Sunday, December 12, 2010

Holiday Happenings!

***You still have time to order Soundside Records albums for stocking stuffers! We send albums First Class Mail, so order by December 19th and you should receive it in time! www.soundsiderecords.com.***


Molasses Creek Travels to Wilmington & Southport

Molasses Creek traveled down to Wilmington, NC the third week of November to give a couple of performances and films some live performances. They joined John Golden at the Scottish Rite Temple on Friday, November 19, for an album release concert featuring songs off of John Golden’s “Minstrel of the Times” recording. For a sample of the concert songs you can listen to tracks off the album at www.soundsiderecords.com/albums/jgminstrel.html


Molasses Creek also worked with filmmaker Mark Teachey during the week, recording performances of The Waterman, Java Jive, Selchie’s Joy Waltz, and That’s What I Like About You. They plan to post these videos online when they are ready in January/February. We’ll let you know when they are live!

After the Friday night Wilmington performance, the Molasses crew traveled down to Southport, NC for a Saturday concert at the Playhouse 211. The sold-out evening was a great success. Many thanks to Ken Perrin and Martha Myers for helping bring it all together! Here is a clip of “Chicken in the Fridge” by Jeff Deitchman, performed by Molasses Creek. Thanks to Martha Myers for filming!



Gerald and Gary checked out some instrumental finds at music stores around Southport, while Lou, Marcy & Dave took the historic Southport Trail Walking Tour around the beautiful waterfront town. Southport was established in 1792 as Smithville, and renamed in 1887 as Southport, but Indian settlements in the area stretch back hundreds of years earlier. One of the highlights of the walking tour is an ancient oak that was bent by Native Americans of the region, marking it as an important meeting place. Another claim to fame for Southport area was the final battle and capture of the gentleman pirate, Stede Bonnet in September of 1718. Stede and Blackbeard (who finished up his career with a beheading at Ocracoke in the same year), worked together briefly in March before going their separate ways.


Ocrafolk Festival Thanksgiving Fundraiser Brings in $2100

Returning from their brief southern sojourn, the Molasses Creek lept into action back on Ocracoke to help assemble the Ocrafolk Festival Thanksgiving Fundraising Concert. This event happens every Friday following Thanksgiving at the Ocracoke Community Center, and features many of the performers that appear at the main festival in June. This year’s performers included storyteller Donald Davis, Marcy, Lou & Fiddler Dave of Molasses Creek, Martin Garrish, Julie Howard & DeAnna Locke, John Golden, Rob Temple & Sundae Horn, April Trueblood, Barbara Smith and Scott Paulson. The evening raised over $2100 in support of June’s main event!


Ocrafolk Festival Winter Concert Series

Following hot on the heels of the big Thanksgiving weekend, the Michael Ronstadt Generations band docked on the island on Tuesday for a Wednesday residency at Ocracoke School and evening concert at the Deepwater Theater. The Ocrafolk Festival Outreach Program sponsored the visit with the assistance of the Beaufort County Arts Council, the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, other community partners. Ronstadt Generations consists of Michael J. Ronstadt

(brother of Linda Ronstadt), Michael G. Ronstadt, Petie Ronstadt and Josh

Hisle. Their music spans two generations with a repertoire that reaches back to the end of the 19th century. Michael J. Ronstadt is a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who continues in the tradition of southwest troubadours. Ocracoke sure enjoyed their visit, and Molasses Creek especially enjoyed the food and music at the Thursday night jam session at Philip Howard’s house. Mighty fine picking!


The Ocrafolk Outreach Winter Concert Series with continue in 2011 on January 28 when the festival’s stellar standup bassists, Robbie Link, travels from the triangle with his baroque music ensemble, Basso. Mandolin Orange will wrapup the series on Friday, March 4, with a residency and concert at Deepwater Theater. If you would like to help give a great Christmas present to the kids at Ocracoke School, you can help sponsor these concert residencies by making a tax deductible contribution of $50 to the Ocrafolk Festival, PO Box 604, Ocracoke, NC 27960. The festival is housed under the Ocracoke Preservation Society, a non-profit 501(c)3. If you have any questions, you can contact the festival Chairperson, David Tweedie, at info@ocrafolkfestival.org or 252-928-3411.


