A really stupid 20-year old kid lit up a Marlboro a few rows ahead of us in the Beacon High School auditorium on Saturday night in between sets at the Clearwater Sloop benefit show. We yelled at him, which made me feel old…but how f’in stupid can you be. You’re at a benefit concert with the now famous Kids from Class 12, who by the way sang a few too many songs as the opening act,…and you light up a butt. Dope. Chooch.
With their parents looking on eagerly, the Kids from Class 12 played with the legendary Mr. Pete Seeger, banjo and folk master extraordinaire and sang songs about the Hudson River. Seeger has been the big driver behind the Clearwater Sloop organization for decades. Their summer festival (which I went to two years ago to see Leo Kottke) was incredible. This year Alejandro Escovedo is playing with a bunch of other great acts….stay tuned for information about the official TBR hospitality tent at the show!
Back to the main point of my story….Jeff Tweedy from Wilco played at the show. (Here is a video clip of “Jesus Etc” from the show. It’s not my video, but these are my pictures. Amazing how video bootleg clips are now so easily available.)
Tweedy was great, especially the “Hummingbird”. He played a trio of acoustic guitars and dabbled on the harmonica on about a baker’s dozen songs. What a treat! His voice and melodies are very strong when he’s all alone on stage. A very talented guy…although a bit too full of himself for my tastes. I’ll take Jay Farrar’s low-key style any day of the week.
I’d be remissed if I didn’t tell you that Seeger, his grandson and Tweedy played a 2 song encore. All I could think was “I hope I’m still strumming and singin’ at 90 years old like ole Pete.”
Note: Tweedy’s “Pecan Pie” is on one of the Thunderbird Ranch Boozin’ Tunes productions…
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