.
.
... from the front lines. Where what's in the picture, and much more, is endangered.
This is personal, from the editor of the Guide. It's not a "re-post" from some organization.
Prepare to be shocked.
EVERYTHING YOU SEE in the photo (and MUCH more) will be utterly, totally, completely destroyed, erased from human memory, removed from the face of the Earth, if a ruthlessly aggressive developer has their way.
Second shock? A critically-endangered species lives HERE, in the place you see pictured. And it lives no place else on Earth. A lot of other very special things live here, too. But that's not enough for government to protect this magically beautiful place.
The third shock? This is in the U.S., not in some dirt-poor third-world place you've never heard of. This is America. California. Not very far from L.A. It's where I am, right now. And me, the guy you know as the Guide's editor, is out here trying to stop that destruction and save this place.
I'll share with you as much as I can. That's limited, because the developer is destructively reactive to any effort to save the species' habitat or preserve the place for future generations. So we must be non-specific and obtuse to avoid them noting this post.
Accordingly, the term "developer" is used because we cannot safely be more specific about what they are doing and what they plan to do.
___________
Today's update -- the latest news -- is in here, following the paste-in of the original post.
___________
Back on March 6th, I first published about this; THAT is the FIRST THING below. It's in quotes, so you'll know what part is from March 6th, and you'll know when you've arrived at today's update.
From March 6th:
"Important. CAN'T GIVE YOU 'THE BIG REVEAL,' BUT...
"Wish me luck. I'm immersed in a field research project to find a living example of a severely endangered species. That is the only way to stop a developer whose strictly-for-money activities will (quite literally) totally destroy the entire habitat of the species at issue.
"I have found dead remnants of the species. We need to 'bring 'em back alive' to stand any chance of saving the only place where they live.
"By now you have noted that I have not told you WHAT the species is. Not even whether it is flora or fauna.
"And I can't. Because the greedy bastard developers subscribe to a very sophisticated search service that notifies them of any mention of any aspect of this -- on social media, or anywhere. Only private email is safe, and only if no one copies and pastes into their social media account or some public forum.
"That is not an unfounded fear. The developer has:
"(a) obtained all necessary permits to proceed with their destructive development, with no reference to the presence of the elusive and severely endangered species;
"(b) already aggressively attempted to directly eliminate (read murder) the entire species at the first mention of it on the web (shocking and horrifying what they did, and are willing to do); and,
"(c) prepared to launch a high-speed 'push' with a phase that would only destroy -- to kill and completely eliminate habitat for the specific endangered species and everything else alive there -- and to do it apart from (or at least well in advance of) achieving their greedy money-grabbing goal.
"Beyond that, use your imagination to fill-in the blanks. I can only tell you this is not some 'GMO-corn'-thing. It is a unique species that is millions of years old and about to vanish because of the greed of a few who care ONLY about increasing their financial riches and NOTHING else.
"Someday I will reveal all. Hopefully, that will be because we have saved the species in its very unique, very singular, very fragile habitat. And not because I am posting a photo of destruction of something special that could never again exist on this Earth.
"In the meantime, if you know someone in a prominent organization with successful experience in this kind of thing, we need to build the most powerful clandestine coalition possible.
"I wish I could have used more standard references, the scientific name of the species, and, in general, not been so mysterious and cryptic here. I hope you understand. Send me a message with any suggested contacts -- general comments only to this post, please. And really, wish me luck. I am the only one in a position to go to the site and spend what may be a LOT of time there. Luck. We're really going to need it."
___________
Now, here's the latest...
___________
UPDATE, EARTH DAY, April 22, today;
six weeks later:
1) My life has centered around this since before my first report, above.
2) I need to clarify from my post on March 6th that the habitat at issue is endangered PUBLIC LANDS, a beautiful place that should be forever protected as public lands, but that all of it WILL BE DESTROYED unless the developer is stopped.
3) My time in the field, 3 to 4 days a week, consistently, employing good scientific research techniques and methodology -- has produced more knowledge of the species' habitat than has ever been developed by anyone before this. (If you want to join me out here, see # 9.)
4) There was one tepid bit of government action that fails completely to stop destruction of the habitat; that government agency will now, in effect, internally study the situation and release a report -- in a year. A full year, with no effective preservation action, by which time the habitat and the natural and scenic wonders of the entire site will be irrevocably destroyed by the ruthlessly aggressive developer.
5) The developer, as if to celebrate the government failure, detonated an enormous explosion that sent rock, soil -- and everything else -- hundreds of feet in the air.
6) The developer's strategy includes fencing-off the entire area of the critically-endangered species habitat; they will get government permission to deny everyone else (including researchers) access to public land because "safety" is paramount, and their future explosions could kill you if you're there.
7) Everything you see in the photos will be utterly, totally, completely destroyed, erased from human memory, removed from the face of the Earth, if the developer has their way.
9) If you want to pre-position yourself to act when we risk "going public," message me. If you want to come out here to see this amazing place while you still can, message me -- but if you ask me to "show you around'" you will be drafted to do field work while you are here! Time is short, and once the place is fenced-off, we cannot get in to do more research.) If you want to know more, you must understand that everything specific MUST be kept off social media, websites, blogs, chatrooms, comments to any of the above, etc. In all messages sent regarding this, include your email address (non-social media, because fb messages are too porous).
8) If you know anyone in:
a) a high position in government;
b) an environmental organization;
c) a foundation that embraces
i) environmental causes
ii) protection of endangered species
iii) protection of public lands
Please email me. Time is short, and we are few.
desertinvestigation@outlook.com
___________
Happy Earth Day. From the front lines.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at . www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to: . Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for sittin' a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Saturday is NATIONAL RECORD STORE DAY
.
.
Events center on festivals this weekend, and those get a full edition (it's just after this short special one). Saturday is also the annual "RECORD STORE DAY," with special releases and plenty of special deals at a record store near you, if you're fortunate enough to still HAVE a record store near you.
Things are looking up: vinyl record sales were up 53% in the first quarter of 2015 over a year ago.
There's an excellent feature story with good stats and fun personal tales in this morning's Portland Oregonian newspaper. Read it online at:
http://www.oregonlive.com/music/index.ssf/2015/04/record_store_day_in_portland.html
The weekend's festivals and Saturday's concerts are in the edition published earlier today.
.
.
.
Events center on festivals this weekend, and those get a full edition (it's just after this short special one). Saturday is also the annual "RECORD STORE DAY," with special releases and plenty of special deals at a record store near you, if you're fortunate enough to still HAVE a record store near you.
Things are looking up: vinyl record sales were up 53% in the first quarter of 2015 over a year ago.
There's an excellent feature story with good stats and fun personal tales in this morning's Portland Oregonian newspaper. Read it online at:
http://www.oregonlive.com/music/index.ssf/2015/04/record_store_day_in_portland.html
The weekend's festivals and Saturday's concerts are in the edition published earlier today.
