Stay tuned to 91.3fm WYEP. We’ll soon have a chance for you to enter to win a pair of passes to this years Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN taking place June 11th to June 14th.
www.bonnaroo.com for the complete lineup
On Day 7 we were scheduled to be at Great Stirrup Cay, a private island in the Bahamas. Due to the windy weather we couldn’t tender off the island, so instead we docked at Nassau. No one seemed upset at the change. What a beautiful city! I will always remember the ship pulling away from Nassau in the sunset, with the picturesque lighthouse.
The last evening. On the windy Pool Deck, Oakhurst was joined by Levi Lowery (a very talented fiddler who seemed to sit in with everyone), then Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) and also Shawn Mullins (who did a John Prine song). I ended up sitting next to Heather Luttrell (who we never got to see perform).
The final show in the Stardust Theater was supposed to be by Buddy Miller (who is recovering from triple-by pass surgery). Instead it was a show billed as the Know-Buddies. Since Buddy Miller was our original choice for “Twice as Nice” we were given reserved seating in the 1st 4 rows, for this general admission show. Wow. It was a who’s who of the performers on the Cayamo Cruise.
Webb Wilder opened up the show, doing two new songs from his upcoming album. He then did MC duties (he was previously a host of a show on satellite radio) for this tribute to Buddy Miller. Wilder is a neighbor of Miller and often sees him in the grocery story. Some performers did Buddy Miller tunes. The collaborations were amazing. Canadians Kathleen Edwards (violin), Ed Robertson (guitar) and the Denver based banjo player from Oakhurst did “I Hate Winnipeg”. Robertson suggested a mutiny of sorts. Since the passengers outnumber the crew, he wanted to storm the Sixthman offices at 3 a.m. to take over the ship. We were all having so much fun, we just didn’t want it to end. Edwards teamed up with Tift Merritt and did a bit of a Vegas like comedy act (what a great singing voice Merritt has – she also plays a mean harmonica). Shawn Mullins lead a super group that included David Ryan Harris and Heather Luttrell. Ken Block teamed up with Aslyn (both from FL) and a few others on a Tom Petty Song. Shawn Colvin, Brandi Carlile and Patty Griffin each took turns singing alone and in collaboration. Wow.
In Gatsby’s, we briefly saw Jeff Holmes (Floating Men). We then went to the Spinnaker and caught Aslyn’s last song. It was a touching tribute to her grandparents. He grandfather was named Wally (same as my dad) and it was about having a long relationship with the one you love. It made me cry. What a lovely way to end the evening. We wish we had seen more of Aslyn, what a voice, what command of the piano!
We weren’t able to see everyone perform, but we made every attempt to at least see a few moments of as many performers as we could. What an amazing line up of talent. It would be hard to duplicate anywhere else. We’re ready to sign up for the journey through song, 2010!
Barb S. – Sunday Mix Host
Day 6: It’s a day with a moderate sea and strong winds. They had to cover the equipment once due to a quick rain storm. I was able to access the Internet on the Pool Deck, while listening to Bonepony. They were followed by The Greencards (re-scheduled from the previous day, due to the weather). They play quite a variety of music. Great energy and sound (especially when they did bluegrass)
We both got some sun and despite using 50 SPF, I have some sun burn on my shoulders, chest and neck.
As part of “Twice as Nice” we had our photo taken with Brandi Carlile. It was a nice opportunity, even if it was very quick. The photo came out nice and it’s a good memory of the cruise.
The shows were all running a bit late on the Pool Deck, so we only caught part of Drew Copeland’s (Sister Hazel) show. He’s been working with Edwin McCain on his solo effort and you could hear the influence. We think Marc Broussard also sounds like McCain.
We finally got to see multi-instrumentalist Kathleen Edwards do a whole show. I had no idea she played the violin. She said her husband comforted her after her losses at the casino with goodies from the chocolate buffet. Edwards also freely used “adult language”. She told an entertaining story about making the video to “I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory”.
Glen Phillips has some great guys backing him up. One is Luke Bulla on fiddle (Works Progress Administration), the other is Jonathan Kingham. Phillips gave each a chance to solo during the set. Kingham stole the show with a rap during a Bobby Brown song all about the Cayamo cruise experience on the Norwegian Dawn. He earned a much deserved standing ovation. Phillips did a song about being present when his father passed on. Mr. Barb and I could relate. After his performance I was able to chat with Phillips and get his autograph. He also kindly posed for a photo with me, doing a 2nd take, as he blinked the 1st time.
The Spinnaker Lounge was perhaps not the right venue for someone such as Webb Wilder. A tight band, but very loud! Very good at what he does. Other artists should watch him and learn how it’s done.
Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) was in Dazzles. The lounge we could never get into, and always had to settle for standing along the fringe. Roberston is very entertaining and we were glad to catch him performing again before turning in for the evening.
We sailed into the Eastern Time Zone and to the Bahamas. Of course we would lose the hour again when we went back to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday. Oh well. As Glen Phillips said we’re on a cruise, we get back to reality next week and can sleep then.
On a cruise, you can’t help but run into the performers in the hall ways. Lyle Lovett is impeccably dressed even when not on stage. Mr. Barb saw Ed Roland in the bathroom. You just never know. The performers seem open to chatting informally with fans. I usually was on the look out for performers in the Garden Cafe, like all of us, they had to eat sometime.
Barb S. – Sunday Mix Host
Another humid, windy day in the 80’s ashore, in the very quaint Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Shawn Mullins was supposed to play the Pool Deck, but due to rain and 2” of water on the stage and over the wires, his show was moved inside to the Atrium. Another part of the Cayamo experience is being flexible. Mullins was also joined by guests for his final set, including the banjo player from Oakhurst. Mullins stuck to his more familiar material. It was a so neat to see people gathering all around the Atrium, on the spiral staircases, in the glass elevators and in any free space they could find to see Mullins. Afterwards he signed autographs at the Merch Store. I finally got the opportunity to get my photo taken with him and I had not showered and was wearing a hat to cover my hair. Mullins was very gracious.
Next we caught Darrell Scott. Like the others, he had guests join him on stage throughout the show. After a shower and dinner we went to see Ed Robertson. He’s quirky. A good quirky and I bet a fun dad. He did a few Barenaked Ladies songs and had a few guest artists, including a “cruiser” who played a mean harmonica. Before we went to hear more music we went to a chocolate buffet (I drew the line tho on chocolate sushi). We caught a bit of Edie Carey, Vienna Teng and Beth Woods. We like all three ladies. Next we went to see Ed Roland (Collective Soul). He admitted he was not proficient on the guitar (I couldn’t tell). He’s working on writing songs for next Collective Soul CD and was looking for some ideas from the cruisers. It’s obvious he writes more for a group then solo, but it still translated quite well on stage. We ended the evening with the veteran Cayamo act Oakhurst.
Barb S. – Sunday Mix Host
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