Demo: "Love at the Five and Dime" (Nanci Griffith) (Patreon)

As many of you know, I was asked to be part of the Signature Sounds/Back Porch Fest tribute to Nanci Griffith at The Drake in Amherst last week. Kris Delmhorst, Lisa Bastoni, and the Winterpills also performed, and we were all backed by The Deep River Ramblers (Jim Henry, Chris Brashear, Paul Kochanski, and guest Tim Bowles).

In preparation for the show, we actually don't rehearse much. The acts put together demos or charts or sometimes just lyric sheets for the backing band, and then get together with the band once, maybe twice, to run the songs and see if we can cross-pollinate some harmonies. It's very different from our polished solo concert shows and yet, because we're all flying by the seat (as it were), energy and nerves run hot and high on show night and something magical *always* happens. This night was no exception.

How I wish I had video for you ... but I do not. What I can offer is the demo I sent around for "Love at the Five and Dime" -- a song I believed Kathy Mattea had written, because she's the only one I ever heard sing it. I came to Nanci Griffith's work the same way I came to Townes Van Zandt's -- through other peoples' renditions. I also performed "Outbound Plane" which I'd learned back when Suzy Bogguss' had a hit with it on country radio, and "Gulf Coast Highway," which Dave Carter introduced me to a thousand years ago through Emmylou and Willie's version.

In any event, I hope this little home recording of an old favorite brings you some joy.

Onward! xotg