VIDEOS & PHOTOS: Exceptional show from The Honey Dewdrops
It’s not often I come away from a show absolutely wowed by a performance. The Honey Dewdrops, a Virginia couple who played at the Rose Garden Coffeehouse in Mansfield, Mass., for the first time Saturday night, brought a mix of harmonies, musicianship and stage presence that left me wanting more. Kagey Parrish and Laura Wortman displayed the powerful vocals of other duos like David Rawlings and Gillian Welch, and while their styles differ, the Dewdrops bring a warmth to the stage that is endearing.
Kagey Parrish and Laura Wortman, The Honey Dewdrops, perform at the Rose Garden Coffeehouse in Mansfield, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 ~ Photo Copyright 2011 Stephen Ide
They were surprised by the Rose Garden’s offering of a mid-show drawing for a bag of “dewdrops” from local chain Honey Dew Donuts. And they reveled in the applause from the appreciate 50-person crowd when Kagey took guitar or mandolin lead breaks, some perhaps not as complex as what Rawlings might play, but often just as compelling, with tinges of blues, mixed with dashes of hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides. Though Laura sang most of the leads, the duo’s blend of harmonies, surrounding a single microphone, kept the audience rapt.
In addition to a mix of songs from their latest CDs, “These Old Roots” and “If the Sun Will Shine,” the Dewdrops played blues tunes, a sweetly rendered John Lennon’s “Across the Universe” and even Utah Phillip’s “Miner’s Lullaby,” a song about miners bringing morphine down with them should they need it.
To view more photos from the show, visit the Rose Garden’s Facebook page or check back for postings of images and videos on the Rose Garden website.
Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish, The Honey Dewdrops, perform at the Rose Garden Coffeehouse in Mansfield, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 ~ Photo Copyright 2011 Stephen Ide
