Whimsy...

Baskin Robbins was truly the beginning of a tremendous experience for me tonight. A big scoop of Pralines and Cream, pink spoon in hand, was all I needed for a Friday night in Visalia adventure. I thought I would just eat the ice cream in my truck, head home, and, well, do nothing. But I have a hard time doing nothing, sometimes, so I opted instead for a walk down Main Street knowing I would stumble onto someone I knew, or something new.

After passing by the usual night spots, Alejandra's, Little Italy, Café 225, and Fugazzi's, I heard something I had not heard on a Friday night in downtown ... music I actually thought I might enjoy listening to for a while! Yes, most of the time when I am downtown on Friday night, my ear scream to be taken from the sounds therein. Tonight was different, sort of serendipitous. It seemed more lyrical, no pun intended, then the usual versions of Proud Mary, of whatever, like poetry placed into REALLY great guitar playing and singing!

So I bought my Starbuck's-usual Tall Americano (a wonderful espresso drink made with two shots of espresso and hot water), partly to drink, partly for warmth and I moved back east on Main to the usual spot where music is rarely made in downtown. "Hmmm," says I to myself, "who are these musical strangers?" I darted in front of this three piece band, lest the 20 or so people who had gathered thought me an alien, rude at that, and stood listening to the wonderful sounds emanating from ten feet away. Tap, tap, on my shoulder and there stood Peter Ledford, an old pal from FPC. (For the uninitiated, FPC is short for FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Anyone wondering why it's an acronym?) Anyway, we had a great reunion, of sorts, until I saw Forrest Cavale, fabulous photog he, sitting there as well and, well, it was old home week.

Turns out Peter knew this tonal trio from somewhere down Riverside way and, well, they were here to play The Cellar Door ... tonight. What good fortune for me, as I might have missed there show altogether had I not happened on this outdoor symphony.

Anyway, for just three people, they put on an incredible show. Just the way I like my music, truthful, original, passionate. Nathan, I think that was his name, was the lead singer, guitarist, accompanied by a gent on the, hmmm, box (yes, I know that is not an instrument, but it was a box and he played it well, making great percussion sounds), who also later played the mando, and Nathan's wife, I think, singing wonderful harmonies to his original melodies.

Many people stopped for a moment, but so many more walked right on by. I found that sad, but not surprising. Busy no doubt, perhaps in a hurry to catch the latest movie, or whatever. But I, dear friends, I captured the moment, listening for a long while to a new sound, artistic, and whimsical. Hee, hee! I even put ten in the mando case ... not typical for me.

Ah, "The Art of Whimsy!" Lucky me!

Check them out at www.theartofwhimsy.com