickups!!!!! It also has a sweet Treble Clef trapeze tailpiece and a natural blonde finish.

Here is the winner of Fiddler Dave's Fig Preserves. Please contact us to confirm your mailing address.

Anna O'Hara ~ Facebook fan

That's all for the time being. Keep checking back for updates! Here is our performance schedule!

Fiddler Dave, Gary, Marcy, Lou, & Gerald

Molasses Creek Fall Mini-tour, Soundside Studio News, Fig Heaven

2011-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for figs on Molasses Creek's Ocracoke Island!

Molasses Creek Plans October Mini-Tour

Molasses Creek is working on fall dates, especially for a tiny-tour around the DC area for October. Here are the current dates confirmed. We are always looking for other possible additions to the calendar, so don't hesitate to contact us with suggestions! Many times, it is a fan that makes the important connection with a local arts council, concert hall, or non-profit to make the concert possible!

August 14 ~ Sunday Concert in the Park, Town Park, Greenville NC 7 PM
September 25 ~ Carrboro Music Festival, Carrboro, NC. 6 PM, Century Center
October 12 ~ (Wed) Private performance for the Newmar RV group at the Camp Hatteras RV Resort, Waves, NC
October 13 ~ Avalon Theatre - Stoltz Listening Room, Easton, MD
October 14 ~ TBA
October 15 ~ Concert with the Carroll County Arts Council, Westminster, MD
October 16 ~ Looking for suggestions!
November 4 ~ Pittsboro General Store, Pittsboro, NC. 8-10:30
November 5 ~ NC Museum of History, Grand Opening of NC Coastal Exhibit, 11 AM, Raleigh, NC
November 5 ~ Green Grass Cloggers 40th Anniversary Concert, Wright Auditorium, UNC Greenville, NC

Check out the master calendar at the end of this blog to see when Molasses Creek is playing at home at Deepwater Theater.

Molasses Creek's Catharsis: "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" Song Detail

LOUIE! LOUIE! Move AWAY from that VOCAL MIKE!

We always like to tease Molasses Creek band member Lou Castro about singing lead on songs. Many of you who have seen the band live have been wowed by Lou's musical talents on just about any instrument he picks up: guitar, bass, resonator guitar, dobro, lap steel. A graduate of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Lou is a musician's musician, with extraordinary improvisational skills and a musical mind that can map the leads and chordal path of a song, all while eating a 3 AM cheese sandwich. Lou's love of playing music is matched by an enthusiasm for teaching, and an endless patience for working with students at any musical level. He works with many young students in and out of Ocracoke Island's K-12 school, and can be found playing about 10 times a week during the summer season on the island.

Although an amazing instrumentalist, Lou is rarely found singing lead at Molasses Creek shows, so it was a real treat to capture Lou on tape for the new Molasses Creek album, Catharsis. Lou sings lead on the old Billy Mayhew song "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie." This week we have unmasked the entire track on the Catharsis page so that you can listen to the whole thing!

It's a Sin to Tell a Lie
By Billy Mayhew

Be sure it's true when you say 'I Love You'
It's a sin to tell a lie
Billions of hearts have been broken
Just cause these words were spoke
I love you, yes I do, I really love you
But if you break my heart I'll die
So be sure that it's true when you say I love you
It's a sin to tell lie

News from Gary and Soundside Studio
by Gary Mitchell

Fiddler Dave and Gary at Soundside Studios

I have recently been working with John Golden on arranging and recording John's new song "The Fate of the Ariosto" about an interesting and tragic shipwreck that happened off the coast of Ocracoke in the last century. It's a terrific song with a twist that actually ties in to Fiddler Dave's family history (and it's true!). Look for it to be released on a Soundside Records CD later this year.

Many of you have enjoyed seeing the Green Grass Cloggers dance at the Ocrafolk Festival every year, but you may not realize that one of their members, Chad Smith, is a wonderful pianist. I've recently done some mastering for Chad on a new original composition of his entitled "The Last Day". It's quite beautiful, and I hope to hear more soon!

Joe Godbout came in to the studio last week with his cousin Michele from Montreal to record 4 new songs of his. Every summer Joe comes to Ocracoke with a giant contingent of family (40 or more!) and he usually has some new songs he has written about some of his clan. He likes to record those and give for Christmas gifts, etc., and I'm sure the family loves them (although he sometimes writes about someone embarrassing themselves, so watch out)!

If you are interested in finding more information out about Soundside Studios, find Gary's contact page at the Soundside Records website.

Molasses Creek's Marcy Brenner . . . A Sassy Lady!

A professional storyteller, Lou Ann’s delivery is funny and irreverent, she likes to share her
personal, all-true tales of travel and adventure. Lately, she's been working on stories with such universal themes as skinny-dipping, camping in yurts, and nude Bingo. But where to tell them? At a late night show, of course!

She asked Sundae and Marcy to join her and embellish the storytelling with some musical interludes. They jumped at the chance to perform songs they'd loved for a long time -- songs that were waiting in the wings for the right venue and the right audience. Drawing on a long tradition of sassy songs, Sundae and Marcy found a bawdy Irish ballad, a funny folk tune, a sultry song, a country classic, and a girly pop song with the catchiest chorus you don't want to be caught singing aloud.

“From the time I found a temporary tattoo on each chair for the members of the audience, I knew it was going to be fun...and it was!” Dallie Turner

Flourishing Figs!
by Fiddler Dave Tweedie

Baby fig trees for sale at the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum

Every part of the world has a natural bounty. When I'm working in my garden here on Ocracoke Island I often dream of a bountiful blueberry bush, corn, a closer proximity to a dairy farm so that I can make cheese, a larger than 20x20 raised bed, the list goes on. . . . But come late July and early August I'm happy to stay put because that is fig season. On Ocracoke, there are about a dozen different types of fig trees with exotic names such as blue, lemon, pound, sugar, celeste, brown turkey, & yellow. This year, the Ocrafolk Festival image featured the fig and the back of the T-shirt contained a fig cake recipe compiled by Ocracoke chef extraordinaire Debbie Wells.

Fig trees are found in every little niche and cranny of the 2 mile square Ocracoke village. Early in Ocracoke's settlement, island residents recognized that fig trees loved the moist coastal environment, endured the occasional saltwater flooding, and in the height of summer produced so prolifically that they were cause for celebration. Island legend says that a fig tree will only flourish next to a house that is lived in because it likes the company. This is true, although more so for the dishwater and clam shells that are tossed at its roots than for any social reason.

The fig is an odd looking little fruit and is about as far from a Newton (and much better tasting) as a fresh steak is from year old beef jerky. Figs are juicy, succulent, and sweetly refreshing. They are perfect to grab right off the tree for a snack as you swing by mowing the lawn. This week, my wife and mother-in-law have been frequenting a neighbor's tree (with permission of course), and have walked away every three days with about 8 pounds of figs each time.

One partnership that the fig tree does require to produce fruit is one with the fig wasp. Each species of fig has a one to one relationship with a type of small wasp. If you are squeemish about the idea of eating microscopic bugs and want to continue eating figs in peace . . . don't read the rest of this article.

The tiny female wasp pollinates the fruit by pushing herself inside the green figs. The fit is so tight that the entrance rips her wings off. As she pushes into this "flower" she pollinates it with pollen that she brought with her from her birth fig. She lays her eggs inside the "flower" and dies. When the tree detects the presence of the eggs it surrounds eggs with tissue which then becomes food for the newly hatching larva. Males hatch first and after mating with the females they enlarge holes in the fig so that the females can exit without losing their wings. And then the whole process starts again, and we get the figs (For more information visit http://cloudbridge.org/fig-wasp.htm).

Start with Fig Preserves

Figs boiling away on the stove

First you need Fig Preserves. You can either purchase some (contact the Village Craftsmen through their website at www.villagecraftsmen.com or give them a call at 252-928-5541) or make your own. If starting from scratch, use 6 lbs of figs (stems cut off), 4 cups of sugar, two lemons cut into quartered slices and de-seeded. Boil them 4-6 hours on low, making sure that your stir often enough to prevent the sugary mix from adhering to the bottom of the pan and scorching. Once the mixture has cooked down, you can can them in a water bath as you would other fruit preserves. Some folks like the figs chopped up . . . in most cases the figs break down a bit during the boil.

After some time, the figs break down . . .now you need to boil off some liquid

Fig Cake Recipe

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. buttermilk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup walnuts coarsely chopped
2 cups of fig preserves chopped

Grease and flour one large tube or bundt pan
Preheat oven to 350

In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs until light and foamy. Add sugar and beat until pale, add oil slowly and beat another minute. Sift together flour, spices, salt and soda. Add to eggs alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in figs, nuts and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan and place in preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in pan for 20 minutes then invert onto a rack and cool completely. Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy.

Thanks to Debbie Wells and the Ocrafolk Festival for sharing this recipe!

***

Here are the Molasses Creek Catharsis drawing winners! Make sure you are signed up on our Molasses Creek e-News list and are a fan Molasses Creek Facebook to be elgible! Next Blog's drawing winner will receive some of Fiddler Dave's Fig Preserves!

Week 1

Jenny Osborne ~ Facebook Winner

Lynne Weber ~ Molasses Creek e-Newslist Winner

Week 2

Vernon Joyner ~ Facebook Winner

Elizabeth Evans ~ Molasses Creek e-Newslist Winner

Week 3

Adam Hamilton ~ Facebook Winner

TBA ~ Molasses Creek e-Newslist Winner

Week 4

Georgia Deardoff ~ Facebook Winner

TBA ~ Molasses Creek e-Newslist Winner

If you are a winner, please contact Fiddler Dave for address confirmation so we can send you your Catharsis CD!

New CD "Catharsis" and a new website to match!

2011-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

We have liftoff! Molasses Creek's Catharsis CD is in orbit . . .new MC website is up and running!

We gave our tour sponsors a special sneak peak of the new Molasses Creek album at the beginning of June . . . and now the new release , Catharsis, is available for online purchase at our brand new Molasses Creek website. Go to www.molassescreek.com and click on the cover of the new album on the home page, and you will be taken to the Catharsis page where you can hear audio samples from the new release and read more about it. The whole gang is really excited about this recording. Hope that you can’t wait to get your hands on it too! We also wanted to let you know that all through July we will have weekly drawings from our Newsletter e-list and Facebook Likes list for the new CD. Sign on up and you could be a winner!

Deepwater Theater Opens for the Season on Ocracoke Island

Molasses Creek opened up the season at our Deepwater Theater the first week of June. This year on Monday nights, Amy & Philip Howard (with Fiddler Dave) host an evening of Ocracoke Stories, Wednesday nights feature island musicians and storytellers at the Ocrafolk Opry, and Thursday Molasses Creek takes to the stage for an all new 2011 showcase. Tickets are available for shows at the door or online a www.deepwatertheater.com. Door opens at 7:30 PM for evening shows, and performances begin at 8:00 PM. For more details and pricing visit the Deepwater Theater website.

Also this year, we have special guests on Tuesday afternoons at 3:00 PM from up the Outer Banks . . .the NC Marionette Theatre has been traveling our way to do an adaptation of Tom Ben and the Pirate Blackbeard. Their impressive production includes a wonderful soundtrack, beautiful scene changes, and actual firing cannons!

Plans Underway for Molasses Creek Fall and Spring Tour

Molasses Creek will be heading north in October to give a performance at the Carroll County Arts Council in Westminster, MD at 7:30 PM on Saturday , October 15. We are looking to add a few more dates on this mini-tour, so if you have any requests or suggestions, please let us know!

Also, in April/May of 2012 we will be doing another Northeast tour, traveling up to Saratoga Springs to play on Saturday, April 28 at the renown Cafe Lena . . . one of the oldest and most revered concert coffeehouses in the United States. "It is an internationally renowned cultural center and an American treasure. Opened in 1960, the café has helped to launch many of America's best loved songwriters, including Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Ani DiFranco and many more." In the weeks surrounding this performance we are playing to be touring through Vermont, Boston area, and Washington DC. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have concert suggestion near your home!

Island Life ~ Ants in the Garden, Ants in the Kitchen, Ants at Suppertime!
by Fiddler Dave

Ants, ants everywhere. Visitors to Ocracoke Island often contact their rental agency about the presence of ants in their rental house. This time of year, the small little critters invade our houses searching diligently for any little scrap of food to take back to the nest. Unscrew your honey jar, and . . .what? How did it get in there?! Even the cleanest of homes can have lines of these little visitors honing their survival skills in little caravans up the walls, out of the electric sockets, investigating the fruit bowl. You have to admire their tenacity and resilience. They also don’t seem to be slowed much by ant poison . . . and if you don’t like to spray poisons around your house . . . you just try the best you can to keep food out of their way.

In other ant news, I was out in my little garden today squishing aphids (placed and milked by ants no doubt). They mainly inhabit my tomato plants . . . this year I have a few cherries, better-boys, a Mr. Stripey, as well as some peppers, purple and green basil, watermelon, and a very happy fig tree in the corner which will probably take over the entire garden in a couple of years.

Here on the island, good soil is hard to find. Although I augment mine with some local horse manure and fish carcasses from the Working Waterman’s Association Fish House, to start things out I ordered a dump truck load of cotton compost from Swan Quarter. Although I’m not thrilled about what farmers spray on cotton, after a couple years of composting . . . I hope most of the sprays have broken down, and the plants are sure happy with the soil. My garden is a two foot high raised bed about 20x15, so maximizing growing in the small space is really important. I just installed a drip irrigation system to be most efficient with watering in the summertime. I'll let ya know how things turn out!

Molasses Creek Wraps Up Tour, Prepares for Ocrafolk Festival!

2011-05-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Molasses Creek at the USS Constitution in Boston
(Isn't this near where they threw the molasses in the harbor?)

Howdy there fans!

When last we blogged, we were heading for a performance at the Skinny Pancake in Burlington, VT. On Friday, we traveled down to Randolph, VT for a concert at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Springtime brought out grateful residents and friends, rubbing their eyes as if emerging from a long winter’s nap. Fiddler Dave was delighted to see his friends Andy Stewart and MJ Slattery who he met and fiddled with in the Shetland Islands way back in 1994.

What a Cilley Bridge!

The Molasses Creek visited with friends and fellow artists Barb & Scott, and George & Jacquline (frying pan returned!). Every fall this crew comes down to Ocracoke for a visit. Thanks for the wonderful breakfast!

