Ted and I went about 35 miles west to Warrenton’s Fall Festival today. The weather was perfect–sunny and dry, with temperatures in the upper 70s. Neither Ted nor I was overly interested in the festival as a whole, but there were two good bands we wanted to hear–one in the afternoon and one in the evening–and we thought it was a good day to sit outside, listen to music, and hang out with some country folks.
Butch Wax and the Hollywoods played 50s, 60s, and 70s pop music from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on the east end of Main Street. They’ve been together a long time–well over 30 years, I think–and they play a lot of St. Louis venues. Ted and I had never heard them before, but the word on the street said they’re good. They were named one of the three top “Best of Rural Missouri” bands in the rural electric co-ops’ 10th annual survey. Yep! They’re playin’ up country in Warrenton.
A clue to the Warrenton culture might be the oversized bail bondsman’s ad on the left side of the stage.
If the bail bondsman’s bandstand sign struck a chord with you, Dan the Man had a booth on Main Street where I presume you could hire him, or at least get his business card.
This guy literally stood head and hips above the crowd. He danced on stilts while Butch Wax et al played. Yes, Warrenton’s got talent!
This little guy isn’t into rock ‘n’ roll, but he was happy for a long time making a pile of stones in the gutter.
When Butch Wax left the stage, Ted and I walked down Main Street to check out the booths, the food, and the car show. There were a lot of vehicles on display, but two were my favorites.
Read the rear window. Humorous Warrenton attitude present here. See Dan the Man for your bail bond if neccessary.
Aaahhh, memories. I went steady with David for two years in high school and he had a car just like this (even the same color)–except for the engine. David had a factory-installed engine and a normal hood on his car.
The bars along Main Street were open, and many had live music on the sidewalk for those not wanting to hear the headliners.
The evening show featured the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Some of the members have been replaced over their 50+ years, but the new guy was Bob Carpenter’s son, and the next newest had been with the band for 30 years. The music was good and the people-watching was even better. There were so many people smoking, I wondered if the few clouds overhead were atmospherically generated or a result of all the cigarettes around us. A lady next to us kept her matches in her bra where they were handy for her chain-smoking habit.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band performed on the west end of Main Street–right at the corner of City Hall and the jail. Handy for Dan the Man, right? I assume the people on the roof work at City Hall or at the jail or know someone who does. They had a bird’s eye view of the concert. Some of the prisoners peeked out of the windows before the music began, but that’s the last we saw of them. I suspect they didn’t want their friends and neighbors to recognize them.
When you literally perform on the street, you get speed limit signs beside the stage.
I repeat, the weather was beautiful, both bands did a great job, and Ted and I had a wonderful time. We can tell that summer is officially over tomorrow–it was dark before the concert started at 7:30, and we needed jackets for the cool evening.