By Dixon Bledsoe
There is something special about summer and the week of the Fourth of July.
Silverton Day at The Oregon Garden on July 3 was like a fine Pinot Noir and a bottle of Emily’s Amber beer. The fireworks were incredible and the crowd was a mural of Silverton life with a mix of tourists. Music and patriotism ruled the day. Who doesn’t get goose bumps when Lee Greenwood sings, I’m Proud to be an American? Except for some long lines for food, drink and restrooms, the Garden did it right in its maiden voyage at the top of the hill.
If you haven’t heard Ben Rue sing yet, you are missing a lot. The young Silverton man and his band entertained the eclectic crowd for over two hours. With his Silverton hill country roots, this guy is comfortable in his own skin.
It takes a lot of confidence to take on the Carlos Santana/Rob Thomas hit, Smooth to kick off a show with a sultry and youthful Latin flavor and then come back with Mama Tried by country icon Merle Haggard. Otis Redding’s classic Dock O’ The Bay was a beautifully performed cover, followed by everyone’s favorite, Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash.
Little kids danced and grooved intertwined with the band, and you could see in Ben’s eyes that that was just fine.
What struck me most was the depth and breadth of his set, especially his original work. I got hooked on Marty Robbins El Paso in the very early ’60s but came into country full steam in Austin, Texas during my time in the Air Force.
Country music had me hook, line and sinker because of the stories it tells, the simplicity of its lyrics and the skill of its musicians. I like new country, old country, progressive country, blue grass, and gospel. In truth, music that is good, whatever the genre, gets in my bones.
Rue’s song I Grew Up On That can and should be a hit. It is just a great song that like any other, tells a story and it strikes close to home because so many of us grew up in this small town. Check it out on ReverbNation at www.reverbnation.com/benruemusic/songs.
Silverton attorney Phil Kelley found the needle in the haystack, witnessed a month of Sundays and saw a sinister hot spot freeze over. Talk about fireworks! The renowned bachelor found his soul mate at 66 in Helen Till, a mental health counselor also of Silverton and daughter of Vince and “Babs” Till. What a wedding it was on July 6, starting at St. Paul’s Catholic Church for the ceremony in front of at least 150 family and friends and ending in dance fever at Seven Brides Brewing. The music was hot, the beer was good, and the event room at the venue was decorated beautifully thanks to the talented hand of Phil’s sister-in-law, Theresa Kelley and relatives.
I like a good wedding as much as the next guy, but this one was a blast. The music covered everything from early Beatles to Pink’s raucous wedding anthem, Raise Your Glass.
The prime rib prepared by the Brew crew was perfectly smoked and rich in flavor, my dark favorite, Oatmeal Ellie, was singing to me, and my lovely bride of 31 years, Lisa, even got this rhythmically-challenged two left-footer to take numerous turns on the dance floor, and yet no one laughed out loud. An amazing day.
The beautiful thing about this particular wedding was family. The Kelleys were everywhere and came from everywhere.
As brother Don Kelley put it, “Every living member of my dad’s family is here tonight, from all over the country.”
That speaks volumes about the strength of the extended Kelley family and their love for Uncle/Brother/Cousin Phil.
But it speaks well of the bride, too, as Helen, a class act with an amazing smile and twinkle in her eye, was the belle of the ball and fit in with her new family like a butter-soft glove.
The Kelleys are, you see, dancing machines, pranksters, fiercely loyal, extremely close to one another, totally musical, and party animals.
There was the Irish toast, a good shot of Irish whiskey, a refreshing cake-eating exchange between bride and groom that didn’t involve shoving it in each other’s faces, and music that was all over the genre-map. It didn’t matter.
They all danced. Virtually every song, fast, slow, pulsating, and soothing. They danced with each other, and anyone that walked by. There were kids everywhere, all there to honor Uncle Phil and his new bride, Helen. This was a night to celebrate the happy and long-awaited demise of Phil’s bachelorhood, and Helen got the final rose. It was party central. At one point, the dance floor was totally full of Kelley progeny, though dozens of friends were welcomed interlopers.
The highlight of the evening for many in attendance was a perfectly timed, expertly choreographed flash mob of at least 40 Kelley cousins and nieces and nephews that danced to a medley of oldies, goodies, and contemporary hip hop songs, interspersed with one collegiate fight song accompanied by a Purdue Boilermaker flag.
Phil played for the Boilermakers in the 1967 Rose Bowl. The mob caught everyone by surprise, and the crowd was amazed at how in synch it was, even with cousins in the single digits of life. According to Don, it was all planned, coordinated, and rehearsed online since the mobsters were scattered all across the country.
The Kelley clan knows how to put on a party, and this one will go down in the books as an award-winner. Congratulations to Helen and Phil.
“May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the road downhill all the way to your door.” (An Irish toast.)
