Molasses Creek: Old Friends return to the Beaten Boards of the Turnage Theater | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Molasses Creek kicked off their concert tour in Washington, NC that will culminate in their new, yet to be released CD, "Catharsis." Molasses Creek leaves on this whirlwind tour to play upon the many small stages in eastern United States, like the Turnage Theater, where fans of good music from accomplished musicians, go to get their foot-stomping, melodic fix. But before they left the region (their home is Ocracoke Island in Hyde County of far eastern North Carolina), they stood upon the battered boards of the Turnage Theater and gave a rousing rendition of many of their melodies from their ten CD's.

    The appreciative crowd at the Turnage, with the theater's 450 seats mostly full, were treated to a nearly 1 hour and 50 minute show, with a two song reward for their standing ovation. The second song of the ovation was Dolly Parton's "Jolene." I have heard the band perform their rendition of the Dolly Parton melody on two other occasions, and I really love their cover of this traditional country classic.

    Molasses Creek's cover of "Jolene" is truly a group effort: Gary Mitchell's fine harmony vocals and accompanying acoustical 6-string, Fiddle Dave Tweedie's searing, mournful lead on the fiddle, and most notably, Marcy Brenner's empathetic rendering of Dolly's melodramatic lyrics of love, and possibly a purposeful life, stolen from the shrinking world of possibilities of the real woman in rural America.

    After the show, I asked Marcy what possessed her to give such a soulful vocalization of this country classic?

    Marcy Brenner: "We love this song, and when we perform it, we strive to make it our own. For me personally, I am a woman approaching 50, and I would be devastated if I lost the love of my husband, our memories, our future. I sing this song as if my fate would be sealed by that same loss as well."

    Marcy is married to Lou Castro, who, as the band's consummate multi-stringed-instrument-picker, provides the group a multi-dimensional presence on all songs that demand the essential rhythm and lead components, which are inherent in any traditional country / folk / bluegrass ensemble, such as Molasses Creek, that must function at today's demanding high standards to enjoy any modicum of success.
    Fiddler Dave (left), Marcy Brenner (center), Gary Mitchell (right) perform "Jolene": Above and below.

    As per Marcy, "I often go into a trance when I do this song. The guys in the band like to kid me that 'I tend to drool a bit from the corner of my mouth when I sing "Jolene".'"

    While Lou Castro's picking is among the best that has ever graced the stage at the Turnage, the true hallmark of Molasses Creek may be the solid vocals and background vocals on the melodies they perform. Gary Mitchell's strong folk voice blends so well with Marcy's versatile phrasing of her widening range melodies.

    From the band's rendition of the traditional classic "The Way You Look Tonight," to the slow boil of a tune, "Java Jive," to the Bluegrass / Country ditty "That's What I Like About You," the tight vocalizations are essential in conveying the strength of each tune. Molasses Creek effortlessly gets it right every time. In fact, whether it was the excellent acoustics of the Turnage Theater or that the band was on point that March 18, 2011 night, the performance of the band exceeded the quality that is represented on their various CD's that I have had the pleasure to listen to.
    From left to right: Gerald Hampton (stand-up bass), Lou Castro (6-string), Fiddler Dave Tweedie (fiddle), Marcy Brenner (mandolin), Gary Mitchell (6-string).

    Lou Castro and Fiddler Dave seeking that place, that irrepressible groove where great melody is born. If my memory serves me well, I believe this tune peformed in these images was Fiddler Dave's "Selchie's Joy Waltz." I believe the story goes like this: A raffle winner at the Ocrafolk Festival (annual event on Ocracoke Island) won the right to name the waltz. I suppose the fellow's name was Selchie: Above and below.

    The "Java Jive" sing-off where perfectly constructed harmony is a must ... and they did. Pretty work. Fiddler Dave (left), Marcy Brenner (middle), Gary Mitchell (right): Above and below.

    I can't remember the tune, but I liked these images of Marcy and Gary: Above and below.

    Gerald Hampton hails from the North Carolina Foothills- Franklinville (the only non Ocracoke Islander in the band). He is now retired from his day job as a teacher at the local community college, as Gerald related to me, so he has more time to travel with the band and create original compositions such as "Gypsy Wagon" and "Category 2."

    I'm not sure which composition was performed in the picture as performed here above, but one thing I am sure of: Gerald has a complete grasp of the Mandolin as a lead instrument, and subsequently, he plies his craft at peak efficiency.
    Marcy surrounded within her trio by her comrades (Fiddler Dave and Gary) that supply the accompanying vocals that make Molasses Creek's songs so vivid, simultaneously supply the melody by stringed instruments: Above and below.

    If you live in the eastern United States, you might just have the opportunity to witness one of Molasses Creek's excellent shows, the information of which is supplied by this link. If you love good music of traditional genres, I suggest that you spend an evening with the band. I did and I was enriched by the experience.



    The "Java Jive" sing-off. Good Quality video. Just like I remembered it from the show (at the Turnage); however, not in the much lower stage lighting of the Turnage Theater that Friday night in March: Above. "Selchie's Joy Waltz," an original composition by Fiddler Dave Tweedie, is a hauntingly beautiful melody. I'm tickled to have found these videos to share with you: Below

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