61°f/16°C, cloudy in the morning, rain or rain showers all day.
Heave ho!
We were on the road most of yesterday, traveling across the state to visit our oldest son, his wife and daughter, and to attend a concert by a group I honestly never thought I would see in person: The Wellermen, a sea shanty singing group with members from the US and the UK, with one member half-Finnish and half Brit.
I stumbled on this group on Facebook Reels last winter. I had been listening to the Fisherman's Friends, another shanty group from Cornwall and a favorite of mine. I enjoyed The Wellermen too, but assumed they were in the UK, and that odds of ever hearing them in person were pretty remote. So imagine my shock when I found that they were performing in tiny Thomas, WV, at the Purple Fiddle, a funky, fun small restaurant and performance space in West Virginia's coolest little mountain town (which is also not so easy to get to, although a road that has been under construction for about 15 years will bring the town uncomfortably easy to access from the DC area).
The remains of those amazing fries. Not at all greasy and unlike any fries I have ever had.
We had a great dinner at a quirky restaurant that serves Asian fusion dishes along with good ol' burgers. Their curly fries are to die for, an odd but astounding combination of potatoes with a creamy cheese, nut, and dried fruit topping. I could have been happy with just those for my meal!
The concert was standing room only, and we arrived just in time to nab the last 4 chairs, thank goodness. I would guess there were about 100 people in attendance. My daughter-in-law stayed home to prepare for her Sunday services--she is a minister at a church near their home (and also a pharmacist, part-time), so it was just my son, granddaughter, Larry and me.
Y'all, I am here to tell you, that was one great concert. The group's harmonies are shiver-inspiring, especially the amazing bass voices of Bobby Baxter and Luke Taylor. John, the other bass, had to leave the second half of the show with a stomach issue (too much gas station food, they said!), but the group carried on.
Sebastian is singing here.
The tenor voices of Sam and Sebastian, both of whose last names I have forgotten, were simply perfect. There were oppo8for audience singalong too, on numbers such as Drunken Sailor, Wellerman, and 16 Tons. The songs weren't all shanties-- there were American and original songs added to the mix.
Spanish Ladies
I took several videos, which I had to edit to meet YouTube copyright rules, but they give a good sense of the evening. The audience was wildly appreciative, and gave a couple of standing ovations. It was just that good.
I admit, I was a total fangirl, waiting outside in hopes of a photo, which the guys were happy to do. They were surprised that I had come so far to hear them, but then they don't know how limited such opportunities are in West Virginia.
With Luke and Sam. Luke's voice is quite something in one so young, such a deep bass. Sam is a classic British tenor, beautiful range.
Today we made the long drive home, over the mountains and through the rain. Our dogs were happy to see us, and we were glad to be home, but even happier, I think, that we had made the journey. It was worth every mile. (And yes, I came home with a CD, old-school granny that I am. I just like to own my media.)
The group has a few more US gigs before flying over to Europe, where they have performances in quite a few cities. Go see them if you get the chance--you won't be disappointed!
Back to our regularly scheduled routine tomorrow, darn it.
