out & about by Martha Bassett
Even though 2021 is far from over, the season finale of the Martha Bassett Show is just around the corner. On October 21, I’ll host my last show of the year at the Reeves Theater in Elkin. We’ll take a short break and start up again in February. If all goes well, I plan to increase our number of shows next year, which will be (unbelievably) Season 5! But first I’d like to take stock of this past season. 2021 has been a wild ride. We started the season later than usual, in May, and without live audiences, aside from a few friends that I invited to come and clap for us. Our season premiere featured two North Carolinians, guitarist and composer Colin Allured, and singer-songwriter Lyn Koonce, whose star is on the rise. Following that, we featured EmiSunshine from Tennessee, and North Carolina’s Presley Barker, two young artists who, as teenagers, have already garnered national audiences. American Songster Dom Flemons (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) came from Chicago to grace our stage, paired with national dulcimer champion Sarah Kate Morgan from Kentucky. I had the pleasure of working with country singer Martha Spencer of Southwestern Virginia for the first time. She was paired with the funky Sam Fribush Organ Trio featuring international guitar god Charlie Hunter. That takes us through June. We were finally able to open for ticketed shows in July, and folks were bubbling with enthusiasm to hear live music again. Our Band (Justin Poindexter and Sasha Papernik) traveled down from New York City and played on the same show as Redd Volkaert, famous for his telecaster magic and membership in Merle Haggard’s band. Next was a high intensity show with the Nashville duo, Wild Ponies, paired with North Carolinian Kyle Caudle. Ben de la Cour came to us from Nashville, and old-time duo Tui from Massachusetts. Guitarist Yasmin Williams traveled from Washington D.C and was paired with the legendary North Carolina singer-songwriter Joe Newberry. Perhaps the longest drive was made by Austin-based artists Carrie Elkin and Danny Schmidt, who played the same night as guitarist Drake Duffer from Winston-Salem and old-time band Gap Civil from Sparta. Somewhere in the middle of all those shows, WUTC in Chattanooga began syndicating our radio show to a large region in Tennessee. In September and early October, we had our first outdoor performances. The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County sponsored the first, which was held at a beautiful amphitheater at Triad Park in Kernersville. We featured Chance McCoy (of Old Crow Medicine Show), Floridian Swamp Sista 18 • SURRY LIVING Oct. 2021 Issue
Beth McKee, and guitarist Presley Barker. (By the way, Chance McCoy will be returning to the Reeves on October 29 to do his own show. Check him out!) On October 2, the Martha Bassett Show hosted a full day of music at Bailey Park in WinstonSalem for IdeasCityWS Festival. There were seven glorious hours featuring Winston-Salem musicians of various genres. I’m most proud that we expanded the number of small Elkin businesses we represent on the show, podcast, and on WFDD to include Dirty Joe’s Coffee, the Smoothie Station, Gwyn and Market Mercantile, the Barkery, Lifestore Insurance, Elk Pharmacy, Yoga on Main, Coley Hall at the Liberty, Angry Troll Brewing, Southern on Main, Yadkin Valley Quilts, the Wisdom Table, & Fruition! Next year we’d like to include local wineries and farms. This community support has meant everything to us. During this whole season we’ve learned to roll with the ups and downs of the ongoing Covid restrictions, and at this point I’m just happy to be able make music with and for other people again. We’ll finish up the season back at our home, the beautiful Reeves Theater, on Oct 21. I hope you’ll come join us live, but if in-person gatherings are not up your alley right now, I hope you’ll tune in to our livestream at www.marthabassetshow.com We’ll be living into our tag line: Good Music for Good People.