From Vermont, the MC tour van traveled to Dublin, NH for a Saturday performance at DelRosis’s Trattoria, and then landed in the evening at Put and Nannie Brown’s house in West Granby, CT. Molasses Creek first met Put and Nannie through Donald and Merle Davis on Ocracoke Island. Fiddler Dave wrote them an anniversary waltz entitled “Old Leather Waltz” on his Brothers from Another Time Cd. The Browns had lined up a fundraiser performance for the Granby Land Trust at the South Congregational Church (thank you Denny!). The evening featured a chili and cornbread dinner and a warm and enthusiastic audience!

At the Granby Land Trust Concert

The followed days, our crew enjoyed the generosity hospitality, stories, and nature walks with Put and Nannie before heading Boston direction.

In Put Brown's garage!

In Boston, we were welcomed by David’s cousin Janet and her husband Mike and daughters Hannah and Madeline. We spent Wednesday and Thursday seeing some sights of the big city (Harvard, MIT Museum, Freedom Trail, USS Constitution, Cheers Bar, Beacon Hill), and then dashed to Norwich, CT on Friday for a concert with the Chelsea Players hosted at the United Congregational Church.

Old North Church in Boston . . . one if by land, two if by sea!

A lane on Beacon Hill

Treasures in Little Italy in Boston

Of course, Molasses Creek went to Harvard!

Returning to the Boston region on Saturday for a concert at the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham, we were delighted to have in the audience Ocracoke resident, Susan Dodd, Ocrafolkie Rick Lee, David’s college roommate Chris Hass (and wife Katherine), and all the Tweedie relatives. Thanks so much to Michael Moran for hosting us for another enjoyable performance!

On Sunday, we wrapped up the tour in Pomfret, CT at the Vanilla Bean Restaurant. Ocracoke friend, Tom Pahl, helped line up another great visit to this picturesque town. Thanks to our gracious hosts Howie Bursen and Sally Rogers (and their daughter Maya) for again rolling out the welcome mat!

Louie's backpack finally gets the best of him!

After all all night drive down the eastern seaboard, Molasses Creek landed on Ocracoke Island via the 2 o’clock Hatteras Ferry. A day of rest and we were back into the studio to wrap up tracks for the new Molasses Creek album, Catharsis. The remainder of the week was spent preparing for the Easter Ocrafolk Festival Fundraising Concert on Saturday at the Ocracoke Community Center. In addition to Molasses Creek, this concert featured performances by Donald Davis, Capt. Rob Temple and Sundae Horn, and Aaron Caswell. The evening raised over $1700 in support of the Ocrafolk Festival 2011! Thanks to all the performers, bakers, and volunteers who help make the evening such a wonderful success.

Heading up pretty quick on our calendar we have a Molasses Creek tour wrapup concert at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 4 at Deepwater Theater to benefit the Ocracoke Preservation Society. May 19-21 Molasses Creek will attend the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference in Montreat, NC, and then all eyes (and ears and muscles) will be focused on producing this year’s Ocrafolk Festival, to be held in Ocracoke Village on June 3-5. The summer is almost here! Whew!

Molasses Creek would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the Tour Sponsors who pledged to help make our Northeast Tour possible. In addition, we would like to thank all of the friends and family who helped house and feed the band, produce the concerts, and corral their friends to fill the audiences along the way. The life of a touring artists is a lot of hard work, and it wouldn’t be possible without your help and support. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR DREAMS!

Gary, Fiddler Dave, Marcy, Lou, and Gerald

Molasses Creek.

2011 Northeast Tour Sponsors!

Douglas McLaughlin

Gregg Southard

Kati Wharton

Jane Stott

Ward Kelsey

David Masaitis

Mary Tribble

John and Emy Hinnant

Liz Saylor

Thomas McGivern

Vickie A. Pavlik

John and Dolores Gilbert
Rod Osborne

Kevin Driscoll

JoAnn & Walter Shaub

Deborah T. Leonard

Kathleen A. Weiss

Gary & Trisha L. Davis

Nora & Ed Pascht

Lisa Fitzgerald

Mike Sloan

Ed S Mann

Rev. Kelli Sorg

Roger Weller

Stewart Aly and Annie

John Smith

Heidi R. Bokesch

Dolores Winterstein

Jacques Patry

Steve Wright

Lisa Rauh

H. Nelson Bsitzel Jr.

Julie Archer

Jay D Myers

David Elkin

Bruce E. Smith

Jean Peterson

Jeanne McDougall

Thomas Poorman

Mark Cuddy

Virginia Hayes

Barbara Eames

Peggy Mull

Susan Dee

Alan Lewis

Bette & Patrick Tefft

Barbara Carr

Nancy Lynk

Charles and Nancy Scholes

Larry and Chrstine Deyss

Catherine McDonald

Edward Leslie

Linda Scarborough

Tom Duca and Catherine Seidenberg

Lauren Murphy
Celeste Breza

Timothy Good
Debra Schneider
Rick Orluk and Trish Percvial
Barbara Boss Powell
David Chase
Michael and Karen Antonucci
Lynette Simpson
Laura Fetridge
Joe O'Brien
Karen McNey
Put and Nannie Brown
Herman Weingart
Irene Leber/Fennessy
Matt Tweedie
Polly S. Patterson
Susan Boland
Beverly and Allen Chambers
David John & Sherri Philpott

Molasses Creek visits the Big Apple (and little apples too)

2011-04-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hello followers of the Molasses Creek Tour!

When we last wrote, the band had landed in Delmar and was spending the week seeing the sights of the area. Marcy, Lou, Fiddler Dave, Amy Howard and Lachlan traveled in to New York City to get a taste of the Big Apple. Marcy and Lou traveled to Ellis Island to try and find details about the arrival of relatives to the United States, while Amy, Lachlan and David made their way from the Southern tip of Manhattan up to Central Park. Here are some pictures.

Lachlan at the Trinity Root at St. Paul's Chapel near Ground Zero

Construction at Ground Zero

Eating Chinese baked goodies in Chinatown

Indoor Ferriswheel at Toys R Us in Times Square

Lego Spaceman Spiff

Lego Statue of Liberty

Lego Empire State Building (and King Kong)

Worn out? Not yet! Waiting for the train. . .

Gerald Hampton's wife Beth flew in on Wednesday to spend a couple of days around Albany before she (and Amy and Lachlan) headed back south.

On Saturday, April 2, Molasses Creek drove North to Whallonsburg, NY near Essex for an afternoon family workshop and evening concert at the Grange Hall. The small town of Whallonsburg used to be a tiny industrial hub with several mills, a railroad depot, and a couple of hotels. When the railroad depot burned in a fire and was relocated two miles away, Whallonsburg fell into decline. Although situated on the western shore of the beautiful Lake Champlain, the region has met with economic challenges within recent times, but seemed to have a number of artists and creative folks coming back to the area to set up small organic farms, bicycle powered technology workshops, and to bask in the beauty of the rolling hills and mountains and gorgeous waters. Many thanks to Molasses Creek friend Mary-Nell Bockman for inviting us to the community. We had a great time and will definitely be heading back that way in the near future.

The Whallonsburg Grange Hall

One of the beautiful painted backdrops at the Grange

On Sunday, April 3 Molasses took the Plattsburgh ferry over to Vermont and drove to the Bee's Knees in Morrisville for a brunch concert before returning west (via the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory) to Charlotte, VT to stay with Alison Newman.

I can never remember which one is Ben and which is Jerry. . .

Alison and her mother Susan Stuck are Ocracoke friends and neighbors.

Alison graciously welcomed the Molasses invasion and the band stayed overnight on Sunday before heading North to Montreal, Canada for a visit with another Ocracoke couple Serge and Genvieve Gracovetsky. Visitors to the Ocrafolk Festival may know Serge from his work and creation of the Ocracoke Jazz Society. The couple split their time between Ocracoke in the winter and Montreal in the summer.

Serge and Genvieve took the band to visit the old city, the underground, the Formula 1 track (where Gary got to drive!), and the Bio-Sphere, where Gary, Marcy, Lou and Gerald tried to find a proper habitat for Fiddler Dave. Although they failed in this quest, Gary did get a couple of nice looking new ears.

Caught Serge on Camera!

On Tuesday evening, Molasses Creek returned to Charlotte, VT and prepared for an early morning school residency in Bristol, VT.

Another couple originally from Ocracoke, Bertil and Alicia Kurth, have settled in Bristol and Alicia invited us to her elementary school on Wednesday for performances for the 3-5 grades and K-2 grades before teaching some Ocracoke square-dancing to the 4th graders. The kids were wonderful audiences, learning all about Ocracoke Island, music instruments, Blackbeard's history, and how to "wring their dishrag" during the promenade. At the end, Louie had 4th graders screaming and dancing to an imprompto Beatles song.

After school we did some sightseeing south of Middlebury College to visit the workshop where Bertil does his fine woodworking.

This evening we are heading in to Burlington for a concert at the Skinny Pancake. Look below for more upcoming concerts!

Who is this Character anyway?

58 TOUR SPONSORS AS OF 4/7/2011!

As of April 7 there are 58 folks who have signed on to be tour sponsors and help Molasses Creek travel along their way through New England. Each of the following folks have contributed $30 to help pay for tires, shocks, and the new roof carrier for the band. Come June each of them will receive a brand new Molasses Creek "Catharsis" album autographed from the band with many thanks. If you would to join their ranks, you can find out more information by clicking on the below image link.

Thanks again for everyone's support!

Your Molasses Creek crew!

****

Molasses Creek 2011 Spring Tour Sponsors. Thanks for traveling with us! Yippee!!!

Douglas McLaughlin

Gregg Southard

Kati Wharton

Jane Stott

Ward Kelsey

David Masaitis

Mary Tribble

John and Emy Hinnant

Liz Saylor

Thomas McGivern

Vickie A. Pavlik

John and Dolores Gilbert
Rod Osborne

Kevin Driscoll

JoAnn & Walter Shaub

Deborah T. Leonard

Kathleen A. Weiss

Gary & Trisha L. Davis

Nora & Ed Pascht

Lisa Fitzgerald

Mike Sloan

Ed S Mann

Rev. Kelli Sorg

Roger Weller

Stewart Aly and Annie

John Smith

Heidi R. Bokesch

Dolores Winterstein

Jacques Patry

Steve Wright

Lisa Rauh

H. Nelson Bsitzel Jr.

Julie Archer

Jay D Myers

David Elkin

Bruce E. Smith

Jean Peterson

Jeanne McDougall

Thomas Poorman

Mark Cuddy

Virginia Hayes

Barbara Eames

Peggy Mull

Susan Dee

Alan Lewis

Bette & Patrick Tefft

Barbara Carr

Nancy Lynk

Charles and Nancy Scholes

Larry and Chrstine Deyss

Catherine McDonald

Edward Leslie

Linda Scarborough

Tom Duca and Catherine Seidenberg

Lauren Murphy
Celeste Breza

Timothy Good

Molasses Creek Skis through Pittsburgh and Buffalo

2011-03-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hey there Molasses Creek folkies,

When we last blogged we were about to enter onto the stage for a sold out show in Frederick, MD. The show was a great success and we enjoyed a wonderful visit with Marcy Brenner’s sister and husband. We then traveled to Pittsburgh, PA on Monday and enjoyed stretching our legs in the sunny 60 degree temperatures. While in town we stayed and feasted with our good friends and longtime Ocracoke visitors, MR and Ward Kelsey. Highland Park and the Pittsburgh Zoo were nearby our hosts' home, and the reservoir at the top of the park boasted a wonderful view of the surrounding area.

Last year you may remember that we kicked off a new concert series at the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh. This tour we traveled north to Cranberry Township for a fundraising concert at the Dutihl Episcopal Church. The concert helped raise funds for a youth mission trip to Charleston, SC. We met the church music director, Lyn Marsh (and her husband Charles), on Ocracoke last fall and they invited us to their home town while in the Pittsburgh area. Once we arrived and set up we met a young musician, Avery, who joined us on banjo for a driving rendition of Blackberry Blossom and Keep on the Sunny Side.

A beautiful cake from Lyn Marsh!

On Wednesday night we stayed in the city to perform a house concert at the home of Cindy Harris. Cindy is well known in the folk world as an autoharpist, and has traded tunes with many of the Ocrafolk Festival musicians of yore (Bob Zentz, Bryan Bowers, and Michael Stanwood). Thanks so much to the Kelseys, Marshes, and Cindy and her husband for bringing us to Steeler Territory!

On Thursday, we shuffled up to Buffalo . . . noticing quite a change in the weather as icy winds off the great lakes blew snow into the region. Fiddler Dave’s mother grew up in Niagara Falls, so he was a little more familiar with the region albeit during the summer season. Family friend, Joelle Logue, worked with the YWCA to orchestrate a wonderful evening of Music with a Message, featuring a presentation of the documentary film on Marcy Brenner’s experiences with breast cancer, entitled Dead Girl Walking. Filmmaker Ray Schmidt created the work after meeting Marcy and Lou at a Coyote concert on Ocracoke Island back in 2008. This inspiring film won the Grace Award at the Breastfest Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, as well an Award of Excellence at the West Virginia Film Festival. After the movie showing and a question and answer with Marcy Brenner, the rest of the Molasses Creek crew joined her for a set of songs.

The concert took place at the Riviera Theater in North Tonawanda, one of the few remaining theaters in the US to boast a mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ (the Wurlitzer factory was actually within a half hour of the theater).

Our theater host, Jim Pritchard, explained that the area of North Tonawanda became an instrumental shipping location because of its proximity to the great lakes and ease of access to the region before Niagara Falls. The elegance of the 1200 seat Rivera theater is proof of the success of industry in the area. We have included some photos for you here as well as some backstage film footage of Fiddler Dave and Amy Howard’s son Lachlan, dancing to the colorful pipes of the organ.

On Friday after the concert, we traveled to see the sights of Niagara Falls . . . . beautifully snowy and chilly.

Fiddler Dave and family also visited the Niagara Falls aquarium where Dave and Lachlan fell into a shark tank and were almost eaten by a great white, and played with some very hungry and active seals.

On Saturday, everyone drove to Albany NY for an evening radio interview with Wanda Fischer on the Hudson River Sampler at WAMC radio.

Wanda Fischer hosts Molasses Creek on WAMC's Hudson River Sampler

Tight fit but we did it!

