Molasses Creek Still Performing This Weekend in New Bern

Hello from Molasses Creek!
 
We wanted to make sure that everyone knew that Molasses Creek is still coming to perform on Sunday, Sept 15 from 11 AM-1 PM at the Farmer's Market in New Bern. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Now for more news on Hurricane Dorian and Ocracoke Island. . . 
The amount of destruction in Ocracoke Village is truly stunning. Hurricane Dorian brought the largest tidal swell in recorded history, topping Hurricane Matthew of two years ago by an estimated three feet. The surge flooded homes and businesses previously thought to be out of reach, frightening many experienced islanders used to the tempestuous ebb and flow of life on this remote barrier island.

Driving around this small town, the impact can be seen in the mountains of furniture, mattresses and debris growing in front of almost every building, and in the hundreds of cars washed every direction throughout Ocracoke.

The Red Cross, Coast Guard, US military, and many volunteer organizations have been on the scene offering the critical aid needed by just about everyone . . . meals, supplies, gas, muscle to move out appliances and tear out waterlogged insulation.

The level of water at Ocracoke Alive's Deepwater Theater (a place that we are used scrubbing out after storms), was about four inches above the bottom of the windowsills.

Thanks to everyone who has been checking in and lending their support. If you would like to make a general donation to the Ocracoke Community, the Outer Banks Community Foundation has set up a Disaster Relief Fund at https://www.obcf.org/donate-now/disaster-relief-fund-donate/.

You can also make a donation towards Ocracoke Alive to aid in getting their home base of Deepwater Theater back up and running by following this link.

Sept 21,Shrimp Off to be Rescheduled
The Shrimp Off fundraising event previously scheduled for Sept21 concert previously scheduled for September will be rescheduled for the spring.. . our remaining concerts scheduled this season on Ocracoke Island have been cancelled due to the destruction brought by Hurricane Dorian.

All the best!

Molasses Creek
Gary, Fiddler Dave, Kim & Gerald
 
Sept 15, 11 AM-1 PM, New Bern Farmer’s Market, NC ~ Molasses Creek Fundraising Concert for St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Following nearly a year of helping the New Bern community and church members in hardship situations to recover from Hurricane Florence, St. Andrew Lutheran Church is looking to repair their church sanctuary.  Molasses Creek Band will be assisting them with a fund raising concert on Sept. 15 from 11 am – 1 pm.  Tickets will be available Aug. 30th– Sept. 14th via email to:  standrew1605@suddenlinkmail.com or by calling 252-637-5879 between 9 am  and noon Monday through Friday. Tickets are $15.00 (additional contributions welcome) and may be purchased with cash or check only payable to:  St. Andrew Lutheran Church.
 
Rescheduled for Spring (Previously Sept 21) Molasses Creek at the Core Sound Shrimp Off, Crystal Coast Civic Center, Morehead City, NC. The Core Sound Shrimp Off is a fundraising event to benefit the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum of Harker’s Island which was hit hard by Hurricane Florence last year. This event is Hometown Cooks vs. World-Famous Chefs, Shrimp Cooked Any Way You Like Em! The event will also feature the Heritage Exhibition ~ Remembering the People and Places of Core Sound Shrimping. Come join the fun! www.coresound.com
 
Sept 12, 19, 26, Molasses Creek in Concerts at Deepwater Theater, Ocracoke Island, NC Cancelled due to Hurricane Dorian

