Old Palestine Concertina Festival & Workshop

[Jody Kruskal]

We did miss you Rhomylly, and wish you a speedy recovery.

 

Even without you and founder Dan Worrall, old pal was fun this year. I haven't been since 2008 and it was great to see the old gang and a whole new crop of concertina characters.

 

One highlight was our onstage performance of “Waltz Across Texas” performed by the Old Pal Old Time Concertina Band. View it here:

 

In thinking back on the good times we had this year - first off... the food. Shep's BBQ is great. Perhaps not the best BBQ in all of East Texas but still... very, very good food, despite the ripped up upholstery repaired with gummy, fraying duct tape and other unappetizing decor elements. It's basically a dive, but such good food that we went twice, despite the run down decor, to sample the delicious brisket, sausages and ribs, fried okra, cole slaw, peach cobbler and iced tea both sweet and unsweet. When I asked Shep, "How cum his BBQ tasted so good?" He told me, "We take our time. That meat's been smoking' fo 13, 14 hours, so I know it's tender." Tender and juicy it was. Well, dedication to quality is what we are all about, so Shep seemed like a soul mate in our musical endeavors!

 

As for the festival music... tender and juicy, through and through! There was much, much more than concertina with tasty music from lap dulcimer, hammer dulcimer, auto harp, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass and lots of great singing. A well rounded and relaxed festival that honored the old, celebrated the new and offered a relaxed, front porch atmosphere for some excellent old-time picking and squeezing! A big thank you to Gary Coover and the Wright family for making it all happen.

 

I hope they invite me back for more fun next year!

[saguaro_squeezer]

I hope so too, Jody. I leared a great deal from your classes. I had no idea that Anglo could do that much. Shows what playing in isolation can do to you ...

[Jody Kruskal]

Nice meeting you Rod.

 

As for isolation, I played for two years before I tried playing with anyone else. At least when you play alone there is no one to tell you that you are doing it wrong!