Jay Mankita and Spook Handy ~ 2018 April 16 ~ Singing Oak House Concerts ~ West Harwich, MA
Jay Mankita accompanying himself on guitar and keyboard; Spook Handy accompanying himself on guitar and banjo.
Videos
Proud To Be a Socialist (Jay Mankita)
Keep the Flame Alive (Spook Handy)
Review
Two entertaining and very different folk singers each performed a one hour set of songs ranging from the sincere and heartfelt to the very funny. Jay Mankita is a humble guy with a very amusing turn of phrase and a distinctively progressive perspective; the video of his "I Want To Be a Socialist" is representative of what you can expect. He joked before playing it that he had a half dozen rich people walk out on him once when he played it, causing one audience member tonight to pretend to do the same.
The second set was performed in tribute to Pete Seeger by Spook Handy, who performed many times with Pete in his later years and has taken it upon himself to keep Pete's mission alive. The video of "Keep the Flame Alive" includes Spook's story of meeting Pete for the first time. His set was compelling and inspirational. Spook often throws his head back and sings far from the mike, just as Pete used to do, and encourages audience participation, just as Pete used to.
The Singing Oak House Concert venue is a great place to see a show. The space is intimate and the hosts are friendly. A finger food potluck before the show allows concert goers to mingle and talk music with other like-minded folks.
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