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.

Performances this weekend in Washington & Greenville. Plus Molasses Creek looks for a new touring vehicle . . .

Hi friends!

We have been spending these past couple of stormy days working and reworking our Festival Release at Soundside Studio, preparing it for remixing and a national release.  We have a new track (Choo Choo Chaboogie/Old Yazoo) and have been having a great time orchestrating this fun number with pots and pans, artificial chickens, harmonies, and even a borrowed customer bell from the Ocracoke Post Office.  Molasses Creek shows at our Deepwater Theater continue to be sold out, and we are seeing a lot of new faces.  If you are coming to the island, we look forward to seeing you at the Ocrafolk Opry on Wednesdays or Molasses Creek on Thursdays.  We recommend getting tickets in advance through our website or by calling 252-921-0260.

Two Shows in Eastern Carolina this Weekend (Sunday, August 18)!

You have two chances to catch Molasses Creek for free in eastern Carolina, this Sunday, August 18!  From 1-3 PM we will be in concert at Harmony on the Harbor at Festival Park, in Washington, NC.  In the evening (7:00 PM) we will be rounding out the 40th year of Greenville Sunday in the Park at the Town Commons in Greenville, NC.  The Green Grass Cloggers will be joining us to help celebrate director Stuart Aronson's forty years of service in creating fabulous summertime fun.  Hope to see everyone at both performances.  Wahoo! 

Molasses Creek retires Ole Bessie and looks for the next Touring Vehicle

Molasses Creek looks for the next touring van! Anyone out there with a lead?

After many faithful years of service, the time has come to retire Molasses Creek's faithful band van to the Happy Tour Bus Land in the sky (or perhaps Pamlico Sound).  This steadfast musical companion has carried us north to Canada and out west to New Mexico, through the dusty plains and northeast mud-season.   We are currently looking at used Ford 350 Passenger Vans.  If any fans out there have a lead on such a stalwart companion without too many miles, send us a bleep (info@molassescreek.com).  We would love to hear about it! 

Gary Mitchell's "The Waterman" is reborn on Molasses Creek's latest release

Molasses Creek 2000 ensemble w/Garrison Keillor

One of the first songs that Molasses Creek recorded when they formed in 1993 (Gary and Kitty Mitchell, & Fiddler Dave), is Gary Mitchell's classic, "The Waterman".  For this year's 2013 Molasses Creek album we are including a new arrangement of this audience favorite.  To celebrate, we sent a link to our email list for folks to download the live version from our appearance on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion in 2000.  Joining the original trio for this national performance was friend and banjoist, Stan Brown.  If you would like to be on our email newslist, or to have the mp3 emailed to you, just send Fiddler Dave a note at info@molassescreek.com.

Dragonflies Awarded Ocracoke Island Medals of Honor . . . Giant Slugs Stage Protest

Those of you who have visited our fair island of Ocracoke, North Carolina, may have marveled at the beauty of our 13 miles of unspoiled beaches, our quaint historic village with 900 inhabitants, and the many mosquitoes who call it home.  Despite the rainy summer, this year we have been blessed with a less than normal number of these blood sucking critters, but during these past two weeks they have made a comeback. 

Fortunately the dragonflies have been waiting for the return of their favorite snack.  Last night Fiddler Dave even saw a bat making the rounds at dusk, swooping and feasting.  The Ocracoke Chamber of Commerce is considering awarding medals to these amazing acrobats for their service to the humans on our sandbar.

A dragonfly visiting Fiddler Dave's garden

The soggy weather has also inspired some HUGE slugs, and they have great aspirations for such slow-moving creatures.  There is one that makes a nightly journey up Fiddler Dave's back porch steps, underneath the storm door, and around to the cat food dish for a nocturnal banquet.  Last night, two of them climbed up the storm door and slimed around the glass in some intricate courting dance.  Yum!

Fiddler Dave's wife Amy looks on while giant slugs dance

That's all for this issue.  Keep checking at our Facebook page for photos and updates from this weekend.  Take care!

Molasses Creek
Gary, Fiddler Dave, Marcy, Lou & Gerald

Working on Choo Choo Chaboogie/Take Me Back to Old Yazoo. Molasses Creek Goes Live on Spotify. Ocracoke Figs are In!

Ocracoke Figs are Ripe!

Hey friends,

We've had some great shows on Ocracoke at Deepwater Theater these past two weeks!  Wonderful audiences at the Ocrafolk Opry and Molasses Creek concerts.  Although we are in the midst of summer, the weather has not hit dogs-days hot yet.  And in spite of all the rain we have had this season the mosquitoes are remarkable tame (Fiddler Dave's son, Lachlan, managed to harness some this week and they pulled him around the beach on a sand sled!)

This last week, Molasses Creek began working in Gary's Soundside Studio on a song that Louie found called Choo Choo Ch'boogie by Louis Jordan.  Here is an old black and white version of the song! 

 With that we are putting another old song that we found being done by the Boswell Sisters and Cab Calloway called Old Yazoo.
 

 We hope to have the new arrangement live and on stage this next week. 

Over the weekend, Gary is off to the Raleigh area to start work on tweaking the Festival Release 2013 to prepare it for national release later this year! 

