Click here to do User Survey! Janet's Kerrville Rambles   (Webmaster's note:  The primary reason there are no Urban Campfires shows in the summer is that we spend a significant amount of June at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and need the rest of summer to recuperate (and get ready for the Wine and Music Festival at Labor Day). Jayne and I take the easy route, retiring to our motor home, while Janet is a true-blue Kerrvert.  This is her story...)   KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL, 2007 RAMBLES Whoa, 16 nights in a tent. 16 days of mud, dust, & music - lots of all three – and a healthy dose of silliness with my extended family at Camp Sweetness and Light. Let’s take it from the top. Again, I apologize that my rambles get long winded but hey, that’s why they’re called the Rambles.  If nothing else, enjoy the pictures. Part One – May 23 thru May 30  Okay, I know. The festival doesn’t officially start until Thursday but I arrived at the ranch around 5:00, Wednesday afternoon. John had helped me set my tent up during Land Rush, the weekend before, so it was just a matter of unpacking the car and settling in. No sooner than I had set out some chairs and popped open my first cold one, UC regular, Ron Clarkson, joined me. My Sweetness and Light sister in silly business, Surrena Rub, was not far behind.  Leon (our fearless camp mom) and Lulu arrived from Denton about 15 minutes ahead of Robert Morrison. No one seemed in too much of a hurry to get the living room set up. We were content to sit and catch up with each other and be serenaded by Steve Brooks and Rob Lytle. I went to bed early listening to Leon noodling on his guitar. Welcome home, indeed. I woke up Thursday morning with the sudden realization that we hadn’t set up the coffee pot! After my initial panic attack, I simply took my empty cup to the neighbors at Camp Todo Grande and Pam took good care of all of us. We got the living room canopy up and arranged the kitchen in between light sprinkles. Kelly Murphy, from Virginia, got home. Kelly’s a rocket scientist/house concert host. That’s what I want to be when I grow up Mainstage highlight on Thursday (for me) was definitely the Austin Lounge Lizards. We had planned to start our after hours showcases at Sweetness and Light on Thursday night but it was raining buckets. Ken Gaines and Karen Mal were professional enough to show up for the gig but not silly enough to unpack their instruments. We had a nice visit and shared some of Ken’s special ‘tea’ before we realized that the rain wasn’t going to stop. This was one heckuva storm. All three of my tents had taken on water. Kelly, who was planning to stay in the guest tent, was able to crash in Vic and Reba Heyman’s RV and Dave Coulter went to sleep in Leon and Lulu’s van. His tent bore a slight resemblance to a wading pool. He would set up his pop up camper the following day. It was still raining on Friday morning. I had slept cold and damp but slogged my way down to the Rouse’s camp for bagels and coffee with all the New Folk Finalists. Big Wide Grin had driven in during the wee hours. They landed once again at Camp La Quinta in town. Although they had been offered a house, the road leading to it was under water. It was a good day to go to town to try out the new Chinese Buffet and swing by the Salvation Army Store for warm, dry clothes.   A bit of afternoon sunshine dried out the chairs and gave us time to bail out the tents. Leon cooked a fabulous meal of chicken breasts with stir-fried cabbage. Scott, Lisa and Connor arrived from Denton and pitched their tent in the least muddy spot they could find. With the threat of more rain, the mainstage show was moved to the Threadgill Theater in the campgrounds. I know it’s not good for the venders or for the festival but the newly renovated theater is incredible and offered a dry and intimate setting for a fabulous show. The highlights for the night (again- strictly in my opinion) were Tracy Grammer, Michael Smith, and The Band of Heathens. I missed several sets that night because Karl Werne of Big Wide Grin treated me to what amounted to a semi-private, solo concert out by the side of Robert and Abby’s trailer. Yes, I felt very special. Robert and Abby, by the way, had gone to Abilene for their daughter Liz’s wedding. The Big Wide Grin showcase Friday night was a huge success. They attracted a crowd that filled the living room, went up the hill and all the way across the road. Karen Mal joined them for several songs and the jams with Karl on guitar and Karen on mandolin were not just beautiful but memorable. What a treat.  As I look back on it, I’m thoroughly convinced that there are two types of people in the world… those who have heard and love Big Wide Grin and those who haven’t heard them yet. They’re coming out with new material every day and they’re currently working on two new projects. One is a studio CD being produced by Keb Mo! The other, a Christmas CD, should be out right before they play Urban Campfires in early December. Lulu and I went wandering after the showcase and followed BWG to Camp Cuisine. Then it was Camp Nashville for a circle with Storyhill, Kristin DeWitt, Stephanie Corby, and Justin Roth. We tried to get to Camp Stupid but found a large slick mud puddle where the road should have been. If only we had had a video camera… slipping, sliding, falling, laughing uncontrollably and then having our shoes stick like suction cups in the mud. All I could think was, “Leon’s not going to let Lulu play with me ever again.” After freeing ourselves from the mud, we congratulated each other for not wetting our pants during our hysterical laughter (although no one would have been able to tell through the mud) and we wandered off to watch the fire spinners and listen to a good old timey jam at the Kerrtry Store before heading back to camp. The quote for the day: Surrena popped her head in my tent and asked, “Do you want to borrow the pump up thingy with legs?” Of course, I knew she was talking about a mattress that would sit up off the ground but you can imagine the momentary pause then the extreme giggles as Elaine Dempsey and I processed her question. The pump up thingy with legs? Uh-huh. Saturday’s journal entry started with “Great Day!” There was also a cryptic note saying, “ I had a dream last night. It was pouring down rain and I woke up and Big Wide Grin was in my tent.”  