Church House Concerts’ Blog

We’ve already noted the fact that Idgy Vaughn is seriously cute.

Having just spent most of four days with Idgy as Debi and I accompanied her to compete as a finalist in the WUMB Boston Folk Festival Song Contest, we can now attest that Idgy is also seriously smart, seriously thoughtful, and seriously at risk for major attention in the music world, should justice rule and the fates deliver.

Let’s get this out of the way: Idgy took second place in the adult division of the song contest. If she hadn’t experienced an equipment failure and been forced to play with an unfamiliar instrument, she likely would have taken first place. To hear the tune she played and make your own decision, surf here and choose “Time Bomb” in the music player.

Now, back to the serious.

There are so many paths to recognition these days, and so many of them begin and end with a pretty face, a stroke of luck, a flash in the pan, and a prompt landing in the dim recesses of public memory, right behind the next contestant on “American Idol.”

Idgy did in fact experience an incredible stroke of luck, when a friend hit the lottery and gave her the money to record a CD of her songs in the musical inferno of Austin, Texas. As a result, she managed to come up with an album that is so good, it would be tempting to dismiss it as just another well-funded vanity project, with the musical virtuosity of graying masters glossing over a lack of substance — except for a few little details.

First, the lyrics of these eleven completely original tunes are really, really good. Idgy’s powerful autobiographical stories describe the challenges of reaching for a dream while everyone around her worked their hardest to convince her she was foolish, crazy or evil. Her phrasing sounds so natural you’d guess she was raised by parents who spoke only in rhyme. Only one song on the album is not drawn directly from her own life, and only one song — the spunkiest little murder tune you’ve ever whistled — is fictional.

Then there’s the fact that every song features melodies and musical structures that quickly weld themselves into your brain so completely that it becomes difficult to remember what it was like before this music entered your life.

Add in the fact that Idgy is not a lightweight singer. In turns confident, aching, doubt-filled, sly, girlish, reverent or sexy, she constantly tunes her delivery to the content of the song, matching the packaging with the message.

Yes, the arrangement of each tune is brilliant, and it was surprising to learn just how much of that was because Idgy drove her musical posse like a woman possessed, betting she had only one chance to scratch this line in the history of Austin’s Flashpoint Studios, where folks like Townes Van Zandt, the Austin Lounge Lizards, Tish Hinojosa, Cindy Cashdollar and the Asylum Street Spankers have recorded previously.

Full disclosure: Idgy will not be bringing the busload of first-class musical codgers she recorded this brilliant CD with from Austin to Haddam for our show on Thursday, September 25 at 7:00pm.

She will be bringing Will Sexton, an ever-so-tasteful guitarist who somehow maintains a very low internet profile, while having played with a lengthy A-list of notables, and packing the thickest little black book of musicians Idgy’s ever seen.

This show will allow you the best of both worlds: the opportunity to hear the stripped-down, unadulterated songs the way they sounded shortly after birth, and the chance to take home a CD that combines an uncompromised new voice with an incomparable band and stellar arrangements.

Now that’s a seriously good deal. 

(Want to help spread the word? Spread this around!)

Sometimes you win just by showing up.

This is a lesson we often learn in real estate, in dining, and definitely in music.

A couple of weekends ago, Debi won big after I spotted some ultralight aircraft overhead on a beautiful Saturday morning.

Rushing over to the East Haddam airstrip, we found a group of friends playing with their handmade planes and helicopters. By the time I got the camera gear out of the car, Debi was climbing into a tiny cockpit and taking off with some guy who assured me he’d bring her back eventually.

After toodling around the neighborhood, buzzing our house, and inspecting the Chester Fair from the air, pilot Bob and Debi returned to the ground, each with a smug look of satisfaction on their faces. I have a friendly hunch Bob was taking pleasure in the fact that he’d thrilled a woman some fraction of his age, while Debi seemed convinced I was right to urge her to get dressed and come out with me for an adventure. Hey, I *will* take credit for that!

The good news is that we can all get lucky like this, just by saying “yes” more than “no.”

As an example, this Friday, September 12, you can say “yes” and get a twofer in the bargain: a pleasant visit to Haddam’s spanking new Farmers’ Harvest Market on the Higganum Green, and (probably) a sneak-peek at upcoming Church House Concerts performer Idgy Vaughn.

I am very pleased to announce that I am the co-founder of a venture I never expected to get off the ground so quickly: a new Farmers’ Market. Lofted by the efforts of a crack and motivated team of dedicated volunteers, the Higganum Village Market sets off on its maiden voyage this Friday, September 12 from 3:00pm to at least 6:00pm on the Higganum Center Green, which is located across from the elementary school at the junction of Rts. 154 and 81 in Haddam. From Rt. 9 South, take exit 10 and head South on 154, or from Rt. 9 North, take exit 9 and head north on Rt. 81 into town, and watch for the gathering on the Green. You’ll find over twenty (yes, 20+!) booths with area farmers, food makers and artisans offering their fresh and delicious wares. Higganum Center merchants will also be offering a variety of specials, including a wine tasting, a beer tasting, and special food deals during and after the event. Nothing this cool has happened in Higganum Center for quite a while, and it’s all because a few motivated folks decided to make something happen, and showed up to do it.

I can’t take much of the credit, though, since while these dedicated folks are making the market happen, I’ll be at the airport, picking up Idgy Vaughn.

Idgy, of course, is our next headliner, set to play the Church House on Thursday, September 25. Debi and I are just about jumping out of our skins in anticipation of this show. Most every morning for the past several weeks, we’ve been waking to ask each other which of Idgy’s songs is stuck in our heads. Oddly, we never have the same song playing, but we get a laugh by comparing which of Idgy’s tunes has inextricably velcroed itself to our brain cells overnight.

Idgy happens to be a finalist in the WUMB Boston Folk Festival songwriters’ contest, and is competing for top honors in that event this Saturday. We’ll be accompanying her to Boston for this event. But if all goes according to plan, Idgy will arrive in Connecticut just in time to drop by the Higganum Village Market to play a short set on the Green’s gazebo before the market closes Friday evening.

So if you’re up for a little adventure this Friday, (no pilot’s license required), come to the very first Higganum Village Market, where we’ll be celebrating the bounty of the harvest with some of the area’s finest farmers and the foodies who love them. Hang around for a while, and watch for the guy with the dazedly star-struck look in his eye, and the cute redhead singing like she just wrote a bunch of million-dollar tunes and can’t wait to pour them on you like local honey on fresh-picked berry pancakes.

When you realize you haven’t had enough yet, don’t miss Idgy’s full-length show at the Church House, also featuring ace guitarist Will Sexton on Thursday, the 25th. Reserve your seat for that very special event in a hurry, though.

As the saying goes: “This could be the best day of your life. The least you can do is show up for it.”