Upcoming Molasses Creek Concerts

Molasses Creek’s next appearance is at First Night Williamsburg on December 31st, at the Old Fellowship Hall of the Williamsburg United Methodist Church. Performance times are at 7 PM, 9 PM, and 11 PM. For more information on the performers, directions, and how to purchase your admission button, visit www.firstnightwilliamsburg.org. Come on out, it is great fun!


On Friday, January 21, Molasses Creek will be giving an evening house concert in Raleigh. Bett Padgett is the host at Little Lake Hill House Concerts. If you are interested in finding out more information on the performance, please contact Bett at (919) 787-6378, bett@bettpadgett.com.


Thanks for reading! Hope to see you out and about!


Molasses Creek & Soundside Records

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Molasses Creek heads to Wilmington


Hey there friends,

These last couple of days have been a little blustery on Ocracoke. Overwash commanded the "S" curves in Rodanthe on Hatteras Island at high tide, and the road closed down for a number of hours.

This weekend, birders
flocked to the island (okay, only the ones who could fly here or arrive by the mainland ferries), for the annual fall bird count. The Ocracoke count was started by Peter Vankevich and Bob Russell back in 1981; and they added Portsmouth Island in 1988. There will also be a Christmas bird count on Ocracoke and Portsmouth. Those interested in participating can contact Peter Vankevich at 202-468-2871 or petervankenich@gmail.com. You don't have to be an expert in birds . . .beginners will be placed with more experienced birders.

Molasses Creek Heads for Concerts and Filming in Wilmington
Molasses Creek will be heading to Wilmington, NC (the film capital of the state), for a couple of concerts and a filming of Molasses Creek performances to update the band's video presence on the intraweb. On Thursday they will be in studio sessions with Mark Teachey, and then will get together with John Golden and Geoffrey Morris for a concert at the Scottish Rite Temple (
1415 S. 17th St., Wilmington, NC, 28408), at 8:00 PM, to celebrate the release of John's "Minstrel of the Times" album. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.

John recorded the Minstrel album at Gary Mitchell's Soundside Studios on Ocracoke with a some back up instrumental help from Molasses Creek members. Gary Mitchell, Fiddler Dave, Marcy Brenner, Lou Castro, and Gerald Hampton will lend their support during the first half of the concert and then perform a set of Molasses Creek favorites. Take a listen to track samples below.








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After the Friday night concert in Wilmington, Molasses Creek will be heading to Southport, NC to perform at 7:00 PM on Saturday night at Playhouse 211 (located at 4320 Southport Supply Rd Suite 1 St James, NC 28461). For tickets contact Ken Perrin at keyfla@gmail.com or 910.274. 3971.

Ocrafolk School 2010 Summary by Marcy Brenner


This year’s Ocrafolk School was the best ever! Well, that’s what we all keep saying, but we said that last year too; and the year before that also. Come to think of it, it’s been said every year -- and every year it’s just as true.

This was a spectacular year at Ocrafolk School. Classes in Island Photography, Beginning Jewelry Making, Island Cooking, Ships In Bottles and Ocracoke Sampler were offered the last week of October 2010.

The newest class was Beginning Jewelry Making by Barbara Hardy of the Secret Garden Gallery. The class location could be easily found by the tap-tap-tapping of little hammers on miniature anvils, flattening silver into heirloom pieces of jewelry.

Ann Ehringhaus taught island photography and they focused on life around the school activities, providing a unique perspective of the common things around us during the week.

Debbie Wells taught island cooking with a record number of local students (most of them men) and invited Moon, of the local Thai Moon restaurant, to teach a session on Thai dishes.