Wanda has twice chosen Molasses Creek albums to be amongst her top picks for folk albums of the year (thank you Wanda!). Gary, Gerald, Marcy, Lou, Fiddler Dave and Dave’s uncle Ron all packed into the radio studio and sang around the can, performing some old favorites as well as new pieces off of the upcoming Molasses Creek album Catharsis. We especially enjoyed Wanda’s questions and interactions during the performances. She gave new meaning to the additional Molasses Creek lyrics to Write Myself a Letter, telling us about her dog that would jump up and “nip ya on the bottom.” Molasses Creek even received a text message “hello” from singer-songwriter Noah Paley who listening in from about 30 minutes away where he was picking up his parents from the airport.

Sunday at 2:00 PM, Molasses Creek gave a performance to a packed house at the Bethlehem Public Library in Delmar, NY. An enthusiastic audience listened, laughed, and sang along to Paradise and Sunny Side. The visit was best summarized by attendee Barbara “You guys are so much fun I’m exhausted!” We had a wonderful time too! Thanks to the friends at the library for hosting us.

Amy Howard documents the making of quiche with Marcy and Fiddler Dave

We will be spending this next week visiting with Fiddler Dave’s aunt and uncle Ron and Carolyn Tweedie, and sightseeing in the area.

We will tell you all about our adventures at the end of this week!

Eating with the Tweedie clan and Molasses Creek

Here Are the Next Dates on the Tour!

Saturday, April 2 ~ 7:30 PM * The Grange in Whallonsburg, NY, http://www.thegrangehall.org
Tel: (518) 962-4386 Email: ghall@westelcom.com

Sunday, April 3 ~ 11 AM * The Bee Knees in Morrisville, VT Come out for brunch and music!
802-888-7889 http://www.thebeesknees-vt.com/

Thanks to our tour sponsors, we aren't packed as high as this fella!

52 TOUR SPONSORS AS OF 3/29/2011

Wow! We are thrilled by the support that everyone has shown along our tour and from home! As of March 29th there are 52 folks who have signed on to be tour sponsors and help Molasses Creek travel along their way through New England. Each of the following folks have contributed $30 to help pay for tires, shocks, and the new roof carrier for the band. Come June each of them will receive a brand new Molasses Creek "Catharsis" album autographed from the band with many thanks. If you would to join their ranks, you can find out more information by clicking on the below image link.

Thanks again for everyone's support!

Your Molasses Creek crew!

Finally Amy appears in a picture . . . !

****

Molasses Creek 2011 Spring Tour Sponsors. Thanks for traveling with us! Yippee!!!

Douglas McLaughlin

Gregg Southard

Kati Wharton

Jane Stott

Ward Kelsey

David Masaitis

Mary Tribble

John and Emy Hinnant

Liz Saylor

Thomas McGivern

Vickie A. Pavlik

John and Dolores Gilbert
Rod Osborne

Kevin Driscoll

JoAnn & Walter Shaub

Deborah T. Leonard

Kathleen A. Weiss

Gary & Trisha L. Davis

Nora & Ed Pascht

Lisa Fitzgerald

Mike Sloan

Ed S Mann

Rev. Kelli Sorg

Roger Weller

Stewart Aly and Annie

John Smith

Heidi R. Bokesch

Dolores Winterstein

Jacques Patry

Steve Wright

Lisa Rauh

H. Nelson Bsitzel Jr.

Julie Archer

Jay D Myers

David Elkin

Bruce E. Smith

Jean Peterson

Jeanne McDougall

Thomas Poorman

Mark Cuddy

Virginia Hayes

Barbara Eames

Peggy Mull

Susan Dee

Alan Lewis

Bette & Patrick Tefft

Barbara Carr

Nancy Lynk

Charles and Nancy Scholes

Larry and Chrstine Deyss

Catherine McDonald

Molasses Creek at the Theatre in Washington

2011-03-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

After rendezvousing with our hosts Rick and Kaye Kohler, we rolled into the beautiful town of Washington, VA (established 1796) for setup and sound check. This wonderful little venue is situated in the idyllic Rappahannock County, with rolling hills and stone walls that evoke images of Scotland and Ireland. The town was originally a trading post on the frontier and was surveyed by a 17 year old George Washington in 1749.

After the sound check at the theater we adjourned to some friends house for a lovely early dinner, and then returned to the theater for a sold out show to an enthusiastic audience.

A creation by Ocracoke's Roy Parsons at display in the Kohler home.

We were getting close to Marcy Brenner's home turf, and many of her friends as well as some blasts from the past from Fiddler Dave's college years were there.

The next morning the crew feasted on pancakes with home ground flour, bacon, eggs, peaches, and maple syrup at Rick and Kaye's (Fabulous hosts! Thank you!), and made an attempting at a wee bit of exercise with a walk in the woods.

Right now we are sound checking at our next concert stop in Frederick, MD at the Cultural Arts Center. Another SOLD OUT show! Showtime is at 7 PM. Hope to see you there!

Thanks to our new tour sponsors!

John and Dolores Gilbert
Rod Osborne

Your Molasses Creek crew!

****
Find out how to become a tour sponsor by clicking the image below.

The Molasses Creek Tour Begins: Turnage Theatre, Washington, NC

2011-03-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Fiddler Dave attaching the roof carrier (he even gets to ride in it!)

Hi there fans,

The island crew (Gary, Dave, Marcy & Lou) spent the past two days planning and packing the van. On our recent week-long Memphis trip we honed our space saving skills, so we actually had room to spare when we caught the 7:00 AM Swan Quarter ferry this morning. Ultimately, that spare room will be filled by Gerald Hampton, his luggage, and most significantly Gerald's standup bass!

With Fiddler Dave up top looks like there is a lot of room!

Too late to turn back now. We're on the Swan Quarter Ferry!

Arriving in Swan Quarter around 9:45, we headed across Lake Mattamaskeet to Fairfield, NC for a morning mini-concert at Mattamaskeet Opportunities. After the concert we headed for Little Washington, NC (not to be confused with Little Washington, VA . . . where we are tomorrow night). On the way on 264 we passed the Zion Episcopal Church and just had to stop and do some singing.

This beautiful building was built in 1856 and boasts some mighty fine natural acoustics.

We recording a brief version of Keep on the Sunny Side -- click here.

Tonight's Concert at the Turnage Theatre in Washington, NC
Join us this evening for a Molasses Creek Concert at the Turnage Theater in Washington, NC at 8 PM. Hope to see you there! Find out more at
http://www.turnagetheater.com/

Tomorrow's Concert at the Washington Theatre in Washington, VA
We have heard rumors that this concert is sold out, but it would be best to double check. We are scheduled to play at 8 PM. For tickets and concert information visit the theater website at http://www.theatre-washington-va.com/index.htm

Many Thanks to This Week's Tour Sponsors!

Thanks so much to the following folks who signed on this week to be tour sponsors! The list is growing and it helps us purchase shocks, tires, and other expensive essentials for our travel van. For those of you who would like to join them, just click on the image above and you can read more about helping us out. For $30, you can lend a hand and receive one of the first copies of the new Molasses Creek album, Catharsis, when it comes out in June . . . autographed with much appreciation from the crew!

Muchas Gracias!

Douglas McLaughlin
Gregg Southard
Kati Wharton
Jane Stott
Vickie A. Pavlik
MR & Ward Kelsey
Mary Tribble
David Masaitis
Thomas McGivern
Liz Saylor
John and Emy Hinnant
Kevin Driscoll
JoAnn & Walter Shaub
Deborah T. Leonard
Kathleen A. Weiss
Gary & Trisha L. Davis
Nora & Ed Pascht

Molasses Creek Prepares for Big Tour and Records a New Album!

2011-03-09T09:50:00.001-08:00

Fiddler Dave's winter garden goes nuts with the sunny weather! Yum!

Hey there folks,

A lot of exciting activities have happened this last week on and off of Ocracoke. As Molasses Creek prepares to launch a month-long Northeast tour and complete recording tracks for its 11th album, warm weather on Ocracoke Island brings a steady stream of spring-breakers to the beach and happiness to salt-sprayed gardens.

Lou and Gerald tackling "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie!"

Marcy and Lou add parts to a track while Mr. Big (Gary Mitchell) masterminds

Mandolin Orange Performs at Deepwater Theater

Mandolin Orange

Last Friday at Deepwater Theater, we the Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series hosted our friends, Mandolin Orange from Chapel Hill, for a day of school residencies and a wonderful evening concert. Mandolin Orange is a band fronted by songwriter Andrew Marlin and vocalist/instrumentalist Emily Frantz. The duo ornaments lyric and harmony-focused tunes with acoustic & electric guitars, fiddle, and mandolin. They are currently finishing up their second album with Jeff and James at Arbor Ridge Studios in Chapel Hill. Wonderful songwriters, performers and people! Take a listen and find out more about them at www.mandolinorange.com

Molasses Creek Joins Mainland Performers at Music Across the Sound
On Saturday all of us traveled over to perform at Music Across the Sound at Mattamaskeet High School in Swan Quarter. In addition to Molasses Creek & Mandolin Orange, the crew was joined by storyteller Rodney Kemp, Jamie Tunnell, the Mac and Tammy McRoy with Chuck Williams, the Snow Hill Baptist Choir, and more! Here are some pictures.

Rodney Kemp

Katy Mitchell

Lou Castro

Mac and Tammy McRoy

Chuck Williams and daughter

Snow Hill Baptist Choir

Mattamaskeet Band

Become a Tour Sponsor and Your Rewards Will Be Endless!

Well perhaps not endless (unless your are referring to a general sense of well-being that will stay with you the rest of your life). But by becoming a tour sponsor YOU WILL BE THE FIRST TO RECEIVE THE HOT NEW MOLASSES CREEK RELEASE, CATHARSIS, AUTOGRAPHED WITH MANY THANKS BY THE BAND, and sent to your doorstep at the beginning of June.

For the mere $30 you will also have your name listed on our tour sponsor page on the website, and will be able to proudly point out to your friends that you helped pay for those new van tires that took Molasses Creek to 15 performances from North Carolina to Maryland, Buffalo to Albany, Vermont to Boston, and back! Thank you! Thank You! Click here (or on the funny little van above) to find out more about sponsorship! Here is where we are going. Please let all your friends know! For more details click on the Google Calendar Shows at the bottom of the page.

Fri Mar 18 8pm – 10pm Molasses Creek Concert with the Beaufort County Arts Council - Turnage Theater, Washington, NC

Sat Mar 19 8pm – 10pm Molasses Creek in Concert at The Washington Theatre, Washington, VA - Washington, VA

Sun Mar 20 7pm – 9pm Molasses Creek in Concert with the Frederick Arts Council - Cultural Arts Center, (15 W. Patrick Street, Frederick), Frederick, MD

Tue Mar 22 7pm – 9pm Molasses Creek in Concert in Cranberry Township (N of Pittsburgh) - Dutilh United Methodist Church, Cranberry Township, PA

Wed Mar 23 7pm – 9pm Molasses Creek House Concert at Music Right Next Door - Pittsburgh, PA

Thu Mar 24 7pm – 9:30pm Molasses Creek Benefit Concert for YWCA Northeast Regional Council - Riviera Theater, North Tonawanda, NY

Sun Mar 27 2pm – 3:30pm Molasses Creek in Concert at the Bethlehem Public Library - Delmar, NY

Sat Apr 2 7:30pm – 9pm Molasses Creek in Concert at The Grange Hall, Whallonsburg, NY - Whallonsburg, NY

Sun Apr 3 11am – 1pm Molasses Creek at the Bee's Knees - The Bee's Knees, 82 Lower Main Street, Morrisville, VT

Thu Apr 7 8pm – 10pm Molasses Creek in Concert at the Skinny Pancake, Burlington, VT - The Skinny Pancake, Burlington, VT

Fri Apr 8 7:30pm – 9pm Molasses Creek in Concert at the Chandler Center for the Arts - Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, VT

Sat Apr 9 8:30pm – 10pm Molasses Creek in Concert at Delrossi's Trattoria, Dublin, NH - Delrossi's Trattoria, Dublin, NH

Fri Apr 15 All day Molasses Creek in Concert: Produced by the Chelsea Players Norwich, CT - Norwich, CT

Sat Apr 16 8pm – 10pm Molasses Creek in Concert at the Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA - Amazing Things Arts Center, 160 Hollis St (Rt 126), Framingham, MA 01702

Sat Apr 17 7pm – 8:30pm Molasses Creek in Concert -- Vanilla Bean Coffeehouse and Restaurant, Pomfret, CT

Folk Alliance Tales

2011-02-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

More news from our Memphis Folk Alliance Adventure . . .

We got to visit with Ocrafolk Festival favorites, Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels and the Honey Dewdrops, as well as Eileen Carson Schatz of the original Green Grass Cloggers (she was up for a Grammy this year), who sent a message out to her Eastern Carolina compatriots . . . “Tell the home team I love them!” Everyone at the Folk Alliance was completely accessible, sharing music, stories, and great advice.

Marcy attended the do-it yourself agent/management seminars along with every songwriting seminar she could get her hands on. “I loved being around other songwriters that look at the world like I do,” she said.

Lou took dobro, harmonica, and pedal steel workshops and built a ukelele in his spare time. He met the originators of the Sacred Steel guitar style and also attended a workshop on using partial Capos, which allow children and handicapped people to easily play guitar.

Fiddler Dave attended music management workshops, a John Hartford fiddling seminar, and a non-profit management class (highly useful for the Ocrafolk Festival).

Gary attended workshops on international touring, hand drumming, and sound engineering, and enjoyed talking shop with legendary sound engineers Bill Vorndick, Charlie Pilser, and Miles Wilkenson. He also chatted with folk legends Rodney Dillard (of the Darling Family fame from the Andy Griffith Show), musician and activist Si Khan, and the Kruger Brothers (and their soundman Philip).

Gerald held his own at the exhibit booth, roping in DJs from across the country to take a listen to Molasses Creek tunes.

Over the weekend Molasses Creek gave two performances. . . the last one was on the top floor of the Marriott Convention Center. Floors 17, 18, and 19 were completely reserved for Folk Alliance Showcases. When we extracted ourselves from the elevator-instrument/musician compactor, our ears began ringing with the beauteous sounds of an Ocrafolk Festival-sized celebration packed into the halls and rooms of a single hotel level. Finishing at 1:00 AM Sunday morning, we wearily headed out and returned to the Kelly’s to sleep a few winks and get ready for a 9:00 AM departure for Burlington, NC.

Whew! What a week!

Now we return home to prepare for the upcoming Northeast Tour . . . and to complete recording our new album. More news on these next week!

Take care!

Gary, Fiddler Dave, Marcy, Lou, and Gerald

Molasses Creek

Having a BIG time in Memphis!

2011-02-17T20:00:00.000-08:00

Photo by Doug Wilkerson

Hey there Molasses Creek fans!