Jan Krist and Jim Bizer arrived at camp on Saturday afternoon. The guest tents were still questionable so Jan slept in Leon and Lulu’s van and Jim shared space in Dave’s pop up. I’m so grateful that I have such flexible, generous, and accommodating camp mates. It was Day One of the New Folk Concerts. My picks for the day were David Llewellyn, Porter Davis, Scott & Michelle Dalziel, Storyhill, and Anthony da Costa although everyone did a fine job.  Leon cooked and cooked and cooked for a crowd that just kept coming. I missed a lot of the mainstage although I wandered through and saw Peter Yarrow bring all the children from the audience up on stage to sing Puff The Magic Dragon. Denice Franke had a good set and brought out our old friend Doug Hudson for a brief Hudson and Franke reunion. Johnsmith did a fine set and I heard snippets of Jimmy LaFave from camp. After their New Folk appearance that afternoon, there was a nice buzz going around the campground about Storyhill. Chris & Johnny packed the living room for their after hours showcase at S & L. The best way that I can describe them is to say they sound like a contemporary Everly Brothers; similar harmony structures, mostly upbeat songs but lyrically more powerful. Look for Storyhill at Urban Campfires in March ‘08. I went to my tent early that night and fell asleep listening to a circle in our living room with Leon, Dave, Jan Krist, Jim Bizer, Alison Downey, and Lisa Aschmann… Life is good. Sunday 5/27 – What a beautiful day. Donah, my team teacher for the last 15 years, and her friend Lori got here for the night. Vicky Emerson dropped by camp to say hi this morning and then it was Day Two of New Folk. Picks for the day – KC Clifford, Ray Younkin, Siobhan Quinn and Michael Bowers, Pat Wictor, and John Wort Hannam.  Lindsey Mac was also worth mentioning. She wore her cello on a strap and played it like you would a guitar. It was interesting and unique but I’m not sure I could sit through more than two songs without getting a bit antsy. We had a full living room for happy hour. Michael Bowers mixed several batches of his famous margaritas. I used to think that I made a pretty decent margarita but I have to admit, Michael’s recipe is, hands down, the best I’ve ever had. (And I‘ve tasted a few over the years.) His recipe comes with a strong warning against mixing them while playing your guitar. Apparently, the concoction will kill your strings almost immediately and very possibly, eat the finish right off the face of your guitar. Must be the lime juice. He uses only the best tequila.   The sky turned ugly while we were getting ready for dinner and I’d guess that we had 2 to 3 inches of rain in the next 2 hours. More than once we considered changing the name of the camp from “Sweetness and Light” to “A River Runs Through It.” At the worst, I’d say the water flowing freely through the living room was just about ankle deep. Once again, the mainstage show was moved to Threadgill’s. It was one of the best shows of the festival. Small Potatoes were wonderful - warm and funny.  Sara Hickman had a full rockin’ band including Brian Ashley Jones on lead guitar and Tisha Simeral on bass. Steve James growled out a bluesy set and Vance Gilbert was ON. AJ Croce was smokin’ those piano keys and did a fine set, and The Hudsons finished the evening off perfectly.  They announced the 6 New Folk Winners that night. The judges and I agreed on 2 this year. Not that I disagree with the judges. My list of 6 was just a little different than their list. They were all very good and I can picture the poor judges, meeting in Vic & Reba’s RV, and throwing names in a hat to narrow it down to a workable number. Although the heavy rain had stopped and it was just drizzling by the time the show was over, the living room at Sweetness & Light was filled with a thick layer of fresh, gooey mud. After some serious discussion and a power nap, Siobhán Quinn and Michael Bowers performed a heartfelt showcase set for a small handful of mostly S & L fans. I heard rave reviews the next morning from folks who listened from their tents but couldn’t drag themselves back out into the mud to come sit in the living room.  Monday’s journal started with, “ I slept like a baby last night. Could it have been the TWO blankets?”  I had coffee at the Rouse’s again and we were all treated to a steady stream of good music. They are so organized that Lindsey runs around with a sign up sheet and announces who plays next to keep the circle going. And what a circle it is. The Rouses play host each year to all the New Folk Finalists who are more than happy to sing for their breakfast. After sleeping cold for 3 nights in a row, Abel treated me to a massage. Oh yea. His camp is in the meadow and people have built bridges across Sudden Creek to get to their tents. Someone sent an inflatable crocodile down the creek unleashing lots of silliness. Note: Under normal conditions, there is NOT a creek running through the campground. On the mainstage Monday night, John Gorka was as good as I had hoped he would be and Susan Werner was HOT! E Muzeki did the after hours showcase at camp and packed them in. The Red Shirts (Security) or Peacemakers as they were known this year, came during their second song and asked them to stop using the drum. They didn’t seem concerned that Jenny’s violin and Mark’s