Molasses Creek Hurricane Fundraising Concerts in Eastern NC in September

Hello from Molasses Creek! We are currently hunkered down across the state of North Carolina, waiting for Hurricane Dorian to pass and hoping for the best for our friends and family on Ocracoke and in Eastern, NC as the storm works its way up the coast. We will keep you posted on the storm’s effects as news comes in. In the meantime, we did want to remind everyone about our upcoming concerts for this month. Ironically, two of these concerts are fundraisers for communities that bore the heavy hand of hurricane Florence almost exactly a year ago. These concerts will be an inspiring opportunity for you to come out and show your support! All the best! Molasses Creek Gary, Fiddler Dave, Kim & Gerald Sept 15, 11 AM-1 PM, New Bern Farmer’s Market, NC ~ Molasses Creek Fundraising Concert for St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Following nearly a year of helping the New Bern community and church members in hardship situations to recover from Hurricane Florence, St. Andrew Lutheran Church is looking to repair their church sanctuary.  Molasses Creek Band will be assisting them with a fund raising concert on Sept. 15 from 11 am – 1 pm.  Tickets will be available Aug. 30th– Sept. 14th via email to:  standrew1605@suddenlinkmail.com or by calling 252-637-5879 between 9 am  and noon Monday through Friday. Tickets are $15.00 (additional contributions welcome) and may be purchased with cash or check only payable to:  St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Sept 21, 6-9 PM, Molasses Creek at the Core Sound Shrimp Off, Crystal Coast Civic Center, Morehead City, NC. The Core Sound Shrimp Off is a fundraising event to benefit the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum of Harker’s Island which was hit hard by Hurricane Florence last year. This event is Hometown Cooks vs. World-Famous Chefs, Shrimp Cooked Any Way You Like Em! The event will also feature the Heritage Exhibition ~ Remembering the People and Places of Core Sound Shrimping. Come join the fun! www.coresound.com Sept 12, 19, 26, Molasses Creek in Concert at Deepwater Theater, Ocracoke Island, NC. Coming to Ocracoke this month? Hope to see you on Thursday nights at our home base, Ocracoke Alive’s Deepwater Theater! Tickets available at molassescreek.com October 20-25, Ocrafolk School Fall Retreat, Ocracoke Island, NC   October 20-25, don’t forget to join Gary and Fiddler Dave for an incredible retreat on Ocracoke Island at the historic Berkley Manor. October 20-25, 2019, Ocracoke Alive's Ocrafolk School will offer an insider’s guide to Ocracoke Island that will spark your creativity and sense of community.  Based at the historic Berkley Manor, our inspiring instructors guide adult participants of all experience levels through their choice of one of six specialized courses: Cooking with Island Chefs, Jewelry Making, Mind and Body Renewal, Carving & Painting a Redhead Duck Decoy, Drawing with Love (and a Little Science), and Exploring Ocracoke’s Past, Present, & Future. Small class sizes allow for individualized attention from teachers.             Only accessible by ferry, North Carolina's remote Ocracoke is an enchanting step out of modern times into a world of captivating natural beauty, rich maritime history, ghostly shipwrecks, heroic lifesavers, crafty pirates, and a community of 1000 independently minded residents.               Explore the island in a way you never thought possible; take walkabouts with a resident guide, savor incredible local food (seafood!) in a group setting, make new friends, and enjoy talented local musicians and storytellers. Wow! It's going to be GREAT!                Tuition for all classes is $725 and includes Group Activities & Meals (4 Dinners, 5 Breakfasts). Proceeds from Ocrafolk School support student and community programming on Ocracoke Island. www.ocracokealive.org Molasses Creek releases 17th album, Catch the Wind. Nobody puts Molasses Creek in a box. That may be because of their claustrophobia and personal space issues. But it has manifested in a 26 year run of unpredictable and delightful musical choices. Each member contributes ideas and original music. They move between whimsical and sincere in a way that makes you believe that balancing both might be the key to life. Molasses Creek up -- blood pressure down. Try it. It works. ~ Louis Allen Our new album, Catch the Wind, came out in hard copy for June’s Ocrafolk Festival, and has just been released on iTunes and other online distributors. You can listen to tracks on our Molasses Creek website at www.molassescreek.com. The recording features original songs by all four band members (yes, even Gerald gets in on the action and sings!) as well as audience favorites. Gary leads the ensemble with new versions of his classics, Homemade Music and Can We Agree on Love, Fiddler Dave yodelee-hee-hoos his way into comic social commentary on Fake News, Kim offers a romantic tribute to Ocracoke Island in her sweet audience favorite, Highway 12, and our instrumental maker Gerald Hampton, delivers sweet fingerpicking and wry reminder to his bandmates about the responsibilities of caretaking for one of his children (Gary and Kim each have one of his guitars and they are featured on this song). There are also hot pickin' tunes, mountain melodies, and some classic folk songs. Pick up yer copy today! Molasses Creek's Catch the Wind Song List 1 -Catch the Wind 2 –Highway 12 3 –Homemade Music 4 –Fake News 5 –Blackberry Blossom 6 –Luthier’s Lament 7 –Blackbeard Boogie 8 –Minor Swing Thing 9 –Old People in Love 10 -Today 11 –Angeline the Baker 12 –Can We Agree On Love 13 -Dream

Hello from Ocracoke!

