Songs & Strings Tour Journal

Autumn 2002, West Coast
Michael DeLalla & Andrew McKnight

October 18, 2002: Opening Night!

Finally, a chance to breathe, and write about current doings. Our opening show was a great success, played to a capacity crowd at Chumstick Grange Hall in downtown Leavenworth WA. This, after a day of radio in-studios: at KOHO 101.1 FM in Leavenworth (what a great bit of community meets commercial radio operation!), then a "quick" (read: 2.5 hrs) jaunt into Seattle to visit with John Sincock and "Lunch With Folks" on KBCS 91.3 FM. The autumnal brilliance on the drive back to Leavenworth over Stevens Pass on US 2 (along with a quick constitutional around the nature walk at Deception Falls) was nothing short of spectacular in the late afternoon light.

Putting us up for these first two days were Nancy-Lynn (who also did the lion's share of promotional groundwork for the show) and her daughter Emily Grace, who have carved out a most wonderful spirit-filled home, which they wholly opened to us--nonstop lattes, food and conversation were all first-rate. More on them in a minute.

The show was the perfect vehicle to kick off a tour. Andrew and I picked up right were we left off in at the end of our California tour last January, falling into the easy, mutually deprecating banter that runs through the show. Lots of musical territory covered: stories from Appalachia, travels to France, to Celtic/Old-Time guitar duets, to the recounting of a father's life among the women in his household that includes two daughters in the full throes of teenagedom. (The full set list is below this journal entry.)

What wonderful new friends we have in Nancy-Lynn and Emily. And this is why we do what we do--the people we meet who become a part of our lives are a precious gift of the road. Yet another gift: after the show, several of us went to hear a fabulous acoustic jazz/funk quartet from Seattle called Hanuman playing a few doors down from our show. Guitar, bass, sax, and a percussionist with all four limbs working overtime and in mixed meters--such energetic, youthful optimism--music that spoke of possibilities and unabashed risk-taking. Youth.

More tomorrow on this recurring theme of gifts of the road. Till then,

Michael

Set 1
Wear A Tie So I'll Know You - Michael
Infinite Loops: See Loops, Infinite - Michael
Merrily Kiss The Quaker - Michael (Traditional Celtic)
Arise - Michael
Catnapping - Michael and Andrew (guitar duet)
Improvisation: Guitar and Poem "White's Ferry" - Michael and Andrew
Western Skies - Andrew and Michael
When I Grow Up - Andrew
The Other Way - Andrew
I Can't Understand the Moon - Andrew
Dancing in the Rain - Andrew

Set 2
Poem "Where The Four Winds Touch the Soul" - Andrew
Le Marchais du Malaucene - Michael
Se Ne Bado C'et Atao - Michael (Breton Gaelic a cappella)
Piece for Steel Drum - Michael
Lauren Grace - Michael
Da Fully-Rigged Ship/June Apple - Michael and Andrew (trad., guitar duet)
For This Time - Andrew and Michael
The Road to Appomattox - Andrew
Bad News - Andrew
Diary - Andrew
A Prairie Wind/Big Sky Town - Andrew
Riley's Life - Andrew and Michael