bouzouki were plugged in. Oh well. They did a super set and we had several folks belly dancing in the living room to their wild ass gypsy surf world beat. We woke up to more clouds and drizzle on Tuesday but by noon it was gorgeous. Good thing too. Jan was able to move into the guest tent in time for Leon to head back to Denton for a few days. With Leon gone we were destined to eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and wedding leftovers. Not bad camp fare but you have to know that when Leon’s in camp we eat very well. It was perfect weather for the Kerrdi Gras Parade  and for a tug of war that turned into mud wrestling in the parking lot. Good clean fun. The Sundown Concert was excellent and featured Jan Krist, Jim Bizer, John Gorka, Susan Werner, and Drew Nelson in the round. WOW!!!! Wednesday morning was laid back and I enjoyed drinking coffee and listening to Jan Krist and Lisa Aschmann talk about songwriting. Lisa sang us her two newest songs. Both were beautiful. I left camp for a quick visit home and fresh laundry but had 101.5 fever when I got there. I slept for over 16 hours and wasn’t able to return to the ranch until Friday. Bummer.   Part Two – June 1 thru June 4 What a fantastic weekend. The camp was filled with the usual suspects: Leon & Lulu, Robert, Abby, & Emily, Dave and Joseph Coulter, fiddle Terri, and me. Our weekend visitors included my son JP and his buddy Sonny, Robert Morrison’s sister Carol, Martin Coulter, Clarice, Donah & her pal Shelby, Leon’s daughter Margaret and her husband Jamie, and UC regular, Elaine Hayden, spent Sunday night with us. On paper, the line up for Friday night’s mainstage looked incredible but the obvious standout was when Allen Shamblin and Steve Seskin combined their two sets. These two guys have written or co-written a bunch of top 10 songs. It’s always a rare treat to hear the songwriter tell the story behind the song and then sing it the way it was written. It’s even more of a treat when you put two good friends on the stage together to tell stories about each other and how the songs came to be. They were warm, funny, and casual. They both have a gift for drawing in their audiences and making you feel like they’re singing to just you or maybe you and the small handful of folks sitting around you. Steve Seskin will play at Urban Campfires on Feb. 2, 2008. Tom Prasada Rao came to the rescue and stepped in at the last minute when Jonathan Edwards had to cancel his set due to illness and although Celeste Krenz was not my cup of tea, she had a killer band: Brian Ashley Jones, Tisha Simeral, Liz Barnez, Rebecca Folsom, and a few other musicians whose names escape me. We tried again, successfully this time, for a showcase with Karen Mal and Ken Gaines. Their friend David Glaser sat in on guitar. Karen and Ken play all around Texas. If you get a chance to hear them, don’t miss it. I promise a very enjoyable evening. Saturday afternoon Dave, formerly of the Dogwaggers, came to camp and played us his funny songs. This is the second time Dave has wandered into S & L over the years and I still haven’t caught his last name. He has recently relocated from Maryland to San Antonio so maybe we can coax him into joining us at Urban Campfires. He’ll fit right in. Mainstage Saturday night was another good line up but Terri Hendrix and her band stole the show… I mean… they did a great job of warming up the crowd for Judy Collins. I have to say that I enjoyed Judy Collins much more this time. She has great stories to tell in between songs and great songs for those of us of a certain age. I found her pianist a distraction to her minimal strumming. At times, I wondered if they were even playing the same song. It was sort of a folk/Muzak collaboration… or implosion.  It was also obvious that Ms. Collins is very accustomed to being adored by her audiences. Several times she tricked the crowd into giving her standing ovations. She would finish an okay song then throw both hands in the air, triumphantly, strutting back and forth across the stage Mick Jagger style for a minute or so at a time. What the hell… we all stood and clapped thinking it had been her last song. What can I say? She’s a pro. The showcase at camp was the highlight of the day as far as I was concerned. Normally, I’m not a big fan of that traditional Nashville sound so let’s call it Americana. And when the Americana is live in the living room with Brian Ashley Jones and Tisha Simeral, I start talkin’ with a twang. Brian writes clever, intelligent country music – yes, there is such a thing – and he’s a monster on guitar. Tisha sings back up and hauls around a full sized upright bass. She is classically trained and still plays with a symphony orchestra but also has a jazz gig plus her side work with Brian and whoever else is lucky enough to book her. Believe me, that was a lot of music coming from just two people and when Brian and Tisha start trading licks back and forth…. stand back. That’s good stuff, Maynard.  I’ll let you know when we can get them back to Texas. Late night wandering turned up some good music at Camp Nashville Saturday night with a circle that included Tom Prasada Rao, Amy Speace, Stephanie Corby, Jud Caswell, Jacoda, and Justin Roth. We wandered back to camp around 4AM, the perfect time for Clarice and I get our annual case of the senseless giggles just before dozing off. Jimmy Buffett says it well, “We’re growing older but not up.” At 8:00 or so Sunday morning I woke up to someone hollering my name from the road  “ Hey Juanita! Where’s Janet?” Ah, it was none other than Roberto Luciano Uncle Bob Beto MacDonaldo. Robert has been one of my closest friends since high school and – bless his heart - this is not the first time I’ve wanted to kill him. Abby told him I was trying to sleep which seemed to baffle him a little but he went away and brought the whole fam damily back for a nice visit later. Ah, Roberto, you puke. You know I love you. But your mother still dresses you funny.  