Campfire Songs, Woodstock and The Music Man

When our blog series hostess with the mostess, the Redolent Mermaid, sent me the Fall Fun series schedule, the prompt for today’s post jumped right out at me. “Fall music highlight” wha? I’m sure she had something particular in mind, but I hadn’t a clue what it could be, a fall music festival maybe? Instead of asking for suggestions, I decided to go with my own interpretation of the post.

A crackling campfire, it just smells like fall!

One of my favorite ways to enjoy music this time of year is sitting around a campfire with longtime friends, sometimes while hanging out in the backyard, sometimes while camping. My husband and I try to go tent camping with friends during early fall, while its cool enough at night for a campfire, but not yet freezing in the tent. This year we’re skipping tent camping and spending a weekend in a cabin at the end of September (so fancy). I’m looking forward to the campfire song playlists that we like to share. Our music tastes are eclectic, but we tend to play upbeat rock, folk or country, from classic to current and some British pop if my buddy and I have my way.

This song by Josh Ritter is entertaining campfire music because it’s got a laid-back but still toe-tappin’ vibe. The “Getting Ready to Get Down” video is appealing because the time-lapse of scribbled lyrics is strangely captivating:

 

There are a few songs played as yearly tradition, such as, “I Feel Home” by O.A.R., which always reminds me of good times with friends. It holds some of the wistful feelings that fall seems to bring forth.

Lakeside Campfire

A crackling campfire melt sounds good to me any time of year, but especially during the cool fall months. Recent campfire scent purchase, from Kohls’ Sonoma Goods for Life: Lakeside Campfire 

Fragrance: Scent description: Feel like you are back at camp with the scents of lakeside air, mulled apples, smoky cinnamon and birch wood in this marvelous Lakeside Campfire wax melt set. The smoky wood is the most evident at first, I don’t pick up cinnamon but rather a buttery leather tone. Then it evolves into the lakeside air, cool and breezy with no hint of cologne or aftershave. Just fresh and outdoorsy.

Performance: Light but present, I might not have gotten much if I had used one cube, but I started with two. Kohl’s website claims that the clamshell lasts for 35 hours, meaning I should get 10+ melt time from two cubes, but I doubt it since it’s losing strength 3 hours into melting.

Recommendation: Pleasantly surprised for a 2.99 wax sale. Glad I tried it, Lakeside Campfire has been a good experience that’s gotten me in the mood for camping.

 Woodstock-Vintage Chic Scents

How could I resist testing this fragrance for a fall music melt? Although the legendary Woodstock Festival concert was held during the summer of ’69, I think the notes in this fragrance version work beautifully for fall.

I do love Kirby’s lovely flower coins

Fragrance: Patchouli, saffron and sandalwood. I love sandalwood because I find it so soothing and I thought the patchouli and saffron would spice it up a little bit. Once it got going, I was surprised at just how musky and powdery the fragrance became. Where was the rich, exotic sandalwood that I love?

Performance: Not what I was hoping for, it was on the weaker side and the wax has been curing since June. I may try switching up my warmers when using VCS wax because I like to drop an entire coin melt or 1/2 a jumbo rose into my Yankee Scenterpiece, but it might be too high wattage which cuts the throw short. Once the coin melted, I was able to pick up the notes but it only threw well for about an hour then fizzled. It would make a better bedroom or bathroom melt due to the powdery aroma.

Recommendation: Mixed results, both in fragrance and performance means I can’t recommend this scent. I like musky scents but this was too odious for my tastes. I was hoping for something much fresher, this is closer to what Woodstock probably smelled like after three days of peace and music outdoors! That said, I didn’t hate it. Not a ringing endorsement, however. I’d take the Sonoma brand fragrance over this one and save myself time, money and a stress-filled VCS restock attempt.

The Music Man

Although there’s nothing more perfect than an outdoor concert during the summer, I’m more of a musical theater lover for most of the year. In the last year(ish) I saw Cats, Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins and Shrek:the Musical. A Broadway production’s on the list soon, I hope.

I have my eye on a couple of wax brands that have Hamilton-specific melts, and yes, I would get them just for the branding!

We attended a local theater production of The Music Man this weekend. One of my good friends had a role in the show as did a former student of my husband. I have a tangible need to see a live stage performance at least 3 times a year, more if possible. Musicals can be the most fun and I was excited to experience this show because I was unfamiliar with most of the song list and I’d never even seen the movie version.

The production was sweet and uplifting and my buddy provided some well-timed comic relief.  One of my favorite subplots was the fast-talking swindler of a lead had to woo the small town librarian to achieve his scheme. A scheme which involved keeping young kids off the streets by forming a marching band! Set in 1912, The Music Man songbook is best heard in context, but the rallying scene of the little boys dressed in their shiny band costumes did help to inspire my last fall music feature.

The love of college football season I expressed doesn’t just end with the team or even the university. It extends to the marching bands, both local and collegiate. Around here, fall music includes the rousing pre-game school songs played while marching across that field.

“Carmen, Ohio” was the Ohio State University alma mater back in 1902 and is one of the only old school songs still played today. Listening to it brings a lump in the throat to any buckeye fan. It evokes an immediate time, place and feeling for when I hear it, I know it’s fall.

 

I hope you enjoyed this overdue and slightly scattered fall music highlight. I won’t be getting crafty until mid-week for the next post in the Fall Fun series, but until then, check out the other bloggers in the group tomorrow. Their crafting skills are bound to inspire:)

-jaybird