Owl Light Outings: Harper and Midwest Kind Storm into Fanatics Pub

by D.E. Bentley –

Winter storm Harper blew across the region Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and left a lasting impression.  By Monday night, January 21, 2019, the roads were better, and a lingering wind and bitter cold temperatures could not have been enough to keep me in.  I was venturing out – coincidentally – to catch Harper and Midwest Kind at Fanatics Pub in Lima, NY.

Peter D. Harper and his band blew into New York from Connecticut, timing their arrival with not only the aftermath of the namesake storm but also with a blood wolf full moon eclipse. This celestial connection seems more than coincidental when you consider Harper’s deep spiritual roots to the land.  Add to this the egalitarian messages inherent in his songs and performance and the timing of Harper’s show with the celebrated birthday of MLK Jr., and it just feels like magical convergence.  Harper was backed by his very talented Detroit based band “Midwest Kind” featuring James Norris on Bass Guitar, Dee Washington on Drums and Elijah Russ on Guitar.

I confess that the opportunity to hear Harper perform on the didgeridoo was part of what attracted me to this particular show.  Although I have never traveled there, I have developed a bit of a fascination with Australia; basically a fascination with the uniqueness that comes from being an island escapee from Gondwana.  Australia is the lowest and oldest continental land mass – diverse in flora, fauna and, consequently, artistic roots and innovation.  I was not disappointed.   

Peter D. Harper was born in the United Kingdom, where he started his training for the didgeridoo by playing trumpet and euphonium (a large, conical-bore, baritone-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word meaning “well-sounding” or “sweet-voiced”.).  His grandfather introduced him to the harmonica at the age of ten, when his family moved to Perth, Western Australia – with its thriving folk and blues scene. It was here where Harper began his “journey backwards” to discover the deeper roots of blues music.   His chance meeting with a Hopi “Dan Running Bear” in Silverton, Colorado inspired him to explore Native American culture, and ultimately led him back to the music and culture of the Australian Aborigines of his homeland.  The didgeridoo is a spiritual and healing instrument; adding it to his music came as a natural progression in his art that just fit.  However, as he shared in one of his lighter songs –“my momma don’t like me playing my didgeridoo”– his mother never quite warmed up to the instrument; thankfully, he did not let this deter him.

One of the most moving songs that incorporated the didgeridoo was “We Stand Together” from Live at the Blues Museum – a rousing blues number that speaks to aboriginal rights while offering a subtle call for global peace.  Much of the power of this song comes from the haunting and incredibly energetic didgeridoo performance by Harper.  He had (4) of his didgeridoos in house – including his latest named “Heather” and a PVC pipe version that had a slide feature.  Harper and his wife Bobbi – who we had the pleasure of talking with after the show – conduct workshops on making and using these simple instruments, as well as classes on Aboriginal culture.

Despite a lightness that never leaves the stage, many of Harper’s songs are more serious numbers – in a hard rocking call for change that also offers an engaging and enlightening evening of entertainment.  They touch on the plight of Detroit’s autoworkers, immigration, politics (oh so lightly) and Australian Aboriginal rights.  His belief in a better world was evident in songs like Love=Peace=Freedom, and titles from their latest CD, Show Your Love – including the single “Show Your Love,” which hit # 3 on Billboard, USA and remained in the Top Ten for an incredible six months!  The performance on the 21st also included “Hell Yeah “and “It’s Time to Go,” from the Show Your Love CD.

As a blues musician, Harper inevitably also applies energy to his harp playing, which can only be described as hot – fast – and intense! (A good intensity that bleeds out emotions, as blues should.).  The Midwest Kind adds to this rocking and blues with a quiet cohesion that threatens to fade them into the background – I loved the way James Norris settled in for the evening stage right.  Harper offered guitarist Elijah Russ Norris – along with Dee Washington, nestled in the back with the drums, and Norris – chances to stand out.  All of this made for a very nice evening, a very nice evening indeed.  Thankfully – unlike the full lunar eclipse which we will not have the chance to see again until May 2021- there will be another opportunity this year to see Harper locally.  Harper and Midwest Kind will be back at Fanatics on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at 7 pm.

Check out Harper and Midwest Kind online at: http://www.harper.biz/ to see upcoming shows – they are heading south.

Catching live music in Lima (and at the Geneseo Riviera in Geneseo), a short distance from home, would not be possible without Fanatic’s owner Jim Shelly and   the incredible staff at Fanatics.   The first time I met Jim, I knew that the thing he most wanted to do was support musical artists and make it possible for more people to hear great music out here – in the region’s less urban areas. Just because we all like to live (and work) in areas where trees outnumber people does not mean we don’t like to take in the nightlife. What attracted us first to Fanatics was their line up of musicians, with a focus on the blues, in a smaller venue.  I have personally grown weary of larger concert venues with long lines and little attention paid to the artists (who might not mind due to the ticket prices) and people moving about constantly to grab a cheap beer or some fast food.  I know, there is more to it than this – and maybe I am just getting too old for concert venues – but my last couple big events were less than spectacular despite them being top named artists.

Contrast that with being shown to your table to listen to an eclectic mix of excellent musicians – who you can enjoy some quiet conversation with before and after the show – at a fraction of the cost of the bigger events, and there is no comparison. Smaller venues make for a much more enjoyable evening out.

Fanatics Pub and Pizza is also a true community restaurant and bar, offering something almost every night.  And it is just a half an hour from Rochester, Batavia, Perry, Canandaigua, Dansville, and us (actually everything is a half hour from us – it’s weird).  There’s Happy Hour Monday -Thursday 3-6 with $.50 off all drinks and Bloody Mary Specials (Sunday after noon too), Monday night pizza specials and Thursday night wing specials and Friday Fish Fry (of course – and it’s good!). On Wednesday it’s Trivia Night (Free event – win House Cash!).  I am not a trivia buff, but I was here for dinner one night and it was packed with teams of all ages and many people having an abundance of fun.

And did I mention all the great music that Jim brings in and keeps coming back?  I did, but it does not hurt to say it again.  Stop in, check out their great lineup of music in the Owl Light News (p. 10) and their music and specials online at: https://fanaticspub.com/