We in Memphis right now, attending the International Folk Alliance Conference. We arrived in town on Tuesday, after a wonderful visit to Gary's cousin's (Kathi and Bobbie Lee) in La Grange, TN. On Tuesday night we did a fund-raising concert to benefit the Samaritan Counseling Center of Memphis at the First Baptist Church, and then settled in at Ernest and Joan Kelly's home. Those of you who have attended our Ocrafolk Festival on Ocracoke Island probably know the Kellys from Joan's wonderful wood-turned creations, and their elegant waltzing at the traditional Ocracoke Squaredance evening. Joan also calls a few contra-dances when in town, and the Selchie's Joy Waltz on the latest Molasses Creek album (More Better Molasses Creek), was named by the couple in honor of an island anniversary.

Yesterday morning we drove past the pyramid, and over the Mississippi River (so that Gerald could say he had been to the West!) and then headed for a tour of Sun Studios, where Elvis, Johnny Cash, and so many other great musicians got their start. Afterward, we headed to the Rendezvous barbecue for some rashers.

The Rendezvous is located in an alley in downtown Memphis. You can smell it before you see it . . .and then if you look up amongst the skyscrapers, way up high you can see the venting stack for their smoker spreading barbecue joy across the skyline. Upon arrival at the Rendezvous, we descended to the basement and were greeting by the host who told us that actually the restaurant was closed and didn't open until 4 PM. This was somewhat surprising judging by the number of folks sitting around, elbow deep in barbecued ribs. Then the host told us, of course we could just order their rack of ribs which were ready to go. Well, that's what we were there for, so we sat down and made ourselves comfortable. Gary wilted a bit under the humorous chiding of our server, when he was taken to task for even suggesting that a glass of un-sweetened tea might be available.

After a fine meal, we headed outside and descended upon Beale Street. The weather was a beautiful 60 degrees, and although we were tempted by the street cars, it was hard to pass up walk in the springlike weather (This is February isn't it?). Pausing briefly for Louie to peruse the guitars at the Gibson factory, we then returned to the Marriott Convention Center to check in for the conference.

The afternoon passed quickly meeting with folkies from across the continent and beyond, and attending various workshops. After an opening ceremony, we attending the 2011 Folk Alliance Awards Ceremony, where awards were bestowed upon Joan Baez (not present), documentary filmmaker Les Blank, Jimmy Rodgers (only present through his music) Si Kahn, the late John Hartford, Rodney Dillard, and David Bromberg. The Kruger Brothers, The John Hartford String Band, and a few more musicians graced the stage at this wonderful and heartfelt event.

We'll keep you posted on weekly happenings. Stay tuned!

Your Molasses Creek Crew
Gary, Fiddler Dave, Marcy, Lou and Gerald.

2011-01-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hey there Molasses Creek/Soundside Records fans,

A quick note to let you know that that we are having a Molasses Creek 4 Cd giveaway. The drawing will be February 28th. To enter, visit http://www.ocracokeweb.com/Music_Giveaway_.html and follow the instructions! Thanks!

The holiday season is over and Molasses Creek had a great set of concerts at First Night Williamsburg, VA. A fan club accompanied the group, including Philip Howard and Lou Ann Homan of Ocracoke, Pat and Steve Tweedie from Oklahoma, Amy & Lachlan Howard (with Fiddler Dave), Ann Tweedie & Stephen Meyer along with kids Finn & Ripley (all the way from Scotland!), and Beth Hampton (joining Gerald).

Although the evening of December 31, was a chilly one, the following two days were balmy for winter and perfect for strolling about the historic grounds of Colonial Williamsburg. Young Lachlan was keen on visiting the Ripley's Believe it Or Not Museum in town, and Fiddler Dave and Amy humored his desire to have his wits scared out of him by shrunken heads, giants, and holographic ghosts. He clung to their legs for the rest of the trip.

Marcy and Lou had flown in from Ireland, where they spent December holed up in a cottage near Cork. Neither the beach house that they stayed in, nor the travelers themselves were quite expecting the snows that accompanied the visit! Although Gary, Fiddler Dave and Gerald didn't realize it, they also made the tour to the Emerald Island, catching a band photo opportunity in front of the Heron Shop in Ahakista, and perched atop ancient stones at the Drombeg Stone Circle.

Now safely back on Ocracoke, Gary, Marcy, Lou, and Fiddler Dave have begun working on a new Molasses Creek album. The production is top secret, of course, but will feature some brand new original songs by the crew.

You might remember that Molasses Creek spent a couple of days back in November filming performances in Wilmington, NC. They are now getting some sneak peaks at filmmaker Mark Teachey's fine work. To see some of the footage for "That's What I Like About You" visit http://www.vimeo.com/18828806. At our next blog update, we will include more links for you folks to share with all of your friends.

This week on Ocracoke Island, friends Michael Hilton and Jim Buck have been working on some much needed renovations at Molasses Creek's Deepwater Theater. Yoga instructor, Amy Hilton, persuaded Fiddler Dave that the new gas heater and climate controlled room would help the wintertime yoga students to keep from freezing up during Downward Dog. Work was completed today to cheers from many stretchers. The newly insulated walls will also help keep the Deepwater cooler for the summertime visitors as well! Hooray!

This next weekend Molasses Creek travels to the middle of North Carolina for a sold out Friday night concert at the Little Lake House Concert is Raleigh, and then on to a Saturday night private concert celebrating the 15-year anniversary of Goat Lady Dairy, near Asheboro, NC.

Island Happenings This Winter

Also coming up quick in January, the Ocracoke Arts Council in partnership with the Beaufort County Arts Council, the NC Arts Council, the NEA, and the Ocrafolk Festival is helping to produce a Heritage Craft Class on "Quilting the NC Island Lily." Nationally renown quilter, Pepper Cory, of Beaufort, NC will be teaching the class January 26-28 at the Ocracoke Community Center. (Molasses Creek ran in to Pepper's husband when they opened for Rhonda Vincent and the Rage in Morehead City last year). For more information on the course, please contact Marcy Brenner at 252-928-2555 or info@coyotemusic.net. The class is being offered for a $50 registration fee.

On January 28, the Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series will bring the baroque group Basso to Ocracoke Island for a concert at Deepwater Theater and appearances at the Ocracoke School. Basso was formed by friends Barbara Blaker Krumdieck and Robbie Link, to explore the music of the baroque era featuring bass instruments. Basso changes personnel depending on the instrumentation chosen for each set of concerts. This performance will include Barbara Blaker Krumdieck- baroque cello, Robbie Link- viola da gamba, baroque cello and violone (baroque upright bass), joined by William Simms of Baltimore- baroque guitar- and theorbo and Sally Blaker of California (Barbara’s Mom!)- baroque cello- playing works by Vitali, Platti and Vivaldi. We can't wait!

On the weekend of February 12, Soundside artist, John Golden, will travel to Ocracoke from Wilmington, NC for a wintertime sockhop. John has been working on an album with Martin Garrish, and the live performance/dance will feature many of the new songs from the recording. A dance is a great way to keep warm during the blustery winter months!

Molasses Creek to Attend the International Folk Alliance Conference

February 16-20, Molasses Creek will travel to Memphis, TN for the annual International Folk Alliance conference. The conference is a wonderful opportunity to exchange music, discover new and old talent, and promote the band to the folk music community. In addition to Molasses Creek doing some showcasing (and hopefully booking a lot of engagements) the crew plans to do some visiting with friends Ernest and Joan Kelly, wonderful dancers who travel to the Ocrafolk Festival each year. Ernest and Joah always inspire everyone with their elegant moves and crafty dance calls. Those of you who picked up the latest Molasses Creek album may recognize their name in association with Fiddler Dave's "Selchie's Joy Waltz." The waltz was named by Ernest and Joan for a special Ocracoke anniversary.

Come to Ocracoke Island and Become a Recording Star!

A lot of you may not be aware that Gary Mitchell (of Molasses Creek) operates a professional recording studio here on the island. The great majority of Molasses Creek, Ocrafolk Music Sampler, and other Soundside Records artists have been, and continue to be recorded, produced and mastered right here at Soundside Studio.
Gary and his studio are available for a reasonable hourly fee to anyone interested in recording a high quality demo or full CD project. He has recorded everything from solo guitar and piano projects to full bands, and many of Ocracoke’s finest musicians are available for session work. Maybe you’ve written a song you’d like to demo, or have some songs you’d like to record just for your family, or would like help producing your first professional CD project. Give Gary a call at 252-928-4280 or email him at studio@soundsiderecords.com to discuss the possibilities. Read more about the studio at www.soundsiderecords.com/studio.html.

Molasses Creek's Spring Northeast Tour

In March and April, Molasses Creek will be on the road for about a month, traveling to the hopefully not-so-frozen north for a spring tour. Here is the list of places they currently have engagements. Feel free to contact Fiddler Dave at info@molassescreek.com if you see a date opening and are along the route. They would love to add more concerts to the trip! More details will be added later!

March 18 ~ Turnage Theater, Washington, NC
March 19 ~ Washington Theatre, Washington, VA
March 20 ~ Frederick Cultural Arts Center, Frederick, MD
March 22 ~ Dutilh United Methodist Church, Cranberry Township, PA
March 23 ~ Cindy Harris House Concert, Pittsburgh, PA
March 24 ~ Concert by Molasses Creek and presentation of Marcy Brenner's "Dead Girl Walking" at the Riviera Theater, Buffalo, NY. Produced by the YWCA Northeast Region
March 27 ~ Bethlehem Public Library, Bethlehem, NY. 2 PM
April 1 or 2 ~ The Grange, Whallonsburg, NY
April 7 ~ Skinny Pancake, Burlington, VT
April 8 ~ Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, VT
April 15 ~ Concert for the Chelsea Players, Norwich, CT
April 16 ~ Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA
April 17 ~ The Vanilla Bean, Pomfret, CT

Hope all is going well for you folks this new year!

All the best!

Molasses Creek and Soundside Records

Holiday Happenings!

2010-12-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

***You still have time to order Soundside Records albums for stocking stuffers! We send albums First Class Mail, so order by December 19^th and you should receive it in time! www.soundsiderecords.com.***

Molasses Creek Travels to Wilmington & Southport

Molasses Creek traveled down to Wilmington, NC the third week of November to give a couple of performances and films some live performances. They joined John Golden at the Scottish Rite Temple on Friday, November 19, for an album release concert featuring songs off of John Golden’s “Minstrel of the Times” recording. For a sample of the concert songs you can listen to tracks off the album at www.soundsiderecords.com/albums/jgminstrel.html

Molasses Creek also worked with filmmaker Mark Teachey during the week, recording performances of The Waterman, Java Jive, Selchie’s Joy Waltz, and That’s What I Like About You. They plan to post these videos online when they are ready in January/February. We’ll let you know when they are live!

After the Friday night Wilmington performance, the Molasses crew traveled down to Southport, NC for a Saturday concert at the Playhouse 211. The sold-out evening was a great success. Many thanks to Ken Perrin and Martha Myers for helping bring it all together! Here is a clip of “Chicken in the Fridge” by Jeff Deitchman, performed by Molasses Creek. Thanks to Martha Myers for filming!

Gerald and Gary checked out some instrumental finds at music stores around Southport, while Lou, Marcy & Dave took the historic Southport Trail Walking Tour around the beautiful waterfront town. Southport was established in 1792 as Smithville, and renamed in 1887 as Southport, but Indian settlements in the area stretch back hundreds of years earlier. One of the highlights of the walking tour is an ancient oak that was bent by Native Americans of the region, marking it as an important meeting place. Another claim to fame for Southport area was the final battle and capture of the gentleman pirate, Stede Bonnet in September of 1718. Stede and Blackbeard (who finished up his career with a beheading at Ocracoke in the same year), worked together briefly in March before going their separate ways.

Ocrafolk Festival Thanksgiving Fundraiser Brings in $2100

Returning from their brief southern sojourn, the Molasses Creek lept into action back on Ocracoke to help assemble the Ocrafolk Festival Thanksgiving Fundraising Concert. This event happens every Friday following Thanksgiving at the Ocracoke Community Center, and features many of the performers that appear at the main festival in June. This year’s performers included storyteller Donald Davis, Marcy, Lou & Fiddler Dave of Molasses Creek, Martin Garrish, Julie Howard & DeAnna Locke, John Golden, Rob Temple & Sundae Horn, April Trueblood, Barbara Smith and Scott Paulson. The evening raised over $2100 in support of June’s main event!

Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series

Following hot on the heels of the big Thanksgiving weekend, the Michael Ronstadt Generations band docked on the island on Tuesday for a Wednesday residency at Ocracoke School and evening concert at the Deepwater Theater. The Ocrafolk Festival Outreach Program sponsored the visit with the assistance of the Beaufort County Arts Council, the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, other community partners. Ronstadt Generations consists of Michael J. Ronstadt

(brother of Linda Ronstadt), Michael G. Ronstadt, Petie Ronstadt and Josh

Hisle. Their music spans two generations with a repertoire that reaches back to the end of the 19th century. Michael J. Ronstadt is a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who continues in the tradition of southwest troubadours. Ocracoke sure enjoyed their visit, and Molasses Creek especially enjoyed the food and music at the Thursday night jam session at Philip Howard’s house. Mighty fine picking!

The Ocrafolk Outreach Winter Concert Series with continue in 2011 on January 28 when the festival’s stellar standup bassists, Robbie Link, travels from the triangle with his baroque music ensemble, Basso. Mandolin Orange will wrapup the series on Friday, March 4, with a residency and concert at Deepwater Theater. If you would like to help give a great Christmas present to the kids at Ocracoke School, you can help sponsor these concert residencies by making a tax deductible contribution of $50 to the Ocrafolk Festival, PO Box 604, Ocracoke, NC 27960. The festival is housed under the Ocracoke Preservation Society, a non-profit 501(c)3. If you have any questions, you can contact the festival Chairperson, David Tweedie, at info@ocrafolkfestival.org or 252-928-3411.

Upcoming Molasses Creek Concerts

Molasses Creek’s next appearance is at First Night Williamsburg on December 31^st, at the Old Fellowship Hall of the Williamsburg United Methodist Church. Performance times are at 7 PM, 9 PM, and 11 PM. For more information on the performers, directions, and how to purchase your admission button, visit www.firstnightwilliamsburg.org. Come on out, it is great fun!

On Friday, January 21, Molasses Creek will be giving an evening house concert in Raleigh. Bett Padgett is the host at Little Lake Hill House Concerts. If you are interested in finding out more information on the performance, please contact Bett at (919) 787-6378, bett@bettpadgett.com.

