Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Prescott Park, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
I took a two month hiatus to enjoy the summer, but am back and excited for great music this fall!
I’m watching the Hand In Hand telethon to support hurricane victims right now. They’re putting on a great show! Music can be such a healing force. I’m counting my blessings, too. My dad in Florida is unharmed. There’s heartbreak, though, and a lot of work to do. You can donate $25 right now by texting GIVE to 80077.
Back to blogging. . .
I almost didn’t make the trip to Portsmouth for this show back in July, but I’m so glad I did! I thought I was too busy that day to swing it, but then I remembered that I was a teacher on summer vacation, so I got my act together! Colin told me he was going and we could carpool, so that was the right nudge. Thanks, Colin!
I picked up Colin in Portland and we found parking near Prescott Park. Colin staked out a perfect spot up front in the second row and put a blanket down for us to use later. We grabbed yummy burritos at Dos Amigos and got to the show early to enjoy pretty Prescott Park. I’d never been to a show there, but they’ve got a good system, a lovely space, and the price ($10) is right! We met some wonderful blanket neighbors who shared their desserts with us, and Bobbi (who I’d met years ago at a Lone Bellow show and is a superfan of some bands that I also love) noticed me and came over to catch up.
What a pretty sunset on the Piscataqua River!
We also observed some concert real estate drama. An older gentleman and his wife came up to the front and pushed a couple of blankets aside to set up their high backed chairs in the blanket section. Someone from the Prescott Park Arts Festival saw the chairs when the couple was grabbing food and moved them. The man who’d put the chair down was annoyed. He didn’t seem to understand that it was A. unacceptable to show up late and move other people’s things, and 2. rude to set up high backed chairs in the blanket section. Concert etiquette woes abound lately, it seems. Later in the evening, a gaggle of women sitting near me talked at full voice for half an hour during an acoustic performance. Why buy a ticket to a show and sit up front if you don’t want to listen to the band? Super annoying.
Let the fine folks from Newport Folk Festival show you what kind of chair to bring to a show!
It was nice to see Boston’s Lula Wiles again. I’d seen them play last fall opening for Mipso and really enjoyed them live. They’ve got pretty voices and great harmonies. I love stringed instruments, so hearing an upright bass with guitar and violin is right up my alley. They were obviously happy to be on stage and were warm and chatty with the audience.
I’ve been a Darlingside fan for years, and they were voted by Prescott Park crowds at the end of last season as the band people most wanted to invite back to play this season. That didn’t surprise me at all. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Darlingside at least a handful of times, and they are the real deal. Don, Dave, Auyon, and Harris are talented multi-instrumentalists who share one microphone and serenade the audience with their smooth harmonies and friendly banter. It’s always a treat to see Darlingside live, and you should definitely check them out when they come to town. Check out “Go Back” and “Clay and Cast Iron”–both beautifully recorded by OurVinyl in Nashville.
Prescott Park is a great place to see a summer show! I’ll be back!
xo,
bree
whatbreesees 