Molasses Creek Catalog Goes Live on Spotify

For those fans who subscribe to Spotify, Molasses Creek's catalog of past releases went live this last week, updating the listing to 10 albums, 120 + songs.  Songs are also available through iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, and more! Enjoy and spread the word about Molasses Creek to your friends! Our latest Ocrafolk Festival Release 2013 is available as a CD through our online store (as well as more CDs, T-shirts, and mugs!)

Ocracoke Island News

The most exciting new news is that Ocracoke figs are beginning to come in.  Everyone is busy scurrying around gathering the quickly ripening fruit.  The trees have to be checked every day, or the birds will claim the best of the crop!  If it rains, then figs must be picked extra quick or they will go sour.  There are around 7 different types of fig trees on Ocracoke Island.  In our environment, the trees require very little care . . . they practically grow wild! 

The fig tree at the Ocracoke Preservation Society

 If you have ever picked figs, you will notice that the tree secretes a milky fluid that will give the picker a slight itchy rash . . . easily washed off and well worth the effort.  Fiddler Dave and Lachlan have been checking the tree at the Ocracoke Preservation Society daily for Amy Howard (wife and  the administrator for OPS).  Today they took home between 5 & 10 pounds!  They ferry the fruit back to Amy's mom, Julie Howard, who cooks them down with sugar to make preserves and cans them for keeping. 

Not quite ripe yet!

 These preserves then return to OPS for events and for sale at the store.  Check the OPS website if you are headed to Ocracoke to find out what porch talks are being offered (there is one on figs and fig trees).

If you have picked up some fig preserves (or ordered a jar through the OPS gift shop), one of our favorite ways to use them is to make a traditional Ocracoke Island Fig Cake.  Here is a recipe courtesy of the Ocrafolk Festival (this recipe was adapted by Debbie Wells and featured on the 2011 Ocrafolk Festival T-shirt).  

Fig Cake Recipe
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
2 c plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c walnuts coarsely chopped
2 c preserved figs cut up

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 a 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!

Fish Printing Fun!

Also this week at the OPS Museum, David Scott and Melinda Esham directed a fantastic fish printing session.  Here are some photos.  




 
 
 
 
 
 
     

 That's about all we have for this post. If you are traveling to Ocracoke Island, come by for a show at Deepwater Theater.  Wednesday nights are the Ocrafolk Opry and Thursday nights, Molasses Creek.  Our next shows off the island are on August 18th in Washington & Greenville, NC.  Here are the details!

August 18 ~ Harmony on the Harbor, Washington, NC 1-3 PM, Greenville, NC
August 18 ~ Greenville Sunday in the Park (w/ the Green Grass Cloggers!), 7 PM, Greenville, NC

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

Hey fans,

What great adventures we have been having since we last posted news!

 At the end of October and beginning of November we were off Ocracoke for about two weeks with shows at the Pittsboro General Store in Pittsboro, NC, an opening for a fabulous new exhibit at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh, NC, and a performance for the 40^th anniversary of the Green Grass Cloggers at Wright Auditorium on the campus of UNC-Greenville.  After that weekend we returned to Durham for the NC Arts Market (an opportunity to hobnob with performance presenters from across the state 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)

            At the end of the week, we scooted down to Wilmington, NC for a live performance at the Public Radio WHQR’s studio entitled “Soup to Nuts” . . . we think we were the nuts part?!  The next night we joined John Golden and Geoff Morris for a concert at the Scottish Rite Temple.  We have included some clips from the live WHQR show on our website homepage.  It is a lot of fun so take a listen by going to our home page at http://www.molassescreek.com and scrolling down the page to the playbox.

            Returning back to the island, we had a week to prepare for Thanksgiving and the day-after Thanksgiving Ocrafolk Festival Fundraising show at the Ocracoke Community Center.  This evening was a wonderful success, raising almost $3000 for next year’s event.  In addition to Molasses Creek, on hand to grace the stage were Donald Davis, Jef the Mime, April Trueblood, Jubal Creech, Capt. Rob and Sundae Horn, and the Ocracoke Jazz Society.

 

            December 3 and 4, Justin Casey (of Carolina Still) traveled to Ocracoke with his fine folks to photoshoot the band for the upcoming National Radio Release album.  Justin will be designing March release, so it was imperative we had his eagle eye from start to finish on the project.  

Fencing Fiddler Dave

  On Friday, we did a test run on the Ocracoke beach with friend and photographer Jennifer Kidwell who also helped over the weekend with styling the band.  Saturday was sunny, although a bit blustery and cold as can be 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, and are now entrenched in the studio and behind the computer, finishing up loose ends 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 our quest to take the national stage by storm, you can earn some great reward prizes for your contributions.  Just click 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 will perform at the Williamsburg United Methodist Church Old Fellowship Hall at 7, 9, and 11 PM. For more information on the performers, directions, and how to purchase your admission button, visit http://www.firstnightwilliamsburg.org. Come on out, it is great fun!

 

Molasses Creek Headed to Easton & Westminster, MD

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 the Avalon Theatre in Easton have added a second night of Molasses Creek fun on Friday, October 14th.  Molasses Creek will direct a Traditional Ocracoke Square Dance for half the show and will perform a one set concert (different materials from Thursday night's concert).  Tickets will be $20 with a $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.