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you out and about!

Molasses Creek & Soundside Records

Molasses Creek heads to Wilmington

2010-11-14T05:58:00.000-08:00

Hey there friends,

These last couple of days have been a little blustery on Ocracoke. Overwash commanded the "S" curves in Rodanthe on Hatteras Island at high tide, and the road closed down for a number of hours.

This weekend, birders flocked to the island (okay, only the ones who could fly here or arrive by the mainland ferries), for the annual fall bird count. The Ocracoke count was started by Peter Vankevich and Bob Russell back in 1981; and they added Portsmouth Island in 1988. There will also be a Christmas bird count on Ocracoke and Portsmouth. Those interested in participating can contact Peter Vankevich at 202-468-2871 or petervankenich@gmail.com. You don't have to be an expert in birds . . .beginners will be placed with more experienced birders.

Molasses Creek Heads for Concerts and Filming in Wilmington
Molasses Creek will be heading to Wilmington, NC (the film capital of the state), for a couple of concerts and a filming of Molasses Creek performances to update the band's video presence on the intraweb. On Thursday they will be in studio sessions with Mark Teachey, and then will get together with John Golden and Geoffrey Morris for a concert at the Scottish Rite Temple (

1415 S. 17th St., Wilmington, NC, 28408), at 8:00 PM, to celebrate the release of John's "Minstrel of the Times" album. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

John recorded the Minstrel album at Gary Mitchell's Soundside Studios on Ocracoke with a some back up instrumental help from Molasses Creek members. Gary Mitchell, Fiddler Dave, Marcy Brenner, Lou Castro, and Gerald Hampton will lend their support during the first half of the concert and then perform a set of Molasses Creek favorites. Take a listen to track samples below.

Powered by Podbean.com
After the Friday night concert in Wilmington, Molasses Creek will be heading to Southport, NC to perform at 7:00 PM on Saturday night at Playhouse 211 (located at 4320 Southport Supply Rd Suite 1 St James, NC 28461). For tickets contact Ken Perrin at keyfla@gmail.com or 910.274. 3971.

Ocrafolk School 2010 Summary by Marcy Brenner

This year’s Ocrafolk School was the best ever! Well, that’s what we all keep saying, but we said that last year too; and the year before that also. Come to think of it, it’s been said every year -- and every year it’s just as true.

This was a spectacular year at Ocrafolk School. Classes in Island Photography, Beginning Jewelry Making, Island Cooking, Ships In Bottles and Ocracoke Sampler were offered the last week of October 2010.

The newest class was Beginning Jewelry Making by Barbara Hardy of the Secret Garden Gallery. The class location could be easily found by the tap-tap-tapping of little hammers on miniature anvils, flattening silver into heirloom pieces of jewelry.

Ann Ehringhaus taught island photography and they focused on life around the school activities, providing a unique perspective of the common things around us during the week.

Debbie Wells taught island cooking with a record number of local students (most of them men) and invited Moon, of the local Thai Moon restaurant, to teach a session on Thai dishes.

The popular Ocracoke Sampler class took a trip with Dave Frum to Portsmouth Island, went clamming with Philip and, among many other activities, sailed the Windfall II with Rob Temple. Something was said about meal wine, a pizer (porch) and ghost stories but no one’s telling the whole story.

Jim Goodwin taught Ships in Bottles (all women) in the picturesque building that houses the Working Watermen’s exhibit on the docks of Silver Lake. Only the resident cat knows the secrets of how they got those ships and lighthouses into those bottles, and what happened to all the whiskey.

There was great food, lots of music, laughter and friendships cast and bonded; our mutual love of our island home fully celebrated.

More information about Ocrafolk School can be found on the web at www.ocrafolkschool.org.

New Soundside Releases, Molasses Creek Tour Dates, Fall Happenings

2010-10-19T18:40:00.000-07:00

Molasses Creek in Concert at the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival in Wilmington, NC

Deepwater Theater Season Finishes for 2010

We wrapped up our summer season at Deepwater Theater with an extra Molasses Creek show in October. Our shows for 2010 included an Ocracoke Stories evening with Amy & Philip Howard on Monday nights, Ocrafolk Opry on Wednesdays, and Molasses Creek on Thursdays. A lot of new visitors came out to the island this year, and we were thrilled to get to meet them. Our 2011 season on Ocracoke will begin in June right after the Ocrafolk Festival. Find out more about the performance season, ticket purchasing, and times at http://www.deepwatertheater.com.

Molasses Creek Plays the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival (and Gets Lost on a Battleship)

In September, Molasses Creek traveled down to Wilmington, NC to perform at the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival. The beautifully sunny weekend brought out listeners to enjoy the food and frolicking at Battleship Park across from the Wilmington waterfront. During a break, Gary, Dave, Marcy, Lou and Gerald toured the USS North Carolina Battleship, all seven stories of it! Fiddler Dave almost got lost several times while Gary and Gerald fantasized about the ship’s donut making facilities. The ship could hold 2-3 times the population of Ocracoke Island and at times during the self-guided tour it felt like a ghost town. The different stations on board were accompanied by wonderful photographs, text descriptions, and fascinating narratives by the men who served on the battleship.

Upcoming Molasses Creek Concerts

We missed Rhonda Vincent’s performance in Wilmington at the Coastal Bluegrass Festival last month, so we are especially looking forward to opening for her band this Saturday at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City. Tickets available by calling 252-247-3883 or at http://www.CrystalCoastCivicCtr.com. Hope to see everyone there!

In November, Molasses Creek will be joining John Golden and Geoffrey Morris for a concert celebrating the release of John’s new album “Minstrel of the Times” at the Scottish Rite Theater, in Wilmington, NC on Friday, November 19 from 8-10 PM

The next day we will give a concert performance at Playhouse 211 in St. James near Southport (south of Wilmington). Tickets can be reserved by contacting Ken Perrin at keyfla@gmail.com or (910) 274-3971. For directions to Playhouse 211 visit the theater website at http://playhouse211.com.

If you are heading for Ocracoke Island for Thanksgiving, you will be in the neighborhood for the Ocrafolk Festival Thanksgiving Fundraiser at the Ocracoke Community Center at 7:30 PM on Friday, November 26. The concert will feature many of the island performers and storytellers that bring their talents to the main festival in June.

Molasses Creek Northeast Spring Tour in the Works

Molasses Creek is also working hard filing in dates for a northeast tour in March-April of 2011. Confirmed dates are as follows.

Friday, March 18 ~Turnage Theater, Beaufort County Arts Council, Washington, NC

Saturday, March 19 ~ Washington Theatre, Washington, VA

Tuesday, March 22 ~ Dutilh United Methodist Church, Cranberry Township, PA (Tentative)

Wednesday, March 23 ~ Cindy Harris House Concert, Pittsburgh, PA

Thursday, March 24 ~ Benefit Concert for YWCA Northeast Regional Council, Buffalo, NY

April 1 or 2 ~ Concert at The Grange, Whallonsburg, NY (Tentative)

April 16 ~ Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA

April 17 ~ The Vanilla Bean, Pomfret, CT

We are looking for concerts across New York State (between Buffalo and Albany), March 28-April 1 and April 4-9 around the Vermont area. Let us know if you have suggestions of places to contact. You can email Fiddler Dave at info@molassescreek.com, or give a call at our office at 252-928-3411. Our mantra is . . . “We would love to come to your town, stay in your house, eat your food . . . oh, and play for you too!”

Ocrafolk School 2010 Kicks Off on Sunday
On Sunday, October 24, the Ocrafolk School begins its fourth season by welcoming over 30 students to a "Meet the Instructor" dinner at the Pony Island Restaurant on Ocracoke. This year's courses include Ships in Bottles with Jim Goodwin, Island Photography with Ann Ehringhaus, Island Cooking with Debbie Wells, Beginning Jewelry Making with Barbara Hardy, and the Ocrafolk Sampler with Philip Howard, Capt. Rob Temple and Dave Frum. Students come to the island to focus on a single course and participate in group activities including history and nature walks, a shrimp boil, a night at the Ocrafolk Opry, and wonderful meals at local restaurants. For more information, visit the Ocrafolk School website at www.ocrafolkschool.org

Soundside Records News

Fiddler Dave just finished renovating the Soundside Records website. Newly added are two releases for 2010, More Better Molasses Creek, and Women of the Ocrafolk Opry. To take a listen to either album, click on the album cover and you will be taken to the page at Soundside Records. The new Molasses Creek album features 7 brand new tracks and 7 audience favorites off past Cds (It has been 10 years since the last Best of Molasses Creek album!). For more about the new Women of the Ocrafolk Opry CD, read the listener review below.

"Women of the Ocrafolk Opry"; reviewed by Dan Brocklebank, Loganville, PA

For more than a decade, the Ocrafolk Opry has been a weekly happening during Ocracoke summers. I have often failed, trying to tell folks back home about the Opry and what it is like. I have made the mistake of calling it a “variety show” or a “local talent show.” Somehow they seem to get the message that it’s, well, amateurish or maybe even embarrassing. Whew!

They don’t get it. I feel inadequate as a communicator ... until I reach for a recording and play some tunes recorded live at the Opry. Soundside Studio has released a series of sampler CDs over the years, “Ocrafolk Music,” which have captured much of the breadth, local color, and beauty of these strikingly enjoyable shows. I can talk to folks enthusiastically and still be ignored or misunderstood, but when they listen to the actual music they finally “get it.” It’s like a big secret suddenly revealed.

It seems to me that people are born to Ocracoke, drawn to Ocracoke, or carried to Ocracoke by winds, tides, dreams, significant others, or just by ferries. When these people are musically-gifted, and they resonate with this place and this community, they stay here -- and they grow -- and they just get better and better and better at their art.

Illustrating this is the “Women of the Ocrafolk Opry,” a recent CD release which brings us a fresh cross-section of this Opry and its engaging music. Six women (Marcy Brenner, Sundae Horn, Katy Mitchell, Jamie Tunnell, April Trueblood, and Rachel Reeder) come to the foreground as masterful performers, singing eleven well-chosen songs, with a true Opry-like variety of styles. They have performed these at Deepwater Theater, and now they have brought them into the studio to enrich them and send them on for all of us to take everywhere.

The worst thing about a CD like this is that I have no idea how to categorize it for a shelf in a music store. It is “folk,” and it is “rock,” and it is “opera,” and it is “pop,” and it is “country,” and it is “soundtrack,” and it is “funk,” and it is “art song,” and it is “spiritual,” and ... ah, fooey ... show me to the shelf that just says “Excellent Real Music.”

Another problem with this CD is that is isn’t ideal as background music for your barbecue or block party. Thankfully, there are plenty of other CDs for this purpose. This one is way too interesting and captivating, unless, of course, your party is specifically a music-sharing experience.

Several key things strike me, overall, about this CD:

Many of the women are heard in various roles: sometimes as the lead singer, sometimes providing an exquisitely blended harmony part, sometimes as an instrumentalist. The musicianship and versatility of these performers is fabulous, and there is strong evidence of community -- of women working together to make a whole experience that is beyond their individual efforts.

The singers often accompany themselves, vocally and/or instrumentally, thanks in part to the seamless recording craftsmanship of Gary Mitchell of Soundside Studio, but also to the musical depth of the singers.

While I think of this as a vocal music CD, the instrumental work is both superb and in the right proportion to the singing. All too often we hear commercial releases with bass and percussion boosted way beyond the scope of the human voice. Even some of our most popular vocal performers are essentially drowned-out in their mix. When you listen to this CD, you will actually hear, clearly, the women of the Ocrafolk Opry, plus their fine accompaniments ... exactly what we want to hear.

I’m not going to review each individual song -- you will want to do this for yourself as you experience each one -- we all respond differently to different styles. I will tell you that at my first hearing, I check-marked seven performances, any single one of which would justify owning the CD. That’s a real high percentage for me. Only seven out of eleven? I’m up to nine after listening again.

These songs expose and share, truthfully, energetically, and lyrically, key things about the life experiences of women in our culture. I recognized women friends, mothers, daughters, neighbors, etc. in many of the songs. I am grateful that these six women made time in their super-busy lives to reach for their creativity and their music skills and make this nurturing recording for us.

A brief word of warning: not all the songs are in English. The Italian is so beautifully sung, however, that you can easily imagine meanings of your own even if you don’t understand the language. The music, you will understand.

Listening to this CD, I had tears in my eyes. Repeatedly. You will, too.

While you are listening, read the short notes and credits so you can know who is doing what in each song. And let yourself revel in the wonderful graphic design, photography, and artwork of the CD insert.

I believe that if you are looking for simply excellent music -- something to really listen to -- you will welcome this CD with open ears and pure joy.

[Daniel Brocklebank, papadan@mac.com, arranges music for, and performs with, two of his groups in Pennsylvania and Maryland, “The Christmas Singers” and “April to May.” He has been listening to music in Ocracoke yearly since 1980.]

Molasses Creek Northeast Tour ~ Mt. Airy & Lovingston, VA

2010-03-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

We are on the road! . . .adventuring about western North Carolina and now heading to Lovingston, VA near Charlottesville, VA. Here is our complete tour schedule (you can find out more details about these gigs by looking at our google calendar on the "Shows" page of www.molassescreek.com.

Friday, March 12 ~ 7:30 PM Downtown Cinema Theater, Mount Airy, NC, Surry Arts Council.

Saturday, March 13 ~ 8 PM Rapunzels in Lovingston, VA.

Sunday March 14 ~ MC ~ 7 PM SongSpace at First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh

Saturday March 20 ~ 7 PM Walton Theater, Walton, NY. Music on the Delaware Series

Sunday March 21 ~ 3 PM Delmar Reformed Church, Delmar, NY, Fundraiser for To Life!

Tuesday March 23 ~ 8 PM Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier, VT.

Thursday, March 25 – 7-9 PM Concert at Vermont Independent School of the Arts, Sharon, VT

Saturday March 27 – 8 PM Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA

Sunday March 28 – 7 PM Vanilla Bean, Pomfret CT

Actually at the writing of this blog, we have finished up our stay in Mt. Airy . . .and after tanking up with some pork chop sandwiches from Snappy Lunch (made famous in the Andy Griffith Show) headed for Lovingston. Right now we are sound checking and getting ready for a fun evening at Rapunzels.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

We just finished up playing for First Night Williamsburg, one of our favorite concerts for the year. December 31st was a misty, rainy evening for the crowds that came to the campus of William & Mary and historic Williamsburg to hear the 40 or so performers. Molasses Creek shared the stage with Celtic rock band Coyote Run at the Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall and giving performances at 5:00, 7:00 and 9:30 PM.

