There were lots of nice storylines that came out the April 4 concert at the Greenhoe Theater at Landmark College.
Local boy Sam Amidon returned home to play an opening set that showcased the brilliantly offbeat way he puts new spin on old traditional songs. His latest album, "All is Well" was my favorite release of 2008 - so original, so unlike anything you've ever heard before. He's got a new CD in the works, and I can't wait.
Another local boy, Corey DiMario, plays bass in Crooked Still, and they were there, too. They sounded great, particularly in the second set when Aiofe O'Donovan's vocals were miked right. Long a favorite of mine - Crooked Still has a unique sound, pairing O'Donovan's breathy, high vocals with the low earthiness of stand-up bass and cello. Then they throw banjo and violin into the mix.
But by far the best storyline was how big the crowd was. This was the first concert Twilight Music promoter Barry Stockwell brought to the Greenhoe Theater - the inaugural of what he hopes to be a monthly concert series - and the crowd was a good one. Greenhoe's 384 seats were nearly all taken. That's a happy thing both for music fans and for Barry, who is one of the real good guys in the local arts scene. Watch for the next concert in early May. It's going to be a good one.
On a related note, the concert featured two of the oddest banjo-related bits of trivia I've ever seen. First, during one song, Amidon stopped a clawhammer banjo solo in mid-pluck, got up, went over to another part of the stage and did some push-ups. It was a funny, surreal moment, and I couldn't help thinking I was witnessing the birth of some kind of new hillbilly biathlon. They were good push-ups, by the way.
Crooked Still's banjo player Gregory Liszt is really Dr. Gregory Liszt - he has a doctorate from MIT, I believe, in something I'm quite sure I don't understand. I get a kick out of that, plus his playing is great and he exudes a goofy kind of charm on stage.
All in all, a good evening, and the portent of good things to come.