The New Folk Award Winners’ Concert Sunday afternoon was amazing. This years winners were John Wort Hannam, Carla Gover, Storyhill, David Llewelyn, Danny Schmidt, and 16-year-old Anthony da Costa. If this kid is writing with this much depth at 16, I can’t wait to hear what he writes at 26 or 36. On top of being quite a writer, he’s also an inventive guitarist, and completely comfortable and in control on stage. We will definitely be hearing more from him. Dinner was yummy. Leon and Margaret cooked up a vegan delight of brown rice with veggies and curry with spring rolls that they wrapped and fried right there at camp. People were stopping on the road in front of our camp just to savor the cooking aroma. And it tasted even better than it smelled. Mainstage went in fits and spurts Sunday night with the first artist in the line up facing flight delays and lost luggage. Nothing important; just her clothes and her guitar. Then there were some minor sound system problems during Trout Fishing in America’s set, and then finally, a huge storm hit that brought everything to a halt. This storm didn’t have the staggering amount of rain like some of the earlier storms but it came in with a mighty wind. A corner of the living room was actually lifted up off the ground. We held it down while Leon drove in more stakes and then (don’t tell the Redshirts) tied it off to the oak trees. We had to cancel Phil and Alison’s showcase and although the rain stopped in time for a few circles to get going, I went to bed early and Elaine wandered around with Martin. I got off to a slow start on Monday. We left the flaps down on the living room and moved chairs out to the sunshine to dry. By noon, my car was loaded with dirty laundry and I was headed back to San Antonio for a quick visit. Part Three June 5 – June 11            Weekdays at the ranch move at a more mellow pace than the hectic buzz on the weekends. It’s a wonderful time to relax a little, clean up camp a little, snack a little, nap a little, and visit a lot. I will always treasure the time I got to spend with Lulu this year. Usually, she goes back to Denton during the week. She is such an incredibly gentle, caring, and interesting soul. I doubt that she has any idea just how special she is and how she so instantly touches everyone who is fortunate enough to spend time with her. You’re one in a million, Dr. Lulu. The sunset concerts during the week are also big favorites of mine made even better with the renovation of the Threadgill Theater. Dalis does a great job of booking interesting co-bills or in the round shows that work so well in the smaller theater. The standout for the final week was Jack Williams paired with Ronny Cox. Jack came out first and did a bang up solo set. Then, Jack and Karen Mal came out and backed Ronnie Cox. Both Jack and Ronnie are skilled storytellers and entertainers. Jack is also a guitar wiz and one of the most sought after back up players on the ranch (next to Karen Mal.) Karen sang back up and played her mandolin. It was an emotional set for Ronnie who hasn’t performed much since losing his sweet wife this past winter but he couldn’t have picked a more connected audience. There wasn’t a heart in that crowd that wasn’t going out to him as he sang some of Mary’s favorites and struggled at times to keep his composure. Another great thing that goes on during the final week is the Professional Development Program for Teachers. I can’t stress enough to teachers that this is such a pleasant alternative to the sometimes painfully bad - and almost always boring - in service hours that you get through your school. With presenters like Kristin DeWitt, Sara Hickman, Patrice Pike and Billy Jonas you will not only be entertained but you will go back to your classroom with a renewed creative energy that you can’t wait to share with your students. Claire Hodgin’s presentation almost made me wish that I worked with an older age group. Notice I said, “Almost.” I love my terrible twos. I got lazy this year and only racked up 12 hours. Mainstage highlights for the final weekend –THE ENTIRE FRIDAY NIGHT LINE UP. Whoa, Nelly! The line up was smokin’!!!! Eric Schwartz and Kevin So both did very solid, almost mellow sets. In fact, Kevin’s set was so enjoyable that Clarice and I both felt Quyen Emerson’s presence. She was definitely there with us, watching Kevin and nodding her approval, beaming with pride. Then, they unleashed the always entertaining, very energetic Billy Jonas who had us shouting back at him in French. Patrice Pike matched that energy in her own way and rocked the house. We could have stopped there but no. From somewhere in the back of the crowd came Taxi Chain, armed with bagpipes, saxophones, drums, guitars, and…. They’re great fun.  On Saturday night, Laura Love got off to a rough start but redeemed herself and ended up with a fun set. Ruthie Foster came out with her full band and played a kick ass set of rhythm and blues. On Sunday, before Bobby Bridger closed the festival with “Heal In the Wisdom,” Walt Wilkens and the Mystiqueros turned out a fine performance. Showcases for the last weekend – We re-scheduled Phil and Alison’s rained out set on Friday night and on Saturday, Liz Rouse introduced us to Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus, the artists formerly known as Edge City. We were once again honored to have Karen Mal sit in on their showcase. This was the weekend where everyone had to get rid of all their repressed silliness. Surrena had left her ATV parked in our No Parking Zone on the road in front of the camp. When she left for work, Clarice and I had no other choice but to pimp her ride - Kerrville style. Working with what we had at camp - a roll of blue masking tape and anything that was left in