Friends Union next in show at Curbside series
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Jun. 19—PLATTSBURGH — Friends Union will put on a toe-tapping, hand-clapping performance as it makes its Curbside at Harborside debut at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the U.S. Oval Gazebo, playing live for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic closed the curtain on the performance industry.
The folk trio — Steve Iachetta (fiddle), Rod Driscoll (hammered dulcimers, six- and 12-string guitars, banjo, bouzouki, bodhran) and Norman Rodham (DADGAD guitar, vocals) — jammed in-person last week, something that hadn't happened in over a year.
"It went great; we felt like we were right back," Driscoll said. "It's funny. Music is a little bit like math. Once you learn how it works. . . it's pretty easy to get it back together again."
FEET TAPPING, HANDS CLAPPING
Friends Union has a set list of mostly traditional Celtic, British and American tunes, with a few originals, planned for the Saturday night show.
Famous Irish pub songs, like "Wild Rover," "What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?" and "The Moonshiner" were of those in the lineup.
"A lot of them are sing-a-long tunes so the audience gets the chance to join in with us on many occasions," Driscoll said. "We try to do tunes that will get people's feet tapping and there are a lot of opportunities for people to clap their hands."
Some stories and jokes will make their way into the show, too, Driscoll said, like, "The three-legged dog walks into the bar room and says, 'I'm looking for the guy who shot my paw?' The jokes are so bad, they're good."
'BUNCH OF FRIENDS'
It all started in 1977, when Iachetta stepped into Driscoll's former Champlain Street business The Last Chord.
"I sold funk instruments and albums, things like that. He had his fiddle with him. While he was there, we decided to play a few tunes together. We found out we had a lot of things in common."
The duo later performed at various area venues and was soon joined by three other friends. Together they called themselves Friends Union.
"We thought we should do something with a friends theme, because we were just a bunch of friends who came together," Driscoll said. "It stuck."
FRIENDS REUNION
One by one, though, the friends split, going their separate ways.
"I lost track of Steve for almost 25 years," Driscoll said. "Out of the blue he called me up in 2003 and said he was going to play a gig at The Grange in Keeseville and asked if I would like to join him. I said, 'We haven't played together in 25 years. Are you sure about this?'
"We practiced for about half an hour and played a concert together after all of those years. We found that the old chemistry that we had back then was still there. We were able to put the band back together with the two of us."
Then came Rodham, a Florida resident who can play the DADGAD guitar and sing. He and wife Robin Osgood make up clog duo Stepping Stone. Osgood will make an appearance clogging at tonight's show, as well.
GAZEBO SHOW
In the decades since Friends Union was founded, Driscoll said the band had expanded its repertoire.
"We've each picked up tunes from various places and I would say we've been able to put a more modern spin on some of them."
Though the days of the pandemic had kept them virtual, occasionally performing Zoom jam sessions from the comfort of their own homes, Driscoll said any musician on the call would have to play their own tune.
"It didn't really work for a band session," he said of the video meetings.
Having only played live together for one practice session last week, Driscoll said Friends Union was "extremely excited" to play for a live audience at the gazebo.
"It's just been so long. I think it's a beautiful spot for a concert; it's nicely situated."
Tickets are $10 per person with gates open at 6:30 p.m.
In the case of rain, the concert will be held at the nearby Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel.
Email McKenzie Delisle:
Twitter: @McKenzieDelisle