.
.
WEEKEND FESTIVALS & CONCERTS, April 18 2015
.
.
Spring festival season arrives in style today, with three daytime festivals plus more festival action at night. And some mighty fine concerts are out there for you, too. Pack your parachute and get ready to jump!
In this edition...
• Festivals
• Workshops
• Concerts
++++++++++++
FESTIVALS
++++++++++++
Sat & Sun, Apr 18 & 19,
FESTIVAL,
in Santa Clarita:
10 am-6 pm Annual "SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL" has lots of changes this year that include nighttime concerts in four different venues in Newhall (Santa Clarita); headliners are Ian Tyson, Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Dave Stamey, and Sons of the San Joaquin; plus Chris Isaacs, The Haunted Windchimes, Kristyn Harris, Mikki Daniels, and plenty more, with an expansion in western swing and rockabilly acts. Daytime events at Hart Park take the place of what had always been at Melody Ranch for the past 21 years, but the biggest name headliners are not there; they're playing shows that each require separate tickets in the other venues around Old Town Newhall (Santa Clarita) 91321; 661-250-3735; download pdfs for each venue / schedules, full info, at
www.cowboyfestival.org
++++++++++++
Sat & Sun, Apr 18 & 19,
FESTIVAL,
in Santa Monica:
Noon-9 pm Annual "SANTA MONICA UKULELE FESTIVAL" with performances by Abe Lagrimas, Jr., Jim & Liz Beloff, Craig Chee & Sarah Maisel, Fred Sokolow, Cali Rose & Craig Brandau, Daniel Ward & Heidi Swedberg, at the Ben Ahn Barnum Hall, 600 Olympic Bl, Santa Monica 90504.
++++++++++++
Sat & Sun, Apr 18 & 19,
FESTIVAL,
in T.O.:
10 am-5 pm Annual "SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL" at California Lutheran University, 60 W Olsen Rd, Thousand Oaks 91360.
++++++++++++
Sat, Apr 18,
FESTIVAL concert,
in downtown L.A.:
7 pm "MUSIC FROM APPALACHIA TO THE BALKANS" with MOIRA SMILEY & VOCO, and the VARIMEZOV FAMILY BAND brings traditional American mountain music and Bulgarian folk music, all emphasizing folk harmony, stomp moves, and body percussion, presented by World Festival of Sacred Music at the Japanese American Community & Cultural Center's Aratani Theatre, 244 S San Pedro St, downtown Los Angeles 90012; 213-628-2725.
+
They were marvelous this week on KPFK, performing live to promote this show.
++++++++++++
Sat, Apr 18,
FESTIVAL concerts,
in Santa Clarita:
Evening times; Annual "SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL" has lots of changes this year that include nighttime concerts in four different venues in Newhall (Santa Clarita); headliners are Ian Tyson, Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Dave Stamey, and Sons of the San Joaquin; plus Chris Isaacs, The Haunted Windchimes, Kristyn Harris, Mikki Daniels, and plenty more, with an expansion in western swing and rockabilly acts. Daytime events at Hart Park take the place of what had always been at Melody Ranch for the past 21 years, but the biggest name headliners are not there; they're playing shows that each require separate tickets in the other venues around Old Town Newhall (Santa Clarita) 91321; 661-250-3735; download pdfs for each venue / schedules, full info, at
www.cowboyfestival.org
++++++++++++
WORKSHOP
for
MUSICIANS
++++++++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Culver City:
3 pm "GUITAR WORKSHOP" with MARK HANSON & GRETA PEDERSEN at Boulevard Music, 4316 Sepulveda Bl, Culver City 90230; 310-398-2583. They play a concert here tonight.
++++++++++++
CONCERTS
++++++++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in SFV (Canoga Park):
5:30 pm HOUSTON JONES, plus JOHN ZIPPERER & FRIENDS, play the 2015 season opener of "Julie’s Joint House Concert Series" in Canoga Park 91306; reservations get directions, at 818-261-0682 or juliesjoint@johnzipperer.com
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Lakewood:
6:30 pm Weekly "BLUEGRASS CONCERT" series at Me N Eds Pizza Parlor, 4115 Paramount Bl, Lakewood 90712; 562-421-8908.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Altadena:
7 pm JANET KLEIN & HER PARLOR BOYS play the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 92675; Reservations by phone , 626-798-6236.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in OC (Anaheim):
7 pm BRAD COLERICK, award-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist, plays "The Living Tradition" concert series at the Anaheim Downtown Community Center, 250 E Center St, Anaheim 92805; 714-955-3807.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in La Mirada:
7 pm Monthly “PORCH THERAPY MUSIC & POETRY CIRCLE" at the home of Stella in La Mirada; location & directions, 323-353-0156 or email stellacruz707@hotmail.com
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in San Diego Co. (National City):
7:30 pm GRANT, WITCHER & ENGFER play the AMSD Concert Series at the Laura R. Charles Theater at Sweetwater High School, 2900 Highland Av, National City 91950.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in SFV (Granada Hills):
7:30-11 pm SONGMAKERS monthly "ONION BAGEL OPEN STAGE & JAM" at Temple Beth Torah, 16651 Rinaldi St, Granada Hills 91344.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Newhall (Santa Clarita):
7:30 pm Weekly GRATEFUL DUDES "BLUEGRASS SHOW" at Vincenzo's Pizza, 24500 Lyons Av, Newhall (Santa Clarita) 91350.
+
If you spend the day at the "Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival" in Hart Park, and you don't have tickets for evening shows with Ian Tyson or Don Edwards, you can buy some expensive pizza and catch this free show.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Santa Monica:
8 & 10 pm NOEL PAUL STOOKEY plays McCabe’s, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-828-4497.
+
The 8 pm sold-out early; tix may still be available for 10 pm.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in OC (Irvine):
8 pm MARK YAMANAKA performs the "MUSIC OF HAWAI'I" at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Dr, Irvine 92697; 949-854-4646.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in L.A.:
8-10 pm TRACY NEWMAN & THE REINFORCEMENTS, MARLON GRACE, GARY STOCKDALE, BILL WILDMAN, ROBBY CARILLO, and more, play "THE TUBA CZAR" showcase at Oh My Ribs! Entertainment, 6468 Santa Monica Bl, Los Angeles 90038.
+
Series returns tonight after a long hiatus. Cover is $15.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Culver City:
8 pm MARK HANSON & GRETA PEDERSEN play Boulevard Music, 4316 Sepulveda Bl, Culver City 90230; 310-398-2583.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Silverlake:
8 pm Monthly "SONGWRITER'S SQUARE" at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Café, 2106 Hyperion Av, Silverlake (L.A.)
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Santa Monica:
10 pm NOEL PAUL STOOKEY plays McCabe’s, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-828-4497.
+
The 8 pm sold-out early; tix may still be available for 10 pm.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at . www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to: . Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for sittin' a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
.
