Twenty-five Years

posted June 7, 2016

IMG_3999This band started as a dream, like most bands do. Two girls, born 10 years too late, pouring over the cover of the Beatles Blue Album, which is not even, as it turns out, a real album. Two girls singing into their hairbrushes when no one else was nearby enough to hear. Two sisters, amazed to discover that the other one had a secret desire to sing, too. Two sisters, amazed to discover that her sister had a really good voice. Two sisters, brought up on Seeger and Dylan and determined to make a difference in the world, convinced music could change hearts and minds.

Parents loving enough to suspend disbelief and not insist on graduate school or real jobs.

A guy named Dave who loved them both and was willing to put up with them and put them up while they built the band.

Another guy named Dave who loved them both and was willing to lend his ear and genius and bass parts and nervous system to the project.

A third guy named Dave who played the drums with the passion of Animal and the precisionĀ of Edison.

A booking agent named Patty who turned road manager, then co-manager, then manager-babysitter-pastry-chef-maker-barista, who loved and laughed and kvetched and shook the trees and sometimes the sisters’ shoulders.

Tens of thousands of fans, who came and went over the years, but who floated the boat, sang along, believed and encouraged.

Seventeen CDs. Three books. Thirteen songbooks. A DVD. One vinyl double album. 44 states, 6 provinces, three countries, too many cities to count accurately (though Patty probably has a close approximation….)

Two grateful women, sisters, mothers, wives, friends, aunts, daughters, artists, writers, singers in the same old band. They thank you. We thank you. Thank you.

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The Comments

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  1. So cool and lucky. My brother and I have a similar story, but we ended up farming oysters!

  2. We are growing old together! With great respect and love we wish you a Happy Anniversary and another 25 years!

  3. I remember I would come home and find people sleeping in rooms and on the floor and find out who they were when I woke in the morning. Happy 25th
    I also remember when I ask you to sing Puff the Magic Dragon and you said NO and then you surprised me by singing it at my birthday party, thanks sooooo much

  4. 1) Not THAT long or THAT strange a trip. There’s still lots of time.
    2) You, or we, were all so cute then. Those are some great pictures

  5. I’m pretty sure my first show was Bumbershoot, 1995 or 1996? Does that sound right? That makes it ~20 years for me! XOXO!

  6. I first saw you opening up for a band called echo Janes in Bristol, CT in 1994. My now wife of 22 years sang and played bass with the Janes. I loved your trio then and you are still among my favorites. I too now play guitar and your old published songbook is in my bunch of regular material. Thanks for being you, for being so talented and for sharing it with us.

  7. First saw you at Music Midtown Atlanta in 1997, I believe, and was immediately smitten! Then went to NYC and saw you in the village a couple years later. Seems like yesterday! Would love to see you back in Atlanta sometime!!
    Happy 25th Anniversary! Here’s to 25 more!!

  8. I tuned in, turned on, dropped out somewhere back in time. Made a re-entry to the human race in 2005. To say that music and your music have been instrumental in driving an ascent from the ashes would be an understatement. There are a lot of missing years, but I caught my first Nields show in September of ’07 at Strawberry Park, and if you don’t mind sticking for another 25, I don’t expect to miss much. Thank YOU for doing what you do. Much Love, Big Hugs!

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