Luck-E 13 at The Old Dublin

By Teri Powell Friday the 13th wasn't unlucky for me... In fact, I spent the night meandering about an old mill filled with art studios and then settling in at an Irish pub for some stellar musical performances. I arrived at the Velvet Mill Studios (http://www.velvetmillstudios.com/) in Stonington, Connecticut for an event allowing the public to explore over twenty artist's studios. I was fortunate enough to have visited many of them and had the pleasure of speaking directly to three of the artists. Of everything I viewed, the studio that stood out to me was Poor Morgan [Screen Printing, Design, & Apparel] (http://www.poormorgan.com/). Morgan King (owner), and his wife Bekah, were gracious hosts and careful to cover all dietary restrictions when presenting their table spread for their guests. Of all King's designs, what impressed me most was his "untitled collection". He exposes the parallel between a select species and a piece of machinery. For example, one screen print was of a crane next to a giraffe. Another was of a hummingbird in front of a helicopter. Then there was the comparison of a tank to a hippo and a turtle to a submarine. I'd have to say Morgan King is one perceptive artist. His designs are sheer brilliance, and he is definitely someone you'd want to do business with! After I enriched my mind with visual art, it was time to move on to auditory mediums. I headed over to The Old Dublin (http://www.theolddublin.com/) in Wallingford, CT, which is always fun for St. Patty's Day and the day before Thanksgiving celebrations. However, Friday the 13th was more than just drinking with your buddies. I was afforded the opportunity to watch performances by some excellent local bands. First up was Luck-E 13. It's true that this band plays a variety of genres, but their bluesy-folk crossover is what truly spoke to me. I think the highlight of their performance was a piece called "Why", which could easily be on a 'Top Ten' list. Jesse Newman (electric violin) and Dave Uhl's (double bass) bow work was exquisite. Sharing the stage with them was Erica Lynn Hulme (vocals/guitar) and HannaH from HannaH's Field (http://www.hannahsgroove.com/). HannaH's angelic harmonies matched with Hulme's smooth and sultry voice made the song hard to ignore even over a noisy crowd. Although the drummer's (Lloyd Munroe, III aka L3) musical part was limited during this number, he swayed in rhythm to the other instruments with a look of inner peace on his face. I believe this song is worthy of the repeat button right along with Poe's "Haunted", the Judybats' "Lullaby", Gloriana's "(Kissed You) Good Night", and the Moody Blues' "Night in White Satin". Up next was HannaH's Field. In my opinion, this duo has the most unique sound amongst CT local bands. HannaH (vocals/guitar) and Bongo Bliss (drums/bass) played an eclectic mix of gypsy reggae. Accompanied by them was Lynn Tracey aka the Reverend of Rock (guitar). She blew me away when shredding on her guitar as Bliss bare-handedly struck his symbols with immense vigor. Ladies of rock... you've got nothing on the Reverend! As if I couldn't be anymore surprised in the evening, two members of The Jolly Beggars headed to an unused microphone and began singing African music to a jam session. Then the next song started and there was Joey G., from Rhythmic Circus, joining in on percussion. By the end of the night, everyone was on stage performing "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye. It was a night to remember for sure!