Spring festival season arrives in style today, with three daytime festivals plus more festival action at night. And some mighty fine concerts are out there for you, too. Pack your parachute and get ready to jump!
In this edition...
• Festivals
• Workshops
• Concerts
++++++++++++
FESTIVALS
++++++++++++
Sat & Sun, Apr 18 & 19,
FESTIVAL,
in Santa Clarita:
10 am-6 pm Annual "SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL" has lots of changes this year that include nighttime concerts in four different venues in Newhall (Santa Clarita); headliners are Ian Tyson, Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Dave Stamey, and Sons of the San Joaquin; plus Chris Isaacs, The Haunted Windchimes, Kristyn Harris, Mikki Daniels, and plenty more, with an expansion in western swing and rockabilly acts. Daytime events at Hart Park take the place of what had always been at Melody Ranch for the past 21 years, but the biggest name headliners are not there; they're playing shows that each require separate tickets in the other venues around Old Town Newhall (Santa Clarita) 91321; 661-250-3735; download pdfs for each venue / schedules, full info, at
www.cowboyfestival.org
++++++++++++
Sat & Sun, Apr 18 & 19,
FESTIVAL,
in Santa Monica:
Noon-9 pm Annual "SANTA MONICA UKULELE FESTIVAL" with performances by Abe Lagrimas, Jr., Jim & Liz Beloff, Craig Chee & Sarah Maisel, Fred Sokolow, Cali Rose & Craig Brandau, Daniel Ward & Heidi Swedberg, at the Ben Ahn Barnum Hall, 600 Olympic Bl, Santa Monica 90504.
++++++++++++
Sat & Sun, Apr 18 & 19,
FESTIVAL,
in T.O.:
10 am-5 pm Annual "SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL" at California Lutheran University, 60 W Olsen Rd, Thousand Oaks 91360.
++++++++++++
Sat, Apr 18,
FESTIVAL concert,
in downtown L.A.:
7 pm "MUSIC FROM APPALACHIA TO THE BALKANS" with MOIRA SMILEY & VOCO, and the VARIMEZOV FAMILY BAND brings traditional American mountain music and Bulgarian folk music, all emphasizing folk harmony, stomp moves, and body percussion, presented by World Festival of Sacred Music at the Japanese American Community & Cultural Center's Aratani Theatre, 244 S San Pedro St, downtown Los Angeles 90012; 213-628-2725.
+
They were marvelous this week on KPFK, performing live to promote this show.
++++++++++++
Sat, Apr 18,
FESTIVAL concerts,
in Santa Clarita:
Evening times; Annual "SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL" has lots of changes this year that include nighttime concerts in four different venues in Newhall (Santa Clarita); headliners are Ian Tyson, Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Dave Stamey, and Sons of the San Joaquin; plus Chris Isaacs, The Haunted Windchimes, Kristyn Harris, Mikki Daniels, and plenty more, with an expansion in western swing and rockabilly acts. Daytime events at Hart Park take the place of what had always been at Melody Ranch for the past 21 years, but the biggest name headliners are not there; they're playing shows that each require separate tickets in the other venues around Old Town Newhall (Santa Clarita) 91321; 661-250-3735; download pdfs for each venue / schedules, full info, at
www.cowboyfestival.org
++++++++++++
WORKSHOP
for
MUSICIANS
++++++++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Culver City:
3 pm "GUITAR WORKSHOP" with MARK HANSON & GRETA PEDERSEN at Boulevard Music, 4316 Sepulveda Bl, Culver City 90230; 310-398-2583. They play a concert here tonight.
++++++++++++
CONCERTS
++++++++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in SFV (Canoga Park):
5:30 pm HOUSTON JONES, plus JOHN ZIPPERER & FRIENDS, play the 2015 season opener of "Julie’s Joint House Concert Series" in Canoga Park 91306; reservations get directions, at 818-261-0682 or juliesjoint@johnzipperer.com
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Lakewood:
6:30 pm Weekly "BLUEGRASS CONCERT" series at Me N Eds Pizza Parlor, 4115 Paramount Bl, Lakewood 90712; 562-421-8908.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Altadena:
7 pm JANET KLEIN & HER PARLOR BOYS play the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 92675; Reservations by phone , 626-798-6236.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in OC (Anaheim):
7 pm BRAD COLERICK, award-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist, plays "The Living Tradition" concert series at the Anaheim Downtown Community Center, 250 E Center St, Anaheim 92805; 714-955-3807.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in La Mirada:
7 pm Monthly “PORCH THERAPY MUSIC & POETRY CIRCLE" at the home of Stella in La Mirada; location & directions, 323-353-0156 or email stellacruz707@hotmail.com
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in San Diego Co. (National City):
7:30 pm GRANT, WITCHER & ENGFER play the AMSD Concert Series at the Laura R. Charles Theater at Sweetwater High School, 2900 Highland Av, National City 91950.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in SFV (Granada Hills):
7:30-11 pm SONGMAKERS monthly "ONION BAGEL OPEN STAGE & JAM" at Temple Beth Torah, 16651 Rinaldi St, Granada Hills 91344.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Newhall (Santa Clarita):
7:30 pm Weekly GRATEFUL DUDES "BLUEGRASS SHOW" at Vincenzo's Pizza, 24500 Lyons Av, Newhall (Santa Clarita) 91350.
+
If you spend the day at the "Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival" in Hart Park, and you don't have tickets for evening shows with Ian Tyson or Don Edwards, you can buy some expensive pizza and catch this free show.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Santa Monica:
8 & 10 pm NOEL PAUL STOOKEY plays McCabe’s, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-828-4497.
+
The 8 pm sold-out early; tix may still be available for 10 pm.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in OC (Irvine):
8 pm MARK YAMANAKA performs the "MUSIC OF HAWAI'I" at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Dr, Irvine 92697; 949-854-4646.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in L.A.:
8-10 pm TRACY NEWMAN & THE REINFORCEMENTS, MARLON GRACE, GARY STOCKDALE, BILL WILDMAN, ROBBY CARILLO, and more, play "THE TUBA CZAR" showcase at Oh My Ribs! Entertainment, 6468 Santa Monica Bl, Los Angeles 90038.
+
Series returns tonight after a long hiatus. Cover is $15.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Culver City:
8 pm MARK HANSON & GRETA PEDERSEN play Boulevard Music, 4316 Sepulveda Bl, Culver City 90230; 310-398-2583.
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Silverlake:
8 pm Monthly "SONGWRITER'S SQUARE" at the Lyric-Hyperion Theatre & Café, 2106 Hyperion Av, Silverlake (L.A.)
++++++
Sat, Apr 18, in Santa Monica:
10 pm NOEL PAUL STOOKEY plays McCabe’s, 3101 Pico Bl, Santa Monica 90405; 310-828-4497.
