Black Twig Pickers: Black Twigs on Friday, May 20

by nf, 19 May 07:32

The Black Twig Pickers, aka the Black Twigs, aka the Black Twig AstroMyth Serenaders, celebrate their new "Midnight Has Come and Gone" cd in high fashion this very Friday night at the Coffee Mill on East Main Street in Radford, Va. Come flatfoot around a little or sink deep in a couch and scratch your (metaphorical) beard at the wonder of it all.

It's a three-band string extravaganza: Up first at 6 p.m. is the Radford duo Acoustic Country. Then the Twigs -- reunited with the studious Brother Isak -- start a first set shortly after 7, and uncork a second later in the evening. And between episodes, those Shawsville heroes/heroine the Thornton Family will work their two- or three-generational take on Sound Traditionale, featuring, it is hoped, the Dobrolic stylings of the Fort Vause String Shaker himself. Don't miss this rare appearance in a commercial establishment.

Expect multiple fiddles, banjos, autoharps, dulcimers, at least one string bass and (so it's rumored, anyhow) a wandering mandolin, plus lots of solo, duo, trio and even full quartet yowling. Plus that 6-string guit-lute so popular in old-timey circles. To dip (spit can in hand) into the vernacular, It's a marvelous night for a moondance/don't you rock me Daddy-o.

Hopefully folks'll be hopped up enough to dance some, and remember, the Coffee Mill keeps the java warm until closing time.

(There's also talk of a Black Twigs session Saturday evening in Blacksburg, perhaps on Henderson Lawn.)

--al;ksdjf