Barnstorming at Codfish Hollow - a Special Edition

I’ve never been to the barn at Codfish Hollow. I’ve heard about it often – I’ve been a Daytrotter follower for a couple of years – I have just never been available whenever there was a concert. Barnstormer events are a bit random. Friday I found myself driving in the direction of Maquoketa for my first Barnstormer. John C. Reilly and Friends were expected to be gracing the Codfish Hollow Barn stage.

I’m wondering how many of my friends would feel the excitement build as they drove through the tiny town of Delmar and then twisted and turned along gravel roads on their way to a musical experience. The gravel road felt like a rollercoaster ride in the convertible. A friend’s vehicle crested a hill in front of me and instantly disappeared from sight, bringing my heart into my throat as I topped that hill, not knowing what I would find. It was a fast drop, but I saw his truck speed away around a curve at the bottom. I followed, feeling the exhilaration of the moment. And yes – I’ll admit I briefly threw my hands in the air as if I were on that rollercoaster.

And how many of them would be so filled with anticipation about a unique venue and the music there that they wouldn’t care that they parked their shiny cars in a cow pasture and dodged land mines (cue the song Cow Patty), to walk another mile to the venue? You can take the hayrack ride – take $$ along to tip Marvin! We opted to walk because the line for the ride was long, and it was getting close to start time.

I should mention that as we gingerly stepped from our vehicles, watching where we placed our feet, we could hear banjos and guitars warming up all around us. You see, people were camping in the field where we parked, and it was obvious there would be some camp fire jamming happening later in the evening. That heightened the excitement just a bit more. I really enjoy camp fire jams!

 

 



John C. Reilly

Because we arrived so late, there wasn’t much time to explore the barn and its surroundings during daylight hours.  I also wished I had time to stop and take photos along the way – the scenery was amazing. When you’re traveling in Iowa, getting off the main highway will lead you to some beautiful things.  We were much more concerned about getting there in time and inside before the show started. We walked into the barnyard during the opening band’s set, and couldn’t get near the stage – we barely squeezed inside the barn. It was a sell-out show, and there were droves of people milling about outside. The barn was the place to be, if you could find your way through the crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dan Bern and Willie Watson

Inside, the barn was lit with strings of white lights.  When the opening act finished, much of the crowd moved outside. They probably needed air! We took the opportunity to get close to the stage, standing among the die-hards that didn’t want to give up their prized spots. As people started filing back into the barn it became very close. I was glad to have the spot I did, as I was able to move a little bit to get closer to the stage on the far left, and then move farther out to see the stage more from the front. It meant ducking under the ribs of the roof joists, but it was worth having more than one option for viewing the stage.

When John C. Reilly stepped onto the stage a shout went up from the crowd. He waved and was soon joined by a collection of musicians. As he introduced the band, cell phones and cameras came out and flashes went off. Reilly announced that folks should take their photos now and then put the cameras and cell phones away. "Be in the moment" he said. I didn’t entirely listen to his instructions, but I did try to take fewer photos than I normally take at a concert.

Becky Stark

The music being played this night was a little folk, a little blue grass and just a touch of gospel. This was no rock concert. In front of us were a band of musicians with acoustic instruments – guitars, banjos, a fiddle and a bass fiddle… and voices with beautiful harmonies. Some of the songs were boisterous with hilarious lyrics. Others were solemn and sweet. And many of the songs were much, much older than the performers and the audience. Those who came before us and wrote this music never imagined electronics, so couldn’t imagine the music any other way. John C. Reilly and company brought us back to that time. The barn at Codfish Hollow was exactly where it should have been played.

 

Tom Brosseau

There were a couple of times when Reilly asked the crowd for quiet. Part of the crowd was a bit rowdy, and not only made it difficult for others in the audience to hear, but also for the musicians to hear themselves. Not one of those instruments was electrified. I noticed right off that they were playing into microphones and did not have any of their instruments connected to the PA system. The monitor volume was as high as it could be – at one point they tried to raise it higher, but it created feedback, so had to be dialed back. This was music for listening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iowa native Dan Bern joined in with his guitar and harmonica. We saw Willie Watson play a banjo and a guitar – and sing with such a powerful voice that he backed off from the microphone often. Becky Stark provided beautiful sweet vocals, occasionally going almost wispy with her voice. Described by Reilly as a “tall drink of water with blonde hair and blue eyes”, Tom Brosseau played guitar and provided the perfect tenor vocal for the mix. Opener Andru Bemis played his fiddle.  During the more boisterous songs the crowd clapped their hands and stomped their feet in time to the music. For the sweet wispy voice of Becky Stark, many of us silently leaned in to catch every word. It was a magical moment that I won’t soon forget.

 

 

The magic lingered as we exited the barn to see the moon peering over the buildings and trees. Then we heard the rumble of thunder and felt the first rain drops. As we made our way back to the parking and camping area the rain picked up, and by the time we were back to our cars it was raining hard and we were drenched. There would be no camping for us this night, and we said our goodbyes to the barn, the cow pasture and our friends and headed for home.

 

 

I’ve heard some people were disappointed in the concert. I can only imagine that they went there with an idea set in their minds of how it would be. I didn’t know what to expect, and so I expected nothing – and came out of the experience with everything. The next time (and there will definitely be a next time), I will be prepared to camp and without expectations will look forward to another new experience.