REVIEW of Harmony House Gig with Sara and Kristin
July 30, 2008
By Allen Rich
July 28, 2008
The audience at Harmony House learned three things from Sara Hickman Friday evening. We learned what it's like when nervous censors rewrite your song 10 minutes before your national TV debut (with the late, great Johnny Carson, no less), we learned that we are each other's angels (that one we suspected) and we learned that if men will just ask, the woman in their life will confess what she always wanted but was afraid to ask for (a kayak?...I didn't even have that on the list!).
Sara Hickman said she felt right at home in Fannin County Friday night. As a matter of fact, the Austin-based performer said the warm intimate setting at Harmony House took her back to the days when she visited her hard-of-hearing spinster great-aunts in Alabama. The ladies had eyeglasses that looked thick as the bottom of a Coke bottle and the house was equipped with a big black telephone that had a powerful rumble when it rang, after which one of the great-aunts would scream, "I'll get it!" loud enough for all the neighbors to hear.
As a little girl studying the lines on their faces, Sara remembers wondering if they'd laughed enough; she wondered if they'd loved enough. She wondered what a child would eventually think one day at the sight of her own face as they laid her to rest. Then Hickman set it all to music with a song about "trying so hard to remember what we grow up to forget."
The tears in her eyes were proof she has succeeded only too well.
With intricate backing harmonies from fellow Austinite Kristin deWitt, Hickman mixed several original tunes with a classic Phil Ochs song and even one Rolling Stones tune.
"Mick Jagger is still hot," Hickman said with a grin. "I'd run my fingers through his wrinkles anytime."
It doesn't seem fair that someone this much fun to hear sing can be even more fun to listen to when she talks, but Hickman's story about her ill-fated TV debut with Carson was a jewel. First, a make-up lady with a thick German accent found out the singer was from Texas and exclaimed, "We give you big hair!" Hickman protested, but the lady shrugged her off. Soon Sara had a Texas-sized hairdo, bright red cheeks and even brighter red lipstick. The show's producers had selected the song, Sara had already practiced it with the band, but 10 minutes before the performance a member of the crew said the censor wouldn't allow the slightly risqué lyrics. Again Hickman protested to no avail. Revised lyrics were offered, but Sara decided to try another song. She went on to make her first appearance on national TV playing a song the band had never heard and with one of Hickman's friends yelling out chord changes to the musicians. The ending was the most difficult part since the band had no idea when the song actually ended and, in fact, an enthusiastic drummer continued playing, so everybody felt obliged to join back in for a few more bars. Hickman said just as she was really getting mad that her TV debut had become a comedy of errors, the audience began cheering wildly and she could hear Carson over at his desk singing her song. Carson waved for Hickman to come sit down in the guest's chair. Hickman strolled over and sat down, all the time waving to the crowd that was applauding and waving back. Then she turned to Carson and shrieked--up close, Hickman could tell that same make-up lady had given Johnny bright red cheeks and dark mascara.
That big smile of Sara's charmed Carson on two occasions; she once toured with Dan Fogelberg and Hickman even sang a duet with the one and only George Burns. But Friday night, Sara Hickman was entertaining a lucky crowd in rural Fannin County, far from the rush and bright lights of the city, thanks to the vision of Scott Lipsett and Faye Weddell, creators of Harmony House.
Hickman was born in North Carolina, grew up in Houston, received her B.A. in Fine Arts from UNT in 1986 and has 14 albums to her credit, including award-winning children's albums.
Her last CD, Motherlode, featured contributions by Shawn Colvin, Kelly Willis, Adrian Belew and Jimmy La Fave, just to name a few.
Sara still finds time to lend her support to Safe Place, Habitat For Humanity, Race for the Cure, SPCA, House the Homeless and countless other organizations. An album Hickman managed to produce herself, Newborn, has allowed her to donate over $50,000 to Hill Country Youth Ranch, a special place that helps abused and neglected children.
There is something very special about the land in our own Red River valley. There is something very special about what Harmony House Concerts have come to mean to fans of original, inventive musicians. There is something hidden deep inside most of us that runs very near the surface of Sara Hickman. All of that added up to a spectacular performance July 25.
They say that Sara likes to leave an artistic chalk doodle on your sidewalk when she stops by. There are no sidewalks in northern Fannin County, but she managed to leave a mark to remember her by, just the same.
posted by Sara Hickman at 01:24 pm
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THREADGILL’S GIG/Wednesday, July 23
July 22, 2008
8 pm
Solo, with Kristin AND with Band...so you can hear all the different ways you like to hear the music!
Please come out and hear us! Free hugs, happiness and music, of course!
Love,
Sara
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:47 pm
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AND NOW: A continuation of the journey…Oklahoma to today…
sure how many people were at the festival on that Friday, but it sure looked like a couple thousand...we rocked and giggled and I dedicated a song ("Size Six
Dress") to any teenage girls in attendance, to tell them that their bodies were amazing and that their minds mattered---that no one should ever tell them differently.
I had many, many young women (and a few adult women) come up to tell me how much it meant to them to hear the message, my speaking and singing
about it.
Andrew Hardin popped up to join us on guitar, as well as Dean on the drums...which was very fine, indeed!... I had told them I'd love to have them
up for two songs but it would be too hard to play the next or any other ones... the next up was "Everything's Red"...but...
I guess Dean didn't understand me, because he chose to stay and jam on and on, and oh I was trying to use the neck of my guitar
to give him cues...but finally I turned to holler, "Fade OUT!" over his drumming, trying not to cause anyone embarrassment, but he misunderstood me
and stopped dead! By then it was becoming comical, I suppose, but I was frustrated in that I wanted to perform the song, to deliver it at it's peak,
but it was uncomfortable to have two side men (two very capable side men, at that!) wanting to play but they did not
know WHAT to play. Kristin joined in the fracas and was yelling out instructions, as well. We eventually just turned back to the mic
and she and I just went for the vocal rave up to bring the song to a halt...