+
The 8 pm sold-out early; tix may still be available for 10 pm.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at . www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to: . Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for sittin' a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Folk-Americana Music Marked the 150th Anniversary of Lincoln's Assassination in Ford's Theatre
.
.
Folksinger Judy Collins played a key role commemorating the last happy moments of Abraham Lincoln, exactly 150 years later to the exact minute, the evening of April 14th. The National Park Service and Ford's Theatre collaborated to produce the event inside and outside the theatre where Lincoln was assassinated.
This morning's Washington Post reports:
"Inside, the empty president’s box, lighted by a Victorian chandelier and hung with gold drapes,was festooned with American flags, as it was on the fateful night.
“'We have come together on this night at this time because of what happened within these walls 150 years ago,' Colin Powell, the former secretary of state, said in opening the ceremony. 'The flag-draped box will always be a part of our history.'
"Folk singer Judy Collins led the audience in singing 'Amazing Grace,' and a choral group sang 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.'
"At 10:15 p.m., about the time Lincoln was shot, the lights dimmed in the theater and the performers all turned to gaze up at the box.
"A band played the hymn 'Old Hundreth,' and the audience filed out onto 10th Street, where the crowd had gathered with candles amid the theater’s sidewalk gaslights.
“'It’s very moving,' said Marianne Schaad, 60,of Arlington, as she stood in the crowd. 'It’s like reaching back in time.'
"Aaron Freeman, 22, also of Arlington,said: 'You couldn’t not be at an event like this. I’d be kicking myself if I didn’t come. ... We’re in the exact spot where one of the most important figures in United States history was killed. And that’s incredible.'
"James McPherson, the dean of Civil War historians, writes in 'The War That Forged a Nation: Why the Civil War Still Matters,' a new book of essays, that Lincoln 'could not have anticipated the reverence that millions would feel for him in future ages.'
“'But he was intensely aware ... that this struggle to preserve the Union "is not altogether for today — It is for a vast future also,’” McPherson wrote.
“'We cannot escape history,' Lincoln wrote in his annual message to Congress in 1862, in the midst of the war. 'We ... will be remembered in spite of ourselves. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.'”
This morning's Washington Post has more on Tuesday night's event, plus plenty of wonderfully linked stories on related topics, including the Lincoln presidency, things that would have been different but were changed because of the assassination, and the end of the Civil War. That, and the story from which the above quotes are taken, is at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/150-years-later-tributes-in-the-rain-to-lincoln-on-the-day-of-his-assassination/2015/04/15/7de4d154-e358-11e4-81ea-0649268f729e_story.html
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
We know, you may be here when you're actually there - reading this on another site, that is. If so, check-in with us and let us know that all is good on that site, or that there’s questionable content there, if that’s the case.
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for droppin' by to sit a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
.
Folksinger Judy Collins played a key role commemorating the last happy moments of Abraham Lincoln, exactly 150 years later to the exact minute, the evening of April 14th. The National Park Service and Ford's Theatre collaborated to produce the event inside and outside the theatre where Lincoln was assassinated.
This morning's Washington Post reports:
"Inside, the empty president’s box, lighted by a Victorian chandelier and hung with gold drapes,was festooned with American flags, as it was on the fateful night.
“'We have come together on this night at this time because of what happened within these walls 150 years ago,' Colin Powell, the former secretary of state, said in opening the ceremony. 'The flag-draped box will always be a part of our history.'
"Folk singer Judy Collins led the audience in singing 'Amazing Grace,' and a choral group sang 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic.'
"At 10:15 p.m., about the time Lincoln was shot, the lights dimmed in the theater and the performers all turned to gaze up at the box.
"A band played the hymn 'Old Hundreth,' and the audience filed out onto 10th Street, where the crowd had gathered with candles amid the theater’s sidewalk gaslights.
“'It’s very moving,' said Marianne Schaad, 60,of Arlington, as she stood in the crowd. 'It’s like reaching back in time.'
"Aaron Freeman, 22, also of Arlington,said: 'You couldn’t not be at an event like this. I’d be kicking myself if I didn’t come. ... We’re in the exact spot where one of the most important figures in United States history was killed. And that’s incredible.'
"James McPherson, the dean of Civil War historians, writes in 'The War That Forged a Nation: Why the Civil War Still Matters,' a new book of essays, that Lincoln 'could not have anticipated the reverence that millions would feel for him in future ages.'
“'But he was intensely aware ... that this struggle to preserve the Union "is not altogether for today — It is for a vast future also,’” McPherson wrote.
“'We cannot escape history,' Lincoln wrote in his annual message to Congress in 1862, in the midst of the war. 'We ... will be remembered in spite of ourselves. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.'”
This morning's Washington Post has more on Tuesday night's event, plus plenty of wonderfully linked stories on related topics, including the Lincoln presidency, things that would have been different but were changed because of the assassination, and the end of the Civil War. That, and the story from which the above quotes are taken, is at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/150-years-later-tributes-in-the-rain-to-lincoln-on-the-day-of-his-assassination/2015/04/15/7de4d154-e358-11e4-81ea-0649268f729e_story.html
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
We know, you may be here when you're actually there - reading this on another site, that is. If so, check-in with us and let us know that all is good on that site, or that there’s questionable content there, if that’s the case.
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for droppin' by to sit a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
April 14th. Perhaps THE day in history most crowded with awful things. Special to the Guide.
.
.
Call it a Songwriting Challenge. Because you're not going to believe all that happened on this date.
April 14th. Forget Tax Day. You Won't Believe All that's Happened on THIS Day
By Larry Wines
Exactly 150 years ago, on this day in 1865, the least regarded member of a famous family of American actors shot President Abraham Lincoln. It was a silent ambush during the closing night performance of the comedy "Our American Cousin" in Ford's theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln would die the following morning, April 15th. And his death isn't the only tragedy that began on an April 14th and ended early the next day. (Wait for it.)
The Lincoln assassination also introduced Americans to the unacceptable idea that an inconsequential nobody could change history by killing a very important president. That same unacceptable idea, sadly, would plague us again.
Back to April 14th. In 1912, while on her maiden voyage, the largest and most luxurious ship ever built (to that time), the RMS Titanic, struck an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland at 11:40 pm, ship time. Two hours and 40 minutes later, on the morning of April 15th, she sank into the strangely calm, smooth-as-glass, icy waters of the North Atlantic. Over 1500 men, women, and children lost their lives because the ship had been built and put into service with a grossly insufficient number of lifeboats, making it one of the most arrogant acts of hubris ever. The sinking is also regarded as the end of "The Gilded Age," because some of the most pampered, insulated, privileged and influential people in the world froze and drowned along with nearly everyone from Third Class, who had pretty much always known a hard life filled with sudden and tragic death.
Eight years later, in 1920, an April 14th tornado outbreak tore things to pieces in Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. In all, it left 219 people dead, hundreds more injured, many seriously, and millions of dollars in damage at a time when a million dollars was a LOT of money.
