Maryland Renaissance Festival, Oct. 23-24, 2004
Preparations for the final weekend of MDRF2004 began at Sean Donlan’s Irish Pub in Annapolis for local Rogueys, special guest Sadie, sensational bellydancer Stacy, and some old Marine Corps buddies of Roguey Lyn. Our pre-weekend prep-up began with a homemade dinner, two bottles of wine and sippy cups.
You who are familiar with Rogueys Heather and Lyn know that we have a bun baking and you’re probably correct in thinking that we have begun to collect a lot of kiddy goods, like sippy cups. Now, since sensational Stacy and Old Marine buddy Cory didn’t want to spill their wine on our brand new floors and yet-to-be-delivered-Roguey-Rat-Bell is about 18 months from needing them for her/his juicy juice, sippy cups became a pretty good idea. Now, there is a strange phenomenon about drinking alcohol out of a sippy cup -everyone wants a drink out of your sippy cup. The wine didn’t last long.
Our dazzling dinner of Mediterranean Rosemary Chicken and sauteed grape tomatoes with fresh spinach and cheese ravioli, cooked by my very own hands, was given a glowing sparkle of approval from all, or at least all who drank wine out of the sippy cups. At this point you are probably asking yourself, “Self. Is this the On the Road page for the Rogues or some imposter website about an Indian cook in a kilt?” Well. I’ll tell you why you’re reading about a house full of great folks eating my pasta and chicken and drinking out of my baby’s sippy cups … cause we owe it all to the Rogues.
Seeing that this is the last weekend of MDRF 2004, I’m going to dig back into Rogue history and tell you a little story about a gang of Marine Corps photojournalists, who came out to the opening weekend of MDRF 2001. I fell in love with the Rogues that weekend and the next week these awesome guys invited me backstage and out for the evening, and they never got rid of me. Of course, it helped that I had the pleasure of photographing the ridiculously talented Irish dancers Jim and Lauren Mueller that weekend, and most amazing of all, I met my darling bride, Heather. Just a weekend later, we danced our first dance to Cullen Anderson.
Right after 9/11, I had orders back to Parris Island, SC, and I blasted the Rogues for 689 miles from Maryland to South Carolina with new friends and a new love on my mind. There was no keeping us apart, as I drove up as often as I could the rest of that faire season. The Rogues were great enough to give up time at the Dragon Inn show and former Rogue Brian loaned out his spare kilt for me to put a ring on Heather’s finger in style that year too. We took a trip to Norman Medieval Faire that year, and I met my Nelson. It was love at first sight twice in one year.
A few months later, with Randy by my side, Heather walked down the aisle with Jimmy playing a tune former Rogue Lars wrote especially for us, “The Virgin and the Marine.” And we put more than 6,000 miles on our car that year driving back and forth from South Carolina to Maryland for faire as we sold t-shirts and CDs in Rogue t-shirts and cowboy hats and boots.
With the addition of E.J. to the band we came in contact with “The Willow” and we fell into the enchantingly shagadelic mood it induces and thus, we are with child.
Are you catching the drift about how I owe it all to the Rogues? I won one of my highest photography awards for the photo I took of Lauren Mueller at the Rogues show, I found my best friend, I got a bride and, and now, through E.J. love-magic, I have my pride and joy cooking inside a beautiful belly. The friends we have made, especially this year, have only added to the wonderment of being part of this band. And there you have it why you are reading about me cooking dinner for the guy who first introduced me to faire, the woman I got to keep and a couple of new friends we have added along the way, so let’s get back to On the Road.
Now, when you go out to an Irish pub with a bunch of friends drinking rum-and-cokes out of sippy cups, you should probably never expect to arrive to work on time the next day, even if your first gig doesn’t start till almost noon. Stacy and I did finally roll into the White Hart show with a few minutes to spare and it seemed that things had gotten off to a good start. The crowds were light but as the weather took a turn for the better, the chill seemed to disappear along with the spiked warm cider. Rennies and Faires were busy trying to take in all they could to tide them over for another 9 months without sight of Revel Grove and trying to figure out what everyone else was going to do for The Day of Wrong, when on the last day of MDRF, everyone does something completely outrageous with their garb.
Kilt & Hilt dancers Holly and Warring along with kiddy K & H’s Sanger and Kiley showed up incognito with a big trick in store for Sunday’s shows and seductive Stacy brought along a little piggy to put in Nelson’s pouch. We have had some fantastic dancers around this year and with the beauty queens of Barefoot Dragon and Kilt & Hilt, everyone is going to be endeavoring to show a better belly for next year. Of course, we can’t forget our longtime Rogue Rat Amber who has been showing off some fantastic Irish footwork on stage this year too.
