Unqualified Success

Radford was rockin' last night, and swingin' and pickin' and harmonizin' too! The coffee never ran out, the brownies were dynamite, the sound was great, the jammin' went on and on.

First I'll thank the musicians, Scott Fore and Tom and Slash of the Hillbilly Hot Club -- they really added some credibility to this shindig with their great, great set. I have been hooked into gypsy jazz pickin' for a while, and I got my fill last night. I have to say though, that Scott probably got the most raves for his Jerry Reed fingerstyle tune. Blazing fast. Sickeningly clean. And Tom is the Wyatt Rice of the band - a great player who shouldn't be overlooked cause he's sitting next to the fireworks machine.

Wilson and the Wilsonettes gave the crowd some lovely harmony singing, and we hope they'll return soon. Wilson has got a good thing with Liz and Dana--hopefully they'll let us know if the crowd provided them with an official band name.

Wildcard Doug Conner proved to be a really wonderful surprise. Many of us hadn't heard (or heard of) Doug before last night, but he hopped up and fulfilled one of the primary goals of the Side Door Sessions, that is, to have one person armed only with a guitar, get out there and play a couple great songs, to an attentive audience. That's just what he did. We'll see him again.

Dale and the Daletones (aka Due South guys) played a good set, and must be doubly saluted for having the cohones to get up there and follow the Hot Club set.

The JB's and Doublenaught Jethro threw in some surprises, too, to fill out the night, but the X factor that make the whole thing sing was the crowd. The crowd was maybe the best we've had yet. Attentive, lively, and into the music - the Side Door audience is what makes the whole thing go. And it went a long way last night. I know we had a few first timers out last night, and I think they were won over. I know the regulars who were there had a great time.
The Side Door Sessions is community event, so once again, thanks to the community for participating and making the show an unqualified success. The Side Door is about local music so if you've got a set you want to put on, let me know. There's always another show lineup to fill!

Next Side Door Session is April 5th - put it on the calendar with a big red Sharpie.