Dennis, Perks

Ah, Friday the 13th... Things started out and continued well enough, what with my being able to track down an interview subject in Brasilia, no less, and chat for a story on a very tight deadline. But then, our Christmas tree, which was still up, came crashing down—the cause may or may not have been a cat—and the carnage ruined any faint hope that we'd get through the day without paraskevidekatriaphobia—the fear of Friday the 13th—rearing its ugly head. After we cleaned up and rued the loss of ancient and precious ornaments that had smashed, we forced ourselves out of our misery and went to see our son-in-law Dennis Walley's band, Dirt Road Radio, kick off their brand new CD, The Shadow of a Dream, at a party at a local watering hole called Perks and Corks. OK, I know this is a little different from what I usually write about, and I also know that my judgement about musical quality might be a bit compromised by family ties, but hey, forget all that: these guys are GREAT! Fabulous musicians, wonderful songwriters, and splendid performers. They really rocked the house, and they dispelled our melancholy. (Here's a link to more pictures—www.zenfolio.com/brucefellman/e/p1056363187—that include shots of a warm-up set by Ben and Nancy Parent, the principals of the Rivergods, a New London institution.)