The popular Ocracoke Sampler class took a trip with Dave Frum to Portsmouth Island, went clamming with Philip and, among many other activities, sailed the Windfall II with Rob Temple. Something was said about meal wine, a pizer (porch) and ghost stories but no one’s telling the whole story.

Jim Goodwin taught Ships in Bottles (all women) in the picturesque building that houses the Working Watermen’s exhibit on the docks of Silver Lake. Only the resident cat knows the secrets of how they got those ships and lighthouses into those bottles, and what happened to all the whiskey.

There was great food, lots of music, laughter and friendships cast and bonded; our mutual love of our island home fully celebrated.

More information about Ocrafolk School can be found on the web at www.ocrafolkschool.org.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

New Soundside Releases, Molasses Creek Tour Dates, Fall Happenings

Molasses Creek in Concert at the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival in Wilmington, NC

Deepwater Theater Season Finishes for 2010

We wrapped up our summer season at Deepwater Theater with an extra Molasses Creek show in October. Our shows for 2010 included an Ocracoke Stories evening with Amy & Philip Howard on Monday nights, Ocrafolk Opry on Wednesdays, and Molasses Creek on Thursdays. A lot of new visitors came out to the island this year, and we were thrilled to get to meet them. Our 2011 season on Ocracoke will begin in June right after the Ocrafolk Festival. Find out more about the performance season, ticket purchasing, and times at http://www.deepwatertheater.com.

Molasses Creek Plays the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival (and Gets Lost on a Battleship)

In September, Molasses Creek traveled down to Wilmington, NC to perform at the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival. The beautifully sunny weekend brought out listeners to enjoy the food and frolicking at Battleship Park across from the Wilmington waterfront. During a break, Gary, Dave, Marcy, Lou and Gerald toured the USS North Carolina Battleship, all seven stories of it! Fiddler Dave almost got lost several times while Gary and Gerald fantasized about the ship’s donut making facilities. The ship could hold 2-3 times the population of Ocracoke Island and at times during the self-guided tour it felt like a ghost town. The different stations on board were accompanied by wonderful photographs, text descriptions, and fascinating narratives by the men who served on the battleship.

Upcoming Molasses Creek Concerts

We missed Rhonda Vincent’s performance in Wilmington at the Coastal Bluegrass Festival last month, so we are especially looking forward to opening for her band this Saturday at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City. Tickets available by calling 252-247-3883 or at http://www.CrystalCoastCivicCtr.com. Hope to see everyone there!

In November, Molasses Creek will be joining John Golden and Geoffrey Morris for a concert celebrating the release of John’s new album “Minstrel of the Times” at the Scottish Rite Theater, in Wilmington, NC on Friday, November 19 from 8-10 PM

The next day we will give a concert performance at Playhouse 211 in St. James near Southport (south of Wilmington). Tickets can be reserved by contacting Ken Perrin at keyfla@gmail.com or (910) 274-3971. For directions to Playhouse 211 visit the theater website at http://playhouse211.com.

If you are heading for Ocracoke Island for Thanksgiving, you will be in the neighborhood for the Ocrafolk Festival Thanksgiving Fundraiser at the Ocracoke Community Center at 7:30 PM on Friday, November 26. The concert will feature many of the island performers and storytellers that bring their talents to the main festival in June.

Molasses Creek Northeast Spring Tour in the Works

Molasses Creek is also working hard filing in dates for a northeast tour in March-April of 2011. Confirmed dates are as follows.

