Jesse Tabor, center, holds a Lifetime Achievement Award received on behalf of his father, Guy “Buddy” Tabor, while surrounded by friends after the Glacial Erratics performance on Feb. 4 at Resurrection Lutheran Church.
Betsy Simms, Kim Barlow and Martha Stey performed as the Glacial Erratics on Feb. 4 in tribute to musician Buddy Tabor.
Jesse Tabor holds a Lifetime Achievement Award received on behalf of his father, Guy “Buddy” Tabor.
Story last updated at 2/15/2012 - 1:04 pm
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room during much of Saturday’s performance by the Glacial Erratics. To say the audience was moved would be an understatement.
We were touched by the music, of course. The group, which hasn’t performed together in years, consists of Kim Barlow, Betsy Sims, Martha Stey and Andrea McColeman. Percussionist Clay Good filled in for McColeman, who was not able to attend. This was their first performance together since long before I arrived in Juneau. Much of the crowd knew many of their original tunes and sang along. But there was more to this evening than just tunes.
It was a bittersweet reunion, the reason for which was the failing health of local songwriter Buddy Tabor. The performance was given in his honor, and many of his own songs were performed by the Erratics. He passed away the following evening after a battle with cancer.
I have a somewhat morbid habit of holding on to voice mail messages long after they are needed, and I still have a couple that Buddy left for me over the last year. In one from Sept. 1, he reported that he was on his way to Anchorage to undergo medical tests. He passed along well-wishes to my mother, who at the time was experiencing a health-related event of her own. He also gave a good report about the previous week’s concert, which I had been unable to attend.
The big joke at Buddy’s performances was always that he didn’t play enough “happy” songs. The majority of his compositions exposed society’s fallacies, attacking politicians and other corrupt systems. But in doing so, he celebrated authenticity and promoted the truly great parts of life. His so-called “depressing” lyrics lifted up many members of our community in a very real way.
Buddy’s dedication to music has also inspired many musicians, myself included.
Once, he asked me, “Do you play every day?” He said the words as plainly as if he were asking if I eat food or breathe air on a regular basis.
I couldn’t give a “yes” as an answer, but he could. His music was his life’s focus, and now it’s up to us to keep it real. If he were still here, there’s no doubt he’d keep us all accountable.
Libby Stringer may be reached at
libby.stringer@capweek.com.
