Looney Memories

(photo by Pat O'Loughlin)

 

It's hard to believe that's it's been two weeks since the Loon called us to Tapestry to play for the 1st Annual Call of the Loon Dance Weekend. We had a great time playing for dances and workshops and it was wonderful getting to spend time with our old friend Carol Ormand, who kept everyone in fine spirits with her great dances and positive energy.

 

The band had a lot of fun and we enjoyed being visited by some special guests. David Edminster played tenor sax with us for a few dances on Saturday night and brought the house down with his work on Pat's tune "Cement Donkey". He also contributed mightily to one of the best versions ever of our "Palisades/Christmas Past/Fairbanks" set.

 

Patrice couldn't be with us on Sunday because she was busy playing "serious" music (oboe for the Mahler first symphony with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra). We were lucky enough to be joined by the great Adam Granger on guitar for the final couple of hours and Pat, Erik and I had a lot of fun re-inventing some of our familiar sets with the former Powdermilk Biscuit Band member. I particularly enjoyed the free lesson in how to play guitar for contra dances. We also had the pleasure of having our buddy Linda Breitag play fiddle with us on Sunday for a short while and I really enjoyed the Erik and Linda combo fiddle sound.

 

The Call of the Loon weekend was a big success in our book and we certainly encourage Tapestry to do it again next year. Maybe we'll even get invited back again someday.

 

Speaking of Linda Breitag, this coming Friday, April 29, she will be joining us in Northfield, MN for a slightly belated Earth Day contra dance. Erik will be at home working his own garden so we won't get to hear twin fiddles but Linda has played this dance with us several times in the past. The dance will be in a new venue for us, the Northfield Ballroom, just a little north of town on Highway 3. It looks like a lovely hall and we hope to see a bunch of you there. Beau Farmer will be our caller and the dance runs from 7:30-10:30 with a dance lesson at 7:00.