Loose Leaf Notes

I’m pretty sure it’s real!

The fire that Barb Gillespie danced with was easier to notice.

Gyroscopic Belly Dancers are a trio of Floyd women — currently Shannon DiPietro, Barb Gillespie and Emily Williamson — who are “known for their unique choreography of fusion bellydance, combining Tribal, Caberet and Egyptian styles and a flair for dramatic costuming.”  The trio performs festivals, gatherings and theatrical events.  Email Bgrateful63@yahoo.com for more info.

Between Gyroscopic and Floyd’s other dance troupe, Evolactia (with Leia Jones), we’ve been thoroughly entertained over the years, whether at Floydfest, YogaJam, The Pine Tavern, The One Stoplight Variety Show or this, the yearly Mardi Gras fundraiser for Blue Mountain School.

Yeah, that’s what I think too.

Meanwhile, at Dogtown Roadhouse, this year’s headline band was all-star stellar, drawing on some of our best loved local musicians who joined DC’s Sol Roots (left) on stage.

Area lead guitarists joining Sol Roots lead were Richie Ursomarso from Wildlife and Tom Sneidiker of The Kind.  Later, Soundwave’s lead guitarist Mason Coates accompanied his brother Colt who sang a couple of songs (listen HERE).

This high energy warm-up clip shows the all-star crazy range on stage and the dancers, which was hard to film while dancing myself!

Drummers who lined the stage were Janiah Allen from The Color J, co-founder of Floydfest Kris Hodges,  Roanoke Music Reporter Tad Dickens and The Kind’s Joringel Starchild on hand drums.  Ralph Brown from Reptile DysFUNKshen played sax.

Richie’s funk vocals were featured in a couple of songs (see THIS), as were Wendy Godley’s of The Kind and Colt Coates’ of Soundwave.  Thanks for the renditions of How Sweet it, Sugaree, the John Mayer tune and more, guys!

Look for a spread of photos and story (including this year’s 2016 crowning of the new Mardi Gras King and Queen and a carnival of costumes) in this week’s Floyd Press. Also, check out THIS clip of the debut performance of Subject to Demolition, a punk rock band made up of Floyd’s Springhouse Community School and Blue Mountain School alumni teens.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!  / Our World Tuesday