All right. So, who was with us this weekend at Flying Dog’s Summer Sessions kick-off featuring JJ Grey and Mofro, as well as Thomas Wynn and The Believers? There were so many noteworthy, awesome-tastically awesome things that went down, so we decided that a good, old-fashioned Five Things was warranted. So, right after you head on over to check out our Twitter and Facebook pages, how about we get to a tiny recap of all the festivities? Sound good? Good.
1. First and foremost, a great, big, giant-sized, sloppy-wet-kiss THANK YOU to all of you who stopped by our table to chat. We have a brand-new shipment of beer koozies on the way (again: So, so, so sorry we ran out before Thomas Wynn even left the stage!), and while the free fans we were handing out might not have seemed practical (or dry; stupid wind blowing over and spilling stupid cups of stupid water), we promise they will come in handy in the coming weeks as the humidity turns up and the outdoors refuses to pay its air-conditioning bill again. We are going to make Frederick a go-to place for live, great original music, gosh darn-it, and simply being afforded the opportunity to get out and explain how much of a music town we truly, really, madly, deeply are at such a great event was a luxury we most certainly did not (and do not) take for granted. So, thank you Flying Dog. And thank you music lovers. From the bottom of our bottomest hearts. OK. The mushy romantic music can cease right … about … now.
2. Boy, do people like their JJ Grey and Mofro. The show sold out on Saturday and you could tell: From the front of the stage, all the way back to the beer truck, the Flying Dog front lawn was packed to the brim with dancers, drinkers, lovers and shakers. At one point, a Mofro die-hard stopped by to wonder aloud why they would play such a small venue because “JJ Grey and Mofro could sell out 50-60,000-seaters down South.” We internally rolled our eyes at the obvious hyperbole, but after digesting the reaction those guys received upon taking the stage, it made that statement seem … well, not so hyperbolic. Between the chanting, the hooting and the hollering, the Flying Dog grounds felt like its own little city, if only for a night.
3. And it wasn’t as though the masses were there only to see the headliner, either. We had the chance to catch up with Thomas Wynn between sets, and he couldn’t have been kinder, thanking us multiple times for the coverage we gave the band in anticipation of the show last week. Then, in a tiny moment of irony, it wasn’t long after our talk that a concertgoer approached us about how he wished Mr. Wynn and his Believers could have extended their set by at least 10 more songs. Indeed, if you got there late, you missed out – those who came early discovered their new favorite band Saturday night. Better yet? It was well-deserved. Super-nice guy. Super-talented group. Super-great set. Super-tired of reading the word “Super,” aren’t you? Me, too.
4. We can’t stress this enough, but again: If you approach us, and you have a band, and you want to get your stuff out there, simply just say the word. Face-Page us. Twitter us. Or, if it comes down to it, say hello at one of these Flying Dog shows this summer and give us a business card. We say that why? Because that’s exactly what someone in Bats Dynamic String Band did on Saturday. We’ll have a video of them tomorrow for our usual Tuesday Video Of The Day feature, but for now, go check them out on Facebook and tell ’em Frederick Playlist sent you!
5. Winner. Winner. Chicken. Dinner. It was an utter delight to meet Ms. Ysela Schwetje, the winner of our ticket giveaway we staged last week! Along with the lovely Clair Mixon, it was great to see the fruits of our contest labor realized in human form. Which leads us to remind you all one more time: We’ll be giving away a pair of tickets for each of the remaining three Flying Dog shows this summer. Be sure to check back before July 19, when Lucero and Brooks Long & The Mad Dog No Good will be taking the stage for the second of Flying Dog’s summer slate. You never know what goodies we may be offering!
