Catching Up Part 3: What I Would Have Went On About

Had I been writing about the past three weeks, I most certainly would have mentioned how worthwhile it is to go out and see Michael Conley wherever he might be playing. He'll be playing Holiday Market some time, haven't settled it yet. I think he has a gorgeous voice, and writes great songs. He played last year with the Spruce Root Band and when they dissolved, I was sad! but glad again when Michael got in contact about solo gigs. Go see him!



I also would have gone on and on about the Michael Tracey Band. To be honest, I'm not a huge blues fan. But I am most definitely a Michael Tracey fan, and again, go find him and enjoy! He took a break from playing too, and boy was I happy to hear that he was back and wanting a Market gig. Wonderful voice, great original song writing, super solid backing band. Totally enjoyable!



For sure I would have written about Sweet Papa Lowdown with Julie Stoike on vocals, followed by Brian Cutean with Margareta Waterman and Ivory Pike, and ending up with Apocalypso back on the 6th. Julie is a great addition as vocalist with Sweet Papa Lowdown, yes another delicious voice to listen to:



Then Brian Cutean shared his set with Southern Oregon poet Margareta Waterman and this lovely woman, Ivory Pike:



She's a young woman with Down Syndrome, and she's also a young woman with talent on the harmonica. She's played many times for family gatherings and the like, but this was her first true public performance. She did a great job, and the crowd really enjoyed her music. I love that our Market Stage is a place where many many people have their first public performance, and keep right on performing and going places with their music and poetry and dance. The whole Market is like that for artists of all kinds. I'm so glad Brian invited Ivory to play with him, and Margareta Waterman's poetry was a great addition as well. The whole set was a true treat.

We wrapped up the perfect, sunny late summer day with Apocalypso, a steel drum band. It was just the right mellow, happy feel for the end of the day.



OK, that gets me up to the most recent past, all the fun and excitement of Eugene Celebration! Blogging soon on that one...