We are ankle deep in wintertime projects here on Ocracoke Island. This is dream-time on the Outer Banks . . . a time when island residents enjoy friends and family and begin to construct the next season's activities. Fiddler Dave is currently traveling with his family on the west coast, Gary has been working on new songs and video projects, Gerald is carving away at instruments in the middle of the state, and Kim has been honing her classical chops in the mountains.

Gary has a new song!
 https://youtu.be/MP_Qb3OOrt8
We wanted to let you know that Gary has written a new song in response to our new political reality entitled “Can We Agree on Love?” He’d love for you to check it out here:
https://youtu.be/MP_Qb3OOrt8.  Lou Castro and Jubal Creech are special guests on the song, along with Gary, Fiddler Dave & Gerald (Kim was in the midst of concerts in the mountains, so Gerald filled in on bass). If you like the message, please spread it around!

Deepwater Theater 2017 Shows Announced

It's official! The 2017 season at Ocracoke Alive's Deepwater Theater has been unveiled. We begin shows in June (maybe a few teasers in May). Of course, Molasses Creek will return for shows on Thursday nights, and Blackbeard: An (Historical/Hysterical) Account will return for a second season on Mondays. A brand new venture, A Dingbatter's Guide to Ocracoke Island, is making its debut on Wednesday nights. Catch the gang from Hysterical Blackbeard (Fiddler Dave, Gary, Desiree Ricker, and Peyton Piquard), for the ultimate guide for Ocracoke visitors. This new show answers the most burning questions . . . What really happens on the island in the off season? How can you sneak home your own piece of the island? What is a Russian Rat? . . . and more!

To find out more and reserve your tickets ahead of your visit to Ocracoke, click on the link above.

All the best!

Molasses Creek

New Molasses Creek Video is Out! Upcoming Tour to PA, Ocracoke Picking Parties, Singing for your Supper and more!

Howdy there Molasses Creek friends!


Right now we are sitting tight while Hurricane Hermine blows through. Overall it has been pretty mild here on Ocracoke . . . wind and lightning last night with gusts up around 60 mph, then calm in the morning as the eye came through. It is now noon, and the blustery gal is showing her colors again as the backside passes through. Aside from rain, there had been relatively little flooding until this morning. With high tide at 9:30 AM, islanders living right on the water have reported water coming up quickly and roads near Silver Lake and the sound getting flooded.  A DOT vehicle just passed by heading up Howard St, no doubt avoiding the flooding on Highway 12 around at the Fish House on Silver Lake.

Ocracoke Alive is hoping that Hermine will have blown through completely by tomorrow so that Capt. Rob can move the Skipjack Wilma Lee from her protective spot at the NPS Docks to over at her berth at the Community Square, all in preparation for the Annual Labor Day Sunday Gala Celebration. Tomorrow morning the organization will make the call on the event . . . if it is a go ahead, then we will be butterflying shrimp in the morning to get ready for Tom Pahl's special grilled seafood!

Molasses Creek tours to PA on Sept 23 & 24

Molasses Creek is very excited to be traveling north this month for two shows at the Bucks County Cabaret in New Hope, PA on September 23 & 24. We love playing in this area of the country and hope that you will spread the word amongst your compadres about the concerts. We will probably look to spend Sunday night (Sept 25) around the Philadelphia area to catch some sights, so if anyone wants to host a traveling band . . . just email us through the website at www.molassescreek.com/contact. We'll bring the fig preserves!

Molasses Creek's brand new video "You Go to Your Church & I'll go to Mine" is Live!

Our friends Andrea Tani of Florence Italy, and Matt Mitchell of NC have been hard a work completing the new Molasses Creek video that we shot right after the Ocrafolk Festival in June.  Now hot off the press you can see it above or by clicking this link. Thanks so much to them for all of their hard work. We had a great time!

