Weatherstock Concert Series: A Breakfast of Champions

The first song, an upbeat jazzy number, ends and a brightly dressed Hobbit steps forward.

“Thank ‘ee! Thank ‘ee a whole bunch!” he says to the enthusiastic crowd. “We’re The Breakfast Club, out ‘o Crickhollow! I’m Dallofin Bolderbrook, Daffin t’ m’ friends, an’ it’s my great privilege t’ be th’ leader o’ this here outfit! We’re excited t’ be part o’ Weatherstock again this year, an’ right honored t’ be playin fer y’ all t’day! But y’ didn’t come here fer no gabfest, I s’pose, so: On with th’ Music!”

Next followed an ultra fast paced rendition of Siamsa while one of the Dwarf members of the band attempted to flirt with the ever popular Fincin between horn notes. Daffin sang along with a couple of songs next, one in celebration of always looking on the bright side of life and another a dance-friendly tune all about hunting for wargs. A few more songs later and Daffin announced that we’d reached the “highbrow” section of the concert, which I was eagerly anticipating. Farandole by Georges Bizet kept the crowd dancing. Alas, the beginning of the highbrow section of the concert was also the ending as Farandole was followed by a rendition of Sam Gamgee’s plea for Rosie Cotton to “Be My Baby”.

The Breakfast Club concert was also treated to a rare visit by Harperella, leader of the Lonely Mountain Band and organizer of Weatherstock, whom I have not seen at any of the other concerts I’ve attended so far. The famous Lady in Green was dancing and cheering throughout the entire event.

Other performances included a song about pirates sung by Daffin…

The Breakfast Club’s own hopping song…

And a special performance of a traditional Dwarf tune by the Dwarven members of the band…

Daffin explained the band’s wide variety of musical sounds thusly:

“As y’ may have figgered out by now, we specialize in one particular type o’ music: ECLECTIC! Our motto (which I just now made up) is, ‘If it sounds good, play it!'”

That’s definitely a philosophy I, and the happy audience, can get behind. The Breakfast Club was very well received and will definitely be a band to contend with at this year’s Weatherstock.

If you missed the show, you can watch it here, thanks to Pineleaf: The Breakfast Club