light of this world

Gotta make an excuse tonight..my laptop wireless doesn’t seem to be working so i can’t upload my pictures of tonight.. besides it’s almost 1:30 and I just got home.. Two concerts in a row make John a sleepy boy.. plus I have a little hedonism guilt.. Diane and Max have been down in Endicott all week helping Diane’s folks recover from the flooding at their house.. and i’m going to see music… hmmmmm

Still.. i really did enjoy the evening.. first was the MMU High School Open house.. surprisingly yummy lasagna in the caf.. then meetings with all gabes teachers. It was so much fun sitting in those desks and seeing the school through our kids perspective. I really like Gabe’s teachers… and it looks like he has soem interesting stuff coming this year..

as soon as I was done there.. I dashed to Higher ground.. I got thee just in time for the 2nd set of Jorma Kakaunen.. One of my favorite musicions of all time. He was the lead guitar in the bands jefferson airplane and hot tuna.. and has toured on his own or in pieces of those bands for more than 40 years. He just passed his 70th birthday and is still playing strong.. (and has a 5 year old kid to prove it 🙂

Tonight Jorma played an acoustic set with just his friendly mandolin player Barry .. who’s birthday was today.. It was great old stuff.. very mellow and reflective… He played a great version of Rev Gary Davis’ “Light of this World” in honor of bluegrass great Wade Mainer who died today at age 104.

(ps.. this vid isn’t from tonight.. but i found it online.. it’s recent and similar to tonight’s rendition)

I know this is supposed to be a religious song.. but I think it can be read as an inspirational message to everyone.. to be that light..

Jorma finished up his quiet set and the 100 or so of us grey beards shuffled out of the smaller room at higher ground.. Friend George and I thn ducked into the bigger room where Umfry McGee was just getting into their second set.. it was amazing.. I didn’t know what to expect.. but I reallllly dug it.. loud strong jam band stuff with great lights.. The energy was twice the other room and the average age was half.. a nice counterpoint

ok.. enough counterpoint.. my light of the world needs to turn off for the night hope yours is burning bright !

nite all, note sam
-me

ps. finally got internet back.. here are the pics from that very full day

At the school