The Bulletin  Brownton and Stewart, MINN   March 8, 2000

Bluegrass musicians Raymond McLain and Mike Stevens had a surprise guest performer at their concert at McLeod West High School Sunday.

About 15 minutes into their performance a rather large brown bat made its appearance in the gymnasium.

The bat’s appearance caused a buzz of conversation among the large crowd in attendance, but McLain and Stevens, unable to see because of the bank of spotlights that lit only the area in which they were performing, were in some consternation about what was causing the murmuring among the crowd.

At the end of the song they were playing when the bat made its appearance. McLeod West art instructor Karen David stepped forward to inform the musicians of the added visual effects attraction swooping in the background.

"it seems our music is attracting bats." McLain told the audience.

The bat stayed in the background for awhile, but eventually grew bolder as it sought its moments in the spotlight. During the next few numbers, the bat would swoop between the performers, who each kept one eye peeled toward the ceiling while still maintaining virtuoso performances on their respective instruments. Stevens managed to take a few playful swipes at the intruder even as he played his harmonica.

The bat finally decided to establish a center-stage position for once and for all by fluttering against the face and throat of McLain as he played his fiddle. McLain flailed his fiddle and bow to rid himself of the pest as the crowd first gasped in horror, and then roared with laughter as the musicians both burst into laughter themselves.

Stevens, the observer rather than the victim, had an especially hard time regaining his composure.

"You just kissed a bat," he told McLain. Later he asked McLain, "how did it taste?"

McLain said that he has had "a lot of strange experiences during concerts, but this is the strangest."

The musicians were good sports about the incident and incorporated the interruption into the rest of their act, with Stevens joking about taking a "bat-room break" and trying to emulate bat noises on his harmonica.

Despite the distraction, the musicians held the audience captive as they played a wide variety of selections and also explained the backgrounds of many of the pieces they performed.

The audience responded with several standing ovations of the end of the concert.

The two acclaimed musicians have been working this week with students and teachers in the schools as part of the bluegrass music residency here.

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