Winding Our Way to Waverly
#606 / Flood Time Capsule: 2013 (Video Extra)
Thirteen years ago this week, the Family Flood headed a hundred miles upriver to the hills around Waverly, WV, east of Williamstown to play at a new but already beloved venue, a timber-frame barn called The Dance Hall.
Nelle and Jeff Howard began in in the spring of 2009 inviting friends and neighbors to their farm to enjoy evenings of music. The Pitzers (Keith and Joan and family) played the first of five concerts that first season.
Four springs later, the Howards brought The Flood to the house to kick off the 2013 season. The original plan was that the show would be outside, but when the forecast looked iffy — 70% chance of rain most of the day — band manager Pamela Bowen wrote Nelle to ask what she and Jeff did if it rained.
“First of all we put our lower lip out,” Nelle wrote in her characteristically jolly style, “then we get over it and move on. We have 50 chairs that easily set up in the dance hall.
“We have a few people that really come more for the evening experience than for their love of music. Those people prefer to sit up on the porch and be on the edge of things if it rains. We have a few more chairs scattered around that we will have ready.”
Nelle noted that the nice thing about rain was that “it brings more people inside and gives more ‘energy’ to a show.”
Bottom line, she said, was that it always worked out. “Our audience is made up of friends so people are very patient,” she said.
That and then some The Flood found when partying in the wonderful old barn on that June Saturday afternoon, as illustrated in Pamela’s eight-minute video above:
More from Year 2013?
If the above video has you in the mood for more vintage Floodage, your time machine awaits. Just drop by the free Radio Floodango music streaming service.
In the “Hear by Year” column, click the “2013” button (or any other year that strikes your fancy).