Fifteen years after that, April 14th, 1935 brought the worst sandstorm of "The Dust Bowl" of 1931-1939, the Great Depression of 1929-1940, and all of American history. That April 14th would become known as "Black Sunday" across much of the United States because the daytime sky over the plains and Midwest was literally black.
Though the U.S. wasn't yet in it, Europe was in the throes of World War II on April 14th, 1941, when the first massive Nazi roundup of Jews took 3,600 people from Paris, France to the concentration camps as the first major step in the horror of the Holocaust.
Twenty-eight years after that, on April 14th, 1969, a powerful tornado caused an estimated 660 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries in what was then East Pakistan and is now Bangladesh.
Thirty years later, Sydney, Australia was struck by "a gigantic and severe" hailstorm on April 14th, 1999. An estimated 500,000 tons of hail fell. Insurers were hit with 1.7 billion dollars in claims, monetarily the costliest event in Australia's history. One fisherman died, but only 50 injuries were reported.
Five years ago, on April 14th, 2010 the region around Yushu, Qinghai, China, experienced six separate earthquakes plus related aftershocks, killing more than 2,700 men, women, and children. The largest was 6.9 on the Richter scale. In the town of Gyegu, 85% of all structures were destroyed, including 11 schools.
And one year ago, April 14th, 2014, over 200 school girls were abducted by terrorists in the north of Nigeria.
And you thought the 13th was always bad. Or maybe you were worried about the April 15th tax deadline tomorrow.
Perhaps the old Creedence Clearwater Revival song should be the anthem of April 14th:
"I see a bad moon a' rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin'
I see bad times today.
"Don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.
"I hear hurricanes a' blowing
I know the end is a' coming soon
I fear rivers overflowing
I hear the voice of raze and ruin.
"Well, don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.
"Hope you have got your things together
Hope you are quite prepared to die
Looks like we're in for nasty weather
One eye is taken for an eye.
"Well don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.
"Don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise."
Be careful out there.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for sittin' a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
.
Call it a Songwriting Challenge. Because you're not going to believe all that happened on this date.
April 14th. Forget Tax Day. You Won't Believe All that's Happened on THIS Day
By Larry Wines
Exactly 150 years ago, on this day in 1865, the least regarded member of a famous family of American actors shot President Abraham Lincoln. It was a silent ambush during the closing night performance of the comedy "Our American Cousin" in Ford's theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln would die the following morning, April 15th. And his death isn't the only tragedy that began on an April 14th and ended early the next day. (Wait for it.)
The Lincoln assassination also introduced Americans to the unacceptable idea that an inconsequential nobody could change history by killing a very important president. That same unacceptable idea, sadly, would plague us again.
Back to April 14th. In 1912, while on her maiden voyage, the largest and most luxurious ship ever built (to that time), the RMS Titanic, struck an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland at 11:40 pm, ship time. Two hours and 40 minutes later, on the morning of April 15th, she sank into the strangely calm, smooth-as-glass, icy waters of the North Atlantic. Over 1500 men, women, and children lost their lives because the ship had been built and put into service with a grossly insufficient number of lifeboats, making it one of the most arrogant acts of hubris ever. The sinking is also regarded as the end of "The Gilded Age," because some of the most pampered, insulated, privileged and influential people in the world froze and drowned along with nearly everyone from Third Class, who had pretty much always known a hard life filled with sudden and tragic death.
Eight years later, in 1920, an April 14th tornado outbreak tore things to pieces in Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. In all, it left 219 people dead, hundreds more injured, many seriously, and millions of dollars in damage at a time when a million dollars was a LOT of money.
Fifteen years after that, April 14th, 1935 brought the worst sandstorm of "The Dust Bowl" of 1931-1939, the Great Depression of 1929-1940, and all of American history. That April 14th would become known as "Black Sunday" across much of the United States because the daytime sky over the plains and Midwest was literally black.
Though the U.S. wasn't yet in it, Europe was in the throes of World War II on April 14th, 1941, when the first massive Nazi roundup of Jews took 3,600 people from Paris, France to the concentration camps as the first major step in the horror of the Holocaust.
Twenty-eight years after that, on April 14th, 1969, a powerful tornado caused an estimated 660 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries in what was then East Pakistan and is now Bangladesh.
Thirty years later, Sydney, Australia was struck by "a gigantic and severe" hailstorm on April 14th, 1999. An estimated 500,000 tons of hail fell. Insurers were hit with 1.7 billion dollars in claims, monetarily the costliest event in Australia's history. One fisherman died, but only 50 injuries were reported.
Five years ago, on April 14th, 2010 the region around Yushu, Qinghai, China, experienced six separate earthquakes plus related aftershocks, killing more than 2,700 men, women, and children. The largest was 6.9 on the Richter scale. In the town of Gyegu, 85% of all structures were destroyed, including 11 schools.
And one year ago, April 14th, 2014, over 200 school girls were abducted by terrorists in the north of Nigeria.
And you thought the 13th was always bad. Or maybe you were worried about the April 15th tax deadline tomorrow.
Perhaps the old Creedence Clearwater Revival song should be the anthem of April 14th:
"I see a bad moon a' rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin'
I see bad times today.
"Don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.
"I hear hurricanes a' blowing
I know the end is a' coming soon
I fear rivers overflowing
I hear the voice of raze and ruin.
"Well, don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.
"Hope you have got your things together
Hope you are quite prepared to die
Looks like we're in for nasty weather
One eye is taken for an eye.
"Well don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise.
"Don't go around tonight
Well it's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise."
Be careful out there.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for sittin' a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Why Everyone Should Remember this Day - April 9th, and Why it Matters
.
.
Special to the Acoustic Americana Music Guide, commemorating the end of the Civil War and major events 150 years ago today, April 9th.
Great and Shocking History: April 9th-April 15th, and How it's Still with Us
By Larry Wines
We're in a seven-day span of crucial times from a century and a half past. Few anniversaries in history mark events that shaped our world by bringing culmination and finality while telescoping sublime and terrible events in close proximity. That was the week of April 9 to April 15, 1865.
One hundred fifty years, on April 9, 1865, the Army of Northern Virginia under the command of Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Army of the Potomac under the command of Union General Ulyssess S. Grant.
It marked the end of the dream - and the threat - of two separate American nations.
Let's step back, and see how that day - and that week - still speak to us in our time.
First, the incongruity of a starving army in tattered rags whose commander, Lee, still had an immaculate dress uniform. He arrived wearing it and riding his famous horse, Traveller. (USC's mascot horse, Traveller, ridden at football games by Tommy Trojan, is named for General Lee's steed.)
Grant arrived in his field uniform, spattered with mud from his hard ride to get there. His attire, routinely, was the least pretentious of any general officer of the time. It was a standard private's uniform with his general's stars affixed to the shoulders. (It would serve as the model for General Omar Bradley in World War II.)
