Doe Bay Doc Raises Funds with Evocative Acoustic Show

Sera Cahoone.

Sera Cahoone at the Columbia City Theater Welcome to Doe Bay Fundraiser.

Sera Cahoone.

Rusty Willoughby at Columbia City Theater.

Rusty Willoughby.

Rusty Willoughby.

Frank Fairfield at the Welcome to Doe Bay fundraiser.

Frank Fairfield on the fiddle.

Frank Fairfield.

Frank Fairfield.

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Columbia City Theater, Ground Zero for a goodly share of Seattle’s alt-folk/Americana movement, hosted a fundraiser for completion of  Welcome to Doe Bay last Friday.

The documentary chronicles one of the Northwest’s most unique and satisfying music festivals (yes, I am a devoted festgoer), and its makers have nearly finished post-production. If the clips on display between the acts last week were any measure, it should be pretty damned magical. The excerpts showcased some of Doe Bay 2011′s finest moments, including the exultant set by local neo-soul rising stars Pickwick that culminated in a stage packed with fans as well as band members.

The musicians that served as the night’s bedrock played at a more subdued volume than the film clips, but hit plenty of magical spots in their own right. I missed Ben Fisher’s opening set, but special guest Sera Cahoone carried the second slot gracefully, with a rough-hewn, lovely set of acoustic country-tinged folk. Rusty Willoughby followed Cahoone with gorgeous readings of several Cobirds Unite songs, some magnificent and haunting new material, and (bless my soul) a Scott Walker cover. And Frank Fairfield, well, he had the crowd in rapt silence; his voice, guitar, banjo, and fiddle serving as some sort of beautiful Wayback Machine in the final stretch. When Welcome to Doe Bay sees the light of day, his work in it should be one of the film’s indisputable highlights.