Our entourage set off for Williamsburg on the 8:00 AM Ocracoke-Hatteras ferry on a misty, rainy morning unsure if or how long the 40 minute ferries would run (they tend to shut down if visibility is low). Highway 12 also had quite a bit of water on it as we made our way north. Despite the winds, this water came from the heavy rains the night before rather than overwash. Construction vehicles were already hard at work in Rodanthe at the spot where heavy surf always washes away the dunes. We have heard rumor that the beach house featured in Warner Brother’s “Nights in Rodanthe” movie had been sold to a new owner who plans to move the home out of harms way and renovate the interior to match the layout from the interior scenes from the movie (previously a Hollywood set creation). A couple of months ago after a significant noreaster, this beach house was again standing in the middle of ocean surf. The state had apparently condemned the dwelling and given the owners a deadline to move or tear down the house. Rumor has it that the company that moved the lighthouse has been contracted to handle the relocation.

Gerald Hampton and his wife Beth met us (Fiddler Dave, Gary, Marcy, Lou, and baby Charlotte) at the theater for load-in and sound check early afternoon. Gerald brought his new stand-up bass to the performance. Although he has been only working on it for 4-months, his progress has been phenomenal! He said that the biggest challenge has been switching between the biggest instrument and the smallest one (mandolin). We tried to keep him on his toes during the concert and he successfully made it through three sets without cramping up.
We loved seeing so many familiar friends and fans. What a wonderful way to break in the new year! Strolling around historical Williamsburg, sipping hot Cider, smelling the woodburning fires and conversing (even singing) with the colonially costumed residents of the town caused us to give thanks to that endearing human spirit that inspires all of us to share our creative sparks with our communities and the world. We are now traveling back to Ocracoke with full bellies (thanks to a New Year’s breakfast at the Chickhominy Inn, complete with blackeyed peas for good luck), Molasses Creek wishes you the best for this upcoming year.

Molasses Creek’s March Madness Northern Tour!
While the rest of the world dreads and avoids snowy weather, Molasses Creek is taking advantage of the Ocracoke Island offseason to travel north to see what this white sfuff is all about! Hope that you folks will spread the word about these upcoming dates. Check out the Molasses Creek calendar for details!

Love ya folks!
Molasses Creek

Molasses Creek at First Night Williamsburg

2009-12-30T20:29:00.001-08:00

Hey there folks,

Just wanted to let you know about an upcoming Molasses Creek performance off of Ocracoke Island. Come on out if you are in the area. We would love to see you!

Thursday, December 31 ~ Molasses Creek in Concert at First Night Williamsburg, VA. Shows at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall. Shows at 5 PM, 7 PM, 9:30 PM. http://www.firstnightwilliamsburg.org

Hope to see you there! Happy new year!
--
Soundside Records
http://www.soundsiderecords.com

Molasses Creek
http://www.molassescreek.com

Deepwater Theater
http://www.deepwatertheater.com

Ocrafolk Festival
http://www.ocrafolkfestival.org

Ocrafolk School
http://www.ocrafolkschool.org

*** If you wish to be removed from the Molasses Creek/Soundside Records mailing list, please reply to this email with “Remove”; and include the email address that this message was delivered to. Thanks! ***

2009-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Ocrafolk School and Fall Concert Activities

The Ocrafolk School had a successful run this last week on Ocracoke Island. This year's classes included Island Cooking with Debbie Wells, Pottery with Wes Lassiter and Rhonda Bates, the Ocrafolk Sampler with Philip Howard, David Senseney and Rob Temple, Making Ships in Bottles with Jim Goodwin, Island Photography with Ann Ehringhaus, and Songwriting with Marcy Brenner. Over thirty participants came from off of Ocracoke to participate in the food, music, and celebration of Coastal Heritage.

One of the special events in this year's retreat was a traditional Old Drum dinner hosted by Merle Davis. This meal consists of Red Drum fish, boiled and crumbled on a pile of potatoes with mixings of bacon, green onions, hard boiled eggs, and a hot vinegar sauce. After instructions by Merle Davis and John Ivey Wells, the Ocrafolk School commenced to feasting and then sat back to enjoy music from the Ocrafolk Opry. Molasses Creek, April Trueblood, Marcy Brenner and Lou Castro, Jamie Tunnell, Wes Lassiter, and Lachlan Howard all gave stellar performances.

The school finished up on Friday, October 30, and Halloween came quickly on its heels. Trick-or-treaters streamed down Lighthouse road to gather up goodies from the Down Pointers. Around 8:30 most of the ghouls had made their way home to duck out of the sites of roving bands of eggers (these youths mainly target each other). As the kids retired for the evening, adults emerged to participate in Halloween parties at Howard's Pub and Dajios.

Molasses Creek Performs at Public Radio East's 25th Anniversary Concert

On Sunday, November 9th, Molasses Creek joined Public Radio East host Finley Woolsten and friends in a benefit concert for Public Radio East at Orringer Auditorium on the campus of Craven Community College in New Bern. The roster of entertainers also included Down East Baroque, Andrea and Phil Owens, Lightnin Wells, and Margaret and Wayne Martin. The concert was a great success. Public Radio East is planning to play selections of the concert over the air and may release the concert as an upcoming podcast. Keep posted so that you can hear the "Dumb Jokes" Song with Finley and Molasses Creek. Not to be missed!

Happy Spring!

2009-04-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

The signs are everywhere… trees are budding out, the azaleas are preparing to bloom, visitors are walking the streets, restaurants are opening… spring has sprung on Ocracoke!

After a long winter of limited options, islanders and visitors now have a complete menu of dining opportunities. Howard’s Pub, Pony Island, Flying Melon, and the Café Atlantic are all back in business for the season. For dining al fresco on these beautiful spring days there’s Smacnally’s or the Creekside Café. Thai Moon carry-out is open, and so is Ocracoke Pizza Company. Jason’s, which served the island well in January and February, then closed for a month for some R and R, re-opened April 10th. The Back Porch will open as soon as they complete their recent renovations – the addition of a new façade and more indoor seating. Ocracoke Coffee Company is brewing up the caffeine each morning at 7am, and the new kid in town, Riley’s (in the former Mango Loco), is open seven days a week.

Ocracoke’s wonderful and unique shops are stocking the shelves with new merchandise and opening their doors for another season.

Ocracoke’s Newest Shop Recycles Old Stuff for a Good Cause

Everyone is excited about the newest shopping opportunity on the island – Village Thrift! The thrift shop, which shares its space with Blue Door Antiques (an old favorite that is back and better than ever!), will support the Ocracoke Youth Center by selling donated items, t-shirts and sweatshirts, and homemade bags.

Village Thrift is the brainchild of Paula Schramel, owner of the Blue Door and a member of the OYC board. (She’s also the mastermind behind the Ocrafolk Festival Silent Auction!) Paula and the rest of the OYC board hope the thrift shop will provide an ongoing source of income for the Youth Center and bring in money for the non-profit organization from visitors as well as residents.

The two shops occupy the retail space attached to Ocracoke Coffee Company that formerly housed Java Books. (Ocracoke still has a wonderful independent bookstore – Books to Be Red.) The Blue Door gets 2/3 of the space and Village Thrift takes 1/3; Paula manages both with no cost to OYC. The shops are open 8am to 4pm, seven days a week. Paula will work five days a week and volunteers will fill in on her days off. With low overhead costs, Village Thrift should bring in a steady income.

Paula says that local response to the thrift store has been tremendous. She has already accepted many items, including some generous donations of furniture.

“The timing is right in this economy for a thrift store,” she said. “And we want to be ecological and encourage recycling and reuse. People won’t have to take stuff to the dump to get rid of it.”

The idea of creative reuse isn’t new on Ocracoke. Many residents fondly remember Cork’s Closet thrift store, which thrived for years. Most locals have a good story about finding just what they needed at the dump – affectionately known as Ocracoke’s Wal-mart, or “Jail-mart,” since it’s next door to the jail. And in the old days, islanders found uses for shipwrecked lumber and the flotsam and jetsam washed up on the beach.

“Villagers’ use of salvaged materials goes back almost 300 years,” Paula said.

She’s also happy to find a new home for The Blue Door. Originally opened in 2001 in an old house on Lighthouse Road, The Blue Door was a popular antique and gift shop for six years. Paula closed her shop so she and her husband Michael (co-owner of The Flying Melon restaurant) could start a complete historic renovation on the old house, where they now live.

The new Blue Door will carry a selection of antique china, pottery, quilts, jewelry, paintings and more. There will also be some affordable used and antique furniture. Paula will consider taking big-ticket items on consignment if she has available space in the small shop.

The Outer Banks Community Foundation (www.obcf.org) recently awarded a grant to OYC for start-up costs for the Village Thrift. The grant monies are paying for custom-built shelving and storage units, three exterior and one interior sign, a donation box for inside the store, advertising in local papers (which OYC is getting at a discount), and Village Thrift t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts to be sold in the shop.

The OBCF grant also pays for bright green stickers for the Village Thrift items.

“We don’t want any confusion about inventory, between what’s the Blue Door’s and what’s the thrift store’s,” Paula said. “Everything that’s donated will go to the Youth Center and have a Village Thrift sticker.”

Paula expects that traffic flow from the coffee shop, which has upwards of 500 customers a day in the summer, will be good, and that locals will stop in regularly to see what’s new.

“Our inventory will change daily,” she said. “You never know what we might have.”

Spring Cleaning Fever!

Ocracokers have been mightily busy preparing cottages and businesses for the new season. Ocracoke’s Junior Girl Scout trop decided to pitch in and do their share of spring cleaning. They recently completed their Community Clean-up badge with a service project at Ocracoke Child Care. The Girl Scouts washed the center's windows and screens, and scrubbed all the classroom chairs.

This was the fourth clean-up project for the Junior Girl Scout troop. They participated in the Big Sweep beach clean-up and the Beta Club village litter pick-up last fall, and spent a day in January cleaning all the toys and furniture in the Methodist Church nursery.

Sydney Austin and Karla Perez scrub the chairs from OCC

Bricia Moreno, Caroline Temple, and Mattie Rose work on cleaning some outside toys.

Armchair Travel at Ocracoke Library

Ocracokers who didn’t get off the island this winter could at least live vicariously through some of our friends and neighbors who represented us in the big, wide world. To promote the library as a place to explore the unknown without leaving the comfort of your own home, Ocracoke Friends of the Library had a Travel theme for their March 31st annual membership meeting.

Emma Lovejoy was one of three presenters who shared stories of their world travels. Emma spent 11 months over 2007-2008 in Denmark as an exchange student with the Youth for Understanding program. She's pictured here with maps, photos and souvenirs of her trip. Riggs Ellis gave a talk about her travels in Peru with her daughter Kate Plyer. Linda Austin came down from Hatteras (where she’s the secondary school’s librarian) to share stories about traveling to Europe and Guatemala, and biking the Allegheny trail from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.

Ocracoke Friends of the Library is a non-profit organization that supports and promotes literacy and the love of reading. Membership is $5 a year for individuals and $10 a year for families. Membership forms are available at the library.

Island Kids Go to Washington!

The students

Not everyone was an armchair traveler this year. Ocracoke High School’s entire student body and most of the faculty took a fantastic weeklong trip to Washington, D.C. this spring. The kids toured the Presidential Monuments and the Capitol Building, and visited the Smithsonian Institution, Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Zoological Park, and Ford's Theater. They also attended an NBA game between the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls.

The big news of the week was when three students, Aaron Caswell, D.J. Lukefahr and Samantha Vander Myde, were accidentally left behind at a Metro stop when the rest of the group boarded the train. It wasn't long before they were all reunited, but it made for good adventure story.

OPS Museum Opens for Another Season

The OPS staff worked hard to get the museum ready to open this year. The building’s interior was painted over the winter, several maintenance projects were tackled, and some of favorite exhibits have been spruced up a bit. The OPS Gift Shop offers a nice selection of local books and, of course, music by Soundside Records musicians! The beautiful new quilt, donated by the Ocracoke Needle and Thread Club is on the bed and raffle tickets are available!

Admission to the Museum is free. It’s open Monday – Saturday, 10am- 4pm, and closed on Sundays. Quilt raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5. The drawing will be held at the Fall Membership Meeting in November.

Stay tuned…

The Ocrafolks just got together and gave a wonderful performance at the annual Spring Festival Fundraiser – we’ll have pictures and details in the next blog post…

In the meantime, enjoy the nice spring weather and don’t forget to plan ahead for the 2009 Ocrafolk Festival June 5-7.

Spring is on the Way!

2009-03-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ocracoke has finally had a taste of some sweet spring weather, and not a moment too soon! The warm sunshine got island folks out in their yards and at the beach, and now that a few shops and restaurants are opening, it almost feels like the season has begun.

But before we rush into thinking it’s summer already, we still have some nice winter moments to savor.

Bathing Beauties

Some people think we’d don’t get any tourists her in the winter, but that’s because they’re only thinking about the two-legged kind. Ocracoke’s beaches are a popular winter resort area for harbor seals that come down from colder waters up north. They’re pretty shy, so you can’t get too close, but our librarian Ingeborg Frye got some great shots of this sunbathing sea critter.

Variety Show Was a Great Success

On February 27th, the Ocracoke School gym was packed as the audience eagerly awaited a special Ocracoke Variety Show sponsored by the Ocracoke United Methodist Women. Marcy Brenner and Lou Castro organized the show, Gary Mitchell ran the sound, and community members volunteered to perform, set up the lights and chairs, and provide goodies for the bake sale.

The evening began with a puppet show by Linda Garrish and her puppeteer crew including Arleen Burley and children helpers. Other performers were Martin Garriah, Aaron Caswell, Jack Willis, Melissa Garrish, Mandy Jones, Gary Mitchell, Dave Tweedie, Molly Lovejoy, Caroline Temple, Emma Lovejoy, Katie O’Neal, DeAnna Locke, Manda Collis, Lulu Perez, Sundae Horn, Jamie Tunnell, Kati Wharton, Roger Garrish, Leslie Gilbert, William Gilbert, Bob Winslow, Samantha Styron, David Styron, the Ocracoke United Methodist Youth Band and the Last Rebels of Rock.

The benefit show raised $2300 towards repairs and renovations on the Church Rec Hall. The Methodist Women are trying to raise $60,000 for the Rec Hall, and have raised nearly $40,000 so far. They hosted two Sunday dinner fundraisers at the Rec Hall this winter, which together brought in $2700.

