I’ll go into the craziness of the weekend later and explain why I slept for almost 24 hours yesterday but for now, I’ll recap the only day off I had at 35 Conferette.
Due to poor planning on my part, OK Sweetheart wooed the crowd while I sat at my optometrist’s office, answering that dreaded question, “1? Or 2?” My new eyes and I made it to Main Stage 1 (yes, two “main stages” do exist much like American Idol’s Randy Jackson believes in percentages over 100%) as Sarah Jaffe proceeded to do what I’ve seen her do many, many times. She fearlessly brought tunes, old and new, to her loyal crowd and increased anticipation for her new EP which is expected to be released sometime this year. ‘Twas good to see a certain Robert Gomez has returned from Seattle as well.
I had the pleasure of meeting a Dentonite in training, Harper, who braved the chilly air for her first musical festival ever. Best way to celebrate your fourth month of living, kid. Your parents are doin’ it right.
The estrogen continued to fill the air as The Secret Sisters brought their angelic harmonies from Muscle Shoals, Alabama to Denton, Texas. Two gals, one guitar, so simple and pure. Although Thursday’s early evening crowd was a bit sparse, they quickly understood why T-Bone Burnett holds these sisters in such high regard. On top of their genuine kindness, they showed that their young age doesn’t mean they can’t appreciate their roots as they included some Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline covers. In fact, later in the evening, Mavis Staples unashamedly praised their name on stage as well.
I wanted to catch The Pains of Being Pure at Heart while I chowed down on some pizza slices from Gio’s but they started so late, I abandoned them to ensure I had a good spot for Mavis Staples. I have no regrets about this decision as I was against the front gates for a perfect view of the legend, Mavis Staples.
Can I confess something? I didn’t know who The Staple Sisters were until 35 Conferette booked Mavis Staples. Agh, I know, embarrassing. I mean, after googling around, I realized I knew their tunes without knowing their origin. Even then, I thought it was odd that she would be booked into a music fest full of indie rockers and local talent but I went with it. Within seconds, I understood. I think within seconds, everyone understood as we found ourselves baptized with the truth by Staples’ distinctly low, yet joyful voice. As she conquered the stage and the youthful audience, I whipped out my phone to verify her age. 71. Old enough to experience the Civil Rights movement. Old enough to have over sixty years of music experience under her belt. Old enough to warrant an excuse to sit down… but she could barely sit still when she did. At 71 years of age, Mavis emitted more energy than any act I saw this weekend. And it was infectious. By the end of the set, Mavis and her crew (including her older sister, Yvonne) led the crowd to a fifteen minute version of “I’ll Take You There,” somehow sneaking in a Happy Birthday to Young and Brave‘s drummer, Ramon. See, she met Ramon when she arrived into town, somehow found out it was his birthday and managed to surprise everyone as she seamlessly incorporated the birthday song into the mix. Unfortunately, Ramon wasn’t there but the sentiment was not lost as she completely won over the hearts of Denton that night. And who could forget that “Keep Denton Beard” moment? Her joy is genuine and as my friend, Jesseca, explained afterward, “It’s her spirit,” a spirit that refuses to stay still, a spirit that was made for music, a spirit that was made to love others. You win, Mavis Staples. You win 35 Conferette 2011.
Edit (3/16/7:58AM): So, Ramon was there! My other sources were wrong. Also, Jaime, I knew something was up when you waved your festival hat at Mavis. The next thing you know, Mavis was scared that someone thought they were at a Tom Jones concert!
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Ramon was front and center, and she knew about his birthday cause I told her it was his birthday present to help me pick her up……She also made me the most famous man in Denton for exactly 45 minutes, they mayor & mayor pro tem bought me congrats drinks.
Updated appropriately. For some reason, Jesseca thought that Ramon couldn’t make it? Either way, he can re-live the moment as soon as I can get my friend to upload the video from her iPhone…