my silliness bag - we decked out her ATV with MANY strings of mardi gras beads and lots of silk flowers. We had a wonderful toy in camp that was a plastic fist until you squeezed the bulb. Then it shot the finger. We mounted that to the front handle bars. We made hubcaps out of red plastic bowls with cocktail umbrellas stuck in the middle, and cut up a beer box to make a holster for a large water pistol. Besides the beads and flowers, the back end sported another arm and hand reaching from underneath the back rack. When you pushed the button on it, the fingers wiggled. It was quite creepy but the best part was the installation of the special starter - a self-inflating whoopee cushion that was taped to the seat. My favorite reaction to our creation was when a day person (someone who hadn't been camping in the mud and dust for the past 15 days) walked past right as Clarice shouted, " Ladies, start your engines!" I pounced on the whoopee cushion. It did its thing and everyone standing around broke up laughing. All but the little day person, who looked at me sadly and walked off shaking his head and mumbling, " Oh my." I'm not sure he realized there was a whoopee cushion involved. Well, art inspires art as they say and Leon, upon seeing Surrena’s ATV, was inspired to decorate Dick Walker’s Mini Cooper. Apparently, Dick Walker  (Yes, that’s his Indian Name.) has a love/hate thing for a string of plastic triangular flags that Leon used to decorate camp with. Dick always said they made Sweetness and Light look like a used car lot. The string was long enough to wrap around the Mini Cooper several times. This got only a minor rise so the next day, while Dick was out of camp, we took it one step further and put a For Sale sign on his car. We had so many prospective buyers that we had to come up with a bait and switch plan in case someone was serious. “No, I’m so sorry. The Mini Cooper just sold but maybe I could interest you in the Scooby Doo van?” One poor woman wandered into camp after pre-arranging a loan for the down payment! We weren’t the only ones letting off our silliness. While wandering late Saturday night, Clarice and I heard a lot of chanting but couldn’t find a crowd big enough that would make that much noise. That’s because Billy Jonas and friends were having a huge jam/party in the men’s shower. It was too crowded to stay for very long so we wandered up to Crow’s Nest where a girl was singing the most painful song I’ve heard in a long time. I had started to doze off, sitting on my stool, just before her turn in the circle. I woke up (thankfully) with my arm raised and ready to throw my water bottle at the offensive noise. That would NOT have been the Kerrville way. Instead, Clarice and I were able to hold back our laughter until we got most of the way down the hill. How mature was that?  That song still haunts us. Just ask and Clarice and I will be happy to sing you our rendition of it. (But you have to promise not to throw things at us.) Our last night at camp, Leon cooked another fabulous meal and fed the masses crispy beef tacos and shrimp quesadillas. Yum. As always, I savor the night noise of the campground.  I fell asleep one night earlier this week to Jim somebody playing Eleanor Rigby on a Chapman Stick, an odd instrument that sounds a bit like a sitar. He was not even 12 feet away from my tent, playing in Todo Grande’s living room, but I was content to just stay cozy and listen.  Other nights, there was music on either side of me. You know you’ve been at Kerrville long enough when you can tune in the music at various camps like you tune in a radio station. I flipped between the circles at Camp Todo Grande and Camp Mis-Inclined many nights and fell asleep smiling. That’s what it’s all about for me. Another year, another festival. Thank you to my extended Sweetness and Light family. To Leon for his generosity, his gentle organization and the many delicious meals prepared with love for anyone and everyone. What the hell? Go ahead and micro-manage.  To Lulu for her gentle presence and sly sense of humor. I’ll wash dishes with you any day. To Robert and Abby and the girls for being the anchors, the family unit, and for the new toilet seats all over the ranch. Abby, sorry about the bra. To Marianna and Emily for your smiling attitudes. Jeff is right. You are rare. Hang on to that and keep on smilin’. It makes us wonder what you’re up to.  To Dave for being Dave. You know I love you, man, but NO. (That was in Zulu.) To Joseph Congratulations on your graduation. The world is your oyster and dude, this tree might be your mother. To Surrena for that wonderfully contagious laugh, your sense of fun, and for being such a good sport. Have I told you lately that you look mah-va-lous in your safety shoes, dah-ling? Take good care of that pump up thingy with legs. I might have to take you up on the offer at wine and Music. To Clarice for all the late night giggles and full on guffaws. There’s never a dull moment… To Phil and Debby for dropping in on us occasionally. We don’t see you two nearly enough. Look for you at Wine and Music? To Fiddle Terri – Get some sleep, girl! And of course, huge thanks to all the musicians who played the late night showcases or dropped by camp to sing us some songs. We are humbled by your talents and our lives made richer by your willingness to share with us. Until next time, Big Kerr hugs, Janet   Kerrville Ramble 2006 – Week One Let’s start before the festival. JP and I went out and set up our tents on Wednesday for fear of missing the shade if we waited until Friday. Leon , Lulu, Robert, and Dave already had Camp Sweetness and Light set up and shaded real estate marked off. We put up our tents and went home so that JP could walk across the stage and get his diploma on Thursday night. We got back out there by noon Friday. It was a gorgeous day. Cool with a pleasant breeze, just perfect for sitting in the shade and catching up with everyone. Friday’s highlight on mainstage was Canadian blues picker, strummer, growler Matt Anderson. He’s 400 pounds worth of stage presence and tons of fun to watch. I liked Charlie A’Court as well. His music reminded me a lot of Martin Sexton’s blue-eyed soul. After the show, sometime around 1 or 2, I realized I was exhausted and instead of wandering the campgrounds, I was perfectly happy to hit my tent fairly early.  