If you know me well, then you understand my love of The Andy Griffith Show. It represents my childhood, aids my nostalgia for times gone by, and is just a great show. No one has ever beaten me at the trivia game (but I haven't played my aunt Lisa, who would give me a good run for my money) and I have all of the black and white episodes virtually memorized. An important part of "TAGS" was the Darling family, a band of mountain folk played in part by a bluegrass band named The Dillards. They aren't very well known, but should be, especially by fans of bluegrass. Or good things in general.
The Dillards have made a habit of visiting the Oakboro Music Hall each summer. I saw them last year and was the first to buy tickets for this year's show. I brought my family and Lindsey along. Everyone in the building had a great time.
Rodney and Doug Dillard are the only original members still playing, which tells me how remarkable it would've been to see the band in the prime of their beginnings—over forty years ago. The amazing thing is that these two men still play as if they were in their twenties—Rodney is 64 and Doug is 69. Rodney still uses the guitar he played on The Andy Griffith Show, and, of course, a big difference you would note immediately if you're a fan of the show, is that he speaks a great deal more. He told stories and joked around before, during, and after the performance. The recollections and stories they shared were very interesting, and the nostalgia factor was nearly maxed out, but the true treat of the event was simply the music. Just like last year, they played "Dooley," "Doug's Tune," and other regulars, but also "Walkin' Down the Line," by Bob Dylan, and a couple old gospel tunes including "Somebody Touched Me." The latter I'm not very familiar with, but Rodney involved the crowd by having them sing different parts. Even if you don't appreciate songs such as that, you would've enjoyed the harmony and volume produced by the interaction of the crowd. Terry Smith again joined the band on stage, and they rendered a superior version of "Orange Blossom Special."
Also, this is how close I was: near the end, when the group was answering questions from the audience, Rodney's microphone stand fell from the stage—I jumped forward and grabbed it before it crashed the floor. He stopped talking, looked down at me, and said, "Well, you're not on drugs, are you?"
We went out back after the show, and I met them again. Not only are they the most talented of all senior citizens, but they're some of the nicest—the kind you'd prefer to be in front of you in Wendy's. I shook their hands, got another autograph, and spoke with them for a minute. Lindsey was very impressed by the whole thing (and wrote about it here). Hopefully they'll come again next year—they're starting to feel like friends.
comments (3)It will automatically post on May 21, 2006 at 3:00PM.
By now Lindsey and I are at Nags Head and we've been married for 24 hours. Praise God and thanks to everyone who made our wedding special. Yes, I'm writing this two months before yesterday even happened (starting to feel like Marty McFly here), but I know that even if aliens invade, gunmen arrive, or, God forbid, a dress strap breaks, it will have been a wonderful event simply because of what it is. Thank you, Proctors and everyone else in Poquoson, Yorktown, and the surrounding area who were involved, especially the members of Poquoson Baptist Church who welcomed me. I feel like I suddenly have a big new family. I've felt this way for nearly two years now, especially with Lindsey's immediately family. But now that it's official, well, it just feels great.
You've all been such a big help. Dee Forrest, Sylvia Wood, Sandra Lindell, Donny Goodrich, Bobbi Fordham, Pastor John, thank you for your cooperation and help. There were a few tough times, but we made it through.
Thank you, Kathy, for being a great mother-in-law. I don't know what's with all those rumors and jokes about mothers-in-law (Fred Flintstone just had a rare, unfortunate situation, apparently). You're great. That "in-law" part is negotiable.
Ashley, what can I say! You've always been very nice to me, right from the start. You're the closest thing I'll ever have to a real sister. Too bad I wasn't there to torture you as a child.
Bud, thank you for also being great. I remember when I first met you in KFC's parking lot in Albemarle. On that first day I could tell that you're a fantastic person and father. I look up to you, and not just because you're 6-foot-7.
I could never forget Gammy, who has become a grandmother to me. I lost both of my grandmas in 1994 and I've missed them a lot. You are a wonderful addition to my life and I love you, Gammy.
My biggest thanks goes, of course, to God. Without Him, Lindsey and I would never have met.
Lastly, but not quite least, Lindsey. Thank you for loving me and proving to me that there are some people out there worth risk; that things aren't as bad as all that; that I could find somebody worthy of love and who would echo it fully. You've loved me through all my bad times, when others would have left. You've helped me. You've probably saved my life, and only you can know what exactly I mean by that. To others wondering what that means and whether it's a cliché: it's closer to reality than rhetoric. Lindsey keeps me straight; "I walk the line." But enough with this talk! I love you, Lindsey. Let's start our life together.
