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Dear Purple Fiddler Friends,
Hello again!
Things are greening up and spring is in the air in the
mountains! I have been working hard on garden beds, willow fences, and getting
all of our plans together for our construction work to begin. We
received two generous grants from the State Historic Preservation Office last
year, and we are finally starting the projects. We are attacking
serious drainage problems, and redoing the brick exterior, and the Fiddler's
Roost Bed and Breakfast is getting a fine new metal roof. We have to
match the grant with our own money, but it still helps cover the costs a
great deal.
We are still hoping to build the addition, and have the bids in
and just await the go-ahead for financing. Our bid for the addition is
$345,000, so it is no wonder it is taking some time to get it approved.
It would be so nice, but it is pretty hard to swallow.
The City of Thomas kindly honored our request for a building
permit, so almost everything is lined up. As all of our regular customers
know, we are bursting at the seams, and the addition will give us a
great space to host private gatherings for large groups. So for all of you
folks waiting to hear the latest on the addition for your upcoming
weddings... it is looking good, if we can justify the expense to the bank. We
should hear by next week and we will let all of you know!
Thomas is just bursting with new businesses soon to open this
spring. There is going to be a flower shop, a bakery, bike and kayak
store, to mention a few. We welcome them to our street! The more we offer
as a community district, the better it is for everyone! Come visit our
street, it is changing and growing all the time.
Oh ya, NO the Purple Fiddle did not burn down, nor did it have
a fire, but wow, we are very impressed with how healthy and
well-traveled the grapevine is... we have been getting calls for the last couple of
weeks, asking how bad the fire was, and if we were planning to open for
business again soon... the fact of the matter is that an employee moved
the main power line to wash the siding and when water got into the
cracked encasing, smoke and sparks greeted her. No fire, no burnt to the
ground, no tragedy, no nothing really, but a lot of curious bystanders and
three fire trucks.
The trash guy, who is also a local volunteer fire fighter, just
happened by, and low and behold the trucks came bellowing down the
wrong side of the street, lights and sirens blaring... just too much
excitement! We replaced the old line and were without power to the bed and
breakfast for a week, but everything is ship shape. It was actually a
really good thing that it happened in broad daylight and while there was a
little human error involved. We feel lucky that it did not happen in a
storm in the middle of the night. The house is over a hundred years old
and we want to preserve it. Everyone and everything is safe.
This all happened the morning after John hosted me a surprise
birthday party, and what a party... and much teasing went down on my
expense when staff and friends found me in the same clothes from the night
before, later in the evening after dealing with fire, power, and
electrical contractor guys all day... oh well, the stories they could tell...
We are looking forward to a very strong summer music line-up
here at the Purple Fiddle. John has done a fabulous job booking big names
in Americana and acoustic traditional music. We are continually blown
away by the amazing talent that wants to play our room. We are excited
to get the addition so we can think a little bigger and know we have the
numbers to support going out on a limb to get world-class acts on a
more regular basis. Check out some of these groups on their websites, if
you don't already recognize them- Demolition String Band, The Biscuit
Burners, Uncle Earl, Adrienne Young and Little Sadie, Fragment (bluegrass
from Czech and Slovak Republics), Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike, Old
School Freight Train, Sara Lee Guthrie, Steppin In It, Avett Brothers,
Steep Canyon Rangers, Hackensaw Boys, The Deep River Band ( Britain's
best bluegrass band), Tony Trishka (still tentative), David Grier and
many others.... Check our schedule (below or at www.purplefiddle.com) for
more info.
Hope to see you at a show real soon. We have some great shows
in the next two weeks. This Friday is the Hunger Mountain Boys who play
old-time country duets and wear vintage clothes. They have fabulous
harmonies and were winners of Mountain Stage Newsong Contest. Saturday, be
prepared to party with fiddle favorite, Special Ed and the Shortbus,
the six man crew of antics and armpits who have a heavy dose of talents
to boot. Sunday is Royal Pine, featured in Thursday's Charleston
Gazette, an acoustic gypsy-folk duet from NYC.
Next weekend brings a wide assortment of genres with Friday, a
straight up traditional bluegrass band, Casher's Flat. Saturday April
30 offers a great jamgrass band called Greensky Bluegrass that will
guarantee to clear the couches off the dance floor. Sunday May 1 we will
have the Scissormen, an electric slide bluesman and his percussionist
tear it up, so be prepared for LOUD, and lots of talent.
We will be extending our summer hours in early May, so feel
free to stop by for early morning coffee or an evening ice cream or cold
beer any day of the week.
Have a good one.
Kate
Mountain Music Schedule
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