I wore my warm, knitted hat when we headed out for another Get Outta Here to the 32nd Annual Ann Arbor Folk Festival. We had complications with our rental car on Friday morning but we made it to Ann Arbor in time to stop by our motel and then look for the Hill Auditorium on Michigan's campus. We followed Phil & Karen but their GPS was acting up and we toured most of the campus before finally arriving at our destination. Hey, my dad used to say that you find the best places by getting lost. I was amazed at the size of Ann Arbor and the Michigan campus.
We found our seats and at first were a bit dismayed at the distance from the stage but as soon as the concert started we realized the sound in the Hill Auditorium was wonderful and with the help of our binoculars, we saw and heard everything.
The first night started off with some new names but we feel sure that they will be names that everyone will know before long. First up, Katie Herzig and Chelsea Williams followed by the Ragbirds. A young man by the name of Joe Pug did only one song but it was phenomenal and we were all left wishing for more. The Ryan Montbleau Band was followed by Old Crow Medicine Show and then the crowd went crazy for the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The last artist of the evening, Jeff Tweedy, was who the younger crowd had come for but they all seemed to love everyone who played. This had to have been the most age diverse crowd I have ever seen and it made me glad to see them loving every type of music that was presented from Bluegrass to folk to zydeco and more. Jim Lauderdale was the emcee for the evening and played a song while each band was set up.
We left happy to have been there and we agreed that the five hour car drive was well worth it!
On the way out of the Auditorium someone turned to me and asked "Are you Prudence Hunt" How strange this sounded since I knew no one in Ann Arbor. A young couple, also from Cincinnati, was up for the festival and recognized me from one of the children's concerts we presented. The mother said her daughter loves the children's CD, Isn't It a Wonder, and knows the words to every song. It made me so proud!
We stopped for a very late dinner before turning in to enjoy another day of great music.
On Saturday morning I ate, then swam, then ate again (no wonder I need to loss 15 pounds) and then our group headed out in three different directions. We met up again at the theater, totally excited about the prospect of seeing Pete Seeger. He did not disappoint. He came on stage just before intermission with his band that consisted of Sarah Lee Guthrie (Arlo's daughter and Woody's granddaughter) and Tao Rodriquez Seeger, his grandson and their band. Pete led us through harmonies and sing alongs and I doubt there was anyone in the audience that wasn't moved from sharing that space with Pete. It was almost spiritual.
The other acts of the evening were also phenomenal. I loved Girlyman and Claire Lynch and I enjoyed Kris Kristofferson. His voice is not the same but his songs are just as wonderful and his solo, acoustic presentation had us hanging on our seats. Wow, what a festival.
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