Tara Nevins (with Carol Elizabeth Jones)
North Shore Point House Concert
Norfolk, VA
June 11, 2011
Review by Paul Roberge of the Herd
After a restful few days at the beach, Mags and I decided to extend our vacation by a day and make the trek to Norfolk to catch the house concert with Tara Nevins. Mapquest fixed the driving distance from Holden Beach, NC (south of Wilmington) to Norfolk at 318 miles, but the actual distance turned out to be more like 352 miles, and we got caught in a long stretch of stop-and-roll traffic, thanks to construction. Happily, the drive time from Norfolk to Durham is under four hours, and so the trip home tomorrow shouldn’t be so bad.
The concert was held in the back yard of a private home in a very cool, older neighborhood in the northern part of the city, in the general vicinity of the navy base. There was a small stage — a riser, actually — with a tent, off to the side that could be placed over it in case of rain. Folding chairs were set up for about 120 people, and it looked like all but a few were taken. Some people spread blankets to the sides of the seated area and had picnics. The host, Jim Morrison, also provided beer and water for his guests, though many people brought their own. There were a number of Donna the Buffalo fans in attendance, though the overwhelming majority seemed to be local music aficionados who enjoy the house concert scene and who are interested in hearing new sounds. Unfortunately, a storm front rolled in just before the show got under way. The cool breeze was a relief, but menacing skies provided a backdrop against which the the first half of the show was performed. Finally, some sprinkles, placement of the tent over the performers, then more serious raindrops, then the downpour. Some people sought shelter in the garage, others in the house; still others called it a night. Jim brought out plastic bags for the instruments and moved the show into his home. Tara and Carol Elizabeth set up in his spacious living room and performed without amplification. People sat on the floor and stood, spilling out into the dining room. Somehow, this worked just fine.
This turned out to be a very special evening indeed, both for the intimacy of a house concert and for the opportunity to see Tara perform in her own right. Musically, the concert was a melange of old time, material from Tara’s recent release, Wood and Stone, and some Donna the Buffalo favorites. Tara’s musicianship is peerless, and she is also a most engaging raconteuse. I came away with a new appreciation for and admiration of this remarkable talent and very special person. A heartfelt thanks to our host, Jim Morrison, for sponsoring this event and for inviting us into his home. My daughter had it right when she said that this is an evening that we shall always remember fondly. No question about it. This was a beautiful experience.
Paul R.
[Also, check out this review of the show by host Jim Morrison and find out more about the evolution of house concerts as well: Magic moments: a decade of house-concerts]
Photo by Maggie Roberge. Reposted here with permission.
Photo by Maggie Roberge. Reposted here with permission.
Tara Nevins, fiddle, guitar, vocals
Carol Elizabeth Jones, guitar, backing vocals, lead vocal on “Chilly Winds,” “The North Country,” and “Half Way to Nowhere”
Set List
Start: 8.15pm
I
Breaking up Christmas
Wood and Stone
What Money Cannot Buy
Chilly Winds
The North Country
Stars Fell on Alabama
Locket and Key
Nothing Really
Sugar Hill
Snowbird
You’re still Driving that Truck (interrupted by thunder storm; show stopped at 9.18pm)
II (show restarted indoors at 9.40pm)
Lee Highway Blues
You’re still Driving that Truck
No Place like the Right Time
Polecat Blues
All I ever Needed
You’ve Got it All
Half Way to Nowhere
Cotton Eye Joe
Family Picture
Train 45
John Henry
Finish: 10.43pm
[…] Tara and Carol Elizabeth played, and played, and then, when they wanted to finish, the crowd begged for one more, an old fiddle tune. A couple who attends nearly every show sat cross-legged right in front, fanning them as the music got hotter and hotter. A Donna the Buffalo fan, at his first North Shore Point show, swayed against the rear wall, occasionally singing along, encouraged by the Woodford Reserve and the moment. A daughter, up from Durham with her father, mouthed the lyrics to every song (Here is a link to their review of the evening). […]