The Sweetness and Light living room was full of pickers – 3 guitars, a mandolin, and a guitarron. Why go anywhere? I slept lightly and remember waking up - but not getting up out of my tent - to hear 3 beautiful songs in a row by Big Wide Grin. The next time I woke up the Studebakers were in our living room singing a few of their top notch, Andrews Sisters styled songs. I didn’t even get up when the stripper, er uh… exotic dancer came through the camp. It was almost as good just to listen. Zeb was singing a vaguely familiar, old tune when I heard him ask nicely for her dance somewhere else because he couldn’t see the other pickers’ chords. That piqued my interest. Not long after that he was singing a line “…bla bla bla heart.” The next line was almost spoken and a bit strained when he said,”Oh, please don’t fart.” All along, I had heard mild chuckles but at this point the whole camp lost it and I finally stuck my head out of the tent in time to see a young woman putting her sarong back on as she vowed to go dance for every camp in the campground before the night was through. Who was that girl in the Superman thong? Happy Graduation, JP. We’re at Kerrville! You might say that Week One was the week of New Folk and the Big Wide Grin. Not just the big wide grin that is instantly plastered across my face when I go through the Welcome Home gate  but Big Wide Grin, the bi-coastal trio. Elaine, Lawrence, and Karl, aka Big Wide Grin, flew in from their respective coastlines (California and Virginia ) for the festival and the wedding. The y brought along their old friend and the birthday girl - Chris, singer/songwriter Paddy Dougherty and Kelly Murphy, hostess with the mostest of Harris Creek Acoustic, a concert series in Hampton , VA.   Kelly will tell you that you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to put on a house concert but it doesn’t hurt. (FYI - She really IS a rocket scientist.) Opting to camp in town at a hotel (Camp La Quinta), we were thrilled to have BWG consider Camp Sweetness and Light their home away from home. We had planned a Big Wide Grin showcase/mini concert to follow the mainstage show on Saturday night but the mainstage show was cut short due to weather.  I was touched and impressed as my fellow campers rearranged lighting and seats and quickly attached rain flaps to 3 sides of our communal area. We had probably 20 or so people sitting in our living room listening to a concert that turned out to be a split bill: Big Wide Grin w/ Mother Nature handling lighting and occasional percussion.   I have to tell you that the timing of the thunder was so perfect during one song that I still get goose bumps thinking about it. After a brilliant set, BWG invited the other singer/ songwriters in the crowd to form a circle and we were introduced to Paddy’s sweet, jazz tinged songs and new folker, Andrew Smith’s amazing picking and tapping. Also in the circle and treating us to some great music was UC’s very own Steve Wood, Dave Coulter and Zeb from Sweetness and Light, Phyllis Tannerfrye, Steve Brooks and his protégé, Paula, Austin, the Green Party petition guy, and the other Steve. It was cozy under the canopy and the gentle rain added it’s own texture and feeling to the gathering. Donah and Shelby had driven out Saturday for the show and stayed to hear BWG. It was fantastic to run into Wendy Smith and her two friends. While giving them a tour of the campground we found Eric Balkey practicing a new song at Camp Singkerrnicity and he sang us one of his sweet songs. Mainstage had a great Saturday night line up but I missed a lot of it. Billy Jonas was fun but several people I talked to didn’t quite get his shtick. Terri Hendrix was a blast as usual. Jack Williams turned out a fine performance, as did Ray Bonneville. The storm started to blow in during Groovelily and the show was stopped about two songs into SONiA and Disappear Fear’s set. Oh well. That’s Kerrville and I realize that I don’t dread the rainstorms like I used to. I think that has something to do with having a tent that doesn’t leak. Sunday morning promised another gorgeous day. Last night’s rain just a memory. I was late for New Folk because the music in camp was too good to leave. Those wild Aussie girls, Jacqui and Bern, the bluehouse, woke up the surrounding camps with a few of their high energy songs and before long we had another circle going with the bluehouse, Siobhan Quinn and Michael Bowers, and two new folk finalists (who had already performed on Saturday) KC Clifford and Lisa Richards. After a nice cold breakfast bock with Jacqui I dragged my reluctant hiney off to check out another fabulous afternoon of New Folk. I really would have hated to be a judge for this year’s competition. Out of 600 entries, they narrow it down to 32 finalists. Then out of those 32, they pick 6 New Folk Winners. In my opinion, there were 29 winners this year! I narrowed my personal list down to 10 and the judges and I agreed on 4 of those. We hosted Charlie Peek’s camp Sunday night for a feast. We served over 30 folks and Leon outdid himself with a large pot of curried vegetables, chicken satay, and a delicious seafood pad thai. Jayne brought a yummy coconut/curry rice and we had some Oriental slaw.  Zeb and Elaine were kind of enough to do the dishes that night and created this beautiful sculpture in the dish drainers.  