Molasses Creek January and February Travels and St. Louis Adventures

Hello there Molasses Creek friends,

Molasses Creek prepares for launch up the St. Louis arch

We are writing to you from the hallowed halls of the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City Missouri.  Molasses Creek is attending the conference today through Saturday, meeting and greeting around 2000 folkies from around North America.  What fun!  We will be doing four showcases and participating in workshops and events throughout the weekend.  We will even be doing a song on Chrstine Lavin’s webcast on Friday!

On our way out to here we stopped by to visit Rock and Melissa Jones in Delaware, OH, performed a fundraising concert at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, IL for Fiddler Dave's childhood friend, Carrie Smith, and spent a day wandering the streets of St. Louis visiting Jim and Margie Allen.  Thanks to all our friend for hosting and feeding us and helping us on our way! Here are some pictures from St. Louis.

Molasses Creek passes through St Louis!

At the top!

 

            January was a busy month, making final preparations for the international radio launch of our new album, Something Worth Having.  This week has been the first week for DJ airplay so we are just beginning to receive reports from around the country.  We are crossing our fingers that it makes a big hit!  While at Folk Alliance we will be meeting some with Kari Estrin, our radio promoter, and spreading the word amongst friends and colleges.

            Mid-January we had a wonderful mini-tour through North Carolina and up through Virginia to Maryland.  On Thursday, January 16^th, we traveled to Tyro, NC (south of Winston Salem, NC), and had a day of residencies culminating in an evening community concert where we were joined by choirs from the Tyro schools.   

Fiddler Dave gets his head eaten by a the Tyro mascot

These talented Junior High School students really impressed us with their talent, focus, and interesting questions.  Thanks for hosting us, especially to their faithful music directors, and to Keith Stanek for lining everything up for the fundraiser and providing awesome Lexington style barbecue!  We miss it already!

A fine looking Tyro Chorus

            On Friday, we journeyed to Ashland, VA for a packed out show at the Ashland Coffee and Tea.  This has become one of our favorite stops.  They have an incredible calendar of talented folk artists, and director, Kay Landry provides some of the best house sound we have encountered on the road!  

Molasses Creek at Ashland Coffee and Tea, VA

We also love to visit our friends, Ed and Lynda Leslie who host and feed us like we are long lost children returning from a world tour.  Hmm! It is hard to leave their home . . . and boy did we bake a great fig cake!

Preparing for baking the fig cake with Lynda

Shes a goodern

 

Beautiful Cooper's House

            From Virginia, our next stop was at the Cooper’s House Concert Series near Baltimore, MD.   

Myra and Steve Gnadt are longtime folk musicians and supporters who have an incredible program in their historic home.  They also make a mighty tasty quiche!  We found out that Steve and Myra know John and Mary Ellen Golden from their days living in Wilmington, NC.  Steve and John used to have a radio show together and Mary Ellen’s beautiful watercolor paintings could be found in every nook and cranny of the Cooper’s House.  Steve and Myra’s warm welcome and the sold out crowd turned a bone chilling evening into a warm and festive celebration.  Thank you folks!

            The final stop on Sunday in our January weekend tour was a return to Bett Padgett’s house concert series in Raleigh, NC.  Bett and Bill Padgett have one of the longest running housing concerts we know of and Bett is also a wonderful songwriter and guitarist, and president of the NC Lighthouse Society which makes frequent trips to Ocracoke Island. Thanks to Bett and Bill for hosting another magical evening, and all the fans who came out to fill the sold out show!

            At the end of January, Amy, David and Lachlan headed to Florida for a family trip where they visited friends, saw manatees and made a stop at Universal Studios in Orlando.

Lachlan at the Blue Man Group

Hogsmeade Village is a must too!

And of course, some fine Florida fruit!

            We have quite a bit of touring coming up in March.  Here are the details.  Hope to see you out on the road!

Feb 23, (Sun), 7:00 PM, Molasses Creek in concert, Oak Creek House Concert, Stillwater, OK

Feb 24 (Mon), Molasses Creek residency at Stillwater High School, Stillwater, OK

March 1 (Sat), 7:30 PM ~ Molasses Creek at Music Across the Sounds, Mattamaskeet High School, Swan Quarter, NC

March  2 (Sun), 3 PM ~ Concert with the Randolph Community Concert Association, Sunset Theatre, 234 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro, NC

March 7 (Fri), 8:30 PM ~ Purple Fiddle, Thomas, WV

March 8 (Sat), 7:30 PM ~ Molasses Creek at Songspace, First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, PA

March 9 (Sun), 1:30 PM ~ Molasses Creek participating in Marcy Brenner’s Dead Girl Walking presentation event, Undercroft Gallery First Unitarian Church, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA.

