Rumgagging and Website Keelhauling

Cool evenings and sunny afternoons invite Spring breakers to make Ocracoke their destination. Joining the new leaves on the fig trees, restaurants and businesses slowly emerge from their sleepy winter hibernation. The Café Atlantic opened last week, bringing the island dining selection up to six (Jason’s, the Flying Melon, Thai Moon, Howard’s Pub, and the Pelican). The relocated Teaches Hole Pirate Shop and Museum held a grand opening at their new location across from the Variety Store. Fresh businesses and dreams pop into existence while some older ones hang in uncertain transition, owners contemplating retirement in view of the fast approaching season.

On Ocracoke Island
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Soundside Records Website Gets a Facelift
Over this winter, we have been keelhauling the Soundside Records website. Although not completely finished, the new site is almost done and will feature sample mp3s of albums as well as other features. Take a look at www.soundsiderecords.com.

House Burns Down on Ocracoke


During the weekend of Music Across the Sound, a fire burned an Ocracoke house to the ground on Cutting Sage Road (on the way to Oyster Creek). The house was previously owned by Ocracoke artist and resident Barbara Spencer. The flames from the 5:00 AM blaze were visible all over the village, causing many island residents in the area to prepare for evacuation. The Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department worked at the scene to control the fire in the windy morning conditions. Although the house and a truck and boat on the property were a complete loss, the couple staying in the house escaped injury.

Gary and Dave join Bob Zentz for St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations in Norfolk
On March 16th Gary and Fiddler Dave accompanied balladeer Bob Zentz of Norfolk for some green day events. On Thursday, they joined the able bodied mariner/musician for a performance at a private dinner party, and on Friday the “Celtic Opry” provided music for Festevent’s St Paddy’s Day celebration. Along with pipers Irish dancers and green beer, the trio provided lively music for the four hour party at the downtown’s Seldon Arcade, an indoor mall of art galleries in Norfolk.

Walter Howard Jr. (son of Ocracoke musical legend Walter Howard) was in the audience to hear a version of his father’s song “Paddy’s Holler.” Walter also brought along many Ocracoke stories and the copper pitcher once used to carry whale oil up the winding stairs of the Ocracoke lighthouse. Walter Howard Sr. saved the artifact from the trash pile when the lighthouse was converted to electric power in the 40s.

Capt’ Rob Temple Hosts Rumgagger evening at Deepwater Theater
Last Saturday night, Capt. Rob Temple Ocracoke residents to a free performance of pirate and sailor stories at Molasses Creek’s Deepwater Theater. Gary Mitchell recorded the concert with live studio audience for Rob’s upcoming Rumgagger album, due out this summer. Fiddler Dave provided some interlude music and Rob’s daughter Caroline joined Rob for the song “It’s All Part of Being a Pirate!” The term Rumgagger refers to a mariner who exchanges tales for drink. In addition to his many original poems from past Opry years, Rob recited several tales by Wallace Irving, and unveiled a new poem on the life and times of Blackbeard, told from the perspective of Israel Hands. Sundae Horn rounded out the evening with some wonderous fig cake and key lime squares.

Here are some pictures from the Music Across the Sound concert from earlier this month.


Gary and Earl Carawan


Gospel Singing


Green Grass Cloggers


Coyote with Jamie Tunnel and Gerald Hampton


Carolina Still

Off Ocracoke Island
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Fiddler Dave and Gary travel to Chapel Hill to Mix Upcoming Album, “The Cormorant”
Fiddler Dave and Gary traveled to Jerry Brown’s Rubber Room Studio in Chapel Hill to mix Dave’s upcoming release “The Cormorant,” (due out in June of this year). The album features a cast of all-original reels, waltzes, jigs, hornpipes, and hornpipes written over the past five years. All tracks were recorded right on the island at Gary’s “Soundside Studio.”

Official studio work on the project began in January of 2005 when pianist (and guitarist) Dave Weisler and percussionist Jubal Creech joined Fiddler Dave to lay down the basic tracks of the tunes. Over the next year and a half, additional musicians joined the album including David DiGuiseppe (accordion), Michael Stanwood (autoharp and digeradoo), Bob Ray (vocals), Kevin Hardy (bass), Lou Castro (electric bass), and Marcy Brenner (mandolin). Fiddler Dave plans to have the new CD out for this year’s Ocrafolk Festival, June 2-4.

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Molasses Creek is getting ready to head out to eastern Tennessee for a concert and residency in Madisonville. Then Fiddler Dave and Gary trek out to the snowy Midwest for two days of residency in Angola, Indiana (home of storyteller Lou Ann Homan). Here are the upcoming appearances!