The song is off our brand new album, People Get Ready, and should be going live on iTunes in about a week. Hard copies can be ordered through our website, and you can listen to samples of all the tracks at www.molassescreek.com/people-get-ready. Enjoy!

Deepwater Theater Shows Continue into the Fall on Ocracoke Island

On the eve of evacuation for Hurricane Hermine, we hold a mini concert at Deepwater Theater 

Traveling to Ocracoke this month? Come by and catch a live show at Deepwater Theater. Here are a list for the upcoming September dates for Molasses Creek, the Ocrafolk Opry, and Blackbeard: An (Historical/Hysterical) Account.

Blackbeard: An (Historical/Hysterical) Account. Monday, Sept 5 & 12. 7:30 PM
Ocrafolk Opry Show. Wednesdays 8:00 PM, Sept 7, 14, 21, 28. 8:00 OM
Molasses Creek. Thursdays, 8:00 PM. Sept 8, 15, 29.

Also, while on the island, come help Ocracoke Alive test new programming aboard the Skipjack Wilma Lee on Saturdays. Here is the schedule.

Saturday, September 11 & 24 ~ Skipjack Wilma Lee "Anatomy of a Sailboat" Workshop. 9:30 AM. Community Square Dock. Free. RSVP info@ocracokealive.org or 252-921-0260.
Saturday, September 17 & Oct 1 ~ Skipjack Wilma Lee "Buoy Bingo - Nautical Charts and Navigation" Workshop. 9:30 AM. Community Square Dock. Free. RSVP info@ocracokealive.org or 252-921-0260.

Gary Mitchell Gets the Movie Making Bug! 

Inspired by our recent Molasses Creek movie making activities, Gary has been working hard this last month, documenting band and Ocracoke activities so that you can find out a little more on our life on this small sandy spit. We have created a playlist entitled "Singing for your Supper." Here are some of the latest posts. Enjoy!

 Gary's wife, artist Kitty Mitchell, creates an Ocracoke Island Burning Woman Event.

 

Ocracoke Hermine Storm Party with special guests!

That's all for now. See you folks on down the road!
Gary, Fiddler Dave, Kim & Gerald
Molasses Creek.

Summertime Fun, Baking Fig Muffins with Fiddler Dave, and upcoming travels to New Hope, PA

Hey there friends,

We have had a busy Molasses Creek summer here on Ocracoke. The heat is on and figs are ripening quickly. Fiddler Dave and his household have been quickly picking and canning as much as possible. Gary Mitchell cycled up Howard Street for a video interview with him about making his famous Fig Muffins (recipe included). Check it out below.
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Molasses Creek tours to New Hope, PA in September

Molasses Creek will be traveling to play two dates at the Buck County Cabaret in New Hope, PA outside of Philadelphia on Friday, September 23rd & Saturday, Sept 24th. Click on the link below to find out more on how to get tickets to this dinner theater extravaganza! We hope to see you there!

Molasses Creek Shoots a "HOT" New Video for the People Get Ready Album. 

Right after the close of this year's Ocrafolk Festival, we had yet another international film adventure with our friends Andrea Tani (of Florence, Italy), and Matt Mitchell (of North Carolina). On a toasty summer day in early June, the Molasses Creek crew loaded up various vehicles with costumes and props and set forth to the northern end of Ocracoke Island to shoot a video for the song, "You Go to Your Church and I'll Go to Mine." The baking sun was just working itself into the sky at 9 AM when we spilled out onto the beach to begin work.

Most videos are split between clips of musical performance and footage of a storyline that may or may not have anything to do with the song. The song, "You Go to Your Church, I'll Go to Mine" celebrates the common humanity that knits together our diverse cultures throughout this great world. In the storyline for our video, Gerald Hampton (in full suit and top hat) plays a wandering vagabond that plops down next to a graveside, out of which springs the rest of the Molasses Creek band to join him in a musical reverie. All we can say is that digging your own grave in the sand at 4 PM in the summer afternoon is a bonding experience. We'll let ya know when one goes live!

Join Fiddler Dave & Gary Mitchell for a Tutorial on Fig Muffin Baking

You too can become a Fig Muffin Master. Take a look at this video!

