Equinox Festival

Lately I've found myself calling my shirt "O12". Shorter than "Obama2012", rolls more trippingly off the tongue. What do you think?

We had the most marvelous day Sunday. Yep, the big Nine Eleven, of which more later. And also, and especially, as I think of it, Hymie's birthday. Happy Birthday, Hymie!

We (Obama2012andJenny) spent the entire day volunteering at the California Traditional Music Society's Equinox Festival. My job was waste management. That entailed touring the grounds every 90 minutes or so  to make sure paper towels and toilet paper were stocked, and trash hauled. The planners had done their work so well that facilities were sufficient for the day and my work was nil until we tore down for the night. I toured faithfully every hour and a half, though, and even checked the toilets at first. But my third toilet was unfortunately not latched when I tugged at the door and   there  was  a   lady,almost as embarrassed as I was.  After that I let the toilets go.

Ross Altman led a tribute to 9/11. Neil Young's song Let's Roll. And there was talk about the human need for songs and stories to remember and understand.

And then!

There was so much joyous activity all around. Fiddlers were fiddling up a storm, dancers were stomping and twirling, singers were singing. There were old people, lots of old ladies in gauzy skirts and hats, kids, girls in cowboy boots and guys in cargo kilts. Lots of men young enough to know better were wearing really bad plain combinations, but one old(er) man outdid them: He had a little clipped mustache like my grandpa had, very respectable, and wore a shirt and shorts in bad and clashing plaids, a half dozen bracelets on each wrist, and a half dozen more chains and amulets around his neck. 

I love to watch the people.

The LA Scottish Fiddlers performed. One man was tall, handsome, high forehead and long hair, kilt and knee socks, and Japanese. And there were two more Japanese pipers. LA is a strange and wonderful place.

Here are four performers who were especially terrific:

Susie Glaze and the HiLonesome Band   (Suzieglaze.com)  Bluegrassy country mountain music. She had a great fiddler with her, Mark Indictor, I think. Wow.

Thomas Maupin    He is a buck dancer and smooth. He gets a good rhythm going.

 Daniel Rothwell (banjodanielmusic.com) This guy is 18 years old and he is a natural. A real natural, it turns out Thomas Maupin is his grandfather. Daniel tells really bad jokes that I love, and he sings up a storm and plays like a born mountain man. 

Lissa Schneckenburger  (lissafiddle.com)   She and her band come from New York and New England and played Gaelic music from the British Isles and New Breton or New Brunswick or somewhere else new. You Boys in Boston should look for them!

Only three people commented on O12, all favorably. Whew!

(The fonts and margins above just jumped in and out and are entirely responsible for the appearance of this post.)