Lee and Grant met near the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. It has a name that sounds like a single building because the town was the county seat, and therefore the location of the county courthouse.
Specifically, Lee and Grant met in the living room of the farm house of the McLean family. And therein is an amazing tale that's a fascinating part of all this.
The McLean family's farm of four years earlier had been 142 miles away, nearer to Washington, D.C., just outside the town of Manassas, Virginia. The creek that ran through their farm was called Bull Run. And that's where the opening battle of the Civil War was fought between moving armies in April, 1861.
Like the vast majority of all the battles in the long, bloody war that was to follow, the Battle of First Bull Run (as it was called by the Union) / First Manassas (as it was called by the South) was a Confederate victory. In fact, it was a rout, and the Union troops - who were dressed in a confusing array of colors and not yet all clad in blue - didn't stop running until they crossed the Potomac River, out of Confederate Virginia and back into D.C. Meanwhile, the Confederate troops that day wore such a multiplicity of colors - militia uniforms and more - that some Northerners mistook them for Union troops. It could have been a comedy, but it was a bloody, confusing melee.
Near Manassas and the creek called Bull Run, where that battle had been fought, wasthe a farm. It was the family farm of Wilmer McLean, whose land was left pocked with shell craters, strewn with bodies of men and horses, and terrifyingly damaged by a Union cannonball that had crashed through his chimney while Confederate General Bureauregard had sat at McLean's dining table.
One battle, the war's first battle, and already, Wilmer McLean had enough. He resolved to move his family safely downstate "where the war could never find us again."
And the war didn't find them - for four years, to the month. Until a series of skirmishes in April, 1865, wherein Grant's army, at last, decisively outmaneuvered Lee's.
It had been a long war. Union blockades of the Southern coast had kept-out supplies from Europe and stopped cotton exports needed to support the Confederate economy. In Southern cities by 1865, civilians ate dogs, cats, then rats. Lee's army in the field had hunted game until nothing was left and stripped agricultural lands bare. With no food and almost no ammunition, then finally cut off from all hope of even meager relief or resupply, it brought a choice: either take to the woods in small guerilla bands, or surrender.
General Lee could not contemplate the first. He knew, at last, that he could not continue to fight.
Somehow, Wilmer McLean, that refugee who had relocated from the war's opening battle, was encountered by members of Lee's staff and asked for a meeting place. He offered a building with no furniture. Unacceptable. That led to McLean's own attractive farmhouse where General Lee would meet General Grant.
And, so, Wilmer McClain, who had uprooted his home and family four years earlier to avoid the conflict, made available his home, his refuge from the war. Following which he is supposed to have said, "The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."
The small table on which Grant wrote the surrender terms was immediately seen as historic. But then, there was something of a mad effort by the Union officer corps to take all the McLeans' furniture over the man's protests, and money was simply shoved into his hands as the contents of his house disappeared. Union Cavalry General Phil Sheridan "bought" the little table for $20 as a gift for Mrs. George Armstrong Custer, wife of the "boy general" whom Sheridan declared "Did more to win the war than anyone else!"
Of far greater substance, Grant arranged for his army to share its food with the surrendering Confederates, who had not eaten anything in days.
Union General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was given formal responsibility to accept the surrender of the 27,800+ Confederate troops. Chamberlain, the professor of rhetoric from Bowdoin College who had engaged in collusion to get away from school and into the army, had miraculously held his 20th Maine Infantry against dogged Confederate assaults - and with it - saved the Union line at Gettysburg. Now, at Appomattox, he called the Union army to attention to salute the defeated Southerners as they arrived to stack their arms, roll-up their battle flags, and receive food. Enabling the defeated enemy to retain dignity was seen as brilliant in preventing later violence.
With Lee's army gone and its troops pacified, the end of the Confederate States of America was a foregone conclusion. What remained to be determined, with other Confederate armies still in the field, was whether there would be rancor and guerilla activities or an acceptance by who had been adversaries that they were, as Grant proclaimed, fellow countrymen once again.
Still to be fulfilled was Lincoln's pledge to welcome back the seceeded Southern states, "With malice toward none, with charity for all... to bind up the nation's wounds," and his promise to veterans, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan."
In the previous week, following the withdrawal of Lee's army to prevent its annihilation, Richmond, the Confederate capital, quickly fell, on April 3. President Lincoln immediately made the trip to Richmond on April 4, finally achieving the symbolic political end of the rebellion.
It was an inctedible sight: Abraham Lincoln in whatbeen had been the heart of Dixie. There, quietly, he sat at the desk of Jefferson Davis in the Confederate White House, and he walked the ruined city where he was greeted by freed slaves as "Father Abraham!"
Somewhere, Lincoln picked up some Confederate currency.
A huge sense of relief was felt by those responsible for the president's safety when he returned to D.C.
But it wasn't all over. On April 12th, the important Gulf coast port of Mobile, Alabama surrendered to the Union.
On April 13th, soldiers of the two armies fought a skirmish at Raleigh, North Carolina.
April 14, the U.S. flag was raised again over Fort Sumter, South Carolina, for the first time since the fort fell to the Confederacy.
Just five days after Appomatox, with the daily stress of the war finally passed, the First Lady would succeed in getting her husband to accompany her to the closing night performance, April 14, 1865, of "Our American Cousin." Starring renowned actress Miss Laura Keene, it was a delightful comedy, ending its run at a theatre a few blocks from the White House.
Arriving late and taking their places in a box at Ford's Theatre bedecked with flags and prominently visible to all above stage left, the theatre band briefly interrupted the play to perform a few bars of "Hail to the Chief" and accomodate brief, polite applause. The president removed his famous stovepipe hat and settled back in his chair to - at long last - relax and lose himself to light, joyous art.
Abraham Lincoln had preserved the Union against all odds, been more ridiculed and villified than any president in our history, ended slavery when that seemed politically impossible, been greeted for the evening with only quiet applause - at last, was able to relax.
And there, President Lincoln became the first American president to be assassinated. He was shot the evening of April 14th. The nation would learn of it in their morning papers on April 15th, as Lincoln died.
Among the few possessions he had with him that night? His little souvenir, the Confederate currency.
Another note on disaster striking April 14th and death coming from it early on April 15th. Forty-seven years later to the day in 1912, RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on the evening of April 14th and sank on the morning of the 15th, with terrible loss of life.
But there's more to tell about those who were at McLean's Farm at Appomottax on that April 9th, 1865, 150 years ago. What became of them:
• Robert E. Lee, who remains the only person ever to graduate from West Point with no demerits and a perfect, spotless record, would become president of Washington College. The institution would go on to be renamed Washington & Lee University. He is buried there in a crypt worthy of Caesar. "Marse Robert," as his troops called him to one another but never to his face, is still the most respected battlefield commander in American history.
