Fester Hagood's Mojo Confessional Songwriters Showcase David Kraai and Betsy Scott Potluck at 5:30 pm Sunday, November 12, 2023

Fester Hagood organizes what he calls "Fester Hagood's Mojo Confessional Songwriters Showcase." It builds on Mark Wilmot's "Mojo's Sunday Afternoon Songwriters' Revival" which brought two singer/songwriters to No. 3 Railroad Street each month. We look forward to hearing both new and familiar voices and stories about their songs under Fester's direction. Please read about Fester on the bottom of this page and about both series of concerts on the Songwriters landing page. Fester brings David Kraai and Betsy Scott to No. 3 Railroad Street this November! They will play after a potluck at 5:30 pm (half-hour earlier than usual) in which audience members bring food to share. The event will be indoors.     David Kraai: fine country folk music / cosmic american music (from davidkraai.com) David Kraai (pronounced cry, meaning crow) is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and bandleader who has been traveling and performing his melting pot of country, folk and rock for over a decade. His roots stem from New York"s Hudson Valley, but his music has taken him all over the United States, and at times abroad, gaining him an ever-growing fan base. He played at No. 3 Railroad Street on October 9, 2022 as part of this Songwriters Showcase. Carrying on the tradition of Cosmic American Music, David's influences include Gram Parsons, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and The Band. These influences along with his unique sense of melody and lyric help create a sound that is truly his own. Kraai has been fortunate enough to release several albums and share stages and bills with some of his heroes like Pete Seeger, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Dickey Betts, Leon Russell, Charlie Louvin, Dr. Ralph Stanley and more. David Kraai's last album, North Mountain Rambling (2017), was recorded in the basement of the legendary Big Pink - a house just outside of Woodstock, New York. It's been fifty years since Bob Dylan and The Band recorded The Basement Tapes there and this is the first album recorded and released from Big Pink since those historic sessions. Performers on the album include Dylan alumni Rob Stoner (Rolling Thunder Revue, Desire, Hard Rain, At Budokan, Live 1975) and Eric Weissberg (Blood On The Tracks, "Dueling Banjos"), in his final session. David says of the album, "I had the idea to record here over a decade ago. It never left my mind, kind of like the songs that came out of this basement. It would be an absolute life-highlight to make any music in these hallowed walls, but to bring new songs into the world from this special place again is very magical. This location, these players, fifty years ... it's more than a dream come true, to me it's the most perfect circle." David Kraai websites: davidkraai.com facebook Betsy Scott has promise of developing into a welcome No. 3 Railroad Street regular. She made her debut here on April 15 of this year and on October 21 of this year she played mostly solo during a concert she organized with two friends who also played mostly solo: Brian Smith and Ivan Strunin. Betsy Scott is a WinterBird. Her instrument is the voice. You'll find her roots in Folk, Jazz, Traditional, Gaelic, Classical, Musical Theater, Rock N Roll, Blues and Americana. Hard to pin down but always surprising. One could say inspiring. Recently moved to Athens from Alaska, she loves Georgia and singing! Much of her original work is influenced by a life lived in Alaska; the struggle, joys and bliss. The deep-seated love of country, community, and a way of life. It is also inspired by her love of family and her extensive background in Theater. Betsy wrote to us before her first visit: Betsy is a long time, and forever in her heart, Alaskan. Is proudly a Georgian now, but will reside most of the time in North Florida, with her bush pilot husband on an airpark. Birds gotta fly. I am an actress turned songwriter. I have always sang ... in the theater, on the trail, with my sister and mother in the car. My roots are musical theater, jazz, celtic, folk, gospel, toss some country in there ... you name it. I love all kinds of music. I studied to be an opera singer way back when and sang with a rock 'n roll band in LA for a time. My songs reflect that variety of style. The actress in me tends toward story telling and character. I have been likened to Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin, and Laurie Anderson. Joe Craven and Eric Bibb have encouraged my work. I have a CD: Over Country I released 2014. What is my instrument? My voice. My gigging (not giggling ... but that too) has been up in Alaska at various pubs, centers, and often at the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival. Looking forward to spending time with all y'all. Fester Hagood has been a staple of the Classic City's music scene for over a decade. Hagood began writing music at the age of 16 and has been performing as a solo act in the Athens bar scene since early 2000. In 2015, Fester produced the Redstone Ramblers CD, "Graveyard Gospel." He hosted The Tuesday Night Confessional at The Nowhere Bar in Athens from 2013 onwards which was the inpsiration for Mark's Songwriters Revival. Fester is one of the pillars of original music in the Athens Area and an especially good citizen. Fester's websites include Facebook, Reverbnation and Fester Hagood's Tues Night Confessors Songwriters David Kraai and Betsy Scott, Sunday, November 12, 2023. Potluck at 5:30 pm. Suggested Donation of $10-20. Mary could use something as well! Modified 10 November 2023 by Glenn Galau   |   Web Design by Glenn Galau