The music wraps around me and I sing along with the words I’ve learned by heart. In my mind, I am miles away from where I now sit. A question rings in my ear and overtakes the sound of music. I’m brought back down to earth. “What?”I say loudly. My sister seated next to me is asking me about the menu. That’s right. Now I’m back. Just a little bit ago, my sister, brother-in-law and I arrived to a packed house at Fiddler’s Hearth and waited by the entryway for seats to free up. We put our name on the waitlist, nodded hello to people we recognized, and even spoke French with a couple of friends as they arrived. Now, we sit on a wooden corner bench tucked in by a sturdy table scanning the menu we pulled up on our phones while my partner’s band, The Dawg Band, starts playing up on the stage. It’s Friday night and I wasn’t sure I’d make it here. Saturday mornings see me up at a very early 4 o’clock. But when my sister mentioned that they might be driving over to South Bend, I made my schedule work. Others have come as well to hear the music.
Over forty years ago, my partner Jim started playing music with his friend Duane. They had both been performing in bands since their teens. As things go, they played for a while with their friend Bill then got distracted by life events. But twenty years or so ago, they got back together and, with their bass-playing friend Mike, started a new trio by performing by the seat of their pants at a local music festival. After that first dip back into music and positive comments from listeners, they started practicing regularly and lined up more gigs. That band continues to this day. Mike left the picture and then this life, and Randy joined them. With mandolin, upright bass, guitar, pedal steel guitar and tight harmonies, they cover a wide array of music. Every year, they manage to bring new songs to their repertoire and add a good list of bi-monthly gigs. What keeps them interesting to my ear is the scope of songs they play, the personal style they infuse them with and the improvisational notes and additions that come through in each performance. As a frequent listener with a good musical ear, I of course remember the words and the tunes.
Tonight at Fiddler’s Hearth, they play their first gig of the year. I hear some old favorites and some brand new tunes. The audience seems to like the music and it looks like they will be playing here again this year. For me, it’s a chance to leave this world for a bit and get lost in the music. Their harmonies and notes take me beyond this place. But when I’m back to the present, there’s good food and a glass of beer in front of me and family to chat with during the breaks. When it’s time, we leave the warmth of the venue and the music and head out into the cold and February’s last surprise snowfall. Back at home, the notes still linger and carry me to bed. I’ll try to get a few winks of sleep before tomorrow’s early rise. And the music will play on.