Molasses Creek's "Holy Smoke" Video up and running!

Howdy folks!

Just wanted to let you know that we have posted a new video from our Waterbound album for the "Holy Smoke" song by Tommy Edwards! Many thanks for Andrea Tani, Alex Marton, Matt Mitchell, and Anna Rose for helping create this masterpiece! We are excited that Andrea and Anna will be coming back to the island to work with Ocracoke students on filmmaking during Arts Week in March.

Also, we wanted to let you know that we have unveiled the Deepwater Theater season for 2016. If you are coming to the island, you can pre-purchase tickets for shows at the Deepwater Theater page on our website.

For day-to-day happenings in the Molasses Creek world, visit our Facebook page.

Gary, Fiddler Dave, Kim, & Gerald
Your Molasses Creek crew!

October Travels and Upcoming Performances in November

Hi there friends!

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Upcoming performances
Friday, November 20 ~ Heathwood Concerts, near Raleigh (contact us at info@molassescreek.com for more details!)
**
October is a beautiful time to visit Ocracoke Island and the mountains of North Carolina.  When the weather turns cooler, coastal dwellers search for the opportunity to journey to the mountains to see changing leaves, pick up mountain apples, and enjoy life at a higher elevation.

Gary at Fontana Dam

 The third weekend of October, Gerald, Gary and Fiddler Dave traveled to Brasstown NC for a performance at the Campbell Folk School.  Gerald's people come from the Murphy area, and he had been telling Gary and Dave about the culinary wizards of the family that created works of art with their homegrown fruits and veggies.

Gary & Gerald at the Campbell Folk School

Kim had orchestra obligations in Boone, so the boys rendezvoused near the Hampton home place. Both Fiddler Dave and Gary had attended courses there at the school, so they knew they were in for a treat! On Friday, October 16th, the trio packed the lodge room for a fun-filled evening of picking and singing.

The next day, the team attended their first Punkin Chunkin contest, cheering on pumpkin catapults, cannons and trebuchets as they hurled pumpkins as far as two thousand feet.

On the way back to Asheville, Gary and Dave stopped by the Barber Orchards Fruit Stand near Balsam to pick up some tastee Honeycrisps, Jonagolds, and hand pies. Mmmm!

How long is that line for apple pies?!

Hope that you folks can make it out to our upcoming Heathwood House Concert on Friday, Nov 20th at the Winebrenner's beautiful home near New Hill outside of Cary, NC. If you are interested in finding out more about this event, please contact us at info@molassescreek.com.  We would love to see you there!

All the best
Your Molasses Creek crew
www.molassescreek.com

Molasses Creek Touring North in September and October. We will see you on the road!

Hey there folks,

Shows are wrapping up this month on Ocracoke.  If you are heading towards the NC Outer Banks, hope that you can see us at Deepwater Theater.  Otherwise, catch us at one of our upcoming concerts in NC, PA, MD or VA.

 Coming up this immediate weekend, Gary and Fiddler Dave grace the stage of the Heartworks Haborfestival, Saturday, Sept 19 at noon at the River Dunes in Oriental, NC.  The Heartworks organization is a non-profit that provides programming for underserved Pamlico County youth and families. We are excited to be a part of this new fundraiser for this great cause. Come show your support!

On Sept 26, we look forward to a return to the lovely land of chocolate at the Hershey Area Playhouse in Hershey PA.  Hmm-good! This will be our third appearance at this beautiful theater.  We encourage everyone to reserve their tickets early as this show usually sells out.  Today, just happens to be his birthday . . . here is a link to CBS.com article on the candymaker who changed the world. Hope to see you there!

On October 1, we continue our fall tour to the Eastern shore of MD, to the quaint town of Easton and the Stoltz Listening Room at the Avalon Foundation. The Avalon enriches the lives of over 100,000 people each year through nearly 300 events, performances, educational programming and celebrations throughout the year. They also run the local Farmer’s Market in town on Wednesdays and Saturdays (Not to be missed for fabulous baked goods and local produce.)

