Pacific Madrona

We’re getting ready to hit the road again….we’ll probably leave Chicago on Friday, heading to Ross’ house in Scarborough, Maine. Should be a 2-day drive. Bob bought an  i-pass, which gets us half price tolls on the Tri-State tollway and on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Generally, the trip to the east coast via toll roads runs about $80 each way, and the i-pass costs about half that. So we now sport a little white box on the front windshield, like all the other Midwesterners and Right Coasters.

Last night we went with Becky to the Chicago Hootenanny, which takes place every week in Lincoln Park (a neighborhood right near the lake, not to be confused with Lincoln Square, which is not by the lake but is the “toniest” neighborhood in town).  People who love bluegrass and/or play bluegrass gather to just sing and play. Some are actual bands who come to practice new songs, but most are just individual musicians who come to share their love of bluegrass. Last night it was mostly individuals – but that doesn’t mean they didn’t play together.  

 This group of guys was simply amazing – the banjo player is a professional musician named Bob (who we met at last week’s jam session). What a great banjo picker – he had everyone tapping their toes and hollering. The fiddler is clearly a classically trained violinist – it shows in his posture while playing, the way he holds his instrument, the vibrato in his left wrist …. But, wow, he brought down the house every time. The other 2 guys were incredible, too – the mandolin player is a guy who drives up to Chicago from Nashville to play at the Hoot, and the guitar player was like every bluegrass/country singer you’ve ever heard – gravel-voiced with fingers that moved so fast you couldn’t really watch.

Then, there was Becky, with Chuck and friends – the mandolin player has played professionally for about 40 years, and he was just  A M A Z I N G.  A fiddler named Brandon came up and played with them, too…and pointed it out when Becky sang her first original song, “Pacific Madrona.” Becky wrote this song for me, and it was exciting for me to hear it played on a stage….she did great, and the song got a nice big cheer. 

Now I’ve got one more day to spend with my big sister, and then we’ll hit the road again…..

“Pacific Madrona is reaching out to you. Darlin’, come home from Chicago, I’m waiting there for you.”