Pittston singer-songwriter Walter Weymouth entertains the crowd gathered in the barn at Sheepscot General the evening of Friday, Aug. 18. (Christine LaPado-Breglia photo)
The show went on: Pouring rain on the evening of Friday, Aug. 18 did not stop the Walter Weymouth concert at Sheepscot General in Whitefield from happening. What was intended to be an outdoor concert became an intimate indoor concert inside the picturesque hay-filled Quonset-hut barn on the Sheepscot General property.
Seated on a hay bale in the front row of the dramatically lit barn, with an unobstructed view of Weymouth and the soothing sound of rain hitting the building’s metal roof, I was most content listening to the Pittston singer-songwriter deliver song after song, including several from his CD, “Common Man.”
Weymouth has a voice that is at times reminiscent of Elvis Presley, tinged with a country-style butteriness and depth. Fittingly, he included Presley hits such as “It’s Now or Never,” “Pretty Woman,” and “Return to Sender” in his set list. He also sang such gems as Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried,” Johnny Cash’s “The Long Black Veil,” and Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” repopularized by contemporary country artist Darius Rucker. I think it’s fair to say that “Wagon Wheel” was the highlight of the evening for me, my friend Carly, and my daughter, Lydia, as we all sang along enthusiastically.
At one point, one of the Sheepscot General employees walked into the barn calling out, “I have a pizza for Cindy!” It was a refreshing touch to a pleasantly down-home evening.
Catch Weymouth at the Windsor Fair on Sunday, Aug. 27 from 1-3 p.m.
“Manana Moment,” a pastel by Barbara Vanderbilt. (Photo courtesy Will Kefauver)
The beauty of rocks and waves: I popped into Kefauver Studio & Gallery in Damariscotta last week as amiable gallery owner and oil painter Will Kefauver was busy hanging art for the gallery’s new “Rock ‘n’ Wave” show that opened Friday, Aug. 18, just in time for Damariscotta-Newcastle ArtWalk. To his credit, Kefauver takes his time hanging a show, to get placement and juxtaposition of pieces just right.
Kefauver was eager to show me that one of my favorite local artists, Dale Dapkins, had artwork in the show. I was, of course, very pleased. I can’t seem to get enough of the creative, colorful, whimsical work that Dapkins produces.
Kefauver also pointed out some of his favorites: work by oil painter Sandra Dunn, such as “Monhegan Surf,” which features both rock and crashing wave, and the pastels of Barbara Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt does an impressive job of capturing the beauty of the large rocks that typify the Maine coast. Her “Manana Moment” is particularly nice.
“Postcard — Coral Sky — Damariscotta to Hokusai,” an acrylic work by Dale Dapkins. (Photo courtesy Will Kefauver)
“Seeing this show come together has shown me again how lucky we are to be part of the Midcoast experience,” said Kefauver. “Thirty-one artists and photographers have shared their expressions of the rocks, water, and waves so unique to our special part of the world. Whether printmakers, photographers, or painters, each has found an organic connection to our unique area which has come through in their work and in this show.”
During my visit, watercolorist Kathleen Horst stopped in to touch bases with Kefauver about an upcoming event. Horst’s eponymous gallery is located just down the road from Kefauver’s place, at 179 Bristol Road. It was a delight to see Horst, a talented and gracious woman.
Kefauver Studio & Gallery is located at 144 Bristol Road in Damariscotta and online at kefauverstudio.com.
(Email me at clbreglia@lcnme.com or write me a letter in care of The Lincoln County News, P.O. Box 36, Damariscotta, ME 04543. I love to hear from readers.)