October 2, Molasses Creek will be in concert at the Carroll County Arts Council. Westminster, MD is the home of Common Ground on the Hill festival, so there are always lots of great folk musicians traveling through.  This Arts Council definitely has its finger on the creative pulse of the region, and always has great performances and arts shows (Backstage it is fun for us to read performer signatures on the walls of the greenroom!)

October 3^rd, we return to one of our favorite haunts in eastern Virginia, the Ashland Coffee and Tea, in Ashland, VA.  If you haven’t taken in a concert at this intimate listening room, do stop in.  We love getting to know our audiences there . . . they even sometimes show up in piratical costume! Arrgg!

            By the end of September we are hoping to have the Molasses Creek “Holy Smoke” video live on our website.  This song by our friend, Tommy Edwards, is on our new release, Waterbound.  Take a listen on this page on our website. Our friends in Italy, Andrea Tani & Alex  Martan have been hard a work.  Check back if you want to see some goofiness from the crew lugging BBQ implements and singing out to the side of Hwy 12 on Ocracoke while visitor cars stream past.

Love you folks and see you soon!

Gary, Fiddler Dave, Kim, Gerald

Molasses Creek

www.molassescreek.com

Here is the schedule in a nutshell.

Saturday, September 19, 12-1 PM
Gary and Fiddler Dave of Molasses Creek Heartworks Harborfestival
River Dunes
East Harborside Road
Oriental NC 28571 
http://heartworksnc.org/

Saturday, September 26 @ 7:00 PM 
Molasses Creek at the Hershey Area Playhouse 
Hershey Area Playhouse, Hershey, PA 
http://www.hersheyareaplayhouse.com/

Thursday, October 1 @ 8:00 PM 
Molasses Creek in Concert at the Stolz Listening Room, Easton, MD 
Avalon Foundation, Stoltz Listening Room, 40 East Dover St , Easton, MD 
https://tickets.avalontheatre.com/

Friday, October 2 @ 7:30 PM 
Molasses Creek in concert with the Carroll County Arts Council 
Carroll County Arts Council, Westminster, MD 
http://www.carrollcountyartscouncil.org/attractions_artscenter_events.asp

Saturday, October 3 @ 8:00 PM 
Molasses Creek in Concert at Ashland Coffee and Tea 
Ashland Coffee & Tea, Ashland, VA 
http://ashland.shop.ticketstoday.com/calendar.aspx

Molasses Creek's "Waterbound" Official Video is here! . . . Have fun!

We are so excited! The new Molasses Creek "Waterbound" video is now live on our site at www.molassescreek.com. Many thanks to Andrea Tani, Alex Marton, and Anna Rose for bringing their talent & vision all the way from Italy to Ocracoke.  We love it! Also, many thanks to Matt Mitchell for introducing us and keeping everyone afloat!


Of course, you can support our music by purchasing your very own copy of the "Waterbound" album through our online store at http://www.molassescreek.com/waterbound or on iTunes.

If you are headed to Ocracoke Island this season, Ocrafolk Opry & Molasses Creek shows are in full swing at Deepwater Theater on School Road.  Hope you can come and see us!

All the best!
Molasses Creek

 

Here are our upcoming dates:

Molasses Creek summer shows at Deepwater Theater
Wednesdays ~ Molasses Creek presents the Ocrafolk Opry
Thursdays ~  Molasses Creek in concert
Deepwater Theater, School Road, Ocracoke Island, NC

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Much love from all of us!
Molasses Creek
www.molassescreek.com

Molasses Creek "Waterbound" Video Almost Here!

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Hi there Molasses Creek fans,

We are deep in the midst of a toasty summer here on Ocracoke . . . figs have just started to ripen this week, and soon we will be putting away preserves so that we are ready for fig cakes in the winter.

            Gerald Hampton is visiting the island this week and will be joining us at our Deepwater Theater shows, so we will have the full touring band.  What fun! Also, our friend Rodney Kemp is joining us for the Opry this week and will be bringing plenty of Down East stories.

            Many of you experienced stormy weather this last week and so did Ocracoke.  Last weekend, a waterspout crossed Hwy 12 towards the north end and took out several electric poles, leaving the village without power for about 8 hours. Tideland electric worked through the night to restore electricity to the village (thank you!).