Friday, March 18 ~Turnage Theater, Beaufort County Arts Council, Washington, NC

Saturday, March 19 ~ Washington Theatre, Washington, VA

Tuesday, March 22 ~ Dutilh United Methodist Church, Cranberry Township, PA (Tentative)

Wednesday, March 23 ~ Cindy Harris House Concert, Pittsburgh, PA

Thursday, March 24 ~ Benefit Concert for YWCA Northeast Regional Council, Buffalo, NY

April 1 or 2 ~ Concert at The Grange, Whallonsburg, NY (Tentative)

April 16 ~ Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA

April 17 ~ The Vanilla Bean, Pomfret, CT

We are looking for concerts across New York State (between Buffalo and Albany), March 28-April 1 and April 4-9 around the Vermont area. Let us know if you have suggestions of places to contact. You can email Fiddler Dave at info@molassescreek.com, or give a call at our office at 252-928-3411. Our mantra is . . . “We would love to come to your town, stay in your house, eat your food . . . oh, and play for you too!”

Ocrafolk School 2010 Kicks Off on Sunday
On Sunday, October 24, the Ocrafolk School begins its fourth season by welcoming over 30 students to a "Meet the Instructor" dinner at the Pony Island Restaurant on Ocracoke. This year's courses include Ships in Bottles with Jim Goodwin, Island Photography with Ann Ehringhaus, Island Cooking with Debbie Wells, Beginning Jewelry Making with Barbara Hardy, and the Ocrafolk Sampler with Philip Howard, Capt. Rob Temple and Dave Frum. Students come to the island to focus on a single course and participate in group activities including history and nature walks, a shrimp boil, a night at the Ocrafolk Opry, and wonderful meals at local restaurants. For more information, visit the Ocrafolk School website at www.ocrafolkschool.org

Soundside Records News

Fiddler Dave just finished renovating the Soundside Records website. Newly added are two releases for 2010, More Better Molasses Creek, and Women of the Ocrafolk Opry. To take a listen to either album, click on the album cover and you will be taken to the page at Soundside Records. The new Molasses Creek album features 7 brand new tracks and 7 audience favorites off past Cds (It has been 10 years since the last Best of Molasses Creek album!). For more about the new Women of the Ocrafolk Opry CD, read the listener review below.

"Women of the Ocrafolk Opry"; reviewed by Dan Brocklebank, Loganville, PA

For more than a decade, the Ocrafolk Opry has been a weekly happening during Ocracoke summers. I have often failed, trying to tell folks back home about the Opry and what it is like. I have made the mistake of calling it a “variety show” or a “local talent show.” Somehow they seem to get the message that it’s, well, amateurish or maybe even embarrassing. Whew!

They don’t get it. I feel inadequate as a communicator ... until I reach for a recording and play some tunes recorded live at the Opry. Soundside Studio has released a series of sampler CDs over the years, “Ocrafolk Music,” which have captured much of the breadth, local color, and beauty of these strikingly enjoyable shows. I can talk to folks enthusiastically and still be ignored or misunderstood, but when they listen to the actual music they finally “get it.” It’s like a big secret suddenly revealed.

It seems to me that people are born to Ocracoke, drawn to Ocracoke, or carried to Ocracoke by winds, tides, dreams, significant others, or just by ferries. When these people are musically-gifted, and they resonate with this place and this community, they stay here -- and they grow -- and they just get better and better and better at their art.

Illustrating this is the “Women of the Ocrafolk Opry,” a recent CD release which brings us a fresh cross-section of this Opry and its engaging music. Six women (Marcy Brenner, Sundae Horn, Katy Mitchell, Jamie Tunnell, April Trueblood, and Rachel Reeder) come to the foreground as masterful performers, singing eleven well-chosen songs, with a true Opry-like variety of styles. They have performed these at Deepwater Theater, and now they have brought them into the studio to enrich them and send them on for all of us to take everywhere.

The worst thing about a CD like this is that I have no idea how to categorize it for a shelf in a music store. It is “folk,” and it is “rock,” and it is “opera,” and it is “pop,” and it is “country,” and it is “soundtrack,” and it is “funk,” and it is “art song,” and it is “spiritual,” and ... ah, fooey ... show me to the shelf that just says “Excellent Real Music.”

