It was a blast! We were there from Friday, May 22nd through Sunday, May 31st.
Rod flew us (THE WESTERLEYS) down to play the Threadgill stage. That was a
real honor and a pleasure. But first---well, where do I start??? Main stage on
Friday night MUMBO GUMBO (from Sacramento, CA) thrilled the house and got
everybody on their feet dancing. Every musician in that band kicks butt and
they all had a chance to do their magic. All the guys in the audience were
drooling over the washboard player (Chris Webster). Tons o fun.
Of course, the "campfire" scene was going strong, especially around Camp
Cuisine. The skies were smoky and it hadn't rained in something like 60-70
days, so no real campfires were allowed. But on the third or fourth day we got
a torrential rainstorm and huddled under the desert storm canopy at Cuisine
screeching like scared kids to the wicked thunder. (I told LESLIE EVERS, a
singer/songwriter from Palo Alto, CA, that I love the thunder til it hits me!
She said "that's a song!") The rain seemed to clear the air and the rest of
the week was stellar---literally! SO many stars in that big ol Texas sky!
The New Folk competition was a great crop this year. Franklin, TN's CINDY
GREENE sang sweet country love songs likely to rip your heart out. GREG
BEATTIE & VICKI CREBBIN (aka CALAVERAS from Alameda, CA) took everyone's
breath away with their lovely "Ready to Fly" (Rumor has it that PETER YARROW
wants to record it). SMALL POTATOES did a brilliantly written "Steven
Soundheim-esque" song called "The Waltz of the Wallflowers" that brought down
the house. Also enjoyable was JOE SCUTELLA from Nashville, TN and DAVE CARTER.
Spent several days at the river cooling off with my Cuisine women friends, and
with STILL ON THE HILL, our "Soul Mates" from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Every
night would find us singing and playing and carrying on til 3 or 4AM. One
night found a big gang of us in the women's showers jamming at 3AM...The video
crew arrived (really!) and we carried on like Banshees til the wee hours. If
you've never heard STILL ON THE HILL, well, you better! They are HOT! Someone
called them the "Fleetwood Mac of Bluegrass". One night MIKE WILLIAMS
organized a "band night" at Cuisine and we did an in-the-round with STILL ON
THE HILL, FOLK MONTY (they're cool!) and THE WESTERLEYS (us). That kept
everyone up til well past 4AM...
Our very own DOUG ADAMS was awarded the honor of "camp heart-throb" at Camp
Cuisine, and I became a true member when I cooked my famous Risotto for about
25 people there! Even JOHN IMMS took a second helping! His main stage
performance was great (as usual), and included a riotous version of the "acid
trip" song. (I love the line about the poster of the 6 dogs playing poker....)
ADAM & KRIS were also a lot of fun (love Kris' blond 'do) as was the
groovacious CAROLINE AIKEN. Got to hear the intense DAYNA KURTZ from
Patterson, NJ and chatted with her over a coupla shots of whiskey.
My heart was completely taken by the lovely RACHEL POLISHER from Philly, PA.
What a sweet voice and depth of feeling. She said she has recently
"discovered" PATTY GRIFFIN and covered a couple of great tunes, "Forgiveness"
and "Sweet Lorraine". I also loved the cool moods of ERIK MOLL as he jammed
around Cuisine..."Can you handle it..." sang me to sleep one night in my
little human burrito tenty.
LAURIE LEWIS shone like the star that she is on the Threadgill stage on
Tuesday. Her band was tight and hot. Love that girl! Then....here it
comes...we got to play on Wed night following ANNIE WENZ. We rocked the house
with material from our new CD, "A Blessing and a Curse". CHRIS WILLIAMS sat in
on conga, and KELLY MULLHOLLAND (from Still on the Hill) played guitar on
about 5 songs. That turned our band (THE WESTERLEYS) into a 6-piece rockin'
acoustic machine! All our buddies from Camp Nashville and Cuisine were there
to dance and cheer and for that 45 minutes we "sucked the marrow out of life",
as MEGAN McLAUGHLIN would say....! Our song "Magic Trick" (co-written by
MICHAEL CAMP and myself) got a few people cryin in their beers which really
made me feel good (aren't I mean!?) I never wanted our set to end! But after
it did we re-convened at Camp Cuisine where RICK BERESFORD made his famous
wood-fired pizzas (my favorite was pesto, smoked chicken and
feta--WOW--YUMBO!!)
The rest of the week is kind of a blur. The watch came off, then got lost
completely...! The days got hotter and the clothing got skimpier. People
stopped wearing any undergarments whatsoever and hung around camp sleeping on
the cots. PHIL FLETCHER kept us all coffeed up just to keep us going. BOB
CHEEVERS did a great set at the Threadgill on Thursday night and I hung out a
lot over at the "Cowboy Camp" watching domino games under the shade of the
teepees. Friday night took me dancing to the hot, rockin JIMMY LaFAVE who I'd
never heard before and loved! Saturday night I was memorized by the stellar
DEE CARSTENSEN and her unique harp music. I bought a ring I've been wanting
forever from REX FOSTER that still brings me back to Kerrville everytime I
look at it...sigh....
Leaving was tough. The van came to Cuisine to pick us up and take us to the
airport. Our friends gathered 'round and sang "Happy Trails". We cried. DOUG
BLUMER and I got to the airport late and they "stuck" us in Row #1 in first
class! We felt like stars even though we were grubby as could be. Too tired to
even take the free cocktail, I dosed off into a sweet land of dreams...
Can't wait for next year.
Signing off--Happy Trails to you all,
Nancy Terzian/The Westerleys
http://songs.com/westerleys
Nterzian@aol.com