wetwildwoolywearingwarmwhackyweekend
This is a LONG blog. I won’t be offended if you skip it.
There was an Irish festival this weekend (I know, you say, “isn’t there one very weekend, John?”), in Eastlake, Ohio. It was held at the minor league’s Lake Erie Captains stadium for the first time. I had a table for my book there:
Here’s a closeup of the BIG BOARD – which features current and 50, or more, year old pics of those featured in Festival Legends: Songs & Stories. It is the backdrop at my table. I made it last week and picked it up on my way to the festival. I know it is hard to see here, but I think it turned out really well. It sure got people’s attention at the fest. If you are interested, better views of the pics, plus a lot of other ones, are available at my website – www.songsandstories.net.
I also, for the first time, got a chance to see some people who own import shops and/or are also vendors at our Festival at the Berea Fairgrounds (www.clevelandirish.org). I had never had the chance to talk to any of them longer than for a minute or two previously, as I was always running around doing something. Rae and Jim Kinnaird have got to be the nicest, friendliest and most helpful people I have ever met. Jim saw I was struggling badly with my back and he brought out this incredibly comfortable chair and I got immediate relief. He let me use it all weekend and I am SOOOO grateful. Plus he supplied me with pop till I got my act together (yes, really, I did!). But Rae? Those burnt pretzel things you love – you are one sick woman!
Thursday was free nite, Friday picked up a bit. Saturday I had a book signing in the afternoon at Northrup Books – located in a really cool, time warp section of Olmsted Township, a suburb of Cleveland. Neat little shops, restaurants, general stores and specialty shops are hidden in plain site along a small section of Columbia Road, just off the corner of Bagley and Columbia. It is such a romantic, throw back type area, perfect for couples holding hands and walking. The owner of Northrup Books, Gail Rapps, was so outgoing and warm and fun to talk to.
I am just in awe of independant book store owners, who stand and succeed despite the paperpack volume sellers like Walmart, Sams Club, CVS, etc… and now, the BIG stores, like Barnes & Noble and Borders. I now know where B & N and Borders got the idea for the intimate, warm, home in front of a fire feel of their stores, despite their size. It is from owners like Gail. Gail owns two stores, the above mentioned Northrup Books, and Crooked River Books, in the Galleria, on East 9th, downtown Cleveland. Both her shops are beautiful, lot of wood and even more love.
These folks show their love of books in their enthusaism and greeting to every person who walks in their shop, who gets personally greeted and helped, shown around if needed, and then receives suggestions that the customer didn’t know about yet. Being a very smart business woman, Gail knows her products intimately and asked me questions to add to her knowledge for after the signing, for the books she will have in stock. But her enthusiasm sold two of my books, while I was there! (No I am not buttering her up, I am quite sure she doesn’t read my blogs!!)
After that successful signing, I booked out (so to speak) and headed to Eastlake. I have become very adept at changing while I drive. Dress slacks are correct for a signing in a book store, NOT at a festival – hot, hot, hot. I got to Eastlake in record time, unloaded my books and looked up to see Jim walking over with THE chair. AHHHHHHHHHHHH. (see what I mean, I didn’t even ask, he just brought it over, two seconds after I got there!)
Rae, Kelly & Jim Kennaird, in their booth, with the as yet dry Captain’s Classic Park in the background. They are called Irish & Such: Specialty Ceramics.
Jim & Rae’s daughter was such a joy to be around, laughing and teasing (and being teased) by the other vendors, dancing up a storm – premonition of Sunday maybe.
After a bit, Wendy, from Celtic Podcast came by and we did an interview for her show. She is very dedicated to showcasing Irish music, especially Celtic Rock. She is on MySpace too, Cleveland Celtic Podcast, check it out.
