and The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers.
Live @ Kool Beanz February 6th, 2001
Funny how things happen sometimes. January 2001, I was watching the 3am re-run of The Tonight Show (I almost never watch Leno!), and on came Victoria Williams performing a track from her then latest recording Water To Drink.
Wonderful performance! That was the first time I'd seen her sing since discovering her music and becoming a fan when Pearl Jam covered her song "Crazy Mary" for the Sweet Relief CD. Sweet Relief was a compilation of artists who covered Victoria's songs to help raise cash for her after she was diagnosed with MS while on tour with Neil Young in 1991. I loved the cover versions, but loved the originals even more when I got to hear them. Wow, what an awesome/quirky songwriter & singer.
After the Tonight Show performance, I looked her up online and dropped an e-mail requesting a signed photo to hang in our coffeehouse, with a post script: "if you are ever in the area, please stop by our venue...maybe we could even book a gig. (sure!) Well, suprise! The next morning I got a message from her husband Mark Olson (who with his band the Jayhawks recorded on the Sweet Relief disc)..Mark said "thanks, sure we'll send a photo, but maybe we should book a gig since we are going to be in town in three weeks, and have an open night after we play Orlando". Hell yeah!
So we ended up with about two & a half weeks to promote the Tuesday night show, which really would have probably sold out by word of mouth! Regardless the local Florida Today newspaper gave us the cover of their Friday entertainment section TGIF (someone was hip over there!), it was the first and only time they did that with all the great talent we had come through in 4 years. At showtime we were going to turn people away, but choose to cram them all in anyway!
Victoria, Mark, and the other Creekdippers: David Wolfenberger, Mike "Raz" Russell, and Joshua Grange put on a very kool, very laid back 24 song set , for a very appreciative crowd! During the set Victoria chatted about the lovely Yerba Matte tea I made her, Al Scortino's Performers Pal, and her desire to see Florida mantees, Our friends gave them flowers, and the band orded up a round of double espressos. Someone requested "Wonderful World", the band did not know the music, so Vic tried it accapella ..once, twice, then the third time was a charm. They made us feel like we were in their living room.
The Setlist form that night:Water to Drink, Claude, Holy Spirit
Ben Johnson's Creek
Letter From Africa
Why look at that Moon
Until the Real Thing Comes Along
Nature Boy, Diamond Davey
Hummingbird, Valentine King
Custom Detroit Railroad
U R Loved, This Moment
Harry went to Heaven
Linda Lee's
Rainbow of Your Heart
Tarbelly and Featherfoot
Little Red Bike, Wonderful World
One-eyed blackdog Moses
Opalousas, Joy of Love
photos and portrait by Java John
The band stuck around and signed a bunch of CDs, and chatted, then took off in search of the elusive manatee!
VICTORIA WILLIAMS
MARK OLSON
KOOL BEANZ
Buy Their Music on AMAZON
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