The tip of Cape Cod can be a beautiful yet desolate place in the depths of winter and a welcome yet crowded conclusion to a long, slow crawl of traffic in the height of summer. With a small resident population, of just a few thousand which like a desert after a rain-storm bursts to life with several hundred thousand visitors a week in the height of summer, this place is a fascinating land of contradictions and enigmas; a land of sun-seekers and recluses; of crowded beaches and quiet dunes which draws people in and keeps them coming back. A substantial part of the resident population came here first as tourists and now provide this outermost part of the Cape with a vibrant and diverse population as rich in culture and talent as any you will find. Here world class artists and performers rub palettes and vocal chords with a community of craftsmen, hoteliers, fishermen and students taking summer jobs; a community which is justifiably proud of its rich and culture filled life.
Drive down Route six to Truro, hang a right and drive off the beaten path, follow the small signs which briefly and sparsely say just "Payomet", and you will enter a surreal world of abandoned buildings, high wire fences, and military radar installations, but you will quickly notice that all is not what it seems, for on the wall of the first building you will see three large colorfully painted murals and to your left you can't fail to notice the large marquee with the diminutive hut out front with the words "ticket office" hung neatly above its small sliding window. You have arrived at the old Payomet Air Base that is undergoing a remarkable transformation. The National Park service and the vibrant local community have combined on an ambitious plan to create a science center and arts center on this former military base. Austere tenement blocks are slowly being converted into studios and science labs, complete with living accommodation. It's early days but you can clearly see the progress. These are determined Cape-Codders and they will succeed.
A shining example of their efforts is The Performing Arts Theater, expertly managed by Kevin Rice which throughout the summer puts on a very full program of music and theater, pulling in world class performers and an audience from as far away as Boston. Kevin describes the theater as "flourishing". He goes on to say proudly, " we had music every night last week, a new play opens tomorrow and we are almost sold out!" .
WOMR , (Outermost Radio) is another Cape Code institution that adds to the thriving local culture with its rare mix of music, news and talk beamed to this outermost part of the Cape. Residents here can wake up to Chuck doing his "Spiritual Awakening" show at 5.30am with its blend of words and world music, or stick around to hear a line up described as:
"singer songwriters whose lyrics should be heard, Lori.. Dougie.. Marc.. Lucy.. Loreena... Richard... Greg... Patty...", Leaving you to work out the last names. (My guess is at the foot of this Blog).
For the die-hard eclectic folk fan you can catch Bob Weiser's remarkable show late morning every Monday. Listen to it streaming on the Web at WOMR.Org. Add to this mix, local news, Celtic music, classical music, comedy, jazz and a forum for local people including teens and you will quickly see that Outermost Radio is a key component of Cape life.
If you arrived at Payomet on Wednesday August 19 you would have been privileged to see all these strands gracefully coming together in a benefit concert at the Payomet Theater for WOMR. Renowned singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson and guitar wizard Nina Gerber were performing to a full house.
A concert is first and foremost about the performer and the audience. Photographers generally come way down the food chain and it would be arrogant and presumptuous to expect the stage to be set up to facilitate easy photography. As a photographer you learn to accept and deal with just about any type of set-up a venue can throw at you, from shooting in cramped corners in almost total darkness, to being so far back from the performer that the 200mm max extension on the zoom lens barely gets them to appear in the frame. Imagine my surprise when, without the slightest prompting from me, Anna the assistant artistic director and Chris the stage manager both offered to make minor changes to the lighting and staging to ensure the possibility of good photographs during the concert. I will be forever indebted to them for making it less of a challenge.
If you are familiar with the folk scene you will no-doubt have attended coffee houses and house concerts where food is a major part of the experience. I have fond memories of pot-luck meals at house concerts where everyone seemed to bring a potato salad, of coffee houses with decadent cream laden deserts from which left you at the end of the night, disoriented from the massive sugar high, and wondering why the waistband on your pants was suddenly an inch or two smaller than when you arrived. When you attend a performance at a theater however, you don't expect food, but this is a community arts center putting on a benefit concert for the local radio station and not surprisingly leading up the concert there appeared an abundance of fresh local food in the form of colorful and healthy salads which were freely shared al-fresco on wooden tables set in front of the tent. You can't get better than that!
