A Trip to Tennessee

On June 16, we set out by plane for Tennessee for a friend's wedding. Though the wedding was in the area of Chattanooga, we stayed with our friend Sarah in Nashville for the night, giving us the opportunity to explore “music city USA.” We were amazed at the amount of clubs and bars that hosted live music. We caught a glimpse of a concert going on down by a river, and some other country music in a cafe. Giant painted guitars were stationed all around the city, and we took many pictures of them.


(click pictures for larger versions)
Another thing that we did in Nashville was visit a replica of the Parthenon.



It had a gigantic statue of Athena inside.



Her shield was fifteen feet high, and she stood in the middle of the structure. It was amazing for us to see this, and here, we took many pictures as well.





The next day, we drove down to Chattanooga where the wedding was to take place. Our friend Bill Brown was getting married to Kate Pride, who he had traveled around the world with. When we tried to find the farm where the ceremony was to take place, we got hopelessly lost until we met up with a store owner who told us where it was. We arrived in time to have the last of the jambalaya supper. The following morning, we had no problem finding the farm and arriving on time, though Rhonda, another of our friends was lost for five hours. The ceremony was as beautiful as the farmland around us.



Since Bill and Kate were great fans of contra dancing, they hired a band to play a dance in their honor. Though Dad did not bring the vibraphone down to the wedding, I did have chances to sit-in with Kaleidoscope, the band. Though it was different than the usual instruments that I had played with, I got used to it and enjoyed it. The wedding was over, and the next day we drove back to Nashville, visiting a cave called Ruby Falls on the way back and taking some scenic drives through the farmland. We arrived at the airport just in time to catch an earlier flight to Charlotte, ending our fantastic journey to Tennessee.

Belated 6/12 Faneuil Hall Report

I've been meaning to tell you how Faneuil Hall went for a little while now. One of the great things about watching Avi and Jonathan play is the interaction with the people, especially the kids. Lots of kids came up to Avi's vibes. He's too cool about it: often handing them a mallet and encouraging them to make music. One young boy started playing in the middle of a song and kept the beat wonderfully. Some kids are too shy to act on their whims.

The crowd was pretty thin. Perhaps because of the heat and humidity, people didn't stop to listen like they had during previous gigs.

Near the end, Avi played the amazing waltz he wrote for his friends' wedding. I waltzed, as did two other friends of Avi's. A couple from the audience joined us.

Apple Crisp's sound didn't carry like it had in the past. I could hear other musical acts over them and couldn't hear them on the other side of Quincy Market. Since I've listened to them several times now, I feel like when they ask how their balance is or something like that, I can give them a better informed answer.

Wander by when they're out playing sometime. It's really worth it. They're scheduled to be out there again on Wednesday (22) from 1-5 pm, Saturday (25) from 11-1, and Sunday (26) from 3-7. Check the calendar for future dates and times.

Excellent Performance at MIT; Faneuil Hall, 6/12, 3 pm

It was great to walk in the downstairs sidedoor of the Student Center and immediately hear the vibraphone and hammered dulcimer. Their sounds carry so well! No doubt I was not the only person who followed her ears to the dance, as quite a few people poked their heads in to watch the lines and listen to the band.

A wonderful mix of instruments accompanied the vibes, dulcimer, and piano. Gene's bass guitar really adds to the depth of the music. The banjo was really special and the recorder was a terrific highlight. The piano added a ghostly dimension to the band because it is tall enough to obstruct the view of the player from the dance floor. Good thing Jonathan is such a talented pianist: otherwise, we might have thought someone else was playing.

Avi shared a fantastic waltz he wrote.

Although Avi joked about not wanting any more groupies, I'll still encourage people to go to Faneuil Hall this Sunday the 12th to listen to them perform. They'll be out from 3-7 pm. I'm not sure of the location, but if you walk around long enough, you might be able to hear them.

He doesn't, however, joke about his need for roadies right now. If any of you can help with transportation and hauling while his leg heals, it'd be greatly appreciated.

Playing at the MIT Contradance, 6/7, 8:00 to 10:30 pm, Sala de Puerto Rico

Speaking of playing at MIT contradances ...

Apple Crisp will play the next MIT contradance on Tuesday, June 7, at 8:00 pm in Sala de Puerto Rico in the Student Center (building W20). Sit-ins are welcome. So are dancers. No previous experience with vibraphone music or contradancing necessary.

Avi and Jonathan might need some extra help getting to gigs these days. If you can offer a ride, especially if you have a vehicle that can transport a vibraphone case that is at least 3 feet wide, please let him know.