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Steamboat Springs 1st September 2001 by Sue Grout  This is the first year Westfest has been held in Steamboat Springs. If any of you get the chance next year, you should check it out...even if Hal's not there. We got there on Thursday and found out there was going to be a benefit dinner-dance on Friday where Michael Martin Murphey would perform after dinner. We decided to buy tickets, and imagine how happy (putting it mildly) I was to see on the ticket that Hal would also be performing!! The dinner was great...MMM performed at 8.30pm...dancing was to start at 10pm and Hal was supposed to be on some time in between. Well, after MMM had performed for awhile, he announced that the weather was bad out of Denver, but Hal was driving in and they expected him in about 15 minutes. For the dinner we had been in the back of the room, but after Michael finished performing and his announcement, several tables of people left, not waiting for Hal (can you imagine)..so we, of course, moved up closer and were able to take some decent (I hope) pictures. Well, he did make it, but only had time to sing three songs -- Past the Point of Rescue, Awaiting Redemption, and Trail of Tears (which he sang a capppella). Very cool. Before Hal sang Awaiting Redemption, some ladies that were standing outside in the reception area called out 'Belgian Team' (a song from his first album 'Threadbare Alibi') He said "I'm not going to sing that song" and said something about "memory loss..". That he writes 'em and forgets 'em, then he sang Awaiting Redemption. The next day, during his performance at Westfest, he said that the previous night he was talking to some ladies who had requested a song, and he told them if they brought their horses (draft horses) on Saturday, he would sing 'Belgian Team' for them. Well they did... two beautiful draft horses and they had a sign that said 'Belgian Team Revival'. So he did sing that song for them on Saturday. He finished up Friday with his thing about the 'early bird may catch the worm, but it's the second mouse that gets the cheese' (scratching his head). He got a pretty good laugh. After he sang on Friday night, I was able to talk a little to Christopher. I asked him how Vegas - the show moving from Boulder Station to Santa Fe Station, with him opening for Travis Tritt had come about. He said that Hal felt Boulder Station had been really good to him, and when it happened that both he and Travis would be competing for the "country" concert business on that night, they asked him if he would open for Travis at Santa Fe and Hal felt he owed it to them to do that. While we were standing there talking, up comes Hal and introduces himself - he puts out his hand and says "I'm Hal" (LOL). Talked a little about Boulder Station and roulette, then they were off for a late dinner. Saturday morning we were walking to breakfast before going to the venue and there was Hal out walking too. He performed at 2pm that afternoon and he (we) really lucked out. When he was through it started raining (hard). Here's what the Westfest program had to say about him: "Hal Ketchum's non-traditional approach to country has made him a breath of fresh air in a world of twang and tumbleweeds. Ketchum first got involved in music in his teens, banging the drums in his basement and listening to albums by '70's rockers like the James Gang and Steppenwolf. In 1979, he moved to Austin to attend music school and was quickly immersed in the community's vibrant coffeehouse and bar room scene, playing alongside pioneering artists like Lyle Lovett and Lucinda Williams. Ketchum's recording career began in the mid-80's when he moved to Nashville to begin work as a songwriter, putting out "Threadbare Alibi" and then 1991's Past the Point of Rescue. The latter proved to be a turning point for Ketchum, yielding hits like "Small Town, Saturday Night" and "I Know Where Love Lives". Since then, there's been a series of successful singles and albums, including "Hearts Are Gonna Roll" from 1993's "Sure Love" as well as 1994's "Every Little Word", 1998's "I Saw The Light", and in 2000 "Awaiting Redemption". I was able to pick up the playlist when they were through, here's what he sang:
We'll go back next year... like I said, even if Hal's not there.. but it sure would make it sweeter if he is! Confirmed Hal Fan Susanne  Sue's Photos. |