Music on the Half Shell

Another small town benefit. Free concerts in the park during the summer.

People get up early and leave their blanket or quilt/bedspread on the grass in front of the concert stage (the removable backdrop looks like a shell), and then that evening, you have a nice spot to watch the concert. No one moves or takes your blanket.

This sort of thing is not really up Connor's alley. Before he was born, we went a few times with younger Trevor & Diana. Now I go with my friend, Rose. This year, I joined her twice. The first band was African, and then these guys were from Nashville.

Most people bring a picnic or snack with beer or wine. Rose bought herself some little stakes to hold drinks when we were at the winery. That works much better than trying to balance your wine glass on a blanket. There are areas that are for blankets only, so you're not allowed to bring chairs that will raise you too high for the folks behind you to see. Then up the hill, people can use chairs. The right side of the stage is reserved for dancing... or for what passes as dancing - heh. You get some good people-watching in if you're checking out that crowd.

There's a big variety of acts every year. The folks putting on the show really work to bring in people from all over the world. There are symphonies, one-man bands (or one-woman), folk, blues, rock, whatever. There's usually one recognizable group - this year it was Los Lobos (La Bamba). I passed on that one - waaaaay too crowded. I'll bet they put blankets out on Monday night for that one (you're supposed to only start at 5:00 am Tuesday).

There's also the food vendors up at the parking lot area. Everything from BBQ to ice cream, if you didn't bring your own picnic. I guess they do okay, since they come back every week, every summer! The Girl Scouts are usually tapped to help with recycling efforts and collecting trash after the concerts - the girls get to keep whatever has a deposit to return for cash for their troops. Diana has helped out with that in the past, tho not this year.

This group was called Old Crow Medicine Show. Rose called it "mountain music." Lots of fiddle and harmonica & yodely-yelling. Very fun. The lead singer was really skinny and wore jeans that could only be loose on him. He's on guitar, one over from the right. I should get Trevor a pair of those.