DID FARM PLAY FOR THE LAST TIME?

   Story by Jack Clark

 Saturday night, February 28, 2009, the friends of Farm invaded the city of Sesser.

Farm was scheduled to play one show at the Historic Sesser Opera House.

And they did.

And how!

The evening began with opening amenities from Ned Mitchell, the mayor of Sesser. Mr. Mayor told me after the show how pleased he was to have a few hundred people come to his town and visit the Opera House.

The restaurants and taverns did more business than they were used to on a normal weekend.

But, that's just the way that it is when Farm comes to town.

There were two opening acts. First up, The Gordons.

Gary and Roberta Gordon have been performing bluegrass and folk music together since Farm disbanded originally in 1973.

They performed selections from their new CD, entitled "Our Time," including "BlackJack Davey," a song originally written almost 500 years ago. The crowd was provided a real treat when the Gordons were joined by 16-year-old Katie Davis, who plays guitar with the Gordons at times. And can she play!

Then the audience got to hear an acoustic set from Del Herbert.

Del performed his acoustic tune, "Baby Althea," from his new CD, entitled "Guitar Litany." Herbert wrote "Baby Althea" two years before his grandaughter Althea was born.

Herbert proceeded to wow the crowd with his guitar virtuosity, to the point that his fingers weren't even touching the strings.

He drew raucous laughter and applause when the crowd figured out that he was replaying a digital recording that he had made only a moment earlier.

He told me later that he didn't decide to do that until he had already started his set.

At about 8:40 p.m., I introduced the band as "The Legendary Farm!" And the show was on!

Farm opened with "Sunshine in my window," one of the five tracks on the 1972 album.

Then came a song that the band debuted in November, 2007. One called "Gone."

After "Gone" came three "covers" that Farm put their own distinct mark on. "Season of the Witch," "Bullfrog Blues," and one that they hadn't played in decades, their version of the Allman Brothers' "In memory of Elizabeth Reed."

In November, 2007, when Farm played their first "reunion show" in Mt. Vernon, the band played some "re-arrangements" of some of their original material. So, when Roger Greenwalt began a 2:30 keyboard solo, a number of the fans in attendance recognized the "Jungle Song." What a jam!

Upon the conclusion of the "Jungle Song," Gordon spoke briefly about Farm percussionist and harp-player Steve Evanchik, whose health problems prevented him from performing with Farm that night.

Then came the blues standard "I'm Ready," followed by "Stormy Monday." Even though I knew that this was coming (I had heard them in practice for two months), I was in awe of their performance of their brand, spanking new Farm song, entitled "Leather Jacket." What a rocker! "Leather Jacket" led right into "Whipping Post," another Allman Brothers cover.

The next twenty-two minutes seemed to fly by in a blur.

Farm performed "Cottonfield Woman" and "Statesboro Blues," then exited the stage, obviously leaving the crowd with a desire to hear more. Amid the dim lights from a couple of hundred cell-phones, Farm made their way back onto the stage and Gary Gordon began the opening guitar-riffs to what has come to be known as Farm's signature tune, "Let that boy boogie."

Even though John Lee Hooker wrote the lyrics to "Boogie Chillen" in 1948, Farm completely reworked the song in 1972 and included it on their only album.

Upon the conclusion of the show, there were a few hundred people that calmly filed out of the Opera House, feeling like they had seen Farm at their very best.

 And they were right, they had.