“.. folky, passionate, Celtic-y! You had my heart dancing!”
— Index Arts Fest
Tenino Railroad Day to Feature Renovated 1923 Caboose,
Music and More
Posted
The first Tenino Railroad Day is coming up on Sept. 17 and will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony that will signal the reopening of a caboose at the Tenino Depot Museum.
The caboose has been completely rebuilt from the ground up in a two-year renovation process undertaken by Don Bowman, of Olympia, and Jan Wigley, of Centralia.
In a phone interview with The Chronicle, Bowman said he had originally undertaken the task of breathing new life into the caboose after some of the Tenino City Council members asked him for assistance.
“The mayor and I and a couple of guys from the city went through the caboose with an ice pick, like you were buying a wooden boat, and 99% of the major (wooden) structure was rotted,” Bowman said.
While he was skilled in carpentry himself, he quickly realized it wasn’t just the wooden components that would need work but a lot of metal parts as well.
“Jan was my go-to metal guy. He’s an all around handy dude. He’s a good welder and a good metal fabricator and that’s what I needed,” Bowman said.
Many of the original metal parts on the caboose, such as the stairs and ladder handles, had to be completely refabricated by Wigley. Having Wigley’s extra shop space was also an asset as many large components had to be completely rebuilt.
Unfortunately, even with the extra shop space, some of the wooden components had to be sourced directly from mills.
“All the lumber for the walls had to be cut at a mill, because we couldn’t go to Home Depot and buy the sized lumber pieces they used in 1923,” Bowman said.
The caboose was originally produced in 1923 by the Great Northern Railway and was used mostly in the Eastern Washington area on the rails around Spokane.
“It was built in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1923. There were 14 of them built that year there all by the Great Northern Railway. They had their own carpentry force. They had their own metal workers. Railroads back in those days built their own freight cars and locomotives. They did everything,” Bowman said.
Not all the parts needed to be fabricated or replaced though, as Bowman was able to purchase parts from various museums such as the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin. And Wisconsin ended up not just being a source of parts, but of blueprints, too.
“We found them with a gentleman up in North Freedom, Wisconsin. He was a member of their rail museum up there and he had a caboose that was built in 1924, the year after ours was built, and he had a set of blueprints,” Bowman said.
Despite not being from the same year, Bowman said he knew through research that the design didn’t really change between the two years and the blueprints were a big help in his own renovation of the 1923 caboose.
The blueprints enabled him to strip the entire caboose down to the frame and wheel assemblies and completely restore it to the condition it was in when it was officially taken off the rails in 1967.
Bowman said cabooses had many uses but mainly were the conductor’s office or a makeshift break room for other train employees.
Of course, before the addition of radios, this meant that if the conductor saw a danger and felt the need to stop the train, they would have to run the length of the train in order to get the engineer to put the brakes on. The addition of the conductor’s valve in the caboose enabled the conductor to hit the brakes without having to make that sprint; however, that was one component that gave Bowman trouble during his search for parts, until he stumbled on one close to home.
“We were searching everywhere for this part, even went to Canada to search at some museums up there. My friend in Wisconsin who had the blueprints had a guy that came to him looking for parts for a lantern and he actually had a conductor’s valve, and he lived in Morton, Washington,” Bowman said.
The man in Morton gave him the valve for free. Bowman said a lot of other locals from the area helped in various ways with rebuilding the caboose, from painting to roofing. It all was provided with great discounts or at no charge at all in some cases.
Before coming to Tenino and being restored, the caboose was owned and on display at the Country Village Shops up in Bothell. That’s where the local Seattle band SeaStar began to practice in it and where SeaStar lead singer Fae Wiedenhoeft also used to hold music lessons.
“It was acquired by the village I want to say in the ‘80s by the family that owned the village. I didn’t start renting the caboose until 2010 when I opened my little music school there called Syren’s Voice where I taught voice lessons and guitar lessons,” Wiedenhoeft said in a phone interview.
Wiedenhoeft would also host parties in the caboose and shoot music videos with SeaStar in it. She’s written at least 100 songs in it, including the song “On the Sea,” which SeaStar will perform at Tenino Railroad Day to help commemorate the caboose. The song recently won the Seattle Propeller Club’s “stories of the sea” contest.
“That space was just a beautiful little area. It was my studio, it was where I created and where we practiced, and I was pretty much there six out of the seven days of the week,” Wiedenhoeft said.
Wiedenhoeft said although she felt the old wooden furnishing of the caboose had a lot of spirit, she can’t wait to see how it’s been restored.
“We’re looking forward to meeting everyone and seeing our old friend. I'm glad that someone saved her (the caboose), because we weren’t sure what was going to happen to her,” Wiedenhoeft said.
Festivities at the Tenino Railroad Day will start at 10 a.m. Aside from the ribbon cutting, there will also be historical exhibits and activities revolving around the railroad, local vendors, food and live entertainment, including SeaStar’s performance.
