Leading the Good Life in Carson, Virginia - On Peanuts

Lawrence Coleman, 24 May 2010, in Carson, Virginia - The Peanut Capital

Virginia IS peanuts . .and beautiful scenery, pretty horses, and pleasant off-the-beaten track by-ways. We've got it all within a day's drive - from the mountains to the sea. I can't imagine life without Virginia peanuts which leads me to my next story, how I met Larry Coleman, the Peanut King of Carson, Virginia.

24 May 2010: We were on our way home from an extended weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Already South Carolina was experiencing the heat of early summer and we were happy to be getting back to Virginia. You have to start down-shifting as soon as you hit the North Carolina/Virginia border or else get a speeding ticket in Virginia as the speed limit makes an abrupt change from 70 mph to 65 mph. The cops are waiting for you just past the Virginia Welcome Center - Welcome to Virginia. I had to smile when I actually saw a trucker being pulled over - now that's a rarity - like seeing the last Passenger Pigeon being served up in a restaurant. I have a ritual at Exit 37. I discovered some time ago that Carson, Virginia is the halfway mark between the Washington, D.C. metro area and Raleigh, North Carolina, so it's a natural exit to fill my coffee mug and get gas. There are two gas stations. One's a BP and the other's a Sunoco. The people who run the Sunoco seem friendlier, so a long time ago that was my choice to break up the ride down to Raleigh. The first time I ever stopped there I saw a big peanut display and decided to take some peanuts home with me. That's where Coleman Peanuts comes into this and like I say, it became a ritual every time I headed south on infamous I-95. Friends back home kept asking me, "Hey Ed - when are you going to get more of those peanuts?" I would tell them to check out Coleman's website and order their own. Coleman's has a great website.

Not much goes on in Carson, Virginia. One of those off-the-beaten track places lost in time in our great state. But it's heralded for its peanut crop. Enter Lawrence Coleman who took over the family business in 1976 and had the dream of moving it forward. A simple business philosophy: we're going to offer the best peanuts available and the demand will follow. I always wondered who this guy was and what it takes to dedicate your life to growing, harvesting, and roasting up peanuts.

We gassed up, stretched our legs and looked around the station at Carson. We were almost home after a long drive up from Myrtle Beach. I drifted toward the Peanut Display. I loaded up my arms with all my favorite combinations of peanuts - salted and unsalted, peanut candy ("made the old-fashioned way") - there were only a few differences in the presentation of Larry Coleman's peanuts. I carried the load to the counter and noticed a rather dapper-looking guy exchanging chit-chat with the lady at the register. He looked at me and said, "You're buying a lot of peanuts." I gave him the once-over and then gave him a lecture on how good the peanuts are and how he should take some home with him. "I don't have to," he said, "I grew them!" I was talking to the man himself - in the very presence of the Peanut King. I thought it would end there but then we got into this interesting conversation about the peanut industry in Virginia, life in Carson, what a struggle it is to build up a business based on - peanuts.

I thanked him for the interesting conversation and asked to get his picture taken with me and the Raccoon. While we were finishing up, one of the locals walked by and made the comment, "Hey Mr. Coleman . . .You should sell tee shirts with your name and picture!" Not a bad idea, I thought to myself. I'd buy one and wear it with pride. Every little bit counts to bring money into our state during these stale economic times. Good on Ya, Larry!

So Nice to See You Again . . . .

Check out the printing on Tina's shirt!

The Annapolis Bluegrass Coalition in Westminster, Maryland

Call 410-848-7272 for more info or go to www.carrollcountyartscouncil.org

First-Class Bluegrass delivered the way you expect it

Getting Famous on Facebook

The world certainly is a funny place. I get up every morning and get my usual share of good laughs. I logged on to my Facebook account and went through the normal bluegrass postings, tidbits of bluegrass news, and came across a new band that's trying to get 2,000 'Like' hits on Facebook. The posting went something like this: "Realizing the power of Facebook, we're trying to get 2,000 hits - go to such-and-such a website - see the new video . ." I had never heard of the group, so I got suckered into finding out more about them. The video was awful, the marketing is awful and mainly what was lacking was any kind of musical sampling from what (some fans or maybe marketing people,) were calling the "New, Young, bluegrass Super Group!" Needless to say, I didn't flick any 'Like' buttons. The least I could do is not feed into this idea that you can win instant fame on YouTube or Facebook - maybe infamy, but not Fame. I went two steps further and logged on to the marketer's website and the film-maker's website. I want to know who these people are, so I can flag them in the future. I might also add that the new 'Supergroup' has exactly two future gigs listed on their website calendar.
I'm not out to castigate somebody who's trying to make it in the business. I wish this bunch of young guys the best. But on the way toward their dream of fame and fortune I hope they lay down some good music and in the process get a lot of air-time and sell a lot of CD's. It's called paying your dues. The older folks will tell you it comes through real talent, longevity, and having a loyal listening audience. You also have to love what you're doing - that's really the hard part. There are thousands of good banjo, mandolin, and guitar pickers out there waiting to take your place after the party is over. The truly humble among them know who they are, and know deep down why they like to play bluegrass. They're the ones we long remember after a performance of amazing musicianship, or the recorded music you keep playing years and years later. It's called making your mark. You can't do that on Facebook.