Mainstage was in full swing by the time I wandered up there to catch Eric Taylor’s set (He’s sounds very much like Tom Waits these days.) and Guy Clark. In all the years of loving his music this was my first time to hear Guy Clark live. I was not disappointed but, for some reason, I left his set craving fajitas and a cold Mexican beer. Go figure. We had another showcase for Big Wide Grin after the show was over. We had good weather and a good crowd this time around. Afterwards, we wandered the campgrounds and I got to bed a little before four. There was spirited conversation going on in the living room but I was able to tune that out and sleep only to wake up Monday morning before 8 o’clock to a flippin’ flugelhorn being played next door at Camp Mis-Inclined. I do know that paybacks are hell and this isn’t the Kerrville way, but the guy with the trombone and the flugelhorn has got to go. No, he can stay but the horns have to go - especially if he insists on playing them before 8 AM!  Janet’s list of banned instruments – flugelhorns, trombones, and maybe a certain fiddle (but we won’t go there.) Along those same lines is a little bit of knowledge I picked up at Folk Alliance this past February: A shaker egg is not a right but a privilege. Monday was very laid back. It was lunchtime before I changed out of my pj’s. I missed mainstage completely Monday night, stayed at camp and sat around as Kelly and BWG rehearsed the song that they would play for the wedding later that night. They did a beautiful cover of Julie Clark’s song “Whatever It Takes.” Ahhhh… the wedding. First off, I have to brag that I had the best looking escort on the ranch. Thank you. JP. I have become somewhat cynical about weddings over the years. As my mom said recently, “Oh it’s not so bad. He’ll make a wonderful first husband.” I don’t feel that way about this union. Tom Prasada Rao and Cary Cooper truly seem meant for each other and I was honored to be a part of their celebration. The official wedding took place earlier in the day for close friends and family. Then, after mainstage Monday night, they repeated their vows for their Kerrville family and friends. The Threadgill Theater was incredibly transformed with candles and Christmas lights and colorful scarves and fabrics draped everywhere.   Rudi and Zet, from Celebration Circle, performed the ceremony that was, as I wrote in my notes that night, “way cool and totally hippie dippy.” It was also very well thought out and so meaningful for the occasion. Both families were well represented including Tom’s 99-year-old grandfather from India . Zet read from a poet from India and Cary ’s dad balanced it out by reading a cowboy marriage poem by – I think he said Woody Guthrie? The vows they took were meaningful and everyone attending repeated portions. After a very touching service all of their friends came up and performed a song for the newlyweds. Eric Schwartz was a fantastic emcee and what a line up! Of course, the ranch is still trying to fill the void left by Rachel Bissex. Her brother came to the wedding and sang one of Rachel’s songs. It was incredibly touching and I’m puddling up as I type this. The post-wedding concert was still going strong around 3 when I walked Karl, Elaine, Lawrence, Chris, Kelly, and Paddy to the parking lot to say goodbye. It’s funny how close you can get to folks that you don’t really know that well. You just somehow sense that they are incredibly good people and that you are a better person for simply knowing them. They certainly brought our camp together in a way that I’ve never seen before. We will miss them in the weeks to come but we’re grateful for the time we got to spend together.    Enough rambling. I have food to prepare and dirty clothes to wash before heading back out tomorrow. Hope to see some of you this coming weekend. Hugs, Janet Kerrville Ramble - Weeks 2 & 3, 2006 Okay. So I’ve had 3 nights of sleep in my own bed. I can’t claim sleep deprivation anymore so I’ll do my best not to ramble.  Where do I start? Let’s see… 14 out of 18 nights this year. Thank you Coleman for making tents that don’t leak, air mattresses that only leak a little, re-chargeable lanterns, and ice chests that keep things cold longer than most. Thank you to this year’s core group at Sweetness and Light - Leon and Lulu, Dave, Robert and Abby and the girls - for creating our small community and for making it so easy for anyone to feel a part of it. Your generosity, hospitality, and easy acceptance of others have taught me a lot. We had several Kerr-virgins at camp the past two weeks… It was great to spend time with Leon ’s sister, Margaret from Florida . Urban Campfires regular, Elaine Hayden, spent two nights with us and although Liz is off in Italy studying Opera, her boyfriend, Jayce, spent a few nights in the guest tent as well. Donah and Lori came for a night (and crapped out way too early.) Clarice was here for two nights of the second weekend. Joseph Coulter arrived during the second week and Shelly came for the last weekend. Although Sureena had packed it all in and gone home after the second weekend, she surprised us and came back for the final weekend. It was also a real treat to get to visit with a handful of Urban Campfires folks – Betty B, Doug & Shirley, Mary Kay & John, Uncle Bill, Kathleen S, Rick & Cathy, Tom & Barb, Debbie G, and anyone I have inadvertently left off the list. Welcome Home! You know that I love everything at the ranch. Okay, so I wouldn’t get too upset if they replaced the octo-johns with real flush toilets and I wouldn’t mind at all if the recycling crew  waited another hour or so in the morning before they started to sort the empties… although I did like their fashionable use of trash bags.  But no, truly, I do love the whole festival scene. The people-watching from our living room at Sweetness and Light is worth the ticket price all on its own. The once a year friendships are such fun to catch up with and the endless creative energy of the other campers is constant entertainment.   