Hager/Hatzenbuhler and Homewood Barn Christmas Recap
This weekend, Greg Hager and his musical family, along with Mylo Hatzenbuhler (and Clyde Bauman) rocked and rolled their way through Christmas, not forgetting to remember the reason for the season.
Friday’s concert was at the Eagles, and though it was centered around the true story of Christmas, there was a generous portion of entertainment for all those attending. Mylo Hatzenbuhler rocked the house, farmboy-style, with his hits like “Plowman,” “60- Series John Deere,” and “Hens with Low Faces.” Then, he rolled into some songs of the season, my favorite of which was “Rudolph the Unpolled Hereford,” a song- story about a hereford steer that was named Rudolph… who had horns. Even after the farmer cut off his horns, he still got his tail caught in the fence!
Then, Greg Hager took the stage, on some songs with his family; one of his daughters ( Hannah) and Andrea, his wife. Mr. Hager even donned a santa hat, switching out his traditional black cowboy hat for a few songs. In not too long, though, he was back in his usual cowboy attire, and he ended Friday’s concert with the Christmas song from one of his albums of the same name, “Night of New Beginnings.”
Saturday’s concert was slightly different: At the Hager Homewood barn, it was entirely focused on the Christ in Christmas.
First, Yvonne Emery sang some Christmas songs with a bluegrass flavor, accompanied by alto and hostess Becky Hager on one of them. Then emcee Tim Berntson, singing for the first time in 29 years without his wife, sang his new Homewood theme song: “No Place Like Homewood for the Holidays.”
Mylo Hatzenbuhler took the stage, singing his legendary Christmas carols like “Heifer Bells,” and “John Deere Dealer’s Comin’ To Town.”
Emcee Tim Berntson had a touching poem from Longfellow, “Christmas Bells,” which ended with this touching stanza:
“Then pealed the bells, more long and deep.
God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
Then Clyde Bauman, the man behind Mylo Hatzenbuhler, brought the house down with his breathtaking rendi
tion of a few gospel songs, all of which had pitch- perfect, amazing crescendos and decrescendos,