Sunday was a huge challenge because, as the premonition hints – it STORMED – like I have not seen in a long, long time. Crashes of thunder actually shook the stadium. If I wasn’t already 1/2 deaf, then I surely would be after the booms that ripped thru Eastlake. I shut my hearing aids off and just watched the very angry, blustery storm. We were on the concourse, under the second level seating, but overhangs were NOT incorporated into the design of this lovely little park – water came thru there, right down the walls and thru the ceiling’s metal panels, pretty readily, especially when the wind took the rain SIDEWAYS. Trade paperback book covers and water – hmmm… me thinks NOT a good idea.
Poor Rea had her back to the field and the water was getting her, and her product. They came prepared, with tons of plastic, but still… it got thru. Some vendors got pissed off at the slow weekend and then the rain and packed up. Some even left after Saturday nite. Others, like the folks at The Irish Trading Company (a really cool store, based in Shaker Heights, Ohio, with tons of classic posters, jerseys, Guinness stuff – love my new Guinness flip-flops – Irish sports stuff, old Irish memorabilia and so much more), just grinned and bore it, taking the good with the bad. He is a real pro – friendly and such, sure, but genuine and warm too.
I searched high and low for a cup of tea but NOOO luck for me. Then the lovely Bonnie McNally brought me a cup of coffee, with a cup of milk and sugar – lugged it from God knows where. Classy woman that! Finally, at 5:00, the in house coffee shop opened. Now, before I broke my back, I was in business management, for 15 years, in banking and manufacturing. To own a coffee shop, at a festival, when it is pouring, no sheeting rain, and to not open, is just plain dumb, dumb, dumb. If one of my managers tried that, he’d be watching for the door to not hit him in the ass on his way out. On a slow weekend, to miss the opportunity to clean up – unforgiveable, in the business world.
Anyway, despite the weather, the shockingly inaccurate weather forecasts (Now THAT never happens, I know), monstrous winds and rain early – all of which affected attendance, Sunday was by far my best day for book sales, after all the storming stopped. Rae called me over to see a gorgeous sunset as things cooled off. I even met up with two MySpacers there, Lisa from Cleveland, and Lee – who drove all the way from Chicago.
For me, setup and takedown take maybe 8 to 10 minutes each – throw the books in a rolling suitcase, grab all the signs and throw away the tape. But I saw vendors, like Rae and Jim, who had 6 to 7 hours of setup (they sell ceramic items, from little pieces to large vases, tea pots, lamps and so much more – all wrapped and protected individually). Then they had to man their booth for 4 days, just the two of them. Even tho’ Jim and Rae had two other adults come, just to help them take down, it took more than 3 hours to wrap each piece and place it in the proper (color coded) rubber tupperware-like large containers. Jim got the job of carting all the tubs down the ramp, thru the lot, to his trailer. Lordy, what a job – nearly 10 hours of setup and take down sandwiched around 4 days of selling in 90+ degree heat.
I stayed right until the end, because I know people will buy books on the way out, especially since one of the groups featured in the book were the closing act. I was just in shock to watch the process, in taking down (yes, I offered to help, I’m not an idiot).
Being involved in Cleveland’s Irish Cultural Festival, I know how much work goes into putting on an event. It is crushing to see performers playing to 40 people, or worse, to see rain early, when people are making plans for the day. All the morning forecasts were gloom and doom with dire warnings of heavy rain all day. So people listened. It actually didn’t rain at all in the late afternoon and evening but sadly, those forecasts alone were enough to keep people away, despite great music from groups like Searson, New Barleycorn, Lisa Spicer, Ceiran Sheehan*, and Jeff Ward. All these early warning sytems, Doppler Radar and such, all useless and/or grossly inaccurate.
* Cieran Sheehan was THE Phantom in Toronto for many years. Stop you in your track voice. Just indescribeable. Yes, he is THAT good. His accompianist was Eileen Patterson, wife of the late, great singer Frank Patterson. Plus she bought a bewk!
But my weekend was good, made some new friends, sold a fair few books, got a GREAT live Searson CD (thanks Erin -love your voice!) and overall, had a grand ould time. Congrats Pat Coyne, Linda Walsh and ALL your crew. Hope your weekend was a success at your new home.