Hello friends,
May God be with you, day in and day out, and may you always be aware of His presence. He's there. In Jesus' name. Amen.
I tease Carlton about his choice of local bands sometimes, I admit it. Especially when he incessantly goes on and on about a band; I get tired of his hype, and decide to judge for myself. Before the gig I'll ask him, "So you think this dog will hunt?" and he normally answers in the affirmative, but tentatively will say, "I don't know if you'll like them as much as I do, but yes, I think they're good."
Often times, he's usually right.
This was the case with the band Fair to Midland.
I can't remember the first time I saw them in concert, but I know I've kept up with them for at least the last year.
I do remember the first place I saw them, which was at the Granada. When I laid eyes on Darroh my thought was "Who IS this nut?" He has charisma, passion, and charm. He just explodes on stage. He dances around so much I hope he can make it rain. At one point in the performance he sat down on the stage and seemed to just be chillin' with the rest of us at the gig. The audience loved it and was singing along with him.
I've seen them several times since the Granada, usually at Trees in Deep Ellum, and savor the energy of their playing. You can tell they are a tight group: everyone enjoying themselves and playing the Hell out of their instruments.
Carlton introduced himself to Cliff, the lead guitartist, at one of the shows, and ever since that introduction, when Cliff sees us before a gig, he always comes over and says hello. Muy amable. Cliff is a very kind soul, and he has a singular appearance, too: his fuzzy, out of control, crazy-curled hair. It looks like it would be coarse, but it's not; it's as soft as feathers. Yes, I've touched it. :D
Last Friday night I happened to look at my phone, and since I'm a fan on their FB page, I get all their updates. This update said FTM was doing an acoustic set at a city about 45 min from where we live. I immediately texted Carlton and we were happily en route Saturday night.
This show was an absolute treat! Again, Cliff saw us before they played and came over and thanked us for coming to see them. The bar wasn't packed at the time, but when the time drew closer for FTM to play, there wasn't an open space in the house!
FTM doing their music acoustically. I felt like I was at an MTV unplugged version, waiting for a band like PJ, or possibly seeing Rik Emmet playing. Darroh was much more subdued for this gig; I say that, but I mean "subdued for Darroh," normal for the rest of us, and he often chided his mistakes, which were slight, if any. But from the moment the first notes of their song, "Musical chairs," came from Cliff's guitar, I could tell something magical was about to happen. The band did a brialliant set. They mixed old and new songs, and I was relishing their music on a whole new level. The band has matured and is building a unique sound for themselves.
Cliff had two beautiful acoustic guitars, which he played deftly. Jon, the bassist, was cleverly hidden from view, but the bass was unmistakeable, as was Brett's drumming, and Matt's keyboarding. For a couple of tunes it was only Cliff and Darroh; the two original members of the band. Old friends singing and playing together, and we were allowed to watch. Magnificent.
The actual release of their latest CD, "Arrows and Anchors," is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, but Carlton and I agreed: we were at the Real release party.
Fair to Midland "Musical chairs"
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa
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