March 12 (Wed), 7 PM ~ Molasses Creek concert at the Franklin Regional High School, Pittsburgh PA

March 15 (Sat), 7:30 PM ~ Molasses Creek at the Hershey Area Playhouse, Hershey, PA

March 16 (Sun), 10 AM~ Milton Hershey Founders Hall Auditorium, Hershey, PA.  Molasses Creek will participate in the Sunday morning service and then will give a short concert after the service.

March 18 (Tues), 7 PM ~ The Outer Space, Hamden, CT

March 21 (Fri), 7:30 PM Salmon Brook Music Series, South Congregational Church, Granby, CT

March 23 (Sun), 7:30 PM ~ Concert at the Holyrood Episcopal Church, New York, NY

March 24 (Mon), Time TBA ~ Molasses Creek in concert at the Indian Road Cafe, Indian Road Cafe, 600 W 218th St #3, NY, NY

March 25 (Tues), 12:30 PM ~ Molasses Creek in Concert at Filomen M. D”Agostino Greenberg Music School, Lighthouse International, 111 East 59th St. NE, NY, NY.  Workshop at 2:30 PM

Molasses Creek to join Si Khan and Looping Brothers in Concert . . . Molasses Creek given a nod in Nicolas Logue's new gaming masterpiece, Razor Coast. . .

Schools have started and although families with older kids have left Ocracoke Island, September is a great time to come for a visit and catch a show at our Deepwater Theater.  Through the end of September, Molasses Creek hosts the Ocrafolk Opry on Wednesdays and a full Molasses Creek show on Thursday.  Tickets can be reserved ahead of time by calling 252-921-0260 or at the Deepwater Theater tab at www.molassescreek.com.

            A few weeks ago, we had a visit from a troupe of musicians and artists from New York City.  Professional photographers Henry Lopez and Anna Campbell took some great shots we wanted to share with you.  Many thanks to them and to Neal and Elizabeth for the great tunes!

 

 

Molasses Creek joins Si Khan & the Looping Brothers for Two Concerts

We are very excited about two concerts on Monday, September 30 (Deepwater Theater, Ocracoke Island, NC) and Tuesday, October 1 (Washington Civic Center, Washington, NC).  Renown American folk musician, Si Khan, is celebrating his 40th year as a recording artist and is on tour with the German bluegrass band, the Looping Brothers.  They have just released a new album, Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions.  It features some of Si's most beloved favorites, including “Aragon Mill,” “Gone Gonna Rise Again,” “Wild Rose of the Mountain” and “Blue Ridge Mountain Refugee.”

"While some people may think of Si Kahn as primarily a folk songwriter, he’s been writing, performing and recording bluegrass music since the beginning of his music career. As Tim O’Brien notes, “Si Kahn’s fine songs have always held a mirror to the hardships and hopes of southern working men and women, which is why they fit so well with the string band sound on Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions. These are true life stories in a real hands on setting.”

But who ever imagined that Si would make his “greatest hits” CD with a German bluegrass band? The Looping Brothers (think Ira and Charlie Louvin) are one of Europe’s most respected, experienced and best-loved bluegrass bands, having worked and toured with such bluegrass legends as Bill Monroe, the Osborne Brothers, Kenny Baker, Josh Graves and Dan Crary.

Bluegrass artists who’ve recorded some of the songs on this CD and others by Si include Kathy Mattea, Hazel Dickens, Dry Branch Fire Squad, the Krüger Brothers, Molly O’Brien, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, Charles Sawtelle, The Gordons, the Red Clay Ramblers and Robin & Linda Williams.

Si’s bluegrass songwriting has received serious critical acclaim. According to Dave Higgs, writing in Bluegrass News, “In a world rife with many talented songwriters, Si Kahn stands alone. And his deeply thoughtful, elegantly simple, sometimes majestic, often achingly moving and always hard-hitting songs have stood, and will continue to stand, the test of time.”

Bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis adds, in her introduction to Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions, “But the treatment here, in the capable hands of the Looping Brothers, casts each of these in a new light…All the material was chosen for the project by the Looping Brothers, who have placed each song in a shining bluegrass setting, surrounded by the intricate filigree of banjo, fiddle, mandolin and guitar. Si and his songs are jewels here on Earth.”

To take a listen, visit www.airplaydirect.com/music/AragonMill/.   Concert tickets will be available through the Beaufort County Arts Council at www.beaufortcountyartscouncil.org.  Hope to see you there!

Soundside Studio Update

Gary recently upgraded the mixing system of Soundside Studios to computer.  Previously, he mixed albums live in the recording room (an organic art form), but now he is working on a whole new level of detail on the computer!  We are very excited about the remixes of the national version of the 2013 Molasses Creek Festival release he is sending our way (Due out late this year!).  He even hooked up his touring cycle so he can power the whole thing by riding his 12 speed.  For mixes that require his complete attention, he has the system powered by his dog, Abner, in a large hamster wheel.

Molasses Ocracats

Molasses Creek fan, Cynthia Hall, recently adopted two Ocracat kittens when they were on Ocracoke Island.  She came out to a Molasses Creek performance at Deepwater Theater and was inspired by the music to name her kitties. . .            

Jobell & Captain Molasses!

Here they are recovering from an exhausting vacation.

Ocracats is an Ocracoke non-profit organization that works to control the feral cat population of the island.  They capture and “fix” Ocracoke’s wild cats and kittens and find homes on and off the island for many of these fine critters.  For more information visit http://www.ocracats.org

Razor Coast Release

Although Molasses Creek has yet to have any music placed on The Big Bang Theory, the next best thing has just occurred!  Roleplaying gamemaster and Molasses Creek fan, Nicolas Logue, has just released an incredible 500 page campaign called The Razor Coast.  In the introduction he gives a nod to Molasses Creek for musical inspiration!  His kickstarter campaign raised over $123,000 to fund the release. Below is excerpt from the description on the Kickstarter page.  For information on how to order visit Frog God Games at http://talesofthefroggod.com/.  Thanks for letting us be a part of your magic Nick!

  

Razor Coast is the long anticipated Caribe-Polynesian flavored, Age of Sail swashbuckling RPG campaign envisioned and designed by Nicolas Logue. It has been praised for its ambitious and original design, its epic flavor and its lurid, full-color art – including a cover by the award winning Wayne Reynolds.

Logue tapped a team of veteran designers to help develop and write Razor Coast, including Lou Agresta, Adam Daigle, Tim Hitchcock, and John Ling. Razor Coast isn’t just an adventure, it’s part setting, part adventure path, and part toolkit to build your own unique campaign. It’s non-linear and will never play the same way twice.

We filled it with corrupt municipal Dragoons, dastardly smuggling rings, weresharks – lots of weresharks - desperate naval battles, oppressed tribes craving heroes, witches, cursed islands, legendary treasure troves, an impending apocalypse or two, demon pirates, retired assassins, undead worms, gator men, failed heroes waiting to be redeemed, dark conspiracies brewing in the oceans depths, vengeful ghosts…oh – and mutating cannibal pygmies. Who doesn’t like those?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/froggodgames/razor-coast

Cecil Train Heads West

This newsletter's listening track comes from Fiddler Dave's first instrumental recording, Cecil Train Heads West.  At the time of its release in 2004, Molasses Creek was comprised of Gary Mitchell & wife Kitty (who created the artwork for the album), and Fiddler Dave with occasional appearances by other guest performers.  Lou Castro and Marcy Brenner were fairly new to the Ocracoke music scene and this album represents one of the first musical collaborations between Lou and Fiddler Dave.  Lou added some mighty fine slide resonator guitar to this original fiddle tune by Fiddler Dave.  Folks who are signed up on the Molasses Creek e-News list received a link to download an mp3 of the tune (you can sign up at www.molassescreek.com/news-signup).  If you are not on the list and would like to receive the tune, just email Fiddler Dave at info@molassescreek.com. The album can be purchased through the Molasses Creek store or by clicking this album picture.

