Celebrating Grace Lougen turning 30

About 15 years ago, I was part of the adult leadership for a Boy Scout Venture Crew. Venturing is a co-ed program that gives teenagers exposure to the values of Scouting.

There was one rather quiet, shy, diminutive girl with a kind energy about her. She was 15. Her name was Grace Lougen. The remarkable thing was her gentle nature.

We celebrated her 30th birthday Friday night at The Cave in Buffalo in a room packed with music lovers because, with all the grace that Grace is, her gentle energy turns fierce with a guitar in hand and musicians love and support musicians, on stage and in the crowd.

She was about 16 when she asked me if we wanted to see her band play. I think it was an early iteration of the Leftover Pancakes.

Sometime later, 2013 or so, we went to see the Pancakes on New Years Eve at Friday’s at the Boulevard Mall. That was the first time I heard the mashup of Eleanor Rigby and Kashmir only, instead of Meghan Brown slaying the vocal, Linnea Crimean played the line on violin.

There were some Pancakes Friday as well as Garden Party (Sue Kincaid and Peter Vincent), Grosh, Grace Stumberg and Alex MacArthur and maybe some I forgot.

We continued to follow as she hooked up with Josh English and formed Grosh with Dylan Hund and Meghan. (Grosh is an amalgamation of Grace + Josh). They do a killer Zeppelin Tribute every December at the Sportsmen’s.

Then there were the Garden Sessions, (I think that’s what they were called), a subscription-based music series available online with Dave Riffel and his wife Danusia. (Riffel’s =Librium at the Niagara Arts and Culture Center opened yesterday. I will write about it tomorrow. It is balanced.)

For a time, a decade or so ago, we saw Grace play with Robert “Freightrain” Parker first with Damone Maracle on drums then Danusia. She could carry any guitar part fiercely whether Jimmy Page, Dickie Betts or anything in between. I’ve even seen Lougen tap the fretboard Eddie Van Halen style. Parker and band sort of split, and I was left with the impression it was less-than-amicable but handled with, err um a, grace. He recorded a couple CDs and took most of the writing credit even if those watching closely knew who was behind it. She had too much class to speak up publicly and I think absorbed it as a life lesson. Of course a couple years later, they were back together for a reunion show.

Somewhere along the way, first through Toastmasters and then at shows, Beth and I came to know Grace’s parents, John and Lynn, always in the background, quietly supporting her.

Then there was the time a year ago we looked at Chloe Bravada’s music listing and saw something called “Grace’s Garden Party” coming to the Wagon Wheel. I researched and that was the night we saw Lougen with Kincaid and Vincent for the first time, tight harmony, good sound and outstanding wings.

Friday night at the Cave started with Grace and some pancakes. Grace wouldn’t be Grace if she left Pancakes on the table.

Then came Vincent and Kincaid who credited Lougen for helping bring old songs back to life.

Another thing that happened over the years was both Grace’s touring with Joan Baez, helping the iconic singer round out her hall-of-fame career.

Stumberg on Friday said she first met Lougen when they took guitar lessons together and she invited her to a band rehearsal and told her “this is not a cover band. We play whatever we want.”

Stumberg fits in Grosh like Stevie Nicks in Fleetwood Mac but it remains English, Hund, Brown and Lougen.

“Play whatever we want” Friday meant an all on jamming version of John Lennon’s “Don’t Let Me Down” as well ripping through a killer Grosh set including a cover of “Ramble On.”

John and Lynn were there to serve birthday cake as we listened with great wonder.

I still can’t figure out how Greta Van Fleet’s warmed-over Led Zeppelin act gets nationwide airplay while Grosh waits for its big break.

Happy birthday to that quiet girl hiking in Pennsylvania all that time ago. Keep speaking softly, carry a big ax and stay kind.