Events will occur at the Tenino City Park as well as the Tenino Depot Museum located on 399 West Park Ave.
100 Bands in 100 Days Presented by Verity Credit Union — Day 96: SeaStar
December 27, 2018 NorthWest Music Scene Staff
Today's featured artist is SeaStar.
"If you are in the market for something a little bit different than what we’ve brought you so far this year, take a good listen to the psychedelic folk vibes that today’s featured band doles out. It’s not hard to imagine them singing these songs on the snowy shores of a fjord somewhere in northern Europe, as a wooden ship is sailing off on another journey. Using broad strokes, SeaStar paints vivid pictures, foregoing paintbrushes for musical instruments and lyrics, with the thundering vocals of Fae Wiedenhoeft as the driving force behind most of the music. If you are even remotely interested in Celtic music, you should love the way the band blends it with other genres to come up with their own unique style.”
4 JANUARY 2017 BY THE CELTIC MUSIC FAN
SeaStar : Music of the Elements
Since its official release back in August of 2016, Never Go Back has reaped positive reviews from Celtic music fans. I for one, finds The Great Silkie a fascinating song. It’s a wise choice for the band to make it an opening track because it warms you up to the style of other songs. It makes you curious and excited.
Powered by the beautiful voice of Fae Wiedenhoeft, this album of fourteen tracks succeeds in its intention of inspiring diverse listeners. The band’s musical style is fresh, friendly and also easy. What I mean when I say ‘easy’ is that it transcends the genre. Whither you are into Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock or Folk music, this album certainly has something for everyone.
The percussive element of Never Go Back is also what drives listeners to stick around. It never gets boring or draggy. Seastar have a rich sound palette because of their love and mastery of many instruments. Experimenting with scales is also one of the album's many strengths- as evident in their official single Never Go Back- as well as other songs that project their expertise in World Music.
Now, I checked out the bio of all members and I noticed each has his own history. For example, Ron Allen not only sings and plays the guitars but he is also the owner of Four Lumen Studio in Kirkland, Washington. Captain (born Adam Shea Chambers) plays the bass and he is also a film maker, poet, and novelist. Michael Falcone, aside from being a synth wiz, vocalist and percussionist; is also a filmmaker, voice-over artist and film location scout. Fae(who is the captivating voice of the band) is also an award-winning songwriter and a member of the Grammy Association.
If there is this element that connects the band , then it has to be their love for visual arts. And it all makes sense. If you listen to Never Go Back, you can get that sense of being transported to different places and time with each song. They love adding texture and attitude to each of the instruments used in various songs. And at times I think the instruments are voicing their own story behind the story of the song-writer.
I think Never Go Back deserves an award of sorts for bringing people to the simplistic, down-to earth aspect of Celtic music. It is an album that can feel at home in the trendy but intimate atmosphere of coffee shops or the green sunny warmth of outdoors. And I can certainly ride my bike to these songs. They are so alive, so one with the earth, wind, fire and water.
“The best of all possible worlds!”
— Americana Roots UK
28 February 2017 by AMERICAN ROOTS UK
Review of the self-released title, Never Go Back by SeaStar, by Mike Morrison
Celtic folk from an American band who live in Seattle, just about as far from the Celtic heartland as it is possible to get! If that is not enough, not only do they play their own interpretation of old Celtic music but they write most of their own songs in that style as naturally as if they were born and bred in Britain. We know that plenty of Britons play country music as naturally as if they are Americans so I suppose it should be no surprise when Americans reciprocate, but it still is, at least a little. As is the case with the best of the British artists who play country music, their own influences and backgrounds are brought to bear on their music that whilst rooted in folk also includes echoes of country, bluegrass and even 'old timey' music.
Of course, their case is not harmed by the fact that there is so much talent in this four piece band, particularly the stunningly beautiful vocals of Fae Wiedenhoeft, although picking Fae out is unfair on the three male members of the band who bring so much to the music. Fae not only takes most lead vocals but also plays guitar, mandolin, banjo and accordion, with Ron Allen on acoustic, electric and slide guitars, Michael Falcone, percussion, keyboards and vocals with 'Captain' Chambers (or Adam Shea Chambers as he is sometimes known!) on bass guitar. Fae has been quite a prolific 'folk' singer songwriter in her own right over the last ten years or so with around a dozen albums in her own name and this is her third with Sea Star. All of her recordings are available at the usual www outlets and whilst I've only heard a couple of them the quality and originality oozes from them. The three men are all multi talented and experienced musicians with varied musical backgrounds from production to playing a variety of musical forms picking up myriad influences that helped give Sea Star their shape and focus and their own originality within the broad Celtic/American folk 'traditions.'
Of the fourteen songs that clock in at just on an hour nine were written by Fae, one is traditional, one is credited to Francis Fahy and trad., one by Stan Rogers, one by Robert Burns and Melody Benbow and the evocative Along the Tay which was written by Michael Falcone who also provided the excellent lead vocal.
