MCC and the "Spirit of Americana" Award

"Praying to the Father
And calling for the cavalry
Look at all this water
And somehow not a drop to drink
Now did you ever hear of nightmares
Coming in the light of day
Once we get to Houston
Maybe they'll just wash away
Roll on Mississippi, goodbye Crescent City
Les Bon Temps New Orleans
Never coming back to stay"

Last night, I went to a truly entertaining and exhilerating event. The Americana Music Association and the First Amendment Center of the Newseum co-present an award to an artist who uses their artistic platform to say important things. Whose art is thought-provoking and topical.

Last night, the award was presented to Mary Chapin Carpenter. A friend of mine noticed the announcement in the Washington Area Music Association (WAMA) newsletter and invited me to join him to go to the event.

Last night, the performers that came out in support of her included Rodney Crowell, Eric Brace (who used to write for the Washington Post before he moved to Nashville to pursue music full time), and a 70-year-old Judy Collins. Ms. Collins said her voice was affected by the lovely pollin that we live with in the spring in DC, but her voice still had those crystal tones from when she was 20. Each of them sang three songs, and not surprisingly, the performances were remarkable.

Last night, Chapin was interviewed by Ken Paulson of the First Amendment Center. He asked about her inspirations for her songs - like "Houston"quoted above - and she said she gets her inspiration all over. From newspapers. From PBS. From the evening news. I had never really thought before about how many of her songs are inspired by actual events. But it's true that she has used her music to spread the word about events that need to be talked about.

Last night, Chapin was joined at the end of the evening by two of her longtime collaborators: John Jennings and Jon Carroll. It was a great cap on a fantastic evening.

Last night was an amazing evening.