Strong Idyllwild showing for Casey’s homecoming party
ByReading Time: 3 minutes
Casey Abrams’ expression says it all as he performs during his Idyllwild homecoming celebration on Sunday, Sept. 25, at which about 1,000 residents and visitors flocked to a stage set up mid-street in front of Café Aroma on North Circle Drive. Photos by Cid Castillo
Video highlights the day by John Drake and Rebecca Frazier.
Casey Abrams’ expression says it all as he performs during his Idyllwild homecoming celebration on Sunday, Sept. 25, at which about 1,000 residents and visitors flocked to a stage set up mid-street in front of Café Aroma on North Circle Drive. Photos by Cid Castillo
The crowd was estimated at “almost 1,000,” however locals interviewed simply said that all their neighbors and friends, including many friends from off the Hill, attended the Casey Abrams homecoming celebration. Local restaurants set up food tents and businesses sold their wares. Following tradition established during summer concerts, locals brought folding chairs and enjoyed the music in a festive atmosphere. Café Aroma Manager Frank Ferro welcomes Idyllwild residents and visitors to the Casey Abrams homecoming in which coordinators simply set up a stage in the middle of the street for Casey and his jazz friends to play. Moments before appearing on stage, Abrams listens to the crowds and reflects on his homecoming. The crowd Attendees to the Casey homecoming were treated to jazz in its most innovative form as Abrams and his mentor, Marshall Hawkins, scatted during one of the many songs at the jazz jam and block party. As part of the 2009 and 2010 Aroma Jazz Fests, the “Cigar Jazz Lounge” was held at Idyllwild Heating & Cooling. Abrams performed both years at this venue. Since then, he has played at Idyllwild Heating on several occasions, and owner Steve Holldber thought it was appropriate to name this small patch of soil the “Casey Abrams Park.” Casey unveiled the hand-carved sign late Sunday night after his homecoming party. The preparation Casey Abrams takes photos of the crowd with his phone.
Last week the students of the Idyllwild Arts Academy’s Wylld Arts Chamber Orchestra began a collaboration with conductor Co Boi Nguyen, conductor of the University of Redlands Orchestra. The group of 11 students works together as a conductorless ensemble and is arranging the third movement of Brahms’ Second Symphony for the Music Department Showcase on…
Cultural anthropologist Melinda Niekum will give a presentation at the Idyllwild Library about the Silk Road trade route Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5 p.m. The Silk Road was a trade route running west to east from Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan to Turpan (formerly Turkistan) in China, then south to Delhi in India. Niekum explained to…
On Saturday mornings, a white tent appears on North Circle as the town wakes. Almost Heaven, a pop-up bakery, isn’t a storefront yet. It’s a window. Miss it, and it’s gone. Idyllwild sees its share of weekend ventures — operations that crest the hill with the tourists and disappear by dusk. That pattern is part…...
The artists formerly known as Old Tyme Radio –– now the Third Monday Players –– will present two one-act plays on February 16 at Middle Ridge Winery. Director Mick Lynch offers these notes. “Here We Are tells the story of a 1920s or 30s just-married couple, taking a train to New York City with a…
Larry Kawano will provide an overview of the science of our warming globe during a talk at Spirit Mountain Retreat on February 4. Kawano has shared his notes for the presentation with the Town Crier, allowing our readers a preview. Kawano majored in physics at Cornell University, and received a doctorate from the University of…...
Those who ventured downtown this last weekend saw quite a few visitors up and down North Circle and in local restaurants. Chris Perrault gave us some numbers form the Visitors Center and the IAHS Museum: “We had 167 visitors on Sunday at the Historical Museum and 100 visitors at the Visitor Center on Saturday. (The…
5 Comments
I got a few good photos of the crowd and Casey on my facebook page. Tag yourself in them if you see them or even if you are just in the crowd. I have a pretty good video of Casey singing Nature Boy. The sound is great but I had a hard time holding the camera steady over my head because of the people in front of me.
Thank you Kevin. If you'll send the link to your video, we can post it online.
Here's another video of Casey singing Nature Boy. Maybe Kevin or someone can cut the videos from two angles together: < ;http://youtu.be/SKuqx6Mmlc4>
I got a few good photos of the crowd and Casey on my facebook page. Tag yourself in them if you see them or even if you are just in the crowd. I have a pretty good video of Casey singing Nature Boy. The sound is great but I had a hard time holding the camera steady over my head because of the people in front of me.
Thank you Kevin. If you'll send the link to your video, we can post it online.
Here's another video of Casey singing Nature Boy. Maybe Kevin or someone can cut the videos from two angles together: < ;http://youtu.be/SKuqx6Mmlc4>
Sorry: Hope this link works: < http://youtu.be/SKuqx6Mmlc4 >.
Thank you for sharing Karen.