The 2018 Dayton Porchfest is history now. If you haven’t heard of a “porchfest,” people in a neighborhood open their front porches or side yards to local musicians who play on a staggered schedule around the neighborhood. In Dayton, so far the porchfests have been in St. Anne’s Hill, a formerly old, run-down neighborhood where many of the homes are undergoing significant restoration.
Here’s the song I opened with, my “Fish in the Corn.” By the first chorus, I realized that a “helper” had retuned my 5th string down to G even though I had it tuned to A (with the help of a spike). Deering Sierra with a Kavanjo pickup in case you wondered.
Because of the staggered schedule, folks kept drifting in the whole time I was playing, and the front yard and sidewalk were pretty full by the time I finished. A good time was had by all.
Off the stage, I got to meet and reaquaint myself with many other local musicians, one of the most fun parts of any festival, something I really enjoy about the Madden Road Music Fest, where I gave an autoharp demonstration this year.
At the Dayton Porchfest, I used an autoharp on one song just for the fun of it. Unfortunately, it’s not my best instrument, but I’ve been researching the things for my readers, so I had to at least prove I knew how to hold one.