Upcoming shows

Molasses Creek performing in Washington, NC

(not including September Deepwater Theater)

Sept 21 ~ Molasses Creek performance at the Intercoastal Waterway 85th Celebration, Belhaven, NC (Afternoon, Time TBA)

Sept 28 ~ Carolina Country Stampede, Williamston, NC, 6PM

Sep 30 ~ Molasses Creek in concert with Si Kahn and the Looping Brothers from Germany, Deepwater Theater, Ocracoke, NC, 8:00 PM

Oct 1 ~ Molasses Creek in concert with Si Kahn and the Looping Brothers from Germany, Washington Civic Center, Washington, NC, 7:30 PM

Oct 5 ~ Molasses Creek concert with Music on the Delaware, Walton, NY

Oct 6 ~ Molasses Creek at the Carroll County Arts Council, Westminster, MD, 7 PM.

Oct 19 ~ Outer Banks Seafood Festival, Windmill Point, Nags Head, NC

Hope to see you folks on Ocracoke Island or out on the road!

Molasses Creek

Gary, Fiddler Dave, Marcy, Lou, & Gerald

Molasses Creek Spring Tour News & Upcoming Events

Summer is here and the Ocracoke figs are arriving!  Here are some off of Marcy's trees.

Hi there Molasses Creek fans,

You may have noticed it has been over a month since our last post.  We have had so much going on, it has been hard for us to keep up.  We have some exciting performances around the corner.  Hope to see you at some of these events if you are in the area!

Upcoming performances

July 7 ~ Concert at the Papawack Theater at the Beach Klub, Koru Village Pavillion, Avon, NC. 7 PM

July 8 ~ Molasses Creek at the Croaker Festival, Oriental, NC. 12 PM

July 26-29 ~ Molasses Creek at Floydfest, Floyd, VA

August 12 ~ Molasses Creek at Greenville Sunday in the Park, Greenville NC, 7 PM

August 17 ~ Concert at the Papawack Theater at the Beach Klub, Koru Village Pavillion, Avon, NC. 7 PM

***If you are traveling to Ocracoke Island, NC June-Sept, Molasses Creek performs every Thursday night at their own Deepwater Theater ***

Molasses Creek April-May Tours (Northeast Stories)

In April we began our Northeast tour with a concert at the Martin Arts Council in Williamston, NC.  The Arts Council is housed in a beautiful Flat Iron building that has recently been renovated.

Here are some photos sent from the performance taken by Guy Livesay 

 While in town we ate dinner at Griffins Quick Lunch All Family Restaurant.

We spent a wonderful night with Nancy & Tom Winslow in Oak City, NC

On to Richmond for a warm-up brunch with friends Ed & Lynda Leslie

 On April 21, we performed at the Shady Grove Coffeehouse Series near Richmond, VA.  Thanks to Scott Hammer and all of the crew in Glen Allen!

Then on to Washington, VA for a Sunday matinee at the Theatre in Washington, and community potluck and award winning breakfast with Rick and Kaye Kohler.

On Monday we traveled to Wilmington, DE for a visit with Finley Austin.  Finley has a house on Ocracoke Island and has been a longtime supporter of the Ocrafolk Festival.  She also has some of the best looking mannequins in the great hall of her house.  While in town we took a stroll around her neighbor and up to Rockford Park . . . where we found the Rockford water tower. . .

The tower was built in the Italian Renaissance Revival style and began construction in 1899 and was completed in 1902.  Molasses Creek had many grandiose ideas of recording an album inside the tower, but Lou Castro was unable to scale the walls to check for sharks . . . so we decided to leave it be for the time being.  You can read more about it below.

People who think that Molasses Creek is solely a contemporary folk music group may be surprised to discover the band's secret identity. . . that of regional cuisine reviewers and foodie connoisseurs.
To aid us in our quest to hunt down the best local food places, Marcy Brenner whipped out the Kindle and downloaded the latest version of Jane and Michael Stern's "Road Food" book (You may have heard the Sterns as guests on NPR's "Splendid Table" show).  What followed was a complete rerouting of the Northeast Molasses Creek Tour 2012 in an attempt to eat at as many celebrated restaurants as possible.

On our way to Boston from Wilmington, our first stop landed us at Libby's Lunch Patterson, NJ.  Libby's Lunch has been frying up "Texas Weiners" since 1936, and advertised to be the restaurant closest to the Great Falls in Patterson.  We would hunt down the falls later, but first lunch!

