A family affair at The Toadstool

On a cloudy, snow-wearyed Saturday evening, I wound my way through the quiet streets of Peterborough to see a performance by The Ahs, a duet originally formed in New Hampshire (now based in Oregon) and Peterborough locals, Redwing Blackbird. Walking up the path, The Toadstool Bookshop looked a first glance like it might be closed. But, a small hand-drawn sign outside told me to come on in, so I entered the darkened bookstore and sat down.

The intimate group of locals, friends, family and truly adorable kids took up a small space that had been cleared for the performance, with shelves full of books for makeshift walls. Some sat on chairs, some sat on the floor, and some, who were up past their bedtimes, sat on laps. The only light in the store came from two silver cone lamps placed at the feet of the performers, making it feel like I was at a family reunion during a blackout and we decided to have a jam session!

First up were The Ahs. This talented duo of cellist Tony Rogers and singer/songwriter/banjoist Amy McIntire filled the cozy store with their contemporary/classical/folk sounds, both artists complementing each other perfectly, both musically and vocally - and I have to say that Amy McIntire's voice sounded like crystal in the small store - like a young Joni Mitchell who has great control of her voice. Their sound is thankfully hard to define - like something from the mountains of Appalachia by way of New York's Sin-e' cafe. One toddler couldn't resist chiming in with her own percussion in the form of slapping the seat of an empty chair with unrestrained joy. That alone said it all.

As Austin Wright and Eric Gagne of Redwing Blackbird came up next, a young girl wearing pink rabbit ears made sure to point out to them that not only were her ears not REAL bunny ears (we were all glad to know that:), but that she wanted to sit next to them as they played. And who could blame her? The music of Redwing Blackbird is meant to be listened to intimately. You want this music, these lyrics, these harmonies as close to your ears as possible. Covering social issues, love, and of course, nature in all its forms, Redwing Blackbird is the auditory equivalent to Walt Whitman taking a summer stroll with Nick Drake and Iron & Wine, passing Simon & Garfunkel and The Band along the way. This is some of the best acoustic folk music I've heard in a long time. For me, the highlight was their performance of "Hummingbirds" (my favorite song of theirs), which was even more lovely and haunting heard live. At the end of the set, they brought The Ahs out to do a couple of songs with them, and the group performance of their song "Redwing Blackbird" was just stellar. Someone remarked in the audience, "I think a new group has been born."

Whether or not that ever happens, I look forward to what both of these groups do next. Over the last few months, I've seen a lot of performances and seen a lot of bands all over the state for this blog. I have to say that this one was one of the most genuinely moving performances I have been to. It wasn't technically perfect and wasn't without the distractions of kids asking for mommy, but...actually, that's what made it special. It felt like I was sitting with family, enjoying that pure way that music can move you.