Ol' Front Porch Music Festival

 
      Saturday October 17, 2015 was the date of the 2nd annual Ol' Front Porch Music Festival in the quaint town of Oriental, NC. A town where Ol' front porches adorned with pumpkins and corn stalks are the distinguished architectural element embellishing nearly every home in town.


   

     The filtered sunshine warming the autumn day
was picture perfect for a lazy stroll along the

The Carmonas performance was a crowd pleaser

typically quiet streets of Oriental and for stopping to enjoy the melodic phrases straining from 21 predetermined front porches where crowds gathered in anticipation of the down home sounds of Appalachian folk, sea chanteys, gospel and bluegrass.

 

The Salty Paws
Michele (Bodhran), Bentley (banjo), Jim (guitar), Dave (guitar)

     This year The Salty Paws Band was invited back for a second performance on the front porch of The Bean on the waterfront. Bentley, Jim, Dave and Michele were scheduled to perform on the porch from 1:00-2:30 PM. We geared up early prior to our engagement in order to be able to enjoy the festival's diverse assemblage of opening acts starting at 11:00 AM.


   

A few members of the Uhoos

The Dixie Strings

     The festival opened with The Uhoos (Ukulele Hoalohas of Oriental) a fun loving group of 30 members who have been playing a diverse genre of music together for two years. After a stroll from Hodges to Broad Street Joe and I also enjoyed the performances by Dixie Strings a youthful talented bluegrass/gospel group on mandolin, fiddle, guitar and stand-up bass and The Flat Mountain Dulcimers. We had just enough time to enjoy a few tunes by Green Creek Bluegrass at The Old Hotel front porch before it was time for our set up and tune up at The Bean at 1:00 PM.

The Flat Mountain Dulcimers

The Salty Paws
Michele, Bentley, Jim and Dave performing at The Bean

   
     The Salty Paws Band was able to play through our entire playlist including favorites such as Fox on the Run, Mary Ellen Carter, Whiskey in the Jar, Rant & Roar along with numerous other sea chanteys as well as a fusion of genres. A few encore pieces such as bluegrass/gospel I'll Fly Away and the well known favorite Rolling Home were performed to the delight of the festival audience. At times there were over 50 roving festival attendees enjoying our porch concert!

   

The Carmonas

     When all was said and done we reflected back upon a great experience. Perfect weather, talented
bands, good food and good friends. Life is and has been, so far (we're cautiously optimistic)...even better than expected!

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Location:Oriental, North Carolina