The Angela Hayes Quartet at Vienna Town Green

I'm always shocked that more citizens either don't participate in, know about, or show up at our local parks in the summertime to take advantage of the entertainment tax dollars that are going into the local parks programs. Those tax dollars are shrinking so badly that here in Vienna our programs are being subsidized in a big way by our local merchants. Lucky us. But that's the kind of community we have here, and I'll always be the first to applaud our town government and the neighborhoods that comprise our fair ville. Another great season of bi-weekly entertainment is available at our local 'Town Green' performance space. You have one more month to enjoy it - take advantage of it - come on out and meet your neighbors - and especially bring the kids.
I'm a counter. I always count the crowds, just to get an idea of who's coming out to see what. I've found out in my own very generalized survey that weather doesn't really matter. The crowds have been there in the intense heat and threatening storms, and you can't help but notice that New York Pizza over on Church Street is doing a land-office business right at 6:30 every Friday and Sunday evening. Tired of California-inspired New-Voe cuisine pizzas? New York Pizza serves it up the old-fashioned way. Straight pizza - no avocados - no Kiwi Fruit.
The Angela Hayes Quartet appeared at the Town Green on July 16th and this is straight-up lounge jazz done very well. The music enhanced the warmth of the summer evening and was thoroughly enjoyed by all ages. There was a multitude of kids - there were kids running everywhere and though it was just a tiny bit distracting to this style of music, the kids enjoyed it none the less. Your music attitudes and appreciation of a crowd changes when you become a grandparent - wait - you'll see for yourself. Angela Hayes went into a set of jazz standards out of the 40's and 50's and the dateline seemed to stop at early Charlie Byrd and Antonio Carlos Jobim. This is OK. It worked. It's music designed to take you back to a simpler time. If I have any complaints (complaining about free entertainment?) it's about the sound that evening. and that's something really hard to control in an outdoor venue. Hayes has an excellent delivery, knows her material, and knows how to please a crowd - if we only could have heard her and trumpeter John Friedman a little bit better.
There is something going on in lots of Parks across the breadth of Fairfax County, and on most nights of the week. We are afforded great entertainment at just the right price - totally free! You're crazy not to take advantage of it.
The Angela Hayes Quartet: Angela Hayes, Vocals. Gary Lutzker, Guitar. John Dapogny, Bass. John Freidman, Trumpet. Jamie Parker, Drums

Two For the Price of FREE!

The Hillbilly Gypsies at Libertytown, Md. 1 August 2010

Ty Jaquay, fiddle - Dave Asti, banjo - Libertytown, Md. 1 August 2010

Trae Buckner - Libertytown, Md. 1 August 2010

Ernie Bradley and Grassy Ridge at Libertytown - 1 August 2010

Sunday Afternoon in Libertytown, Maryland - a beautiful cool day after all the heat of July. One would have thought it was mid-September. We packed up the car and headed toward Damascus and then north of there to Libertytown. Suffice it to say, I had never in my life been in Libertytown, Maryland, but it was an interesting experience. I knew the Hillbilly Gypsies were playing but had no idea that Ernie Bradley was on the same bill. I was pleasantly surprised when we walked in to the event area and saw Ernie Bradley and Grassy Ridge up on the stage. Hot Damn! One of my favorite bluegrass practitioners. We thoroughly enjoyed the last part of their performance and then waited for the Hillbilly Gypsies. By this time the day had ended for the 'carnival' part of the Libertytown festival and the 300 or so hangers-on were hardcore fans of Grassy Ridge and the Gypsies. The Hillbilly Gypsies came on stage to have fun and do what they do best, and that's deliver hard-driving mountain music at its authentic roots. I need to mention the 'authentic roots' part because by all outward appearances (and if you had never actually seen them in a live performance,) it would be easy to dismiss them as some sort of Hee-Haw take-off - the name, the CD-cover artwork, the bib-overalls they sometimes like to sport, the ball-caps. They're making a statement that it's OK to laugh at yourself and be a Hillbilly. That's where the joke ends. I've never heard more deadly serious musicianship. Dave Asti on banjo might be one of the best pickers around and coupled with Ty Jaquay's fiddle work, these two are a dangerously combustible combination. In fact they're all good. Bass-players never get the full recognition they deserve - in Jason Teel you get a good bass-line and also a fine song-writer. Rounding it all out is the leadership of Trae Buckner on guitar - who can fire a Flatt G-Run like an automatic weapon -and Jamie Lynn Buckner provides excellent vocal support. If you've come to hear pseudo country music, or "Rocky Top" played over and over till you vomit, or something that vaguely sounds like bluegrass, forget it and go home. This is the real deal. This is about as real as it gets.

The Hillbilly Gypsies will be appearing in Frostburg, Maryland on September 10th at the Palace Theatre, 8:00 pm, for a special benefit to raise awareness of Autism in children. Tickets are $15. See my other entries for full details.