Libby's was known for its fried hot dogs, and so that is what we ordered.  They were pretty good, although a little on the salty side for Fiddler Dave.  They did have Root Beer on tap which was a plus.  Although we didn't emerge from Libby's will a holier-than-thou cholesterol rating, we definitely caught some neat historic character.

Louie & Gerald sitting at the very cool Libby's Lunch Counter

After lunch we wandered around the area looking for this thing they called the "Great Falls."  We saw a small dam that the road ran over and eventually stumbled on a park with a walking path.  Over a walking bridge and then WOW!  They weren't kidding!  This was some surprise.  Out of nowhere came a Niagara Falls drop.

 

We landed for the evening at Bill Harley & Debbie Block's house in Seekonk, MA.  Bill is a wonderful storyteller and musician and Debbie is a phenomenal quilter.  We had an incredible grilled salmon dinner and shared stories and music.  Thank you Bill and Debbie!

After a leisurely morning we scooted off to Boston and headed to Johnny Ds in Sommerville.  Boston is a hub for Fiddler Dave's relatives as well as some Ocracoke friends who snuck in for the evening to surprise the band.  Despite the competition in town (Ira Glass hosting a film festival across the street, and the hometown hockey team, Bruins, playing in the championship games, we had a fun concert.  Thanks to Dana & JJ having us for the evening performance.

For the night the band stopped over at Fiddler Dave's cousin's Janet & Michael Sachs.  We always have a great time visiting them.  Hopefully if they ever move to another house they will still let us know where they live so we can stop over!  Thanks guys!

From Boston the band zipped to Granby, CT for a performance at the South Congregational Church and a stay with friends, Put & Nanny Brown.  Thanks to Denny Moon for engineering another concert and to the Browns for fellowship and hosting us!

On the road again for a Friday night concert in Randolph, VT at the Chandler Center for the Arts.  Before we could make it to the concert we had to check out another starred restaurant from the Road Food book  . . . the Chelsea Diner.  This one was Fiddler Dave's favorite in the whole trip!

The Chelsea Diner in Brattleboro, VT had a classic look and an incredibly healthy, local, and creative menu.  Fiddlehead ferns were in season and the little curly delights were oh-so tasty.  The milkshakes were made from their very own ice cream, beef for the hamburgers was locally raised and grass fed, and the chicken-pot pie had a beautifully flaky crust.  Here are some pictures.

Look at those Fiddlehead Ferns!

On the schedule at the Chandler Center for the Arts, Randolph, VT

 At the Chandler, Becky McMeekin made us feel right at home for the evening.  While in town the band stayed with George & Jacqueline, and Scot & Barb.  George and Jacqueline are incredible artists and Scot & Barb are musician's musicians.  Molasses Creek ran into these inspiring folks at home on Ocracoke, NC.  They always bring a musical smorgasborg of friends in November of each year for an island retreat.

Here is George pictured with a his painting of South Royalton at the South Royalton Market

Saturday, April 28 . . . On to Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY!  Caffe Lena is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating coffeehouse in the United States.  Folks icons such as Bob Dylan & Arlo Guthrie have graced its stage and this year Molasses Creek got to join their ranks, performing to a packed & enthusiastic house!  Thanks so much to Sarah Craig for inviting us to play.  What an honor!

 After the late night show, Molasses Creek retreated to Fiddler Dave's aunt and uncle's in Delmar, NY.  Ron and Carolyn Tweedie are the hosts to beat the band (actually we like them a lot because they don't beat the band).  With fine food from Carolyn, honey from Ron's own bee hives, and the hardest working Molasses Creek booking agents in the Albany area, this team tops our list!

Molasses Creek gave a Sunday morning church appearance and then gave a concert for the Bethlehem Senior Projects Group.  On Tuesday, Molasses Creek traveled to several elementary schools in Delmar and then zipped back out on the road, heading for Marcy's sister's place in Jefferson, MD.  On the way we hit our final "Road Food" stop for the NE trip . . . the Glider Diner in Scranton, PA.  Started in 1945, the restaurant features a shiny diner car with a larger add-on space for greater seating.  This was definitely more like the diner food we are familiar with, championing their thick milkshakes and gravy-fries.

Sweet Potato Fries were nice . . . wow, that is a lot of gravy!

That's the update for the moment.  Stay tuned for the next blog about a trip to DC and Western, NC, and Norfolk's Tall Ships festival!