Day two at folklife is about to begin for me. I will spend most of the time at the Victory Music Booth - 11am - 3pm
Day one (Friday) was fun. Checked in and then deposited my CDs at the Alki Room and then to kill some time before my 3 pm performance (not much going on then) I did a warm-up set on the Alki stage (not yet occupied) then over to the Bagley Lawn Acoustic Stage for my 30 min performance. It went very well I thought. A totally acoustic stage - no mics or sound system, and it worked very well, with freedom to move about, interact with the audience, and the sound was good. Good audience, met Dick Greenhaus and Susan and other friends and new acquaintances. Then back to the Alki Room with its open stage. There was an open spot coming up, so I signed up and did a 20 min impromptu set of fiddle tunes and songs. Then I turned the stage over to Tania Opland and listened to a delightful performance by her on hammered dulcimer, fiddle w/song, guitar w/song, and whistle. She then turned the stage over to Jim Hinde, a regular Pike Place Market busker, with his hard-hitting protest songs and political/social commentary - a consummate street performer. Jim then turned the stage over to David Michael and his wife David is a Celtic harp player from Port Townsand and his wife plays the bowed psaltery - very beautiful music, two instruments blended very well. I think this totally acoustic open stage is one of the best mostly undiscovered (let's keep it that way) features of Folklife. Anyone can sign up, and you get to hear and meet some wonderful musicians in a quiet, acoustic, small setting (sort of like a living room). After that I had to leave, and walked across the Seattle Center as it was just beginning to rain. For me this was what Folklife should be (or maybe was) - just people getting together without the high-powered sound to share their music and make new friends.