Dates: July 9 - 18, 2002
Subject: Tour of Oregon (and Washington)
By: Margaret Davis

"Breakfast of champions" pg. 1 / pg. 2

Next morning, on to Ballard Lutheran Church, where Erik Wilson-Weiberg is pastor. Erik and his wife Kristen put up Bill Klover two years ago while he pursued experimental cancer treatments in Seattle, and our performance in the church was Kristoph's special thank-you for their kindness. We tried to weave our Irish and Early music into the sermon theme of harvest, reaping what one sows, etc.; our seaweed harvesting song meshed particularly well, as the church was founded by Norwegian sailors. After church we enjoyed a wonderful lunch with the Wilson-Weibergs and bid them a fond adieu. On to Snohomish, 40 miles north of Seattle, a beautiful wooded community with many antique stores. Our hosts Alisa and Luiz Garcia are friends from Bay Area filkdom; Kristoph also recorded the first CD of Alisa's band, Puzzlebox. Alisa and Luiz regaled us with a wonderful barbecue, and then we all set up their outbuilding for the house concert that evening. The capacity audience of 21 consisted primarily of Seattle-area filkers, plus one normal guy from who knows where, and some Ukrainian girls who had ordered the Starlit Jewel and hence had been added to the mailing list. The concert was a successful mass of hilarity, jokes on Kristoph, and much singing-along. To our surprise, one of the Ukrainian girls had memorized all the lyrics to the Tolkien songs and mouthed them along with us. After the concert cigars were smoked, comic books were read, and the boys practiced a new Irish tune late into the night.

Next morning, doughnuts & coffee, and Alisa & Luiz made us take all the leftover food in our cooler. Snohomish was the apex of our tour, so back down to Tigard, a suburb of Portland. After quite a long drive, we met up at the Tigard Borders, where we were treated particularly well. The chairs were already set up, they had framed our poster, put out a CD table, and assigned a staff member just to us. We brought in 50 - 60 enthusiastic audience members who sang,and in one case, danced along -- a champion Irish stepdancer got up and danced a reel with one of our tunes. CDs were sold, connections were made, and the Borders itself bought 8 of our CDs. We love Tigard! Vikram (of Anne Marie and Vikram) attended the show, so we were actually able to meet him, and later Anne Marie herself, as we discussed Portland venues late into the night over wine and vodka-flavored pasta.

Next morning, on to Eugene. I had set up a lunch date with Zoe Brady, whom I hadn't seen since we were kids 30 years ago. Zoe was wonderful, and updated me as to the current lives of our friends from long ago. After lunch, Kris had a date with a gamba builder, so we all tagged along. After trying out several, Kris purchased a simple Czech gamba of beautiful tone, and thus realized her childhood dream of gamba ownership. On to the gig at the Eugene Borders, where the enthusiastic audience included Kristoph's friend bandura-player Roy Torley, Zoe and her luthier boyfriend, and the gamba builder and his wife. We stayed in a Motel 6 and loved it.

Next day, breakfast in Eugene, and back down to Talent, OR, the Soderbachs, and the Talent Barn. Ex-Bay Area denizen and fellow musician Kevin Carr lives nearby, so we met up with him and all went to the natural springs pool for a dip. Kevin and his wife Barbara treated us to a fabulous salmon dinner and then it was time for the concert. The Talent Barn is just that -- a converted barn, with concerts held in the upper floor, which features a real stage and sound system. We put on a good concert and invited Kevin to sit in for a couple of numbers on fiddle and uilleann pipes. After the concert, our hostess Seeta treated us all to amazing tarot readings.

Next morning, breakfast with Kevin and Kris's friend Robert Owens, a native American storyteller and actor who lives in Ashland. Our last adventure of the tour was also the best. Just before leaving, we were invited to drop in and visit Jack Schuman, who lives in nearby Phoenix, OR. Jack has been collecting early and ethnic instruments for decades and has a collection worthy of the Smithsonian. He showed them off to us and actually let us PLAY THEM! I got to play on a 400-year old Spanish harp, which had quite a wonderful tone. We admired the violin that belonged to Mozart's teacher, and the guys twanged away on Renaissance mandolins and guitars. I also got to play a superb Baroque flute and Kris held forth on a period gamba. Most surprising of all, Jack had found many of these instruments at yard sales and estate sales, for truly ludicrous prices (shades of Antiques Roadshow). Jack has just agreed to donate his collection to the University of Oregon, but it will be available to visiting and resident ensembles (such as us).

We hit the road, and made it home, and that was that.

---margaret davis

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For information about shows, call Margaret at
(510) 569-0437.