| Atlantic Crossroads Newfoundland 2005 |
| The new song about an old woman and a bird feeder was next, She Scattered Crumbs. Jim teased him about it all week, calling it the "Polish birdfeeder song." (Long story) Ger ended his set with Heaven Paints Her Holy Mantle Blue. His parting words - �Let�s hope it warms up. I didn�t bring any stockings with me.� I had to think a bit at that one. Socks are stockings and jumpers are sweaters. I learn something new every day! Ken Cotter was up next and opened with Still Canal. The first time I heard it, I thought it was Steel Canal. Either way, it�s a great song and it sticks in your head for a while after you hear it. Coronation Street was next and as Ken put it, �It�s not about the television show but it could be about treating people as if they are in a soap opera.� The best lines in this song that make your ears stand at attention � �highways of happiness littered with Golden Arches.� Hmmm. Chew on THAT one! Red Bus in London was about wreckage in the streets and terrorist activities. Ireland and England have certainly seen their share of terrorist activities in the past and present. River Valley Road was written on the other side of the world � Singapore � �where it�s very hot.� The next song, Ken explained was started right here in St. John�s in December when he was visiting. He started walking the Signal Hill Trail at the Battery at 10:30 and it was a fine, sunny day. By 11:30 the fog was so thick, he couldn�t see a thing. I think the song is called 24 Hour News. See? Colleen�s not the only one writing about Newfoundland weather! All About Love was written after sitting in Church and hearing Paul�s Letters to the Corinthians � �Without love I am nothing.� Ken said if it�s good enough for St. Paul, it�s good enough for him! It was good to hear, too. A song called The Gig�s Never Over was an audience participation song and ended Ken�s set. Great choice, don�t you think? Colleen Power came in next and she had her own little fan club in the Ship this evening. They were delightful � harmonizing and whistling. It was great. She�s a super singer and puts on a good show. All the performers gave a good show this evening despite the small attendance. It was good for the soul. Danger, Danger (sung in French � dahnZHAY) was the first song in her set and we had a great time whistling. The fan club even whistled in harmony! Colleen explained it as �love is dangerous and confusing but we can�t live without it.� Chickadee came next. I don�t think it was on the setlist but Jim was heckling her about whistling and Ger�s birdfeeder song, so she sang it for Jim. The song I was quoting earlier followed on Chickadee�s heels, Newfoundland Weather. She talked about being in Connecticut visiting her aunt and being fed Newfoundland Pea Soup (it�s good, believe me). I don�t remember why she mentioned that though. Then she sang my all-time favorite Colleen Power song, The Leaving Song. She plugged her new CD. �It�s six months old. I guess if it was a baby, you�d still call it new.� I sang happily along from my post at the door. She closed her set with Torbay Road from the new CD, sent out to Brian Callahan. Jim came up next on the roster and started with his crowd pleaser, Rising of the Moon. I think it�s a favorite of his as well. Jim sang his version of Curra Road next. I was so excited when he told me he was recording it on his new CD, Midnight Rover. I already explained to you why I love it so much. But I neglected to tell about the haunting melody. It�s very unusual, almost Eastern-sounding. A Pair of Brown Eyes came next. The audience seemed to respond well to this song. It�s not a favorite of mine but Jim does a great rendition, which can also be heard on his new CD. I like Jim's version better than the Shanneyganock one I had heard previously. He followed this with Rhythm of the Goat, another favorite of mine from his Gypsy album. It was the first Jim Fidler song I ever heard when Great Big Sea sang it one evening in Philadelphia in 1999. The other song I heard that night, Downtown Girl, came next. I always like to hear Downtown Girl, even though Vic teases me that it�s my theme song when I�m in St. John�s. Jim last song was A Song for Newfoundland. This is a call to Newfoundlanders to stand up for their island. To bwe proud of its history and all it will accomplish in the future. It�s a call to think �we can� rather than �we can�t.� I think it�s his favorite on his new album. Jim and Lillian left right after his set for to go to Erin�s. And I was alone at the door. I didn't know any of the audience members that evening at the Ship, and I was thankful for the smiles I got from the performers who came in and out that evening. Mick was up next and I have some song titles written down! Lo and Behold! Again, though, I didn�t write down any descriptions because I was busy listening. There�s a good side and bad side to that. Good for me and bad for you who weren�t there to listen. My apologies! He opened with Birds and Bees and went into �a schizophrenic song,� in his words. Then I�ve Got a Dollar was a wonderful song and I really enjoyed it. Mick seemed to be a little more comfortable speaking with the audience this evening. He seems very shy and a bit stage-frightened, but it works to his advantage. A woman came up to me this evening and asked, �Who was the singer that looked like he really needed a hug?� �That�d be Mick,� I replied, as she handed me her money and bought a CD. (______) Road was up next, with the comment that �a murder was committed and every house was sold on _____ Road." I�ll try to find the title of the song for you. And he closed again with In the Gutter. A perfect closer. Good choice of songs this evening, Mick! There was a bit of a lull here because of the schedule at Erin�s and to my dismay, almost everyone who had stayed for the performers, left. Of course, it WAS 1:30 AM on a miserable Sunday night. There were a couple young people there who bought Mick�s CD � they were quite impressed � and I was happy to hand over the money to him that evening. He was happy that people enjoyed his songs. I enjoyed talking with the young people, as one of the young men was home from Trinity where he has a summer job doing the Living History thing there. He was home for a couple days and was glad he came out with his friends to listen to some new music. Some phone calls were exchanged between the Ship and Erin�s and it was decided that Darrell would stay put down there and not come up to the Ship. I will say that I was disappointed, but understood the decision perfectly. So I packed up and went back down to Erin�s, where we had another late night and went home super tired. |
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