Lindsey and I drove to Raleigh last night to watch Brian Regan perform. Brian is a very funny, underappreciated stand-up comic who bases his material on observational humor. He's very smart and wacky, and makes me laugh more than just about anyone.
I bought tickets in June, so we had fairly good seats—6th row, smack in the middle. The Meymandi Concert Hall isn't exactly the most stellar or expansive place ever; however, it was packed. Paul Mercurio opened the show with about 20 minutes of C+ comedy. Brian Regan then regaled the audience for 90 minutes, including a hilarious interactive encore.
We also had the experience of eating in a forgotten Applebee's, which was abandoned save a gay waiter with longing eyes.
Or! An entry wherein I reveal my gene composition more truthfully.
On June 19, I bought tickets to see The Dillards perform at Oakboro Music Hall. I had hoped then that Lindsey might be able to go; but, she needs to be home to practice for the beach dance. My dad went with me today.
It was to begin at 2:30, and so we left at 12:40. We needn't have done that as our seats were reserved—we had seats 3 and 4 on the front row. When first arriving we saw a replica of Mayberry's squad car parked in front, with a marquee on the building above anouncing The Dillards performance today. We first went into the diner because we didn't know what we were doing. We eventually made our way to the music hall. It was very warm in the building, and people slowly piled in. We were very close to the action. Speaking of which, a camera crew from the Action 64 television station that sponsored the event was there. As everyone was setting up, they were taping the two brothers and Maggie Peterson speaking about The Andy Griffith Show and recording promos.
After the 90 minute wait, it began. Maggie came on first, looking to have aged very well. She sang three songs, beginning with "Put on a Happy Face" (she pulled a friend on stage to comically personify the song), followed by a song about having the feel-too-good-blues. Lastly, she sang a song she dedicated to the Darling family's father, actor Denver Pyle, which may've been called "Buddy".
Jeff Branch, the man who owns the music hall (and who looks a bit like the The Andy Griffith Show character Howard Sprague) was the host of the event. He ran the videos that opened the show for Maggie, lead into the Dillards performance, and which helped to end the show with a tribute to Howard Morris.
After Maggie came The Dillards, who consisted of Doug and Rodney, as well as another younger man on mandolin and fiddle, and another older gentleman on a large bass in the back. Rodney was the speaker of the group, and they joked around a great deal between songs in addition to telling funny, interesting, and touching stories about their lives and their wonderful experience on The Andy Griffith Show. Songs they played included "The Old Home Place," "Dooley," "Doug's Tune," and "The Andy Griffith Show Song". (I need to learn about punctuation). Overall, the crowd gave the greatest cheer for "Dooley". The Dillards also did a cover of Bob Dylan's "Walkin' Down the Line". It was amazing to see Doug and Rodney play as well as they did considering their age. They sounded as good as they did forty years ago.
Terry Smith, whose wife works with my mom, got up on stage and played with them.
After many songs, it was time for questions and answers. One very small boy asked, "What happened to the Darling's mother?" The boys didn't know the answer, but Maggie reminisced about Charlene's wedding, before which Mr. Darling said that she looked like her Ma, who had been run over by a team of hogs. My dad asked how long their day usually lasted on the set.
At the end, "Charlene" came back out and sang with the boys. She sang the salty dog song and "There is a Time," which was excellent.
After everything was finished and they left the stage, most filed out behind them to buy things and get autographs. My dad and I got two pictures, which were signed. I met Maggie and Rodney. I talked with Maggie briefly, and noticing that Rodney was very tired, I simply shook his hand and said, "I just wanted to thank you." Doug, who was noticeably tired at the end of the show, had gone to lie down.
Every so often I let the southern hick in me burst through. That's all right though, because The Andy Griffith Show was a nice part of my youth, and I still watch today.
Here is a video of their performance of "Dooley". It was recorded with my wimpy digital camera, which was also balancing on my knee at the time, so give me a break.
Mr. Tambourine Man caught my ear in some place at some time, neither of which I remember. Bob Dylan's songs have a way of doing that—replacing. He is something of an icon, and his songs deserve such attention. The songs and words of people like this man hold on to dignity that is tossed by so many others. I think that's why I always liked Bob Dylan. He made me think. He made me think about places and people in ways that I should. Sure, I love the occasional heavy metal ballad or a light-hearted beat from the 1980s. But songs such as Desolation Row, Forever Young, Masters of War, Shelter From the Storm, and so many others spike my brain and stir emotions. I don't mean to go overboard on the topic of Bob Dylan, but in terms of everything relative, his tunes deserve some recognition.
