House Concert: Chad Elliott

Before I moved to Spencer some nine months ago, I knew very little of it. I'd been before, but those experiences existed only as vague memories of the odd Labor Day gathering from my youth, or the RAGBRAI visit that I can't really distingish from all the other RAGBRAI towns (sorry). So when I moved here, one the the first people that I met was Chad Elliott--at a reception at Arts on Grand. And then he was everywhere! (I was at the library the other day and there on the bulletin board were fliers for two different events in town and he's playing at both of them.) Chad Elliott has been a fixture of this town in my experience of it. He's there at the Tree (if not there in person, he's there through his art), he's there are Arts on Grand, he's there in Buddy Holly, he's there where everybody's talking about him. And it's good because Chad is extremely talented and an extremely warm person.

And now he's leaving. He's got a great job at Sticks in Des Moines. When I first heard, I was very disappointed. What is the town going to be without Chad? What's going to happen to me? I'll never get to work with him at the AOG ceramic studio again. I'll never see his friendly, musical face.

I went to the house concert at Martin Arthur's last night. Despite having seen him play before, I'd never actually been to a proper Chad Elliott concert before. He's funny, did you know that? Top quality musician, too. So many songs about wandering and changing weather. I realized--I don't have to be sad that he's gone. As he says, it's just part of the changing weather.

The concert last night was a wonderful experience. There were maybe 125 people in attendance. There was such a buzz. Just top, top quality like you wouldn't expect to find in a town this size but there it is. It's really a blessing that we've got this going on. And it's not going to stop just because Chad's going away--check out Spencer Concert Association for the upcoming schedule.

Chad--thanks for everything, and we'll be seeing you again.