6 posts tagged “glen echo”

Just a quick note about tomorrow night...

Several of my friends went to the FootFall Dance Weekend a couple of weeks ago and couldn't stop raving about this band they heard there called Footloose.  They are supposed to be insanely good, and they're playing this Friday at the Spanish Ballroom.  I've had this Friday saved on my calendar all month, and it would be a shame if any of the regulars didn't know about what a great band was going to be playing.

In the last 24 hours, I have had three different people ask me whether I am going to be at Glen Echo for GCA tonight.  Each time, the answer has been the same...  Almost word for word, even.  So just in case any of you were planning on asking me the question within the next 5 or 6 hours, let me go ahead and answer it for you now:

Oh hell yes!  The band absolutely ROCKED Friday night and it was a blast!  Even though the dance was in the Bumper Car Pavilion, the entire place was just jumping.  I'm definitely looking forward to doing it again tonight.

You're going to be there too, right?  I want a chance to get a dance with you as well.  See you there!

I hope this settles the matter. 

So you all remember this picture, right?

Well, if you look above the silly-looking guy on his knee, you'll see three other people.  The lady with the microphone is DeLaura Padovan, and the guy with the fiddle and the curiously glowing white eyes is her husband, Steve Hickman.  This coming Sunday, Delaura will be calling contras to Steve's band, Live Culture.  (Well, one of Steve's bands, at any rate.)  As an added bonus, the guy who was on stage but not visible in this photo - John Divine - is also playing in this band.  It should also be noted that the contra will be held at the same place as where this picture was taken: the Bumper Car Pavilion at Glen Echo Park.

By the way, there's one more guy in the background of the picture, and that's Charlie Pilzer.  The week after next (Sunday the 15th), one of his bands will be playing.  (He's in like 8 different bands.)  He will be playing with '05 Revels specialist Andrea Hoag, Charlie's sister Leigh, and a really cool drummer named Will Morrison.

Someone really ought to organize a group outing to one of these nights at the contra dance.

I've got two words for you:  Hotpoint Stringband.  (Yeah, I know that's technically 4 words.) 

I managed to get to half of the contra last night (after a very cool concert with the NSO at the Cathedral), and this was the band that was playing.  Oh my God, they are completely awesome.  They've got a really solid sound with fiddle, banjo, piano and bass, but what makes it incredible is the drums.  Can you imagine a contra band with a full drum kit?

Tell you what.  Don't take my word for it.  You should come to the contra on Sunday night and hear them for yourself.  It turns out that this Ohio band is in town for the entire weekend.  (They're even doing the Frederick dance tonight, but I know I won't be able to get to that.)  The dance is going to be in the Bumper Car Pavilion, so it's going to be a little crowded, but it is SO going to be worth it.

You should come.  Trust me.

You know, I've really become fond of Contra Dancing.  Something about all the movement, the community, the music, meeting up with friends, the flirting...  (Hrm.  The multi-seasonal geek might be reading this, so I probably shouldn't mention the flirting.  Oh well.)  Anyway, I got to go to two dances last weekend, and it rocked.  I'm planning on going at least once this weekend as well.

(By the way, I posted before about Jiggermeister playing last weekend, and let me tell you, they blew me away.  They were even better than I had advertised.)

(And another thing...  Remember when the Uncroaked Canine mentioned about how much fun he had at the dance after the Folk Festival?  That same band is playing Friday.  If you're reading this, you should be there...  Even if you're a hot chick from Pittsburgh.)

Anyway, I've started to collect CDs from most of the bands that come through Glen Echo whenever I go to a dance -- especially if I find myself really getting into the music as I dance.  I'm actually listening to a recording of Orrin Star and the Sultans of String now as I'm writing this.  I've given some thought to reviewing the CDs as I buy them, but frankly I don't know how many people would be interested in reading about that.

I've mentioned before that I am a self-identified geek: music geek, sci-fi geek, gaming geek...  But is there such a thing as a contra dance geek?  Maybe I am...

One more thing, and then I'll be leaving for work, honest.

The FSGW Washington Folk Festival will be this weekend at Glen Echo Park.  The Festival will run from 12 - 7 on both Saturday and Sunday.  The Foggs will be dancing on Sunday pretty much all afternoon off and on, and it would be great to see some friends there cheering us on.

The downside of all of this is that since I'm going to be dancing with the Foggs, I'm going to miss a couple of VERY cool performances.  Of special note, former Revels tradition bearer (from the 1998 Shephard's Alley show) Amadou Kouyate will be performing in the Yurt Village at noon on Sunday, and Steve Winnick is doing a presentation of period Robin Hood ballads in the Puppet Theatre at 12:45.  Ah well....

Anyway, will anyone be up for the contra that night after the Festival is over?