Cliff Eberhardt (wrap-up)

By Greg Pool
Host, TreeHouseConcerts.org

Here's a wrap-up of Cliff Eberhardt's visit to the Tree House (pictures of that night):

• Cliff made a late booking and quick tour stop up the West Coast, and we were lucky to have him. He was on his way to headline at the Gig Harbor Folk Festival that weekend.


• And he usually doesn't perform at house concerts, especially on the East Coast. I see a few in PA, IL and MN on his schedule, however.


• Nevertheless, that makes Chris' story so much better. He lives in Connecticut, but his father lives here on the Monterey Peninsula. Chris did the math and combined his annual visit with a request for an RSVP. I was humbled!


• It meant I was able to say that we had folks attending from across the street and across the country!


• Cliff's performance was stunning. He's one of those rare performers who can dip into his deep songbook and never have to play a cover.


• He can also play instrumental to his own rhythm guitar. That's when you could tell he was a seasoned performer. In fact, he revealed in the after-show interview that he's been a performer since he was 14. That would put his start in the late 60's. What a time to be hanging around live acoustic music!


• Cliff's song "Memphis" was one of the cuts off the successful album, Cry Cry Cry. Although Richard Shindell sings the song to Lucy Kaplansky and Dar William's background vocals, Cliff thinks Dar picked the song.


• Dar writes in the liner notes say: "Cliff's a really happy guy with a creek behind his house, a little red barbecue and neighbors (like me) who love him. However, this song is the midnight truck stop phone call of the soul."


• Cliff also plays guitar on the album's Greg Brown song, "Lord I Have Made You A Place In My Heart."


• He mentioned pre-show that all his back-up singers seem to go on to great careers and joked he won't hire any more back-up singers. One of them was Lucy Kaplansky from Cry Cry Cry.


• Our three month old daughter, Sonoma, slept through most of the show. Don't worry; we'll let her know what she missed.