FOLKFAN
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Eric Schwartz and Christina Muir with Ann Mayo Muir on September 10, 2003 at Vic’s Music Corner, Rockville, Md
“What kind of girl do Vic and Reba think I am” booking me with Eric Swartz. These are some of Christina opening words. Reba response was quick: “Is that why you brought your mother along?"
Of course Christina says, at the Takoma Park Folk Festival they booked me to play my modern dulcimer music in a set with Robert Lee Smith, a very traditional dulcimer player. That was a divergent combination also. This is a lead in to Christiana’s song on dulcimer that goes about outer and inner space which begins I don't know much about black holes… and contains the question – what does a black hole do with all that light?
On a larger dulcimer, Christina plays a song she wrote for her sister by marriage, Andrea In 1986 when Christina wrote this song, she hoped the song could help recall her sister to come home to herself. Since then, Andrea has passed on, but lives in the memories of her family – Moonchild.
Christina is wearing one of the dresses I call her “goddess” dresses – golden and shimmering in the light and as she explains, very long so she can sit modestly on a tall stool while holding the dulcimer in her lap. Her glamour is in contract to the rustic BBQ place – on the top right of the back stage dark wooden wall is a buffalo skull.
Christina introduces her mom, the famous Ann Mayo Muir of the trio Bok, Trickett, and Muir. Ann is now studying to play the fiddle and nickel harp (a 13th century pre-violin instrument).
Ann Mayo Muir tells us that as a little girl, Christina upstairs while Ann was working on the following song downstairs. Later, out of the blue, Christina tells Mom, wouldn't this go with that song and sings a lovely harmony to it that others later recorded. So this child with great musical instincts is now our melodic Christina. They sing the song: Cousin Emmy's Blues, and then the now classic, Two Fine Friends.
Christina thanks Eric for letting her open, saying she warmed out the place, and look out because now with Eric things will boil.
Eric's retort is, your set was so beautiful. I almost hate to ruin it (by singing). But he launches anyway into:
Tell Tell Kitchen - if you want to keep her, keep her out of your house
Sharing just too much information Eric tells us the "sword of Reba" is hanging over his head. He promised Reba he would not do a very "blue" night of songs. So now we in the audience get to worry too whether he will step over the line. He doesn't in the next song:
Is It Wrong To Be Loved by Someone as Lovely as You
Oh now Eric is pointing to the buffalo skull on the wall and saying, that guy is the last one to do a blue show here. Reba says something and Eric protests: "it's now fair Reba, you can say anything". He is having trouble watching his words...
Hattie and Mattie
Eric has a new CD, Sunday Blue, co-produced by Jack Williams. He sings some songs from it.
No One Said It Would be Easy (at the keyboard)
Lady Lilah
My Great Big World - a peppy song that get a great audience response.]
The song about Eric's grandfather's trip to court - when you hear this song, you know a bit about where Eric got his attitude.
The Things Stoned People Do - now why do Christina and her Mom sing back up on this song?
Written from President Bush's perspective - I'm gonna piss on the hornet's nest
It's Charlie Here - this one written from the perspective of Charlie Brown (Eric the complex man of many personas!)
Eric thanks Vic and Reba the best known folk couple in the country. Ok, is he buttering up Reba. Because the audience is chambering for the one song that may offend her.
Instead Eric does
I'd Love to Go Where there is Nowhere to Go
Now it's time for the encore. The audience is still requesting - Who Da Bitch Now. I have to admit that I am part of this audience, and although this song make me queasy, I don't protest Eric singing it and I do always laugh (nervously). Reba finally accedes to crowd pressure and gives the nod and Eric sings this song.
A night of witty retorts. Lots of laughter. A very satisfied audience. I think Reba will invite Eric back.
