Saline Fiddlers Coming
www.salinefiddlers.com
June 20 Tuesday
Cracker Barrel Restaurant
On the front porch!
6:00 pm
15255 Crossroads Parkway
Near I-10 & US 49
Gulfport, MS
June 21 Wednesday
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
7:30 pm
2004 Pass Road
Biloxi, MS
June 22 Thursday
Westminster Presbyterian Church
7:00 pm
5005 Lawson Ave
Gulfport, MS
June 23 Friday
Caswell Springs United Methodist Church
6:30PM
18601 Hwy 63
Moss Point, MS
Concert with The Muleskinners
www.themuleskinners.com
8/6
Katrina Relief Benefit Tour
Will Warner, Executive Director
Saline Fiddlers members helped restore a historic home in Biloxi, Miss. The 2006 Katrina Relief Benefit tour took the Saline Fiddlers 3000 miles, through 11 states, including five the Fiddlers had never traversed: Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri.
In nine days the group:
Did six shows
Cleaned up a relief camp
Helped restore a historic home
Saw New Orleans and ate Cajun
Toured swamp/bayou/river
Delivered $2,500 to the people of Mississippi
Waded the length of a topographically accurate scale model of the Mississippi river
Ate Memphis BBQ and looked around Beale street
Toured Sun Records studio
Went to the top of the St. Louis Arch
Found the people in the South to be very warm and friendly
Like everyone, we had seen on TV the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina and read about the thousands of volunteers streaming to the region to help with recovery. We were told that the residents and volunteers could really use some diversion. So we put together a series of free concerts across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
With so much demand for the show, there wasn't much time to participate in actual reconstruction work, but we managed to squeeze in one day of it. Guestbook entries indicate that the Fiddlers perhaps accomplished some emotional reconstruction, though:
I hope these kids know what a blessing they were to us on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
You will never know how much it means to all of us who were able to hear your performances.
Your music truly lifts the spirit. I will not soon forget you all and hope I have the chance to see you again one day. Until then I will buy a new CD when I wear this one out.
There were several unforgettable gigs. One took place in a work camp full of teenaged volunteers. Those kids went wild, dancing in a big "mosh pit" in front of our microphones. Our bass player joined the dancers for a short time; from the back of the hall one could see a lone Fiddler cowboy hat bouncing amid a mass of flying arms and legs. By the third encore, the music was barely audible with all the hollering. Unbelievable.
The Saline Fiddlers with their new friends, The Muleskinners.
The group spent a memorable day with Muleskinners Association, a local bluegrass/gospel band. The Muleskinners arranged a tour of the Pascagoula river for us, fed us lunch and dinner, and made us feel welcome. That evening the two groups played a joint concert to a very responsive crowd. The show ended with the two groups combining to lead the audience in singing Will the Circle be Unbroken. Unbelievable.
Behind the scenes our kids showed their toughness. They slept on cots in two big rooms in a former school and overcame adversity in many forms, including grits and corned beef hash every morning for breakfast. On stage they displayed their talent and professionalism. The crowds loved them and mobbed them after each performance.
Several people said they were surprised to see fiddlers from Michigan; they thought it was more of a mountain thing. As always, people couldn't believe that all that talent came from a single high school. One old gentleman remarked with a wink that our group forced him to reconsider his claim that the South has a monopoly on pretty girls.
Everyone was warm and generous and very appreciative.
posted by Leslie @ 6/15/2006 04:04:00 PM
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