The Methodist Women had a new roof put on the Rec Hall, and the next step is to stabilize the building with a new foundation and replace the floor. The Rec Hall building was originally part of the WWII Naval Base on Ocracoker, and was moved to the church property in the late 1940’s. It has served the community in many capacities over the years. As well as being used by the Methodist Church, the Rec Hall has also been used as a temporary classroom for the school, as a meeting place for community organizations, as a meeting place for the Catholic community, and it is rented out to the public for showers, birthday parties, and wedding receptions.

Leslie and William Gilbert

Lulu Perez

Mandy & Melissa

Ocracoke Methodist Youth Choir

Women of Ocrafolk (Sundae Horn Lead)

The Last Rebels of Rock

Roger Garrish

Samantha and David Styron

Caroline Temple, Molly Lovejoy & Fiddler Dave

Ocracoke Methodist Choir

The Ocracoke Youth Center Also Put on a Show!

On March 2, Ocracoke Youth Center presented a one-act play for children, written and directed by artist-in-residence Cynthia Mitchell and performed at the Ocracoke Community Center. "Backyard Adventure" starred 5th graders Kevin Perez, Eldon Robinson, Deana Seitz, Caroline Temple and Chris Zito, high school junior D.J. Lukefahr, and adult performer Phyllis Wall.

The players gave two performances; a matinee for the Kindergarten through 3rd grade classes, and an evening show for the community. Ruth Toth provided refreshments for a reception following the evening performance.

Ocracoke School art teacher Kitty Mitchell designed the set with the of high school students Echo Bennink, Virginia Downes, Leslie Espinoza, Cassandra Hagins, Mitchell Ibarra, Molly Lovejoy and Maddie Payne. Ocracoke shop teacher Roger Meacham and D.J. Lukefahr built the set platform and Emma Lovejoy designed the programs and posters.

DJ Lukefahr

Chris Zito, Phyllis Wall, Deanna Seitz

Kevin Perez & Caroline Temple

SHH!!

"Backyard Adventure" was made possible in part by a grant from the Beaufort Arts Council.

Ocracoke School Spirit Week and Homecoming

Homecoming week at Ocracoke School is a week of fun, culminating in the presentation of the Homecoming Court and the last high school basketball game of the season. The kids get to dress up all week – each day has a different theme – all to help get them excited about Friday night’s main event.

Superheroes

Superhairoes

Root for your favorite team!

Wait!? Are there three of them?

The festivities start at 4:30 with a hot dog sale, followed by relay races and basketball games played by the youngest Ocracoke Students. Those 3rd and 4th graders can really play some ball! The 5th – 8th grade league (two coed teams) played a close game, which was a warm-up for the 8th graders who would get another chance to play later in the evening with the high school.

Then it was time for the Homecoming Court – a chance to admire all the handsome young men and beautiful young women. Each high school girl is paired up with a boy to escort her (the teachers are the matchmakers) for the Homecoming Court presentation.

High school science teacher Jennifer Garrish introduced each couple and told a little something about them, mostly funny tidbits and inside jokes provided by the students. After the presentations, the Homecoming King and Queen, and Prince and Princess are crowned. (The entire student body gets to vote for the royal winners during school on Friday.) Everyone poses for pictures, and then it’s time to clear that floor again for the big game – Ocracoke boys v. other Ocracoke boys.

Homecoming isn’t an official conference game, but a fun community effort. High school boys who aren’t on the team suit up and play and the 8th graders get their chance to participate, too. Not to get too sappy about it or anything, but Homecoming, like the Variety Show and “Backyard Adventure,” is yet another example of Ocracoke’s smalltown spirit at its best.

What Are Your Plans For Old Quawk’s Day?

You mean you don’t know what Old Quawk’s Day is or even who Old Quawk was?

Well, time was when no O’cock waterman would go out on March 16th, in remembrance of Old Quawk. Old Quawk was an eccentric soul, who lived on Ocracoke about 200 years ago. He set out to fish his nets one day when the wind was a-gustin’ and all the other fishermen were staying safe at harbor. Quawk refused to let a little blow scare him, and, raising his fist at God in defiance, he went to sea – and never returned. March 16th was set aside as a bad luck day for fishing and sea travel, and O’cockers stayed in port even if the weather was perfect.

Here at Soundside Records, we’re not superstitious, but we’re a little bit stitious, so we think you should keep to the harbor, tell some sea stories and drink a toast to Old Quawk this Monday!
For more about this legend, check out Philip Howard’s story: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news040300.htm.

New Music From Soundside Records

Last week we promised you about John Golden’s newest CD, and here it is:

“Minstrel of the Times” by Ocrafolk Festival regular John Golden has a haunting, melancholy tone throughout. The album brings together some of John's favorite folk, Americana, and bluegrass songs. Augmented by many of John’s talented musician friends, the album brings out the best of his rich, mellow voice and folksy acoustic guitar and banjo style even if it does rather conceal his cheerful and upbeat disposition.

“Time to Learn,” written by Tim O’Brien, is a beautifully mournful song about dealing with the death of a loved one. The “high lonesome” voice of Gary Mitchell (who sings harmony throughout the CD) and exquisite fiddling of Dave Tweedie combine to make this song hard hear without having to wipe the old spectacles.

The familiar blues number “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers features the robust vocals of Katy Mitchell. John and Katy’s voices fit together well – and you’d never guess that someone so young could have a voice that sounds like thirtysome years of hard livin’. The Hugh Prestwood song “Ghost in this House,” made popular by Alison Krauss, features a hauntingly pleasing harmony by Marcy Brenner.

For a CD of sad songs, this one just about has it all from rodeos (“Saddle on the Wall”) to coal mining (“The L & N Don’t Stop Here Anymore”) to the Civil War (“Manassas in the Rain”). Pour yourself a strong one, grab a box of Kleenex and order a copy here.

2009 Ocrafolk Festival Artwork is Unveiled

2009-02-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

2009 Ocrafolk Festival Poster Image by Kitty Mitchell

By unanimous decision, festival organizers chose Kitty Mitchell as this year’s artist for the 10th Ocrafolk Festival poster and t-shirt design. Now, Kitty may possibly be the busiest woman on Ocracoke, what with teaching grades K-12 at Ocracoke School, co-directing the School Music Club and Pep Band, organizing the annual Arts Week at Ocracoke School, AND working on her National Board Certification as an art teacher. She graciously agreed to be the Festival artist, as long as she could submit something she’d already painted. We ended up with six possible designs – all of them beautiful – so Dave Tweedie let people vote for their favorite. This lighthouse was the clear winner. (A few stubborn people are still holding out for the heron… maybe next year?) The quote on the back will be “I'll hoist my sails and set my ship back here to Ocracoke!” from the musical “A Tale of Blackbeard” by Julie Howard.

Soundside Records Winter Projects

During the busy summer months on Ocracoke, everyone plans and schemes about all the time they’ll have and all the projects they’ll get to come winter. Why does winter seem so long when in the beginning, but not long enough when it’s halfway over and the projects aren’t even started?

Not everyone has procrastinated through January and February, and in this blog post we’d like to highlight one Soundside Records folks who’s working hard to check some items off on his to-do lists.

Gary Mitchell, a.k.a. Guitar Gary of Molasses Creek, a.k.a. Recording Studio Executive and Engineer Extraordinaire hasn’t been idle this winter, or at least that’s what he wants us to think. He’s been keeping busy in Soundside Studio with some interesting recording projects.

A new recording is hot-off-the-presses! The latest CD from Soundside regular John Golden is Minstrel of the Times. John was accompanied in the studio by the “usual local gang” of Soundside musicians, and also an import – his friend Jeff Morris on electric guitar. Jeff traveled all the way from Denver, CO to record with John and Gary.

Minstrel of the Times is rumored to be John’s best album yet. We’ll tell you more about it next week, but meanwhile, you can be the first one on your block to order one from the new and improved Soundside Records website.

Gary has two new Ocrafolk ensemble CDs in the works. One is the highly-aniticpated Women of Ocrafolk CD, which will feature local performers Marcy Brenner, Jamie Tunnell, Sundae Horn, Katy Mitchell, and April Trueblood. We don’t want to give anything away, but rest assured that you’ll hear some of your favorites from the Women’s Opry and maybe even some new ones you’ve never heard before. Gary promises the CD will be ready and available at the Ocrafolk Festival in June.

The above-mentioned songstresses, along with their male counterparts, are working on an festive Ocrafolk Christmas album. Yes, we’ve been talking about this for years, and as Gary admits, it’s hard to find time to record Christmas songs during the holiday season and even harder to be merry and bright, holly and jolly-ish, in mid-February. He’s thinking of setting up a Christmas tree in the studio just to keep people in the mood. He’d like to promise this project will be done for the Festival, too, but, well, he needs a little encouragement. So, if you can dredge up some Christmas spirit as we’re heading into spring, please let Gary know you want an Ocrafolk Christmas album!

Some other Soundside projects include a recording of storyteller and Ocrafolk Opry performer Lou Ann Homan, talking about her travels following in the footsteps of the great poet Robert Frost, and an album by acclaimed guitarist Danny Gotham of Chapel Hill.

Ocracoke Preservation Society commissioned a unique recording project from Soundside Studio. Gary transferred a 1965 LP recording of Theodore Rondthaler’s Commencement Address to the Ocracoke School Class of 1965 to a digital archive and burned CDs for OPS and some of the ’65 grads.

Last, but certainly not least, is (drumroll, please)… a new Molasses Creek album! It’s going to be fantastic and will include fan favorites that haven’t been recorded yet and all-new originals that no one has heard! This is a transition album for the band; Kitty Mitchell is phasing out so she can have more time to paint, while Marcy Brenner is phasing in, joining husband Lou Castro who joined Molasses Creek two years ago. Gerald Hampton, who plays mandolin with the band when they tour, will also be on the new CD. The new CD will be available at the Ocrafolk Festival in June.

Gary’s Not the Only One Keeping Busy…

Busy Bees (Quilting Bees, that is)

The Ocracoke Needle and Thread Club meet twice a week to create beautiful quilts, most of which they donate to worthy causes. (They make a commissioned quilt once in awhile to earn more money for fabric and batting.) They are currently working on three new quilts – a Crazy Quilt will go to OPS for their annual quilt raffle, a Block Party quilt will be raffled off at the Ocrafolk Festival, and another Crazy was commissioned by Needle and Thread Club member Rosemary Wetherill as a gift for her granddaughter.

‘Way back in December, a very special quilt was donated to the Ocrafolk Festival. Festival fans and artisans Rita Horn (Sundae’s mom) and Jill Malone of Columbus, Ohio sewed a traditional Ocracoke Cracker pattern – with a twist. They turned it into a Christmas Cracker! Using only holiday fabrics with holly on them, (except for one red fabric with anchors, in honor of Ocracoke’s maritime history) Rita and Jill started a new quilting tradition.

The Christmas Cracker was raffled off at the Ocrafolk Christmas concert in December. It raised $270 for the Festival and the lucky winner was Reggie Mosser, who is delighted with her quilt. She says she’s still using it everyday while she and her husband are on Ocracoke.

And speaking of her husband…his name is George Brown and he’s an incredible photographer. George and Reggie rented a cottage on Ocracoke for four months this winter, and he’s been shooting pictures all over the island. You can see some of his stunning work at his photo blog, www.pixadilly.com, where he posts one photo a day. Sundae Horn wrote a story about him and his work for Island Free Press. Read her article here.

We Told You Kitty Was Busy…

Duck Stamps

Here’s a small sampling of the artwork that her students have painted for the annual Junior Duck Stamp Contest. Started in 1989, the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of a curriculum that teaches students about wetlands habitats and the waterfowl that live there.

Each year, over 27,000 students nationwide participate in the contest, and the winning entry is used as the official Junior Duck Stamp, available at the U.S. Post Office for $5 each. The proceeds are used to support conservation education, and provide awards and scholarships for the students, teachers, and schools that participate in the program. The artwork will be judged by grade level, and state finalists will compete at the national level.

by Waylon Underwood

by Matteus Gilbert

by Kyle Tillett

by Diana Perez

Brandon O'Neal

by Caroline Temple

by Ashley Zito

Pep Band Celebrates End of Season

The Pep Band, a.k.a. The Last Rebels of Rock, directed by Kitty Mitchell and Lou Castro, played the halftime show at all the home games this year, and they’re also slated to perform at the Variety Show on February 28th, the school talent show (tentatively scheduled for May 22) and the Ocrafolk Festival.

Farewell to a Friend

Lawton Howard & Fowler O'Neal play some tunes

We are sad to announce that a beloved Ococker passed away on January 28th. Fowler O’Neal was a sailor, a fisherman, a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, a traveler, a reader, a hunter, a teller of tall tales – and a maker of meal wine.

Rob Temple has this to say about the meal wine: “A few years ago Philip Howard and I decided to make up a batch of Ocracoke meal wine just to ensure that the time-honored tradition wouldn’t die out. Fowler was our historical expert on the subject and not only made sure that we observed the right procedures but also kept us constantly entertained with recollections of his own youthful exploits. But he always strictly refused to sample our product. Philip and I often lamented not having known him in his “drinking days.” Fowler will be greatly missed by all who had the good fortune to know him.

Fiddler Dave, Philip Howard, Fowler, Captain Rob Temple & little Lachlan

Happy New Year from all of us here at Soundside Records!

2009-02-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Excuse us while we thaw out our frozen fingers so we can type some more… At the end of January, Ocracoke experienced one honest-to-goodness cold snap, keeping us all hunkered down next to our inadequate heat sources. We don’t expect much sympathy from folks in the frozen north, but we have had a very cold January so far, with many days and nights dipping below freezing, even down into the 20s. Brrr!

We even had an Ocracoke Blizzard! Ocracoke snow is usually nothing more than a few teasing flurries, but this time the snow fell and stuck! On Tuesday, January 20th, while two million people braved freezing weather to gather on the National Mall and witness the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, here on the island a winter storm blew in bringing overcast skies, bitter cold winds and about 1.5 inches of snow. Wednesday morning was bright and clear and the sunshine melted too much of it, but shaded spots stayed white until Thursday, when temperatures in the 40s melted all the rest. It was pretty while it lasted!