Another problem with this CD is that is isn’t ideal as background music for your barbecue or block party. Thankfully, there are plenty of other CDs for this purpose. This one is way too interesting and captivating, unless, of course, your party is specifically a music-sharing experience.

Several key things strike me, overall, about this CD:

Many of the women are heard in various roles: sometimes as the lead singer, sometimes providing an exquisitely blended harmony part, sometimes as an instrumentalist. The musicianship and versatility of these performers is fabulous, and there is strong evidence of community -- of women working together to make a whole experience that is beyond their individual efforts.

The singers often accompany themselves, vocally and/or instrumentally, thanks in part to the seamless recording craftsmanship of Gary Mitchell of Soundside Studio, but also to the musical depth of the singers.

While I think of this as a vocal music CD, the instrumental work is both superb and in the right proportion to the singing. All too often we hear commercial releases with bass and percussion boosted way beyond the scope of the human voice. Even some of our most popular vocal performers are essentially drowned-out in their mix. When you listen to this CD, you will actually hear, clearly, the women of the Ocrafolk Opry, plus their fine accompaniments ... exactly what we want to hear.

I’m not going to review each individual song -- you will want to do this for yourself as you experience each one -- we all respond differently to different styles. I will tell you that at my first hearing, I check-marked seven performances, any single one of which would justify owning the CD. That’s a real high percentage for me. Only seven out of eleven? I’m up to nine after listening again.

These songs expose and share, truthfully, energetically, and lyrically, key things about the life experiences of women in our culture. I recognized women friends, mothers, daughters, neighbors, etc. in many of the songs. I am grateful that these six women made time in their super-busy lives to reach for their creativity and their music skills and make this nurturing recording for us.

A brief word of warning: not all the songs are in English. The Italian is so beautifully sung, however, that you can easily imagine meanings of your own even if you don’t understand the language. The music, you will understand.

Listening to this CD, I had tears in my eyes. Repeatedly. You will, too.

While you are listening, read the short notes and credits so you can know who is doing what in each song. And let yourself revel in the wonderful graphic design, photography, and artwork of the CD insert.

I believe that if you are looking for simply excellent music -- something to really listen to -- you will welcome this CD with open ears and pure joy.

[Daniel Brocklebank, papadan@mac.com, arranges music for, and performs with, two of his groups in Pennsylvania and Maryland, “The Christmas Singers” and “April to May.” He has been listening to music in Ocracoke yearly since 1980.]

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Molasses Creek Northeast Tour ~ Mt. Airy & Lovingston, VA

Hello friends,

We are on the road! . . .adventuring about western North Carolina and now heading to Lovingston, VA near Charlottesville, VA. Here is our complete tour schedule (you can find out more details about these gigs by looking at our google calendar on the "Shows" page of www.molassescreek.com.

Friday, March 12 ~ 7:30 PM Downtown Cinema Theater, Mount Airy, NC, Surry Arts Council.

Saturday, March 13 ~ 8 PM Rapunzels in Lovingston, VA.

Sunday March 14 ~ MC ~ 7 PM SongSpace at First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh

Saturday March 20 ~ 7 PM Walton Theater, Walton, NY. Music on the Delaware Series

Sunday March 21 ~ 3 PM Delmar Reformed Church, Delmar, NY, Fundraiser for To Life!

Tuesday March 23 ~ 8 PM Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier, VT.

Thursday, March 25 – 7-9 PM Concert at Vermont Independent School of the Arts, Sharon, VT

Saturday March 27 – 8 PM Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA

Sunday March 28 – 7 PM Vanilla Bean, Pomfret CT


Actually at the writing of this blog, we have finished up our stay in Mt. Airy . . .and after tanking up with some pork chop sandwiches from Snappy Lunch (made famous in the Andy Griffith Show) headed for Lovingston. Right now we are sound checking and getting ready for a fun evening at Rapunzels.