I just went to a really cool show last night; a group of several bands who did a mini-tour in the Northeast this week, including memebers of Iditarod, Stone Breath, In Gowan Ring, Drekka, Ghost Dance and Abunai. (Their subtitle for the tour is The Poor Minstrels of Song and the Temple of the Moon) Experimental folk music. Eeerie and beautiful and often unexpected sounds occurred...

The musicians played in their own bands and then jammed with each other. Lots of unusual instruments: cello, mandolin (the lead singer of In Gowan Ring had a double-necked mandolin!), whistles and flutes, banjo, fiddles, all sorts of percussion, drone boxes, etc.

The influences in their songs ranged from medieval to old-fashioned blues. Odd poetry and improvisational. I found myself thinking of Donovan, old Jefferson Airplane, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Nick Drake, and others...

They play their last show tonight in Providence, RI.

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