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* "trying to remember which Merlefest stage i know you from..."

First off, per Grant's blog-request of a couple days ago, we present to you: Sometymes Why at the No Depression Booth at Merlefest, Sunday April 29th:

...and, via YouTube:

Thanks very much to Ruth Merenda, Kristin Andreassen and Aoife O'Donovan for stopping by and treating us to a very special unamplified performance. And equal thanks to our Saturday afternoon ND Booth performers -- the Carolina Chocolate Drops (5:30 p.m.) and Lynn Blakey and her husband Ecki (2:30 p.m.).

Look for Jerry Withrow's review of this year's Merlefest in our July-August issue of ND. In the meantime, just a few brief notes and recollections from this year's event:

* When I heard the lovely melodic lilt of "Goin' To New Orleans" wafting through the air from the main stage as we were setting up our booth Thursday afternoon, it took me a little while to place where I knew the song from. My memory was spurred a few hours later when I ran into Austin fiddler Warren Hood, who mentioned that he's playing these days with Bay Area band the Waybacks -- the act that had been on the main stage during that afternoon stretch. Eventually I remembered -- "Goin' To New Orleans" was a Walter Hyatt song [edited to reflect comment posted below] that had been recorded by Warren's father, the late Champ Hood (who played with Hyatt in Uncle Walt's Band, as well as with Toni Price, and Lyle Lovett, among many others). Warren and his cousin Marshall Hood also played their own headlining set on Sunday morning at the Americana Stage, and delivered a beautiful rendition of "Motor City Man" by Uncle Walt's Band leader Walter Hyatt, who's also no longer with us. Those of us in the crowd who knew Walter & Champ greatly appreciated the acknowledgment of their songs.

* Speaking of giving credit to songwriters where it's due -- Pam Tillis, who closed out the festival Sunday afternoon on the main stage, would perhaps be well-advised to revisit the way she introduces some of the songs in her own set. As she launched into a song from her new album, she commented, "This is called "Down By The Water" -- it's brand new, we appreciate you letting us try it out on you." Which sure sounded to me like the kind of thing you'd say when introducing a fresh original tune -- but "Down By The Water" was in fact written by Jim Armenti, and received a reasonably wide airing more than ten years ago when Cheri Knight recorded it for her 1996 album The Knitter. (I thought maybe Tillis would clear it up when she back-announced the song, but all she said was, "Thank you. This is one more new one here....") Songwriters deserve more props than that -- as Tillis should well know, seeing as how she herself co-wrote (with her brother, Mel Tillis Jr.) the standout track on her new disc: "The Hard Way" is one of the finest tunes I've heard from anyone all year.

* Festival food can be a bit of a drag after a couple days; there's only so many long lines you can wait in, with the end result being a bowl of beans or a turkey leg, before you've got a big-time hankerin' to go off-campus for a meal. A couple years ago, longtime Merlefest publicist Traci Thomas turned us on to Glenn's, a terrific old-style lunch counter down the street in Wilkesboro proper; the place has been there for decades, and apparently still they still the same cash register they had when they opened. The food is simple (burgers, sandwiches, fries, hush puppies), and the milkshakes are oustanding (including off-the-wall varieties such as hot fudge and peanut butter). Their only downside is that they aren't open on Sundays -- but that fortuitously caused us to venture further into town for lunch on Sunday afternoon, which led us to a first-rate traditional Mexican taqueria called (we think) La Fortuna. If you go to Merlefest in the future, make a special effort to patronize the independent local eateries. You'll be glad you did.

Posted by peter on April 30, 2007 7:02 AM | Permalink