            This weekend (July 19), Molasses Creek will be performing at Greenville, NC’s Sunday in the Park. We are so excited that the Green Grass Cloggers will be joining us again this year, and that the concert will be dedicated to long-time event producer and friend, Stuart Aronsen.  The evening begins at 7:00 PM. For more information visit http://www.greenvillenc.gov/government/recreation-parks/programs-and-activities/special-events/sunday-in-the-park.

            We are very excited that we have just received a proof of the “Waterbound” video and will soon be making it available for your viewing pleasure. Stay tuned! We see a Oscar for Gerald Hampton’s portrayal of a waterlogged hobo! “Waterbound" is the title track of our new Molasses Creek album . . . coincidentally named “Waterbound.” To listen to selections from all the tracks, click the image below.

Molasses Creek's new album, Waterbound, has arrived!

Hey there folks,

We are so excited that our brand new release, Waterbound, arrived in yesterday to the island! The recording features new originals as well as some old favorites performed by Gary Mitchell, Fiddler Dave Tweedie, Gerald Hampton & Kim France, plus a special guest appearance by Sarah Osborne playing claw hammer banjo and raising the rafters with lead vocals on Cindy and I've Been Working on the Railroad.  Lou Castro also makes an appearance with some tasty guitar on Weeping Willow Blues by our friend Catesby Jones (Kitty Mitchell adds a sweet vocal harmony to that song as well).  To take a listen to tracks and read more, order your own copy or download it from iTunes, visit this link to our website.

In other news, we have an upcoming fundraising concert for Rotary Club of James City County at the Kimball Theatre in Williamsburg, VA this coming Saturday, May 30 at 7:30 PM. The acoustics in this hall are wonderful!  Hope you will join us as we feature some new material off the Waterbound album.

We are also knee deep in preparation for the Ocrafolk Festival and for the start of our summer season at Deepwater Theater on School Road.  Hope you can come and see us!

All the best!
Molasses Creek

Molasses Creek's "Waterbound" CD Cover Unveiled! Ocrafolk Festival News. Gary Travels to Offshore Drilling Hearing.

Howdy friends!

Spring is popping up all over the island . . . new lettuce seeds are sprouting in Fiddler Dave's garden, and spring breakers are trickling onto the island and wandering around the village. Ocracoke Arts Week begins tomorrow at Ocracoke School featuring classes in steel drumming, Paperhand Puppet construction, dance, pottery, and Spanish interpretive poetry.  Springtime is one of the busiest on Ocracoke for residents as they create the latest incarnation of their business for the new season.

This month, Molasses Creek will be releasing a new CD, and touring in Eastern Carolina with a new version of the ensemble featuring Gary, Fiddler Dave, Gerald Hampton, and Kim France on bass. Performance details at the end of this post.  Hope to see you folks out on the road! Here's the news!

Molasses Creek Unveils the Cover of "Waterbound"

 This past week, Gary and I (Fiddler Dave) have been busily finishing up tracks in the studio, preparing the new Molasses Creek recording, Waterbound, for mixing and mastering before being sent off for duplication at the beginning of April.  At the same time, we have been bouncing album design concepts back and forth with our design guru, Justin Casey of Washington, NC.  Ocrafolk Festival fans might remember Justin from his performances with his band, Carolina Still, but you might not realize that Justin has also been the designer (and photographer/videographer) behind our last two Molasses Creek releases, as well as the Ocrafolk Festival printed program.

Justin does fabulous work and his steady hand helps guide the visuals for our annual spring Ocrafolk Festival/Molasses Creek marathons.  Thanks Justin!  We anticipate having the new album available for our spring teenie-tour, April 17-19.

Ocrafolk Festival 2015 Announces Performer Lineup

Mipso

The Yes Team

Victor and Penny

Los Tarascos de Michoacan

Kaira Ba

Blue Eyed Bettys

We had a great time this winter finding new music for the Ocrafolk Festival 2015!  Groups making their debut this year include the Blue Eyed Bettys, Kaira Ba, Los Tarascos de Michoacan, Victor & Penny, Mahalo Jazz 2, and the Yes Team. Returning to the stage we have . . . festival hosts Molasses Creek, storyteller Donald Davis, Martin Garrish, Mipso, The Outliers, Donald Thompson Band, The Alberti Flea Circus, Paperhand Puppets, Craicdown, Jacob Johnson, The Green Grass Cloggers, Bob Zentz & Jeanne McDougal, John Golden, Louis Allen, Philip Howard, Capt. Rob Temple, Chainsaw Artist Clyde Jones, Jef the Mime, Ocrachicks, and more.