So,if you are ever told by a female musician, "I don't do 1-4-5 type songs," know she isn't foolin' around and wait
for a rehearsal so the jam can be sensational and full fledged. And the lesson for me (the female musician)
is to say "NO, not today but sometime!" and hang on to the "no". Nicely, of course!
Hung out and heard the other sets---John Gorka, fabulous as always---and sat in with Don Conoscenti, who, I'm thinking is at a very bored station in life
and wanting to explore and stretch and push, and I totally get that...so he was taking a lot of risk on stage, performing only cover songs with two musicians
just sitting in (he was calling out changes, too) and then Kristin came and grabbed me and said Don wanted us to join him, and by golly! That was FANTASTIC!
I love the randomness and thrill of NOT knowing what someone ELSE is performing and just jumping in to sing back ups (or play guitar)...so Kristin and I
were women on a mission---oohing and aahing in thirds and sliding our voices all over the globe, dancing like we'd just gotten back from Uganda
and even throwing in some crazy yoga moves...the ebb and flow of responding to Don was like being in the Cheese all over again (the Dallas Improv
band I had been in.) I think the audience was a little confused by what they were seeing, but on stage, I was lovin' it! Kristin and I were crackin' ourselves up.
Finally, around 10:30, we all got back on stage to perform songs by Phil Ochs. I had been assigned two wonderful songs---"There But For Fortune", which I
now plan to record; such a song...oh, I love it---and "While I'm Here", which I enjoyed performing, too. Kristin had practiced them with me in the hotel room,
and our version of "There But For Fortune" felt like pure love flowing from our tongues. It was a delight, too, switching from upper harmonies to lower in the
middle of the verses (Kristin's idea, and it made it much more sophisticated and fun for me as I was playing guitar, too.) Jimmy LaFave sang so compellingly,
I can't remember the title of his song...And David Amran played his penny whistles and the Red Dirt Rangers were spectacular, bringing upbeat rock alt
country fun to the two songs they had chosen, one about gasoline. Definately a great ending to a long, dusty day!
Saturday---I was up very early, 7 am---drove to OKC to perform on the Yippi Ay Yo show, put together by my friend, Kari Hirst-Starkey. She has such a
terrific, creative mind---she used to own the Yippie Ay Yo Cafe, a coffee house that was very popular in the late nineties, and she has been a part of comedy
improv and theatrical groups, so she has such a vivacious and inspiring soul. She has put together this variety show of characters, skits, puppetry and music, and
I was the guest artist for the day's show. Children and their families, all congregated in this groovy 1950's domed theatre, with a circus art show on review
out in the museum. Loads of fun for everyone!
Afterwards, got to the hotel and changed into clothes to meet up with my friend, Otis, for dinner. He has a sporty like silver racing car, so he drove me
QUICKLY to the restaurant, which tasted DELICIOUS and I can not think of the name (Adobe Mexican?) Over in Bricktown...the food was some of the
best Mexican I have ever had, and you know that says something living in Austin, TX where we have authentic Mexican food on every corner...
I think it was the salsas that won me over, too..
Well, I'll type more later about outside Tulsa (the house concert), going to Vegas, this weekend in Dallas for MFL and the library gigs with SPU once I finish making the girls dinner.
posted by Sara Hickman at 02:49 pm
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WSLR
July 18, 2008
I just wanted to let you know I found your version of "Mad World" so powerful. I am the co-host of a radio show on WSLR radio in Florida.
We recently did an interview with Howard Dully, a very beautiful person who wrote a book "My Lobotomy" about the lobotomy he was given
when he was 10 years ol. I used your version of the song in the show as it just seemed to fit so well and added a nice touch to an
otherwise tragic story.
You have a lovely website and do great work.
All the best,
Emily Berno
myspace.com/emily2476
http://wslr.org/php/dj.php?=41
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:03 pm
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Oh-klahoma’s Okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk…..!
July 12, 2008
Thursday is now a blur. I went out to the site for dinner with the gang and heard great music and ate Brandy's amazing back stage catering. It had rained that afternoon, but the show went on out in the field once the sky cleared. Hung out with Greg Johnson (Blue Door) and Joel Rafael, and was driven around on a golf cart by the mandolin player from the Red Dirt Rangers.
Friday: Got up and showered off the OK dust, went to the Okemah part and played a children's set to a very remarkable group of kids! Five girls, all around 8 or 9, came up with harmonicas, and I realized they were all in the key of C, so we played "Louise" and they took a super solo! Everyone was blown away. Gorgeous day.
Later that afternoon, went to the Crystal Palace and saw Jon Vezner play with Sean (upright) and James (keys.) I love that moldy old theatre. I hope someone renovates it...There was a moment where Jon's guitar wasn't working, right at the top of the show, so I hopped up to run out to the car and retrieved my Tak...I have to say, I was a bit of a nervous mom, handing over my baby. I believe Jon is one of the few people to play my guitar...but, wow, how nice to hear it from out in the audience. At one point, there was horrendous feedback, so I hopped up on stage and showed him how to lower the volume...it made a big difference!
Then it was time for me and Kristin at the big stage, so we ran through our rendition of the Phil Ochs songs we had learned for the 10:30 tribute (really lovely songs) and worked some more on the new song I wrote with Rachel Loy, "Size Six Dress", and made it over to pop up on stage to perform. More on this later. I am meeting my friend, Otis, for a well deserved dinner...
Hope your Saturday is going swimmingly. I really do.
One mama for Obama in Oklahoma
posted by Sara Hickman at 03:06 pm
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