The 20-acre Riverdog retreat on former farmland is five miles from Oberlin in Wakeman, a drive past farms and forests into the countryside. Every time I venture out there for a concert, I’m enchanted. “Retreat” is a good name for it—the campground community laidback feel, with equally mellow guests, makes it a destination where relaxation intersects with art. It seems like something that should be repeated, over and over again, to unwind and detox. We can feel the nearby Vermilion River even though we cannot see it.
As we walk from the parking lot towards the concert venue, the stage becomes visible in the dimness of the barn. Cheerful co-owner-artist Deborah Banyas greets us and crosses us off the reservations list, then shepherds us towards dining tables. I drop the heavy picnic basket onto the ground when we choose a table for four under the canopies. An old house dog wanders around our legs, looking for attention. He contributes to the positive vibe—he’s furry and slow-moving and friendly.
Fifteen minutes before the show, we locate our assigned outdoor front-row tables for two and settle in. Others stand, some are still walking the property, and those inside the barn have their own small tables, closer to the stage. We’re happy to be outside in the woods with front-row seats. The barn can feel confining.
Like many Riverdog concerts, we were unfamiliar with the musicians on stage, for we are not connoisseurs of Americana roots music. Our main criteria is that the music has to be a jam band, and if it’s acoustic, even better.
Deborah’s husband, storyteller and artist Terry Speer, provides the background as he introduces Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road. I chose the concert because the young musicians have been described as having extraordinary talent and been acknowledged as “the future of bluegrass.” Purcell provided the stories of the group’s roots—all four of them attended, or are still attending, Burklee School of Music in Boston—and the songs they were about to play, how they travel together, and where each band member lives. They composed a new song the night before the concert and performed it for us with great confidence.
The group’s website provides more information: “Hailing from the small Appalachian town of Deep Gap, North Carolina, Purcell leans into his roots, including the legacy of Doc Watson, who lived less than a mile away, influencing the young picker through his powerful musicianship and storytelling.” An excerpt from the concert is on Riverdog’s Facebook page.
Riverdog provides space for their invited musicians to sell their wares. Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road has four albums. Purcell made it clear that they wanted to get to know their audience, an eclectic group of mostly older people who find belonging at the rustic Riverdog Retreat where they can spend the night if there are rooms available and explore the art gallery. It all comes together in a positive way, and that’s why I love the venue.
Being in nature is a big part of the experience. Riverdog is a past recipient of a Lorain County Beautiful Award. After years of travel selling their artwork, Deborah and Terry decided to remake the 20-acre property they bought in 1998 into the kind of place they always wish they could have stayed at when they were on the road.
“They look at the Retreat as an extension of their creativity.”
The other thing that sets the venue apart is that all donations are passed on to the performers. Tickets are only $22. No food or drinks are sold, so for Terry and Deborah, it must feel like they’re inviting everyone to a party but it’s BYOB and BYOF. The outdoor concerts continue into October. I hope to get out there again soon.