Soon the lights dimmed and Bob Weiser, looking resplendent in his red WOMR Tee shirt appeared on stage to get things underway introducing Eliza in her elegant black dress and Nina, casual but no less elegant in her blouse and blue jeans, who graced the stage to warm applause. Quickly launching into Beauty Way from her classic 2000 CD Hard Times in Babylon we were treated to our first taste of Eliza's silky voice, which in seemingly effortless tones, she uses to paint subtle but deep emotions into the rich tapestry of her lyrics.
When you listen to Eliza you are presented with a woman who is unafraid to lay her emotions before you. Her lyrics are stories of love and loss, of political angst and a genuine concern for the planet, but there is no plaintive sound here. For the most part Eliza wraps her feelings in exquisite melodies and gentle rhythms which provide a delicate veil over the harshness and loss in her lyrics. Only those who take the trouble to listen will experience that veil lifting and begin to get a glimpse into the heart and soul of this mature and complex woman.
Twisted, another track from Eliza's Hard Times in Babylon CD is an example of a song which deals with a disastrous relationship about her love for a man of whom she says "The dark hangs off you like a cloud around the sun .. you're everything I've wanted in a man.. I'm fucked up, I'm twisted". But tonight the crowd is enticed to sing-along with Eliza in a light-hearted version which belies the emotional dysfunction present in the song's lyrics. This is classic Eliza, never far below the surface is the dance of deep emotion experienced by someone who despite the "exquisite agony of withdrawal" keeps coming back for more. There is love and loss in the songs but also the optimism of someone who can sing, "I don't trust the world of man but I still believe in love". That she creates such beautiful melodies out of such deep emotion is testament to her remarkable talent as a songwriter and performer.
Nina Gerber, one of the finest guitarist I have seen, is a unique and gifted talent. She takes Eliza's melodies and gently cradling her guitar she sways and caresses the strings as if she is coaxing a baby to sleep. From such gentle and subtle touches she creates a delicate but powerful sound that intertwines with Eliza's voice, never overpowering it, but always present. Nina may know the guitar like a Master, but she plays it like a true artist. When Eliza gives the floor to Nina we are treated to searing and melodic riffs, gentle ephemeral notes that float into the night, chords which are so delicately played that they seem hinted at rather than specific. Watching the swaying body and expressively beautiful face we experience someone who is completely at one with her playing.
Together Nina and Eliza seem to meld into one. It's difficult to imagine one without the other. The intricate weaving of Eliza's voice and Nina's playing create an opulent sound which draws the audience into the music.
Towards the end of the evening, Eliza moves to the keyboard and the sparse lyric and repetitive phrase Beautiful World fills our ears. The rendition of this title track from Eliza's latest CD is anything but sparse, and the emotion infused into the song by both performers leaves us truly believing that the world is beautiful.
This was a night of community, shared food with warm and friendly people, and the sheer joy of being in the presence of such immense talent. Thanks to Bob, Chuck and the people at WOMR; to Kevin, Anna and Chris at the Payomet Performing Arts Center; to Val Denn for Publicizing the event, and finally a hearty thanks to Eliza and Nina for a great night!
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Check out Eliza's Website here: ELiza's Website
Check out NIna's Website here: Nina's Website
Check out WOMR Radio here: WOMR Outermost Radio Website
Check out the Payomet Performing Arts Center here: Payomet Arts
Check out Ian Murray Photography Here: Ian Murray Photography
My Guess : McKenna, Maclean, Gunn, Kaplansky, McKennitt, Thompson or Shindell, Brown, Griffin
man I've always loved Eliza Gilkyson and Nina Gerber's music...the acoustics is amazing and they're really underrated in my opinion. Seeing them do a beneficial concert now makes me appreciate them even more :)
thanks for the post
Posted by: Joanna | 11/25/2010 at 05:15 AM
Happy New Year! The author write more I liked it.
Posted by: school_dubl | 12/29/2010 at 07:05 PM