The night sounds are enough to almost convince me to turn off the A/C and open the windows at home but my neighborhood isn’t exactly a hotbed for late night song circles or strolling minstrels. Although the feeling at the ranch is completely relaxed there is a definite ebb and flow from weekend flurry to weekday activity and there is much to be said about both. The weekends are crowded and filled with the buzz of the mainstage presentations. The past two weekends the highlights (that I saw) were Susan Gibson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Darden Smith, Trout Fishing in America, Jon Dee Graham, Gary Primich, Taxi Chain, and Vance Gilbert’s appearance with Ruthie Foster as her Aunt Cora in the Amen Choir. Oh…my…gawd! Vance had the audience laughing so hard that the soundman had to turn up Ruthie’s vocals! I also enjoyed The South Austin Jug Band and The Austin Lounge Lizards. Taxi Chain, from Canada , was new to me. A 5-piece band, they came on stage from out in the crowd playing a large drum, a saxophone, and a bagpipe. Throughout the set the horn player alternated between all sizes of saxophones and a piccolo. The bagpipe player also had an assortment of penny whistles and handled the lead vocals. They were high energy and great fun with songs like Funkbummer, Tandouri Moustache, and James Brown Ate My Bagpipe. I sort of remember Clarice, Sureena, and I being inspired to look for Taxi Chain in the campgrounds and be the something something Jiggers?? and if they didn’t like the way we danced they could use jigger-ex? Oh, I should have jotted that down in my journal. Too many nights have passed… Yea, yea, okay Carroll. I guess you would have had to have been there. The magical song circles were hard to find this year even on the weekends. I found myself making the rounds between Camp Stupid , Camp Cuisine , Camp Coho , and Singkerrnicity. Slim’s Camp Cabana , perked up by the third weekend but my regular haunt, Camp Nashville was dark most of the festival. Among the regulars at the circles this year I enjoyed hearing Big Wide Grin, Jack Hardy, Jay Mankita, the Dreamsicles, Kristin DeWitt, Johnsmith, Andrew Smith, Stephanie Corby, Karen Mal, Jaime Michaels, David LaMotte, Steve Gillette, KJ Denhert, Hunter Moore, Butch Morgan, Lisa Aschmann, Jeff Berkley, Adam & Kris, Butch Morgan, and Doug Fesler. So many circles had ballad after ballad followed by a slow song that I found it hard to stay in one place for very long for fear of falling off my stool or snoring loudly. Definitely not cool either way. The weeknights are my favorites. The pace is even slower than the regular Go Slow attitude of the ranch. Camps combine for happy hour and share groceries for impromptu meals. There’s the Corn Dog Family Reunion and Fajita Thursday where you might stand in line for an hour to get a taco but who cares? Instead of the huge mainstage hoopla, Dalis books one or two acts into the newly renovated Threadgill Theater in the campgrounds. The shows are much more intimate and a lot more laid back and spontaneous. The crowds are smaller and more appreciative. One night featured Steve Seskin and The Dreamsicles. WOW! Another night featured the New Folk - Club 7. Each year they pick 6 ‘winners’ from the 32 New Folk Finalists. The guideline for the Club 7 show was anyone on the ranch who had been a New Folk Finalist but never a New Folk Winner. The line up was incredible as the long list of Club 7 members got up for one song each. Mike Williams served as emcee and would introduce people by saying things like, “ First rejected in 1997 and again in 2001, please give a big hand to…”  I was also able to earn 18 out of the 20 hours of in service training required for work. If you are a teacher, I can’t tell you how nice it is to get your hours at Kerrville with presenters like Steve Seskin, Tom Prasada Rao, Peter Alsop, and Phil Lancaster and Alison Moore. All in all, it was a great festival… lots of camaraderie, Leon ’s fabulous meals, icy Vodka Collins and Sea Breezes with Lulu, Dave’s dry sense of humor to choke me up, goddess ceremonies and new experiences, and a constant supply of interesting folks and good music in the living room. And did I mention the fabulous weather? It only rained that one night and I was very grateful that I had packed a blanket the first two weeks. The last week was really hot and dusty but, hey, people pay big bucks for a sauna and a mudpack and we got it for free. Thank you so much to my extended family and everyone who made this festival memorable. I won’t even kid myself this year by saying I won’t be there in September. You know that I will be. See you there? Lots of love and a big sweaty hug, Janet Urban Campfires User Survey Thanks for letting us know what you think about Urban Campfires! Urban Campfires is a community based acoustic music series featuring singer/songwriters from across the country. Concert proceeds benefit the artists, and additional expenses are underwritten by the hosts. Jayne & Steve and Janet (your hosts) feel blessed by the opportunity to share many of our favorite performers with you! Thanks for coming to the concerts! Please let us know what you think about Urban Campfires… How did you hear about UC? (Internet, Friends, Newspaper, Other) Have you attended a UC performance at Lion’s Field? If yes, how many times? Who has been your favorite artist(s)? Who has been your least favorite artist(s)? Do you like opening acts? Who would you like to see play UC that hasn't performed before? How could we improve our email newsletters? What do you like best about UC? What do you like least about UC? Suggestions? OPTIONAL: Please provide the following contact information: Name E-mail

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