Kerrville Folk Festival announced its lineup.
Spice is playing the first Monday in the slot before John Gorka, followed by Susan Werner.
Other highlights I'm looking forward to:
First Week
- Thurs. May 24 (opening day) - Ian Moore, Austin Lounge Lizards
- Sun. May 27 - Sara Hickman, Vance Gilbert (Sara also plays Threadgill Theatre childrens' concert)
- Mon May 28 - The Spice, followed by John Gorka, then Susan Werner closes
- Tue May 29 - Susan closes the show AGAIN
Second Week
- Sat June 2 - Terri Hendrix, followed by Judy Collins (yes, that Judy Collins - "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes")
- Sun June 3 - Trout Fishing (again, festival darlings)
Third Week:
- Sat June 9 - Tom Russel, Bob Livingston Trio, Ruthie Foster closes
- Sun June 10 - Buddy Mondlock opens.
I intend to interview Susan about her new "Findin' My Religion" (The Gospel Truth) album, and Vance has a new album, so press passes are in order. Hello? Third Coast Travel? Sojourners Mag? Reason Online? Folk Roots? Anyone?
That reminds me.
This one time, in Kerrville, Amilia and I were sitting at an obscure campfire on Chapel Hill, passing a bottle of Early Times around with Townes Van Zandt, Phil Ochs, Blaze Foley, and Elliott Smith. The bottle only made it around once. Everyone started doing covers of each other's songs.
Phil did "Poncho and Lefty," Townes played "Waltz #2," and Elliot couldn't hold the guitar so just whispered "Drunken Angel" a cappella. Blaze punched him in the neck and covered "Draft Dodger Rag," which he dedicated to "them carpet bagger panty waists in the gumament." Then it was my turn in the circle, so I did "Come Over Me," and when I sang the refrain, Elliott thought I was offering him dilaudid - he flew into a rage when he found out it was just a lyric, stepped over Blaze, got punched in the butt, and lolled his way off to the Crow's Nest. Amilia took the guitar from me, weaved Beetoven's Pathetique in C Minor up and down the neck, then passed out MGDs from her cooler while everyone sat stunned.
We drank quietly for awhile, then Phil did a boogie-woogie version of "Ravenous Strings," inspiring Townes to bang out a two-chord emo take on "Radio," crushing his beer can to his forehead as a finish. Blaze did most of a medley of "Little Cowboy," "Falling in," and "Queen for a day," all countrified and slip-sloppy, before passing out in the fire. We dragged him back and slapped coals off him; Townes lit his cigarette on Foley's smoldering straw hat.
It was Eta Aquarids season; meteors started showering until Camp Stupid finally packed it in, and twilight put the fires out. I woke up in the caliche dust as Amilia was pouring ice from the cooler into the ashes, the steam swirling around, and then it was only us two. Good times.