• U.S. Grant would be elected U.S. President in 1868, in time to celebrate the driving of the Golden Spike in May, 1869, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railway begun by Lincoln. It was the great feat of the age. But what of Grant himself? While he was wholly honest, his administration would be plagued with scandals of insiders on the take and his inability to see them coming. These included crooks who robbed Native American tribes they were paid to supply onthe the reservations, but who they instead starved while getting rich. Grant's presidency concluded with the Centennial of the United States in 1876, having overcome Southern secession. Grant, dying of throat cancer from his addiction to cigars, took great satisfaction in seeing the nation achieve its centennial free from the slavery of its founding. (It would be nearer the nation's bicentennial before America would be free from the hypocrisy that professed its devotion to "self-evident" truths, "that all men are created equal.")
• Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, despite enduring painful war wounds for the rest of his life, would be elected to five terms as Governor of Maine, then become president of Bowdoin College. He proudly took part in the reunions of the armies at Gettysburg. He lived until 1914, to age 85, a very old age for the time. The 1990s movie, "Gettysburg," took him from obscurity to hero. Watch a scene showing Jeff Daniels as Chamberlain demonstrating his inspiring rhetorical prowess: https://youtube.com/watch?v=2d2_zeJTJcw
• General Phil Sheridan, who bought the surrender table for Libby Custer, fought in later years in the Indian Wars of the Great Plains. Today, he is more happily remembered, both as soldier and private citizen, for his key role in the development and protection of Yellowstone National Park.
• George Armstrong Custer was a lousy student at West Point who, in contrast with Lee's perfect record at the Military Academy, accumulated more demerits there than anyone, ever. It shocked everyone that Custer became the cavalry genius of the war. He would culminate that by famously and dashingly galloping down Pennsylvania Avenue during the great parade of the returning Union armies to the Nation's Capitol. He is remembered, far more, for a battle in Montana in 1876, where he was to meet the largest force of Sioux (Lakota) and Cheyenne ever to take to a battleground. With every member of his command, Custer would perish there on a ridgetop above the Little Bighorn River in the much romanticized "Custer's Last Stand."
And what of the little table, upon which Grant wrote the surrender terms, given to Custer's wife as a gift from General Sheridan? It was kept in the Custer family for years, and it eventually went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History where it can be seen today.
Libby Custer, the table's owner, would devote her life to building her husband's legend - which she did in her time with great effect. Through all the subsequent reinterpretations, even those who seek to make him appear inept or insane, Custer shares something with others who were above his pay grade that day at Appomottax: legend. Like Robert Edward Lee and Ulysesses Simpson Grant, every American who knows any history still knows the name of George Armstrong Custer.
Much later, a famous actress would say, "I don't care what they say about me, as long as they spell my name right in the papers."
That's offered as an observation. It seems history can also offer some advice:
Never underestimate the value of being there. Or having a spouse who is your champion.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at . www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to: . Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
.
Special to the Acoustic Americana Music Guide, commemorating the end of the Civil War and major events 150 years ago today, April 9th.
Great and Shocking History: April 9th-April 15th, and How it's Still with Us
By Larry Wines
We're in a seven-day span of crucial times from a century and a half past. Few anniversaries in history mark events that shaped our world by bringing culmination and finality while telescoping sublime and terrible events in close proximity. That was the week of April 9 to April 15, 1865.
One hundred fifty years, on April 9, 1865, the Army of Northern Virginia under the command of Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Army of the Potomac under the command of Union General Ulyssess S. Grant.
It marked the end of the dream - and the threat - of two separate American nations.
Let's step back, and see how that day - and that week - still speak to us in our time.
First, the incongruity of a starving army in tattered rags whose commander, Lee, still had an immaculate dress uniform. He arrived wearing it and riding his famous horse, Traveller. (USC's mascot horse, Traveller, ridden at football games by Tommy Trojan, is named for General Lee's steed.)
Grant arrived in his field uniform, spattered with mud from his hard ride to get there. His attire, routinely, was the least pretentious of any general officer of the time. It was a standard private's uniform with his general's stars affixed to the shoulders. (It would serve as the model for General Omar Bradley in World War II.)
Lee and Grant met near the village of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. It has a name that sounds like a single building because the town was the county seat, and therefore the location of the county courthouse.
Specifically, Lee and Grant met in the living room of the farm house of the McLean family. And therein is an amazing tale that's a fascinating part of all this.
The McLean family's farm of four years earlier had been 142 miles away, nearer to Washington, D.C., just outside the town of Manassas, Virginia. The creek that ran through their farm was called Bull Run. And that's where the opening battle of the Civil War was fought between moving armies in April, 1861.
Like the vast majority of all the battles in the long, bloody war that was to follow, the Battle of First Bull Run (as it was called by the Union) / First Manassas (as it was called by the South) was a Confederate victory. In fact, it was a rout, and the Union troops - who were dressed in a confusing array of colors and not yet all clad in blue - didn't stop running until they crossed the Potomac River, out of Confederate Virginia and back into D.C. Meanwhile, the Confederate troops that day wore such a multiplicity of colors - militia uniforms and more - that some Northerners mistook them for Union troops. It could have been a comedy, but it was a bloody, confusing melee.
Near Manassas and the creek called Bull Run, where that battle had been fought, wasthe a farm. It was the family farm of Wilmer McLean, whose land was left pocked with shell craters, strewn with bodies of men and horses, and terrifyingly damaged by a Union cannonball that had crashed through his chimney while Confederate General Bureauregard had sat at McLean's dining table.
One battle, the war's first battle, and already, Wilmer McLean had enough. He resolved to move his family safely downstate "where the war could never find us again."
And the war didn't find them - for four years, to the month. Until a series of skirmishes in April, 1865, wherein Grant's army, at last, decisively outmaneuvered Lee's.
It had been a long war. Union blockades of the Southern coast had kept-out supplies from Europe and stopped cotton exports needed to support the Confederate economy. In Southern cities by 1865, civilians ate dogs, cats, then rats. Lee's army in the field had hunted game until nothing was left and stripped agricultural lands bare. With no food and almost no ammunition, then finally cut off from all hope of even meager relief or resupply, it brought a choice: either take to the woods in small guerilla bands, or surrender.
General Lee could not contemplate the first. He knew, at last, that he could not continue to fight.
Somehow, Wilmer McLean, that refugee who had relocated from the war's opening battle, was encountered by members of Lee's staff and asked for a meeting place. He offered a building with no furniture. Unacceptable. That led to McLean's own attractive farmhouse where General Lee would meet General Grant.
And, so, Wilmer McClain, who had uprooted his home and family four years earlier to avoid the conflict, made available his home, his refuge from the war. Following which he is supposed to have said, "The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."
The small table on which Grant wrote the surrender terms was immediately seen as historic. But then, there was something of a mad effort by the Union officer corps to take all the McLeans' furniture over the man's protests, and money was simply shoved into his hands as the contents of his house disappeared. Union Cavalry General Phil Sheridan "bought" the little table for $20 as a gift for Mrs. George Armstrong Custer, wife of the "boy general" whom Sheridan declared "Did more to win the war than anyone else!"