The album opens with a gentle mandolin and guitar intro on The great silkie with a little percussion and Fae's beautiful vocal on a simmering, moody traditional song that includes some nice evocative harmonies. Fae's Never go back is a haunting tale with banjo, throbbing bass, guitar and Fae's vocal with male harmonies on a just below mid tempo composition that has a strong country feel but of an indeterminate age! If it'd rain clocks in at seven and a half minutes and shows what can be done with a sparse instrumentation if the song and vocals are strong enough. The banjo introduces us to this epic tale with piano and occasional bass assisting Fae's gorgeous vocal which exhibits a depth of drama that makes further instrumentation superfluous, with the metronomic banjo throughout being quite mesmerizing. On Stan Rogers Giant the melodic electric guitar has a sound that helps create an almost medieval atmosphere with Fae's lead vocal echoing that evocation that is deepened by the addition of what sounds like a bodhran giving support to the bass. The final track on the album is an incredibly haunting song with the male harmonies, when added to Fae's lead, intensifying the powerful sense of drama whilst the throbbing bass and lovely dobro sound create a deep dark atmosphere.
This is not a band that is trying to copy British traditional music but a group of musicians who have a natural flair, love and feel for the music, whilst stirring in their own influences and modern ideas without having their vision blinkered. The album is steeped in old traditional music but conversely is also highly original and has a strong contemporary feel, making me want to further explore their work along with more of Fae's solo albums. The best of all possible worlds!
“SeaStar is a fantastic band and a real joy to work with! Fae's songwriting and vocals are absolutely outstanding! I am thrilled to be involved with what I consider top notch musical art!”
— Pat Sample, Paradise Sound Recording Studio
28 November 2016 by FATEA MAGAZINE's David Kidman
Fatea features news, reviews, live events, interviews, gossip from in and around the acoustic scene. Published since 1990 and exclusively available online since 2005, Fatea Magazine seeks to bring you the best of new and established bands.
Sea Star
Album: Never Go Back
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 14
Sea Star's a Seattle-based four-piece band centred around the songwriting of singer and multi-instrumentalist Fay Wiedenhoft. The majority of her compositions are story-driven songs in the contemporary folk mode, these tending to be thoughtful but also embracing an entertaining element, as on the driving maritime-themed Little Blue Boat.
The album - Sea Star's third release - also takes occasional departures into the realms of Celtic and rootsy-bluegrass-flavoured Americana. The disc opens with a take on the traditional sea-ballad of The Great Selkie, and later embraces the neo-traditional Galway Bay (written by Francis Fahy) and Robert Burns' Highland Mary, all efficiently done, alongside a gutsy electric-folk rendition of Stan Rogers' Giant that would do Trees proud. The latter cover aside, though, the most persuasive tracks tend to be those where rootsy Americana is to the fore and the scoring's centred around Fay's banjo and a sparser acoustic backdrop - the title song and If It'd Rain being the highlights for me, along with the brief, yearning a cappella number Austin.
There's more to enjoy during the course of the album, especially during its second half, and Fay's strong singing voice and confident delivery imparts the whole album with a certain measure of unity. Even so, it can all seem just a little too effortless at times, for all that Sea Star's music is suitably accessible and radio-friendly without being bland, and with accomplished instrumental contributions using electric, acoustic and slide guitars, mandolin, accordion, piano, bass and percussion.
Sea Star's is an admirable mission, to maintain a variety of moods and styles while drawing the listener in with their stories, and by and large it's a case of mission accomplished with Never Go Back.
“An exceptionally strong vocalist... ”
— San Diego Troubadour
23 September 2016 by RICHARD WAGENAAR, for The Next Gig
(translated from Dutch)
SeaStar - Never Go Back
On 'Never Go Back', the successor of 'Northwinds' Seastar on its chosen path of Americana with very big influences from Celtic and folk music in a beautiful way on. SeaStar offers on this new album next quality as well quantity. No less than 14 songs with on exception 'Austin' after all so take time and close to four minutes. Beautiful songs also in this traditional, yet very interesting album of this formation which enjoys far too little known in the Netherlands. Striking is the strong vocals of Fae Wieden Hoef who is also responsible for the majority of the songs. Beautiful songs that stabbing above the beautiful opening "The Great Silkie" falls a bit later 'The Great Western' on. "If I'd Rain," "Giant," "Little Blue Boat ', all excellent songs. What stands out is the beautiful instrument use. Captain Chambers, Michael Falcone, Ron Allen filling the game of Wieden Hoef as she plays banjo, mandolin or bodhram. The band has had a significant turnover and bijvoorbeel in the Netherlands also well-known and highly regarded violinist Geli Weurzner was part of SeaStar in the past. In many songs nautical themes and if you choose the Celtic tradition is understandable. Seastar with this album sometimes traditional, sometimes daring wanted nice mix of Celtic folk and Americana. The result is to be proud of.