Back in October or November I saw that Bob would be around here in the spring and I was hoping that I could somehow manage to go. About a month ago I decided to grab this chance and see he and Willie Nelson as they made their rounds again this year with their ballpark tour. I've never been a very big fan of Willie Nelson's music, but I've always enjoyed his popular songs. This would be an opportunity to see a couple of music legends before it's too late (they're 64 and 72 as of now). So, on Sunday June 12 Lindsey and I were going to see Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.
We arrived in Zebulon at around 4:15—a little over two hours before The Greencards were to begin the show. I like bluegrass, so I was looking forward to seeing them even though I'd not heard their music before. They played about seven songs and were on for 35 minutes. They were great; the crowd really got into them. I especially enjoyed this song, which sounded so much better in a live performance than the studio recording. Lindsey was really impressed with the violin player (she plays), as was I. I was happy to have a more-than-decent opening act.
After a lengthy delay, Willie Nelson finally made his way on stage. By this time, many of my fellow field dwellers were beginning to buzz (there was plenty of alcohol), and they went nuts when Willie walked out waving and pointing. He was very energetic, not like the average 72-year-old. He played several of his classic songs including On the Road Again, You Were Always on my Mind, and Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys. At the end of his set he also sang Will The Circle Be Unbroken and I'll Fly Away, two old gospel songs. When I was a child I loved the Charley Pride rendition of I'll Fly Away, so that was a treat. Two of Willie's sons join him on this tour, one singing and playing the guitar with a good bit of talent.
After about 90 minutes, Willie and his group left the stage to a roar, and then things shifted. The high percentage of older folks dwindled. Soon I saw many more young faces joining us on the field. It was much more crowded for Bob's performance. After about 20 minutes his band took to their instruments, with Mr. Dylan making his way out last. His greeting was as would be expected. He began with Drifter's Escape and it escalated from there. Here's how the night went:
- Drifter's Escape
- Love Minus Zero/No Limit
- God Knows
- The Times They Are A-Changin'
- Highway 61 Revisited
- Tryin' To Get To Heaven
- Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
- Blind Willie McTell
- Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
- New Morning
- Summer Days
encore - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
- All Along The Watchtower
I only wish I could've seen him play guitar. I don't really feel anything was missing, though. It was great to see him singing and swaying, ripping on that harmonica like he does. If you know his music, but have never seen him live, there are big differences. Each song is a towering, jazzing monolith. I was 30 feet from the stage and the sound was great.
Despite the drunkards stumbling around and falling over their own cans, the entire experience was great. Lindsey was even offered a joint. Does that mean people think we're cool?
Leo Kottke is one of my favorite musicians. His talent is amazing. I was finally able to witness it in person this weekend, and it was awesome. He played at The Handlebar in Greenville, SC on Saturday night at 9 o'clock. It's a fairly small place—just a listening room with a bar/dining area attached. We arrived about ninety minutes before it was to begin in an attempt to snag decent seats. We did. We were on the end of the second row. Being such a small venue we merely had to write our names on any paper we could find and leave them in the seats we wished to reserve. Doing this, we went back to the bar area to get some pizza. After sitting there a while we realized what great timing had been exercised. Soon after we were settled in, people began to flood the entrance. It was a small flood, though. It only seats 500, which I liked. It felt very personal and I enjoyed it more than I would have if there had been thousands. We had found great spots—probably fifteen feet from him, or less. I was so excited.
He came on stage a couple minutes after nine. People started cheering, including me, and he went right to work. I've always known that he was an amazing guitar player, but you can't appreciated it fully until you actually see his fingers flying and plucking. He is incredible. He makes his twelve-string sound like three or four instruments at once. It isn't hard to believe that he would practice ten hours a day. He played between fifteen and twenty songs, telling funny, interesting stories between, and sometimes during. I sat in awe for ninety minutes.
After his encore, most of the audience left. Lindsey and I, along with maybe a dozen others, waited in hopes of his return. He did come back out finally, after a while, to pull his plugs from the stage. Several of us gathered in front of it, facing him. I realized that I would have time to go out to my car (we also had an excellent parking spot) to get the album I had brought along. I would get more than a handshake. When I came back with the record I was out of breath and walking quickly. He had just finished with everyone when I came up to him saying, "Will you do one more?" He had his cords bundled in his hands by this time, but a lady that works there was kind enough to take them from him so that he could generously oblige me. I handed him 6- and 12-String Guitar, one of his first and best records, along with a silver pen. Lindsey told him how great the show was, as did I. I thanked him, told him we drove three hours to see him. It was well worth it—certainly the best birthday present I've had in years, or possibly ever. Thank you, Lindsey.
All of the available downloads right now are some of Leo's songs, in case any would like to hear his work. You may also want to visit his Web site.
