{"id":849,"date":"2017-01-19T01:03:02","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T01:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=849"},"modified":"2017-01-19T01:06:18","modified_gmt":"2017-01-19T01:06:18","slug":"ftv-pmmf-12-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=849","title":{"rendered":"FTV: PMMF #12 – Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Our usual modus operandi for August is to dust off the broadcast board and spend the week before the Porcupine Mountain Music Festival cranking out tunes by past, present, and even possible future artists who have (or might) grace the PMMF stages. \u00a0As a result, I end up with a pretty good working knowledge of what to expect when I take my place working the Singing Hills stage on Friday and Saturday. \u00a0I was really looking forward to the Friday opener with Doug Otto and Hurricane Harold. \u00a0Alas, it wasn\u2019t to be as regular Peace Hill stage emcee Kenny Lee had a work obligation that kept \u00a0him from his post to start the festival and yours truly was asked to cover for him until he could shake free. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I managed to arrive early enough that I got to help Jerry Kippola unload Conga Se Mena\u2019s equipment into the chalet for their Sunday appearance. \u00a0Jerry\u2019s brother Jim and I were undergrads in the NMU Geography Department way back when. \u00a0Jerry had always been a well known guitar player\/recording studio guy when I was part of the Marquette music scene. \u00a0I was a bit embarrassed that I didn\u2019t recognize him, but then again, 45 years ago, he bore a striking resemblance to Kerry Livgren of the band Kansas. \u00a0Let me just say none of us look like we did 45 years ago so I felt a little better when he didn\u2019t recognize me, either. \u00a0Once we established our common ground, we had a nice little talk about \u2018the good old days\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0My first festival volunteer experience was at PMMF #2 \u00a0working the first four hour shift at the Peace Hill stage even though I was scheduled to work the Singing Hills stage that year. \u00a0I asked to switch stages that day because I wanted to hear Lindsay Tomasic\u2019s band Trees so the PH emcee and I switched that day. \u00a0My only other experience on the main stage had been a post set talk off for Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovians that conflicted with a workshop interview Kenny Lee was conducting at the same time. \u00a0He introduced them and I did the \u201cGive it up for the Slambovians\u201d thing at the end of the set. \u00a0This sticks with me because I was told \u201cno encores\u201d (to keep the rest of the acts on time). \u00a0The ever popular Slambovians had also requested that I remind fans that they would do a meet and greet at the merchandise area immediately following their performance. \u00a0When I tried to make this announcement, I was drowned out by cries of \u00a0\u201c more, more\u201d and I responded by telling the crowd pressed up to the stage front, \u201cNO – you can see them at the merch tent today and hear them again tomorrow!\u201d \u00a0Both the Slambovians and I beat a hasty retreat and I was more than happy to return to my more familiar post at the Singing Hills stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0While missing Doug Otto and Hurricane Harold was a \u201cminus\u201d, the \u201cplus\u201d here was the festival\u2019s opening act, Vox Vidora. \u00a0They had made their first festival appearance in 2015 and rocked both stages so it was indeed a pleasure to get things rolling with Molly and the boys.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the band knocking them dead, I made a pest of myself at the ski chalet office looking for materials to make a \u201cDO NOT USE THIS EXIT\u201d sign to hang inside the door. \u00a0It seems many people do observe the \u201cartist and handicap entry only\u201d sign at the bottom of the stage side ramp, but within ten minutes, stage manager Chuck Peterson and I had to shoo several folks who came from the concession area and wanted to get out to the stage front the shortest way possible. \u00a0\u00a0I am pretty sure the ski hill manager wasn\u2019t real happy to find me rummaging around his desk top for a marker, but he let me go without a frisking once I explained why I was in his office to begin with. \u00a0A little artsy penmanship from Emily Waters and we were able to simply point at our new sign and not have to keep explaining why people had to take the long way around to get outside.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The second act for the Peace Hill Stage was Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellies. \u00a0It only took a few pointed emcee questions to find \u00a0out that Lindsay Lou was originally from Iron Mountain and was currently working out of Nashville. \u00a0The rest of her band was from all over the map so gathering info for an introduction ended up to be quite a geography lesson. \u00a0They hit the stage with their shiny take \u00a0on pickin\u2019 and grinin\u2019. \u00a0About the time I was getting settled in to enjoy the set, Kenny Lee showed up. \u00a0We exchanged notes on what was coming up next and I headed up the hill to my more familiar post. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0By the time I got to the stage, Jack Klatt was in mid-set and Mary gave me a puzzled look. \u00a0Naturally, I had assumed that someone had clued Mary and Marty from Armadillo Sound why I was going to show up late so imagine my surprise when Marty gave me the old \u201coh, so you decided to show up after all\u201d bit. \u00a0I know, never assume . . . but Marty has often said that he feels like a mushroom sometimes (as in \u201ckept in the dark and covered with manure from time to time\u201d). \u00a0About the time I got settled into my backstage corner, Klatt\u2019s drummer showed up. \u00a0His GPS had somehow sent him to Mass City instead of Silver City, so we more or less threw him on stage with just a snare drum and a pair of brushes. \u00a0It worked and they had a lot of fun razzing him about his exploits because he had actually been to the festival with another band in the past. \u00a0Klatt gave a good performance and I enjoyed seeing him play with a band (he had been a solo artist in 2015).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Tracey Grammar was next up and she was a delight to talk to before she hit the stage. \u00a0She had spent some years in Portland, Oregon after graduating from the University of California system with a degree in English. \u00a0She pointed out that it was either teach or sing so we had a lot of fun comparing the two professions from our singer vs teacher side of things. \u00a0Grammar is one of those artists who tells as many stories as needed to set up the songs that follow. \u00a0In the end, all of the puzzle pieces from the stories fit nicely into place. \u00a0She wove together tales of people who helped her along the way and paid tribute to folks from every step of the music business ladder that she has run across.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Stray Birds were another fun bunch to chit chat with during setup. \u00a0When there are fewer musicians and less equipment to set up, discussions can range from \u201cwhere are you from\u201d to \u201cwhere are you going next\u201d and many points in between. \u00a0They were pretty excited about the album that they were in the process of putting together. \u00a0Sonically, there are only so many places a trio can go but with good songwriting and harmonies, The Stray Birds played a great set.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Fauxgrass played pretty much what their name implied. \u00a0While the Singing Hills stage seemed to be a little \u2018bluegrass heavy\u2019 on Friday, not one of the artists was a prototypical bluegrass band. \u00a0Good players and singers, Fauxgrass put on a memorable set, \u00a0The highlight of greeting the band upon arrival was our spirited discussion of how many ways people have found to mispronounce their name (hint: \u00a0there is no \u2018fox\u2019 involved\u2019). \u00a0They didn\u2019t hang too long afterwards as they wanted to get down the hill and catch some of Rev, Peyton\u2019s Big Damn Band.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We wrapped cords and called it a night. \u00a0I checked out the headliners from backstage and headed home. \u00a0The end of day one is only halfway to the finish line for me and by the end of the day, my dogs were tired. \u00a0Stay tuned for PMMF #12 – part 2 and keep your radio or computer on 88.5 FM or www,woas-fm.org to hear music by PMMF artists from across the years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Top Piece Video – PMMF #12 artist Tracy Grammar performs Gun-Meltal Eyes<\/em>