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In the end, the music -- and bravery of those who hadn’t
played in a while – simply brought smiles to a lot of
faces. Especially perhaps to that of Mary Duffie, who seemed
as awed as she was as a South Carolina schoolgirl seeing an
accordion being played for the first time.
As the music was winding down, several accordionists appeared
with paper bags over their heads, a tribute to the Unknown Accordionist.
Or perhaps, as the bags were removed from their heads, it was
symbolic of them now being The Few, The Proud, The Accordionistas.
There was one accordionist who could not attend on Sunday,
but who had agreed to pose for Unknown Accordionist photos earlier
in the week. Mary Duffie issued a challenge: and ice cream cone
to the person who could identify the accordion player from the
photos, one of which had the bag completely over his head, a
second in which the bag was lifted a few inches. Before she
barely got to showing the second photo, a man from a visiting
sailboat who, it should be noted, was standing in the middle
of Hodges Street, correctly called out “Larry Walker”
and won.
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But later Blaine Parks of the S/V Charbonneau declined to
accept the ice cream cone. Blaine, who has spent a lot of time
in Oriental before taking off cruising three years ago, told
Town Dock that he couldn’t “enjoy the ice cream
knowing that I’d won it for being able to recognize Larry
Walker’s knees. There’s just something wrong with
that thought” So, how’d he nail the identity standing
as far away as he was? Blaine says his former career was in
corporate security where noticing details was part of the job.
This apparently left him with skills he could use at ‘major
events in Oriental.”
Major Event
The Accordion Blast Sunday afternoon gives Oriental the distinction
of being among the first, if not the first community in the
country to mark June as National Accordion Awareness Month.
(TownDock.net fact checkers are looking in to this) San Francisco
– where the accordion is the official instrument of the
city – holds its celebration on the 15th.
Much of the credit goes to Mary Duffie for corralling so many
accordion players and owners on the Porch. (Or as Ken King put
it, in what we think was a mock threat, “if I find out
who told Mary Duffie I owned one..” ) Back in April, Chris
Mele suggested something be done to mark National Accordion
Awareness Month.
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Unindicted Co-conspirator Candace Young carried the ball from
there, emailing TownDock.net that a serenade with Pamlico’s
accordionistas would “cement our reputation as the Sailing
Capitol AND center of musicial sophistication” in NC.
(Candace is Norm’s wife, which is how we learned that
‘he and the dog do a mean rendition of happy Birthday.”
The dog wasn’t there so we didn’t request it.)
What’s Next? A Float in
the Parade? A Second Annual?
As the Accordion Blast wrapped up Sunday, some participants
spoke of having an Accordion float in the Croakerfest parade
on July 5th.
And some are talking about practicing, starting now, for next
June’s Second Annual Oriental Accordion Blast. All of
this out-in-the-open activity would seem to reduce the need
for a Closeted Accordion Players of America chapter in Oriental.
If the point of National Accordion Awareness Month is to become
more aware of accordions in your midst, then the event in Oriental
was a success....and worth the price of having the Chicken Dance
on the brain several days later.
That said, if you have a cure for making it go away, we’d
love to hear it.
Doodle-oot-doot-doot
Doodle-oot-doot-doot
Doodle-oot-doot-doot-doot
Doodle-oot-doot-doot
