My favorite folk group is called Uncle Bonsai. I saw them 20 or 30 times in college and a few more times after that - including once at the Ark in Ann Arbor when I was teaching at Western Ontario. The group was made up of three graduates of Bennington College in Vermont - Arni, Ashley and Andrew. Uncle Bonsai (UB) had a fair amount of success in my college days and shortly thereafter, getting radio play on college radio stations and the like. Their most famous song was sung by Arni and Ashley and began "If I had a penis ...". You get the idea. But UB never quite hit the big time and, as a result, all three eventually went on with their lives, getting married, having kids and, in Ashley's case, moving to Iowa.
There were reunion concerts every year or two - I went to a couple - and chit-chat on the web page, but not much in the way of musical output. As such, a fair chunk of change (and many little triangles of utility) was being left on the table as UB has a very loyal (and not small) fan base. So, I suppose I am not surprised to learn that at some point last year, Ashley dropped out and was replaced by a new third person, presumably someone who is in Seattle and interested in doing more recording and more concerts.
But I am still a bit sad, for it was Ashley who was the object of my collegiate crush and whose voice I remember singing "Charlie and me" (not a reference, I think, to my colleague Charlie Brown, but you never know).
Oh, UB is, of course, on Facebook, where you can listen to a song and become a fan.
Hat tip: Ginger Petersen
Who was my favorite student this term?
7 years ago