Considering I am writing about a stuffed pig sticking out of Nelson’s sporran at this point, the day was rather uneventful. The weather stayed relatively clear and there was a buzz of sad notes hanging in the air knowing for our Texas and Canadian compadres, it would be a few months before we got to see each other again.
At the encouragement of Medieval Moccasin babes Vicky, Janeen, Freddy, Chela and Cynthia, we all packed up at the end of the day and headed out for a night of bowling. Now, I have been out to a number of local restaurants and seen Rennies out in their Rennie regalia, but I must say, I don’t think anyone at the bowling alley had ever seen anyone bowl in Rennie regalia. Of course, thanks to myself and M&M shoe elf Freddy showing up in kilts and world renown guitar/sitar/bazoukist and M&M shoe papa Klaus wearing his - well, he was in his regular clothes but that is strange enough - they can’t say they’ve never seen it now.
The night was fun, the conversations intriguing, and the food was sucky, but at least it was better than the service. The ladies took the top prize for the night crushing the competition under their rented heels, and Freddy gave out an extra award to everyone in the alley when he took a spill and exposed what German shoemakers wear under their Utilikilts.
At the end of the night we were lucky enough to take a caravan of Roguey fans back home for the evening. Our home had been a wonderland of people for the weekend with Barefoot Dragon Stacy, and K&H’s Holly, Sanger, Kiley and Warring, and the Marine Corps’ best-photojournalist-now-that-I’m-not-his-competition-anymore Cory hanging out overnight. Obviously with our affection for each other, they were L-A-T-E nights but made all the better by seeing each other roll out of bed the next morning, but with preparations for the Day of Wrong a necessity, the wee hours of the morning were filled with laughter and sights I’ll never get out of my head. This brings us to The Day of Wrong.
I must admit here that I love K&H Warring and would do anything for her, but I never thought she would ask me to wear a skirt. Everyone knows I wear a kilt, but that’s different. She asked me to wear a skirt-skirt. A cancan skirt to be exact. Never expecting her to ask me to wear a cancan skirt I would never have thought I would do a cancan either, but when a beautiful woman asks you to do something and you have made a vow you would do anything for her, you have to suck it up and just do it right? At this point I should probably mention that along with that cancan and cancan skirt, she also asked me to do something else, and though I can’t believe I’m admitting this, since I am a true Scot even if I am half-Indian, she asked me to wear - underwear. Since I am at this point wearing a satin and lace skirt under my kilt they weren’t just regular underwear either. They were flowered. Big 3-D flowers. This is very wrong, but that is what this day is all about right?
Now you have to imagine my father-in-law walking into his living room and seeing his son-in-law dressed in a kilt, a cancan skirt and flowered underwear doing the cancan with one woman in a cancan skirt and one in fishnet stockings while watching Moulin Rouge. That was the reaction of the audiences at several Rogue shows throughout the day as we pulled out all the stops for this final day. Even Rogue Rat and Stage Ham Robin couldn’t take the sight and took to whacking his head against the wall in disbelief.
Keeping with the theme of wrongness, Barefoot Dragon babes R-R-R-R-Ruta and Stacy kicked off their turbans, tassels and tattoos and went with their cabaret costumes of sequins and silks. This of course only dazzled the audiences more as they, along with a few other dancers from Dragon’s Caravan showed up to strut their stuff and groove to some show stopping tunes.
With one show to go in the day, Nelson had to pack up and head out for the airport and an early flight back to the Maple Leaf State, but not before dropping in on awaiting friends at the Dragon Inn. The show was a little sadder for having had to say goodbye, but sweeter for having had the time we did get to spend together this year. Saturday afternoons won’t be the same without watching Canadian TV shows and Saturday Night Live reruns behind the Jury Rig. As darkness fell on the fans gathering for their last hurrah, the pipes turned into flaming torches of tunes and burned the brand of The Rogues on our hearts. The light of lanterns lit our way as we danced out the evening, memorizing the move of belly dancer and twirl of Highland fling to keep us happy for one more year.
At the day’s end we finally had to depart, leaving the remaining threesome of Rogues to head off to share a last meal with a few local friends and the Medieval Mocassin gang at a local Indian restaurant. We hold it in our hearts that we will see them again soon.
The year has been totally amazing for us adoring fans and I’d like to throw out a few last thank yous. For the Rogues bringing E.J. on board with his radical talent and box of bleating instruments seemed to prove inspiring as they started turning out some great new tunes we will hopefully be hearing in CD form sometime next year.
