Michigan Boogie

Doc Watson at King Pleasure

Pat Sky at the Ark

I don't enjoy giving bad reviews to people I respect, but Doc and Merle Watson's appearance at King Pleasure Jan. 10, 11, and 12 was rather disappointing. Doc, grandaddy of all flatpickers just didn't seem interested in putting on a good show.

The last time I saw Doc was in concert, and his skill as a musician blew everybody's brains out. The only explanation I can find for the Watsons' bad performance is that they perform better in concert than in a night club setting

Even though the show wasn't up to par, the crowd loved it. Every time Doc would break into a fast instrumental or play a hot lick or two, hoots and hollers erupted from the audience. It's good to see so many people getting out and listening to "folk" music.

Traditional and Folky type music has almost always been available to those in Ann Arbor who desire it. In the early 60's, Canterbury House presented a folk motif and then the Ark became a local folk hangout. Canterbury House folded as a music scene a few years back but the Ark is alive and doing quite well, thank you.

David and Linda Siglin now run the nationally famous Ark and continue to bring excellent folk acts to our fair city.

Patrick Sky recently appeared at the Ark with a refreshingly laid back show. Patrick is an excellent songwriter, and with songs like "Ramblin' Hunchback" and "Child Molesting Blues" to his credit. He has long been an established performer on the folk circuit. He sings, talks, laughs and plays with his audience and makes them feel as relaxed as his playing. A performer in the true sense of the term, he tells his old bad jokes and laughs right along with his audience. "Love goes out the door when money flies innuendo."

Patrick is as well known for his drinking styles as he is for his songwriting. He claims to have been thrown out of every bar on the east coast at one time or another. A versatile writer, he writes songs both humorous and heavy. He closed his set last weekend with a great rendition of the classic "Drunken Ira Hayes."

An album on the Adelphi label called "Songs that Made America Famous" is Patrick's latest accomplishment. Hits like "Our Baby Died," "Vatican Caskets" and Dave Van Ronk's "Luang Prabang" make Patrick's album one of the best solo albums around.

Appearing at the Ark in upcoming weeks: 25, 26 Norman Kennedy, 31 Tracy Schwartz, 1, 2,3 Norman Blake, 8,9,10 Michael Coone 11, Alice Seeger and Hazel Dickens, 15,16 Putnam County String Band.

– Carson X. Napier