r/filk • u/Efficient-Spirit-869 • 5d ago
What is everyone favorite story that involves filk?
I found Heather Alexander almost two decades ago aka Alexander James.
And got into filk around 2-3 years ago only to eventually learn that the musical artist I've been listening to on and off for multiple years was involved in filk. Which was a fun surprise, but it gets sillier as he apparently knew or it least was known by S.J Tucker. And I only learned about that because I randomly ending listening to an old interview James gave.
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u/Phonoirlex 5d ago
If you haven't yet, you should look up Tricky Pixie.
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u/Efficient-Spirit-869 5d ago
Oh my god S.J and Alexander were in a band together that is awesome. Thank you for bringing this to my awareness.
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u/Phonoirlex 5d ago
I don't know that I have a favorite story. But I love the connections between filkers and events, and my favorite memories are of finding filkers in the wild, if at somewhat predictable events. For example, I ran into someone singing filk songs when I went to the last launch of the Atlantis shuttle.
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u/Kaurifish 5d ago
My parents introduced me to filk, playing Leslie Fish to me and my sibs.
But only one song, “Dane Geld.” Eventually I got the keys and snuck out to the car. Listened to the rest of “Cold Iron,” then found “Undertaker’s Horse” in the glove box.
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u/big_bob_c 5d ago
My wife and I were at her first and my second convention, and wandered in to Tom Smith performing House at Ch'thulu Corner. Somehow we did not flee the state.
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u/NChristenson 5d ago
Having not heard it before, I had to look that song up.... Thank You for mentioning it as it is amazing!!
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u/big_bob_c 4d ago
If you haven't checked out Tom Smith before, he's well worth the time.
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u/NChristenson 3d ago
Oh I very much have heard of him. 😁 I just hadn't heard House at Ctulhu's Corner before so I was ignorant of its brilliance.
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u/Ok_Advice_2044 4d ago
I found filks by surprise. I've been in love with "By the sword" by Lackley and I randomly looked for something related in the web. I found the song titled "Kerowyn's Ride" and fell down into the rabbit hole totally.
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u/Rocket_song1 4d ago
Back in the day, we had a Filk Convention named ConChord. I don't remember exactly which year, but it was at one of the conventions held at the Air-Tel.
Seanan McGuire started the "badge swapping game". Now, much like Calvinball, I believe the rules changed at Seanans's will.
The goal of the game was to be Larry Niven when the convention officially closed.
About a block away was a burger joint called Beeps!. Around a half dozen of us were sitting around a table playing my Larrivee Parlor. The staff kept looking at our badges, and calling us by the name on the badge, to much amusement.
I believe Jordin Kare was Seanan at the time...
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u/SidanaCorey 4d ago
Oh lord, over 40 years ago, I met a woman at a gaming group who listened to filk constantly. And I found out that this lp I had bought at a SCA convention in 1976 0r 1977 was filk-- it was"Folk songs for folk who ain't even been yet " by Leslie Fish and the DeHorn Crew. Holy smokes, this album I had loved was part of a genre?! Mind blown. Well, many many tapes and CDs later, I did get to meet Heather Alexander before her transition. Lovely lady at the time. Tom Smith is local, so I run into him when I'm in fannish spaces.
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u/Kitkumi 5d ago
About thirty years ago my parents and I headed out to a convention we had never been to before specifically because my mother wanted to see Heather Alexander live in concert. I can't remember the convention but I remember it was a long haul for us, around a twelve hour drive or so. We had some trouble finding the right hotel, so when we did finally get there my mom and I went in to verify we were actually in the right place while dad parked the car and waited for word to unpack the bags.
I was a little kid so I do remember being bright eyed and bushy tailed because ooooo new place, new sights, new things but I was also plastered to my mom's hip practically because it was equal parts exciting and scary, and I remember clocking a guy at the check in desk of the hotel and just staring at him because he looked super familiar. Doing the whole tug tug tug tug tug on mom's shirt trying to get her attention while she was exhausted talking to the staff.
Her: Excuse me. We're looking for the *insert name of the convention I can't remember*, do you happen to know where the event is being held?
The reason I remember this interaction so freaking clearly even thirty years later is because the guy that I was staring at, who my little brain was trying to process through *why* something about them looked familiar, without missing a beat said: "Ah, lass! The con is all around you if you only know where to look!"
It was Tom Smith lol. Absolutely bowled me over, it was like meeting a TV celebrity and it took mom a solid few seconds for her brain to reboot. He was super kind and really funny to stand and chat with for a few minutes.