Ocrafolk Festival Unveils the 2015 Artwork, Entices Sponsors with Fabulous Rewards!

Click on this link to find out more how to become a sponsor.  Donations are tax-deductible.

This year's festival artwork is by our friend and fellow musician, April Trueblood. April plays at the Ocrafolk Opry during the summer as well as in Raygun Ruby with Lou Castro and Kenny Furr.

June 5-7 will herald the 16th annual Ocrafolk Festival on Ocracoke Island. The flagship event of Ocracoke Alive is one of the most popular weekends for visitors, as word of the event spreads across North Carolina and beyond. Last year, Our State Magazine featured the event as a top ranked NC festival, and several years ago it was ranked as one of the top 10 Island Festivals in the world by Coastal Living Magazine.  The Ocrafolk Festival's unique setting, and Ocracoke Alive's attention to detail helps create a weekend that is treasured by visitor and resident alike.

 The festival features musicians, storytellers, artisans, and characters from the NC region and beyond.  Popular events include a Fish Fry, Squaredance, Art Auction, Paperhand Puppet Parade, Gospel Sing, Bluegrass Jam, and performances by over 27 groups that will make fans of folk music and storytelling swoon.

Sponsors are a critical component of bringing the Ocrafolk Festival to life each year. The sponsors' passion for preserving the event through their donations fuels almost half of the total cost of the weekend. And the Ocrafolk Festival staff works hard to create unique rewards that make contributors feel a special part of the event.  As a sponsor you can not only receive the usual festival T-shirts and media recognition, but also an invitation to an Admiralty Party aboard Ocracoke Alive's Skipjack Wilma Lee, pre-release tickets to limited seating events, passes to the Fish Fry, reserved parking near festival grounds, and Supporter Level Buttons that enter you in drawings all weekend. Best of all, your sponsorship helps make sure that this unique event continues for another year! Come join your Ocracoke friends for a fabulous weekend!

Gary Travels to Hearing to Speak Out Against Offshore Oil Drilling

Gary's daughter Katy (left), Ocracoke resident Mickey Baker (center). Photo Outer Banks Voice.

On March 19th, Gary Mitchell traveled up the beach to Kill Devil Hills to join about 670 other Outer Banks residents and members of LegaSea to say "No" to oil exploration off the coast of North Carolina. LegaSea was formed 25 years ago in response to Mobil Oil Corp. efforts to sink an exploratory well off Cape Hatteras. The open forum was held by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in order to receive community feedback on a proposed lease sale of up to 14 sites between 2017-2022 within planning areas along the mid and south Atlantic, Alaska and Gulf of Mexico coasts. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory's administration is currently in support of the plan.

Executive director of the Outer Banks Visitor Bureau expressed his concern of the potential threat that offshore drilling could pose to tourism brought by the natural environment and pristine beaches of North Carolina. “Why then would we gamble with a proven industry?” Nettles addressed to the audience “Offshore drilling is a threat disguised as an opportunity,” he said.

If you are a fan of Ocracoke Island and the Outer Banks, we encourage you to speak your mind! Public comments on the proposed leasing program will be accepted by BOEM through March 30 at www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=BOEM_FRDOC_0001-0312;p=1 . Read more about the issue in an article by Coastal Review Online at www.coastalreview.org/2015/03/an-outcry-of-drilling-opposition-from-outer-banks/. Thanks for helping out our communities!

Upcoming Molasses Creek Travels

Hope you can join us in Washington or Fountain, NC this month!

Friday, April 17, 6-8 PM, Molasses Creek at Cycle NC Event in Washington Civic Center, Washington, NC

Saturday, April 18, Private event, Washington, NC

Sunday, April 19 7-9 PM (Fiddler Dave's birthday!) Molasses Creek in Concert at the Fountain General Store, Fountain, NC

That's all for now!