So, how do we stay warm when the bitter winds blow? Here are a few of our island secrets:

Pickin' and Singin' at the Community Store…

We gather around the toasty fire in the old potbellied stove at the Community Store, which has been luring islanders in from the cold since 1918. Proprietors Susan and James Paul have been hosting musical gatherings on Friday nights this winter at 6pm. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun ¬– so if you’re on the island, come on out and bring an instrument, or just help with the singing. Bringing your own chair is a good idea, too, unless you want to sit on a milk crate! You’ll see lots of familiar faces from the Soundside Record family, and other musical friends from on and off the island.

Catching Up on All the Movies We Haven’t Seen…

Susan and James have also opened a second business down on the harborfront, in the old cedar-shake house adjacent to the Community Store. Fantastic Flix opened at Thanksgiving, just in time to provide DVD and video game rentals to help us survive the long winter.

Fantastic Flix also rents DVD players and Wii, Xbox and PS 2 video game consoles. They sell camera supplies, small electronics, film, memory sticks, batteries, universal remotes, digital cameras, telephones, and alarm clocks – and candy! What would a movie-watching experience be without Dots or Junior Mints?

Improving Our Minds with the Help of Great Literature…

Ocracoke Friends of the Library is sponsoring a series of Book Talks this winter in an effort to expose us to some culture – and it seems to be working!

Over thirty eager readers gathered in our little library on January 15th to discuss Madame Bovary with scholar and librarian Willie Nelms. Willie traveled from Greenville, NC, where he is the director of a library, and more importantly, plays bass with the Tar River Boys bluegrass band. Our sources also discovered that he’s a Molasses Creek fan, too, so we gave him a warm welcome to the island.

Willie gave an engaging and learned talk about Madame Bovary, focusing on the life of author Gustave Flaubert, and then opened the discussion to the group. A lively debate ensued about the book, with strong opinions offered about the characters of Emma Bovary, her husband and lovers, and the writing style of Flaubert.

(For those who wished they had the Cliff notes, Ocracoke librarians Ingeborg Frye and Ann Borland snuck in a showing of the 1949 film version of Madame Bovary the night before the Book Talk. Deepwater Theater was the venue, and they plan to show movies to go with the books in the series, when available.)

The Book Talk series is provided by a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council, the NC Center for the Book, and by matching funds from Ocracoke Friends of the Library. For each book, a different scholar will visit our library and lead the discussion. Copies of the books are available now at the library, so if you’re on the island and need a little culture, you can join the Book Talk fun.

February 5th 6:30pm The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles.
February 26th 6:30pm End of the Affair by Graham Greene.
March 19th 6:30pm Morgan’s Passing by Ann Tyler.
April 9th 6:30pm A Mother and Two Daughters by Gail Godwin.
For more information contact Ingeborg Frye at 928-4436.

Rehearsing for an Old Time Ocracoke Variety Show…

On Saturday, February 28th, extroverted islanders will take to the Community Center stage to entertain their friends and help to raise money for renovations on the Methodist Church Rec Hall. The show will start at 7pm and there will also be a bake sale, with all proceeds benefiting the Rec Hall building fund.

The show is open to all types of local acts: songs, stories, dancing, poetry, skits – whatever they can come up with. Organizers Marcy Brenner and Lou Castro (a.k.a. Coyote) are hoping to revive the old Ocracoke-style variety shows from years past, which had the reputation of always including some O’cockers in drag. In any case, you’ll be sure to see some familiar Soundside Records and Ocrafolk Opry faces at the show: Martin Garrish, Jamie Tunnell, Sundae Horn, Rob Temple, and, of course, Marcy and Lou, are among those who’ve already signed up.

The Rec Hall building was originally part of the WWII Naval Base on Ocracoke, and was moved to the church property on School Road in the late 1940’s.

It has served the community in many capacities over the years. As well as being used by the Methodist Church, the Rec Hall has also been a temporary classroom for the school, a meeting place for community organizations, and a place of worship for the Catholic community. The Rec Hall is rented out to the public for showers, birthday parties, wedding receptions, etc., and was the venue for a delicious Thai Moon-catered dinner during the 2nd annual Ocrafolk School. The Rec Hall recently got a new roof, and funds being raised now will go toward a new foundation for this historic and much-loved building.

Soundside Records Unveils its New Website!

Fiddler Dave has been telling his wife Amy, "It's almost ready. . . I think I'm almost done now!" since the end of December. Last weekend, the small dream came true when he uploaded the fancy new Soundside Records website. Check it out at www.soundsiderecords.com.

Ocrafolk School Announces 2009 Classes
The 2009 Ocrafolk School is now accepting registrations for our next session Oct. 25-30, 2009 here on Ocracoke Island. This year's classes include

Island Photography ~ Ann Ehringhaus
Exploring Songwriting: Finding the Voice of Your Heart ~ Marcy Brenner
Island Cooking ~ Debbie Wells
Ocrafolk Sampler: Ocracoke’s History, Seafaring Traditions ~ Philip Howard & Capt' Rob Temple
Vision in Clay: Pottery ~ Rhonda Bates and Wes Lassiter

You can take a look at www.ocrafolkschool.org for more information and registration, or contact Gary Mitchell at gary@ocrafolkschool.org if you have specific questions that are not answered on the website. As the Ocrafolk School becomes more well known each year, it becomes more important to register as early as possible!

Ocrafolk Festival Now Accepting Artisan Applications for 2009
The 2009 Ocrafolk Festival is now accepting artisan applications. All interested parties can visit www.ocrafolkfestival.org for information and a listing of last year's artisans.
***

Whew! December was a blur of fun, festivities and food! Some highlights were… well, just about everything!!

Kids gather for a community Xmas party

An Ocrafolk Christmas Concert

The Ocracoke School Christmas Program

Santa arrives at the day care on the Fire Truck

Ocracoke Library Cookie Swap & Concert

Ocracoke Preservations Society's Wassail Party

Decorations around the village

Ocracoke Methodist Church Pageant

An Oyster Roast Fundraiser at for the Working Waterman's Association

Baby Dee and Free Moustache

Ocracoke is such a fun place to be for any holiday that’s it’s hard to imagine folks having as much good cheer anywhere else. But we know that First Night in Williamsburg, VA must be a great place to be because our own Molasses Creek was there! Gary, Kitty, Fiddler Dave, and Lou Castro were joined by Marcy Brenner and Gerald Hampton for three packed houses at the Phi Beta Kappa Hall and a midnight show at the grand finale in the football stadium (temperature was 27 degrees. Whew!) Molasses Creek will return to Williamsburg on August 22, 2009 for a special Rotary Club fundraising concert at the Kimball Theater.

We have a bunch of new projects to tell you about in the upcoming posts!

Meanwhile, wherever you are, try to stay warm and remember, if you're lonesome for Ocracoke, listening to some music from Soundside Records can help banish the winter blues!

Upcoming Molasses Creek performances
Saturday, March 7, 7:30pm
Molasses Creek at ~ Music Across the Sound
Mattamuskeet High School, Swan Quarter, NC
Molasses Creek will partake in a variety show featuring performers from Ocracoke Island and mainland Hyde County.

Saturday, April 4
8:00pm Molasses Creek with Carolina Still and the Barnraisers
Turnage Theater, Washington, NC

Saturday, April 11
7:30pm Molasses Creek at ~ Ocrafolk Festival Easter Fundraising Concert
Ocracoke Community Center, Ocracoke Island, NC
Fundraising Concert with a host of Ocracoke Performers!

Happy Holidays from us all at Soundside Records!

2008-12-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone on Ocracoke is hanging wreaths and twinkling lights and getting into the yuletide spirit. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the village – even the lighthouse is sporting some holiday finery.

Lots of festive and fun events happen this time of year (see last week’s post for a full listing), but we’d like to give you an extra reminder about the annual Ocrafolk Christmas Concert on December 11th at 7pm at the Ocracoke Community Center. In years past, Deepwater Theater has hosted the concert and charged admission as a fundraiser for OPS. But this year it will be a free event for the whole community – and visitors, too!

If you’re on the island, come on out and enjoy seasonal entertainment provided by some of your favorite Soundside Records artists and other local talent: The MadriGals, Jamie Tunnell, Coyote, Molasses Creek, Sundae Horn, Rob Temple, Caroline Temple, Molly Lovejoy, Katie O’Neal, Ivey and Laura Belch, Baby Dee and Free Moustache, Kati Wharton, Noah Paley, April Trueblood, Cynthia Mitchell, Roger Garrish, & more!!

And in keeping with the spirit of giving, the Ocrafolk Christmas Concert organizers are offering space inside for some of our island’s non-profits to raise a little money selling refreshments.

Cindy Fiore with Christmas wreathes

Well, we promised you a review of Philip Howard’s book…

...and here it is, just in time to influence your Christmas shopping!

Since his early childhood, Philip Howard has been captivated by the stories told to him by Ocracoke friends and relatives. As a result, he has become quite an authority on the island’s history as anyone can tell you who has visited his shop, The Village Craftsmen, and chatted with him. Fifteen years ago it occurred to Philip that Ocracoke’s
trove of oral history was in danger of extinction so he began to collect stories in earnest and to write them down.

As his story-telling reputation grew, Philip became a regular feature of the Ocrafolk Opry, a summer variety show at the Deepwater Theatre where he has entertained audiences for the past several years. In 2000, he began publishing some of his tales online in his Village Craftsmen newsletter. Three years ago, he began conducting evening “ghost walks” through the village. The 90-minute walks quickly gained popularity and participants began to pressure Philip to publish the stories so they could take them home.

Last winter he began writing and the result is finally here. His book is called
Digging Up Uncle Evans: History, Ghost Tales & Stories from Ocracoke Island, and it’s available right here at Soundside Records. While the main focus of the book is ghost stories, there is a wealth of Ocracoke history and geography, as well as a scattering of interesting photographs.

The ghostly tone is set in the first chapter, “A Perplexing Dream,” which presents a mystery that subtly haunts the reader until it is resolved in the final chapter, “Digging Up Uncle Evans.”

Digging Up Uncle Evans is the perfect holiday gift for anyone who loves Ocracoke.

Speaking of perfect holiday gifts…

Ocracoke Preservation Museum is all decked out

…did we mention Soundside Records?

2008 was a great year for Soundside Records, seeing the release of three new CDs for our catalog.

The Ocrafolk Sampler IV joined the lineup this spring, and proved to be another great compilation of local and regional musicians. Perennial Ocrafolk artists Molasses Creek open the CD with “Stuff that Works” and it sets the tone for the rest of the CD – “music that works” its magic on the listener. New to the Sampler series are Katy Mitchell, Skye Zentz, Michael Stanwood, Phil Kelly, Ruth Wyand and The Barnraisers – all of whom performed in the 2008 Ocrafolk Festival.

Brothers From Another Time Fiddler Dave Tweedie and Michael Stanwood
Born of years of musical friendship, this album brings together these two musicians in a wonderful tapestry of song and tunes form the mountains of Colorado to the sandy shores of Ocracoke Island, NC. This is the album that will teach you the magic of the words “Ee Go Di Wa” and get you swaying to Fiddler Dave’s beautiful waltzes.

Live From Deepwater Theater Noah Paley, Lou Castro and Marcy Brenner
Hatteras Islander Noah Paley teamed up with the Ocracoke duo Coyote to offer a night of “Songs and the Stories Behind the Songs” and the result is this CD recorded during the 2007 Friday night shows at Deepwater Theater.

For Christmas delivery please place orders by December 15th!

With every passing year, more visitors to the Outer Banks of North Carolina take home a piece of the Ocrafolk magic through our performers’ many CDs. In our catalog you may browse performers’ recordings -- sampling as you go, or search song titles and special guest appearances on other albums. We have also identified those albums by Ocracoke residents and those produced at Gary Mitchell’s Soundside Studios. Some albums even have lyrics for those who wish to sing along!

Even the ponies are celebrating

Members of Molasses Creek play at the Harker's Island Decoy Festival

This last weekend Guitar Gary, Fiddler Dave, Lou Castro and Gerald Hampton convened in Harker's Island, NC for the annual Waterfowl Weekend. Several other performers were on hand for the celebration including Bland Simpson, the Lost Girls, Connie Mason, and a bunch of Fish House Liars (Rodney Kemp and friends). The weather was a little chilly, but still sunny enough to stand outside and eat scallop fritters and apple puppies while a group of local boatmakers created a skiff right in front of the museum. The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum is a wonderful place to visit any time of year with plenty of exhibits on hunting, carving, and Down East Culture. Find out more on their website at www.coresound.com.

Ocracoke Methodist Church

December Dining and Shopping Guide

Many Ocracoke shops and restaurants are closed for the season, but the ones that are open would sure appreciate your business! If you’re on the island, here are your dining options:

Ocracoke Pizza Company Call if you see the Open sign lit up!

Howard’s Pub Open 11am – 10pm, Fridays and Saturdays until midnight. The Pub will close for the season on January 4th.

Thai Moon Carryout Open Thursday – Sunday, 11am ¬– 8pm, until December 30th. Closed Christmas Day.

Creekside Café Open through mid-December from 10am – until 7pm.

Ocracoke Station Deli (At the Texaco station) Open year round.

Jason’s Restaurant Currently closed. Will re-open December 30th serving lunch from 11:30–2:30 and dinner from 5 – 8pm.

Please note that other shops may be open – if you don’t see your favorite one on the list, please give them a call.

Deepwater Pottery and Books to Be Red Open daily 12 – 5. Open house Saturday, December 6th from 1 –4pm.

Over the Moon Hours will be posted on the door.

Village Craftsmen Open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am – 5pm. Closed December 23rd – 25th. Open Dec. 26th until December 31st, then closed for the season.

Ocracoke Restoration Company Monday – Saturday, 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
Closed Sundays except for Christmas week

BW’s Surf Shop Will be open most days in December.

Tradewinds Open daily until January 4th, then closed through February.

Island Artworks Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 – 5.

The Gathering Place Open weekends in early December, and part-time hours daily from December 18th -31st. Open House Saturday, December 6th from 1pm -4pm.

Island Ragpicker Open daily at 10 am through December. Closed Christmas Day.

Zillie’s Island Pantry Open daily, Noon – 6pm, through December. Closed on December 24th and 25th. Closing at 4pm on the 31st and closed January 1st. Zillie's will be open in January and February, hours to be posted.

Secret Garden Gallery Open December 15th – 23rd (except Sunday), 10am – 6pm. Open Christmas Eve 10am – 1pm. Closed Christmas Day. Open December 26th ¬– 31st, 10am – 6pm. Closed Sundays.

Village Peddler Open most weekdays in December, and the weekend of December 20th and 21st. ¬Phone number is posted on the door – please call and they’ll open for you.