A Renaissance WALMART experience?

[A Poor Player]

My dynamic duo took over a Salvation Army kettle on front of Walmart in Rome, NY for a couple of hours last night and I must say, it was as surreal as anything I've experienced recently.
I can't stand people who are cultural fascists, but the demographic for this place is not your usual crew for Renaissance music and I can tell you that if felt really odd out there fielding requests for Toby Keith on the old lute guitar or the highland reed pipe etc.
I have a policy that if someone shouts out a song that I know the melody line of... I am honor-bound to take a stab at it. Playing outdoors at 30 degrees did not result in the most lively fingerings, but we did manage a plausibly 16th century "Iron Man"and a rather far-fetched "Smells Like Teen Spirit" . We even won over the shopping cart guy who's going to start looking at SCA and Fairs.

What made the extended chill worthwhile really was that a lot of the children going by had clearly never seen anything like it up close and I hope that little seed of memory tucked away in their unconscious may find fertile soil and result in something a little different in the fullness of time.


And from the shameless commerce division:
The Department of the Interior was kind enough to invite us to jam for a bit at Fort Stanwix in Rome. NY this evening. More data: http://www.myspace.com/arethusagroup
Peace, and don't let the holiday season stress you out!

[SterlingFan]

rofl  I can just imagine hearing both Iron Man & Smells like teen spirit played 16th Century style in my mind !

On a more serious note, my children have been going to Faire since their births and I feel that they are better people for it.  The are much more accepting of others & 'foreign' cultures & they enjoy many styles of music.

I think it's very cool that you guys are exposing the masses to historic music in a fun way !!!

[A Poor Player]

Thanks Sterling, and the Fort went even better.  We told the audience we were sold to a merchant vessel to pay the tab at our alehouse and our travels led us to discover new instruments so that we could work the Tarka, the Quena and the African talking drum into the set. Raised a couple of eyebrows with our Renaissance Variations on a Theme of  "Iron Man" but they re-booked us next year.
Our young percussionist wants to play Sterling next year and I'll have to try to figure that one out.
If you get a chance, though our music has evolved a bit, let me know which song on the profile you think is coolest. Always trying to get feedback.
More Peace
A Poor Player strutting and fretting.

[The Bloody Lynn Flint]

I saw you at the Taste of the Arts Festival, I think. You're the guys who play two flutes at the same time and the axe and all that?
Drop me a line when you're playing in Herkimer or Little Falls.

[A Poor Player]

Yeah, but how did you know it was Arethusa? There was supposed to be signage etc that didn't come through. I'm booked there for next year. Meanwhile, no contact info on your profile. Thou'rt a pirate?

[The Bloody Lynn Flint]

I was there with another pirate too. I friend requested your profile.

[A Poor Player]

Thanks
Pirates rock, We're at J.A. Castle Recording Studio now laying tracks for Loxley's Bow slated to come out on Beltane. Utica O.D. is doing a story on us now.
Peace
T. Virgil