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I love a Fall day like this. Get in the car, transfer some wealth to the Middle East, head through and to beautiful country. Burke Mt is a straight shot up RT 93 from the Boston area, and I hit the road at 3 PM for the 195 mile trip north.

I have forgotten how beautiful the drive is through Franconia Notch. Cannon Mountain appears on the left, a shear rock face, with eons worth of rockslides spreading out below it. The ski slopes fall right down to the base, as, above, the aerial tram whisks sightseers to the summit. Echo Lake at its feet completes this fantastic scene. I wonder if this is the only place in the US where the Interstate is permanently reduced to one lane each way for over a mile?

OK, I admit it…thus far it's a copy from my post for the Burke Mt Festival Sep 07. {It's as true today as it was a year ago} So sue me)

And watch out, folks. The summit of Lafayette, across from Cannon, is snow covered…and it's not even peak foliage yet. But the hills, valleys and mountainsides are well along to the riot of color Autumn brings to New England. And, speaking of New England, go pick some apples, and break out the Cabot's Cheese to go with it!! May I suggest the Extra Sharp Cheddar?

Pulling into the parking lot approaching 6:30, John is right behind me. Seems like a lot of cars at this time…The occupants of car next to me alight. They are the vision of the beauty of youth…perhaps 21, wearing an olive green suit, he offers his arm to her and they stroll towards to the stairs up to the Lodge. She, well, let me say, a bolt of raspberry satin cloth could not find a finer place to rest, and when she looks back on pictures of this day 30 years ago, I'm sure she will say "Damn, I looked good" Stilletto heels and white shawl covered shoulders complete the look. I don't have to look back at any pictures..I just say "Damn, I feel underdressed!" I did not see formal on the ticket anywhere. I mean, we're in the sticks 40 miles from freakin' Canada.. I'm happy to follow at a respectful distance (ahem) right up the steps to the Lodge where they peel off for a wedding reception. AHA. I am not underdressed at all.

Posse Dave, Jan, John,Todd, Gary, spouses, sisters are first in line and we all get our tickets. I did not buy tickets for what I thought was a cocktail hour and head back out to get dinner. The only place in East Burke has no seats..it's foliage season..and I head a few miles towards a bit more civilization and find a bite to eat, and return and enter at 8:45 for the 9:30 show.

Tables have been removed, and seats are set up, around the stage, in rows. The backdrop for the little 8" high stage is picture windows that during the day look out to the ski slopes. But it's night and we can't see them. What we see , instead, is a Steinway baby grand! That some poor bastard hauled up the stairs! Yikes!!! And he is sticking around to remove it after the show. Later, the first time Grace sits down to play, she says "One of the biggest honors of the night is they rolled this +$!!!!%%%%$% (HAHA yuku auto editor, she said MOFO) in for me!"

This venue was either the perfect place or the worst place for Grace's first "solo" show. The late starting time, coupled with an actual start of 9:47 resulted in a sufficiently liquored-up crowd that devolved into people on one side standing up, beer bottles in hand, and yelling at friends on the other side of the room, who returned the gesture. Laidback, it ain't. But it also meant the quiet moments weren't as quiet as perhaps most of us would have liked. Hell, the GA crowd at the Wilbur gave Grace silence to explore Apologies and Pain in My Heart.

But this was her crowd, Vermont, and they were thrilled to see her. Applause and cheers washed over her after opener Ain't No Time. She seemed genuinely surprised by the adulation. An attempt to compare the crowd's enthusiasm to the crowd she was in, to see Levon Helm in Nashville, went awry. She said that there the energy in the room was that they just were driven to their feet during most every song. While I know it was absolutely not intended this way, many in the crowd interpreted it as a back handed request for standing ovations after each song. Many stood at that point and cheered. She said.."no, no, no I'm not asking you for that" but she got 'em anyway.

After the second song, she said "You know, I don't do solo shows. (ed. Note…you do, now!) This is rare." She smiled and added " I feel like I have a front row seat to see how it goes…Got no backin' band…naked tonight"

Debut tonight, of a new cover, a new verse, and a new guitar, a Gibson 12 string.

Highlights Tonight:

Ain't No Time: kicked off a long awaited evening

Stop The Bus: featured a new lyric tonight

Go Down Low: Reduced to it's essence on the Steinway. (ed note I mentally inserted Jens harmony) (I hope) (I wasn't actually singing, was I Jan?)

Golden: Twelve string with pearl inlays, and a "Grace" nametag on the head, this beauty was premiered on Set 1 highlight MMJ's "Golden". The audios we have of her 2 prior takes on this are just pale projections of a standout, gem of a song.

Set 2: Matt joins for several songs on a sparse drum kit. He used a floor tom, on its side, taped to a stack of cafeteria trays to get it to the right height for the pedal, a snare, and two cymbals.

Tonight I'm Gonna Stay with you: Set openswith Dylans 1969 Nashville Skyline cut. Talk about a deep cut chestnut!

Falling or Flying: Another song we have waited for solo.

Paris: No ka-kaw tonight

Delta(!): audience provided claps as a background beat for this unexpected rocker that closed the second set.

And Apologies, at the Steinway closed the night on a breathless note after Neil Young's "out on The weekend". Except they decided on one more, a rollickin' harmonica-less Mystery Train.

Scene missing in the crowd: Sparky and Peggy

Grace and Matt came out pretty quick to work the merch table…I left pretty quick for the 3 hour ride home, pulling out at 12:14…but leaving with some great memories..

Set List

Ain't No Time 6 string

Meantime "

Stop The Bus piano

Ragged "

Go Down Low "

Golden 12 string

Angel>BWG piano

II

Tonight I'm gonna stay with you Piano, Matt

Toothbrush Piano, Matt

Ah Mary 6 string, Matt

Fallin "

Lose Some Time 12 string

Paris 6 string, Matt

Delta " "

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Out on The weekend 6 string. Matt

Apologies piano

Mystery Train 6 string Matt

I think I got the guitars and Matt correct on these songs… Set I 40 minutes, Set II 53 minutes