Sharon and Denise proved a formidable team as they rocketed Rogue sales and made a lot of CD players and speakers very happy. Pam also joined the Rogue team as t-shirt girl this year and thanks to her, there are a lot more dangled and spangled Roguettes running around. Jenesse and I remained on hand for emergency sales situations and offered support between shows as packmules between stages.
Next comes our extra special friends at Medieval Moccasins. Klaus has been a great addition to several shows throughout the year as he has brought out an extra sound in the Rogues formula with his electrified bouzouki. Celtic Crossroads was made even better by his additions on guitar and sitar as well. M&M shoe elves Freddy, Janeen, Cynthia, Audrey and Vicky have all been great, too, in supporting us right down to our insoles. Shoe mama Ingrid is a blessing to our little piggies throughout the year as we strap on our Moccasins year round. Vicky has gotten to be a really close friend this year and Freddy has … well Freddy is Freddy and that is always great for a laugh, a beer, a flash, and some percussion backup work from time to time. We thank them all as well for their support at Celtic Crossroads and hope we can lean on them again next year as well. The Medieval Moccasin crew are our hang out partners for after-faires and I’m sure as their paths cross from time to time and faire to faire to Texas and back to us again next year, they keep our Rogues well entertained … with a little sole.
Handling this in reverse alphabetical order, we next go to Kilt & Hilt Highland Dancers - Warring, Holly, Sanger, and Kiley, who have stolen our hearts and thrilled our imaginations this year. Their special choreography during Celtic Crossroads highlighted their exceptional talents and their weekly dancing support and commarderie has made them irreplaceable. And Warring and Holly are hotties, which always helps.
Ruta and Stacy and the rest of the girls of Barefoot Dragon bellydancing studio and Dragon’s Caravan Dance Troupe have exploded onto the scene this year with a radically different style of belly dancing and a real life appeal that is only made more beautiful by the souls behind the smiles. And they’re hotties.
The great thing about all this is that they elevated themselves above being groupies, band-aids or whatever else you want to call them - they became friends and fellow performers as we supported them on their gigs as they supported us. And the greatest of things for us is that they are all friends too. Ruta and Warring are even hammering out some fusion work that we will hopefully be seeing at some point in the near future of MDRF2005.
I can only imagine the others I need to thank for making this such an exceptional year - Amber, Jim, Dave, Andrea, Mark and Tammy, and all those who helped out on Celtic Crossroads; Chris Davis for such a great intro to the show and some funny gags; John Davis a.k.a. Sir Nigel Hack who brought down the house with his King of the Faires, Buttsephus the Janitor, and the balloon swallowing gags; and Rogues Security. Shaun and William Wilson have been great this year as always. William and his beauty of bride-to-be Holly opened their home to our antics and are constantly there for moments of family and friendship. Shaun has been really making progress on the bodhran this year, playing with The Rogues at the Dragon Inn show on a regular basis and keeping Nelson out of danger’s way when fans have become unfriendly.
I can’t begin to thank everyone else who made this such as special year. Thanks to Karen and Mordechai for inviting us to their home to celebrate Sukkot again this year; thanks to Suzanne for buying Amber hardshoes to dance at our shows; thanks to Pam for rocketing t-shirt sales and husband Todd for all the nifty artwork; thanks to Tinsmith for such incredible playing at Celtic Crossroads; thanks to Linda, Greg and Rogue Rat Alley, Chelle, Rockin’ Robin, King of the Rogue Rats for continuing to rock the stage and add some up-and-coming talent for us to look forward to in the coming years; thanks to the doctors who patched up Sharon when she fell out of a tree; to Kathleen McCurry for being the original Roguette and taking the drive over to MDRF. We thank all the fancy footworks, too, of Jim and Lauren Mueller, Broesler’s School of Irish Dance, and again, Kilt and Hilt and Dragon’s Caravan.
And who do we thank for bringing all these people together? Four fabulous guys with great hearts and big talents. Randy and Nelson both drove our hearts with their beats and we can only hope to see some new rhythms in the mix for MDRF 2005. Jimmy and E.J. both started giving us sneak peeks at some developing tunes we hope to hear more of next year after a little rest and relaxation from the road. May they be well spiced by a season in Texas, cooked to perfection in its warm winter.
To everyone at Maryland have a great year and see you again in August, except for those we happen to see before then, and for all those fans out there on the Rogue Road, hope to hear how the boys are doing On The Road.
Lyn Bell