Friday night, Art’s Place along the Beach Road in Kitty Hawk…Laura and Dan Martier are Birddog, a duet with a sound and skill level that are indescribable.
This is the real hidden Outer Banks—the location, the setting, the music…what’s happening here at Art’s Place is what makes this strip of sand such an amazing place to live or visit.
Important Information About Art’s Place
A couple of things to know about Art’s Place. It’s kind of an iconic place on the Outer Banks. It’s been around for almost 40 years, and yes, there really was an Art—Art Glidden, although he passed away a couple of years ago.
What it’s known for mostly are the burgers. They were good when Art owned the business; the new owners have elevated them and if they aren’t the best on the beach, the search for something better would take a while.
Their slogan is “Locals Welcome, Tourists Tolerated” which can be viewed one of two ways—either exclusionary or as soon as anyone walks through the door, they become ipso facto locals. Go with the second interpretation. It seems more in keeping with the place.
The beer is cold and the wine not bad, and both are reasonably priced.
But this is really about what’s happening
It’s All About the Music
Art’s is a very small place. They can crowd maybe 40 people in…maybe. It’s a mild night, so some people are sitting at tables next to the windows, which are cracked so the music is filtering out.
And this is really all about the music.
What is amazing in watching Birdsong is that they never miss—Laura never misses a note; Dan never misses a beat. And they are really good.
Laura is a truly gifted vocalist. She sings jazz; she sings blues; she sings country; she sings show tunes. She can probably sing classical, too, although I’ve never heard her do that, but given the quality and range of her voice, she probably can.
Dan is as good a drummer as she is a vocalist. Tours nationally with the Tim Reynolds Trio (TR3). He can sing, too, although Laura certainly has the fuller, richer sound.
Their playlist takes in the whole spectrum of music—Sade’s “Sweetest Taboo,” the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” and a couple of mashups of songs.
It’s great stuff and easy to listen to, but there are some wonderful touches that elevate what they’re doing. Laura’s vocals are perfect for the Cure’s “Love Song” but coupled with the way Dan uses his drums, the song becomes memorable.
About 10 o’clock the set ends. There’s still a little bit of wine left in the glasses or beer in the bottles. There’s some catching up with friends who might live over in Manteo so we don’t see them too often.
Dan and Laura visit a bit. The kitchen staff cranks the overhead lights up to full blast, which seems like their way of saying it’s time to go home.
Content written by Kip Tabb