2018-19 Guide To Yellow Springs

7 Y e l l ow S p r i n g s N ews the Guide to YelLow Springs y 2018 - 1 9 Francisco was moved. “Her freestyle was a reminder that what we are experiencing today is a result of slave labor and that we can’t forget that the inequality of this country is even in the clothes we wear — the cotton,” Malbroux said, referencing a poignant section of Scott’s piece. For Rebecca Kuder, who attended Sunday night, Scott had “goddess energy”
and “time seemed to slow down” when she was on the stage. Another attendee related his experience during her performance: “It’s like she’s sing- ing straight to my soul,” he said. Other attendees pointed to the songs, sing-a-longs and monologues that were memorable to them — a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” that had the whole barn jumping; a moving Sly and the Family Stone medley of “Everyday People” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin);” Chappelle’s heartfelt tribute to Prince, complete with a purple light that bathed the barn; Yonnet’s “mind-blowing” harmonica solos; and Mavis Staples’ “I’ll Take You There” as the Monday night opener. Coaxed on by their fellow musicians and buoyed by the audience’s cheers, each musi- cian on stage had his or her own chance to solo, to shine. The crowd was treated to solos on saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, keyboard, and of course, verses and vocals. In fact, the art of jamming is cen- tral to the Juke Joint, according to Sims. “That musical exchange, the back-and- forth, is an important part of it,” Sims said. “A lot of it is very spontaneous.” The ban on smartphones at the Juke Joint aids an atmosphere of improvisation, accord - ing to Sims. The policy allows the performers to take more risks, knowing that if they make a mistake it won’t be captured and circulated, Sims said. “It gives Dave and the other performers a chance to be more experimental,” she said. “It allows them to jam and get out of their comfort zone.” Many attendees mentioned the smart - phone ban as contributing to a good time. In Buffy’s words, “people were present to honor the art.” Sims said it’s an important piece of the Juke Joint experience. “People are engaged — no one is on their phones trying to get a piece,” Sims said. “Dave wants people to be in the moment.” Audience members also spoke of the con- nection afforded by both the lack of phones and spirit of the scene in general. “It seemed to me to be what a family reunion would be like if you liked everyone in your family and they had world-class musi- cians at the picnic,” Gilah Pomeranz Anderson wrote in a message. The Juke Joint’s origins can be traced to a chance event in Austin, Texas, when Chap - pelle hosted an impromptu gig with Yonnet at which Stevie Wonder showed up. “The whole night was just magic,” Sims recalled. According to Sims, Chappelle reflected that they had captured lightning in a bottle and told Sims he wanted to throw a similar party in Yellow Springs. “Dave said he wanted to have it in his neighbor’s barn. I thought he was kidding,” Sims said. That first event, in 2015, was organized in less than one week and tickets went on sale the day of the event, Sims said. One aspect of the Juke Joint many may not be aware of is that ticket revenue doesn’t even pay all of the event’s expenses, nor are the artists paid for their performances, according to Sims. While organizers aim to break even, some events have operated at a loss, Sims said. The next stop on the con- tinuing Juke Joint series is Mississippi, in the region where the juke joint had its genesis. Several local groups participated in Juke Joint. Tecumseh Land Trust reaped the pro- ceeds from alcohol sales — along with a barn rental fee that is passed on to them. Local food trucks were offered a coveted food vending slot. Wildflower Boutique was the exclusive merchandise provider. And Yellow Springs Brewery got first dibs on beer taps. “They want to support Yellow Springs as much as they can,” said Herzog — who works at Yellow Springs Brewery — of Juke Joint organizers. On stage for the bulk of the evening, Chappelle hosted and orchestrated the event with Yonnet, sang quite a few songs himself, and a few times addressed the audience and specifically the locals in attendance. He spoke of the recent suicides in the village, asking people to reach out to support one another, cursed opioids and ended the final evening with a plea: “Forgive yourself.” Several of those interviewed said the Juke Joint had additional meaning because of recent village controversies and tragedies. “The positive energy was so infectious — and with so much recent sadness in our little town, it felt wonderful just to have FUN,” wrote Anderson. For Malbroux, who is originally from Loui- siana and has frequented juke joints in the South, Chappelle’s version hit the mark. “For me, it felt like being right at home,” Malbroux said. “They got it so right.” 1 • Submitted Photo by Matieu Bitton Continued on page 6 %%% A barn at the historic Whitehall farm just north of the village has been the site of the three Juke Joints thrown by local comedian Dave Chappelle. y  Juke Joint: Chappelle’s gift to YS  y