‘Spoon Lady’ concert sold out at WPA Theater
Published 8:30 pm Friday, April 5, 2019
The Chris Rodrigues and Abby the Spoon Lady concert at the We Piddle Around Theater in Brundidge on Friday night, April 12 is sold out.
Cathie Steed, ticket chair for the sponsoring Brundidge Historical Society,” said ticket sales were brisk and came from all around the Wiregrass and beyond.
“Another performance by the duo was not possible because of scheduling,” Steed said. “We are fortunate to have Chris Rodrigues and Abby the Spoon Lady in Brundidge if only for one night. The We Piddle Around Theater is a folk life theater and home of Alabama’s Official Folk Life Play, ‘Come Home, It’s Suppertime.’ We are always looking for more and different ways to celebrate the arts, especially the folk arts. Playing the spoons is an old-time art and no one plays the spoons like Abby Roach. Chris Rodrigues plays the harmonica and a lap full of acoustic instruments. We are looking forward to a great night of supper, stories, songs and spoons.
Amanda Smothers was the first person to reserve tickets for the Chris Rodrigues and Abby the Spoon Lady concert and she has been looking forward to the concert since that very day.
“I first heard about Abby the Spoon Lady and Chris Rodrigues when someone shared a youtube video of them playing together,” Smothers said. “The video went viral on social media and, from my understanding, has just blown up their following. I had never seen anyone playing spoons but had heard stories before. When I think of someone playing the spoons, I imagine life long before my time, when people made music with whatever they had on hand at the time. Curiosity draws people in.
“Abby Roach has got this amazing technique and rhythm that involves so much movement and expression. And Chris plays a resonator guitar, sings and writes so many of their songs. Their sound is unique and something you won’t see anywhere else. The entire act is like watching art come alive in front of you. I’m so excited to see and hear them play.”
Michael Reno Harrell, popular storyteller at the annual Pike Piddlers Storytelling Festival, said he had the pleasure of interviewing Abby Roach and Chris Rodrigues at the National Storytelling Festival in October and what a pleasure it was.
“These two performers are as unique and entertaining an act as anyone could wish to see and a freight train load of rhythm and fun,” Harrell said. “Y’all will have fun.”