Of far greater substance, Grant arranged for his army to share its food with the surrendering Confederates, who had not eaten anything in days.
Union General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was given formal responsibility to accept the surrender of the 27,800+ Confederate troops. Chamberlain, the professor of rhetoric from Bowdoin College who had engaged in collusion to get away from school and into the army, had miraculously held his 20th Maine Infantry against dogged Confederate assaults - and with it - saved the Union line at Gettysburg. Now, at Appomattox, he called the Union army to attention to salute the defeated Southerners as they arrived to stack their arms, roll-up their battle flags, and receive food. Enabling the defeated enemy to retain dignity was seen as brilliant in preventing later violence.
With Lee's army gone and its troops pacified, the end of the Confederate States of America was a foregone conclusion. What remained to be determined, with other Confederate armies still in the field, was whether there would be rancor and guerilla activities or an acceptance by who had been adversaries that they were, as Grant proclaimed, fellow countrymen once again.
Still to be fulfilled was Lincoln's pledge to welcome back the seceeded Southern states, "With malice toward none, with charity for all... to bind up the nation's wounds," and his promise to veterans, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan."
In the previous week, following the withdrawal of Lee's army to prevent its annihilation, Richmond, the Confederate capital, quickly fell, on April 3. President Lincoln immediately made the trip to Richmond on April 4, finally achieving the symbolic political end of the rebellion.
It was an inctedible sight: Abraham Lincoln in whatbeen had been the heart of Dixie. There, quietly, he sat at the desk of Jefferson Davis in the Confederate White House, and he walked the ruined city where he was greeted by freed slaves as "Father Abraham!"
Somewhere, Lincoln picked up some Confederate currency.
A huge sense of relief was felt by those responsible for the president's safety when he returned to D.C.
But it wasn't all over. On April 12th, the important Gulf coast port of Mobile, Alabama surrendered to the Union.
On April 13th, soldiers of the two armies fought a skirmish at Raleigh, North Carolina.
April 14, the U.S. flag was raised again over Fort Sumter, South Carolina, for the first time since the fort fell to the Confederacy.
Just five days after Appomatox, with the daily stress of the war finally passed, the First Lady would succeed in getting her husband to accompany her to the closing night performance, April 14, 1865, of "Our American Cousin." Starring renowned actress Miss Laura Keene, it was a delightful comedy, ending its run at a theatre a few blocks from the White House.
Arriving late and taking their places in a box at Ford's Theatre bedecked with flags and prominently visible to all above stage left, the theatre band briefly interrupted the play to perform a few bars of "Hail to the Chief" and accomodate brief, polite applause. The president removed his famous stovepipe hat and settled back in his chair to - at long last - relax and lose himself to light, joyous art.
Abraham Lincoln had preserved the Union against all odds, been more ridiculed and villified than any president in our history, ended slavery when that seemed politically impossible, been greeted for the evening with only quiet applause - at last, was able to relax.
And there, President Lincoln became the first American president to be assassinated. He was shot the evening of April 14th. The nation would learn of it in their morning papers on April 15th, as Lincoln died.
Among the few possessions he had with him that night? His little souvenir, the Confederate currency.
Another note on disaster striking April 14th and death coming from it early on April 15th. Forty-seven years later to the day in 1912, RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on the evening of April 14th and sank on the morning of the 15th, with terrible loss of life.
But there's more to tell about those who were at McLean's Farm at Appomottax on that April 9th, 1865, 150 years ago. What became of them:
• Robert E. Lee, who remains the only person ever to graduate from West Point with no demerits and a perfect, spotless record, would become president of Washington College. The institution would go on to be renamed Washington & Lee University. He is buried there in a crypt worthy of Caesar. "Marse Robert," as his troops called him to one another but never to his face, is still the most respected battlefield commander in American history.
• U.S. Grant would be elected U.S. President in 1868, in time to celebrate the driving of the Golden Spike in May, 1869, marking the completion of the first transcontinental railway begun by Lincoln. It was the great feat of the age. But what of Grant himself? While he was wholly honest, his administration would be plagued with scandals of insiders on the take and his inability to see them coming. These included crooks who robbed Native American tribes they were paid to supply onthe the reservations, but who they instead starved while getting rich. Grant's presidency concluded with the Centennial of the United States in 1876, having overcome Southern secession. Grant, dying of throat cancer from his addiction to cigars, took great satisfaction in seeing the nation achieve its centennial free from the slavery of its founding. (It would be nearer the nation's bicentennial before America would be free from the hypocrisy that professed its devotion to "self-evident" truths, "that all men are created equal.")
• Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, despite enduring painful war wounds for the rest of his life, would be elected to five terms as Governor of Maine, then become president of Bowdoin College. He proudly took part in the reunions of the armies at Gettysburg. He lived until 1914, to age 85, a very old age for the time. The 1990s movie, "Gettysburg," took him from obscurity to hero. Watch a scene showing Jeff Daniels as Chamberlain demonstrating his inspiring rhetorical prowess: https://youtube.com/watch?v=2d2_zeJTJcw
• General Phil Sheridan, who bought the surrender table for Libby Custer, fought in later years in the Indian Wars of the Great Plains. Today, he is more happily remembered, both as soldier and private citizen, for his key role in the development and protection of Yellowstone National Park.
• George Armstrong Custer was a lousy student at West Point who, in contrast with Lee's perfect record at the Military Academy, accumulated more demerits there than anyone, ever. It shocked everyone that Custer became the cavalry genius of the war. He would culminate that by famously and dashingly galloping down Pennsylvania Avenue during the great parade of the returning Union armies to the Nation's Capitol. He is remembered, far more, for a battle in Montana in 1876, where he was to meet the largest force of Sioux (Lakota) and Cheyenne ever to take to a battleground. With every member of his command, Custer would perish there on a ridgetop above the Little Bighorn River in the much romanticized "Custer's Last Stand."
And what of the little table, upon which Grant wrote the surrender terms, given to Custer's wife as a gift from General Sheridan? It was kept in the Custer family for years, and it eventually went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History where it can be seen today.
Libby Custer, the table's owner, would devote her life to building her husband's legend - which she did in her time with great effect. Through all the subsequent reinterpretations, even those who seek to make him appear inept or insane, Custer shares something with others who were above his pay grade that day at Appomottax: legend. Like Robert Edward Lee and Ulysesses Simpson Grant, every American who knows any history still knows the name of George Armstrong Custer.
Much later, a famous actress would say, "I don't care what they say about me, as long as they spell my name right in the papers."
That's offered as an observation. It seems history can also offer some advice:
Never underestimate the value of being there. Or having a spouse who is your champion.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
The Guide's big
MUSIC NEWS EDITION
will be along soon.
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Direct to the current editions /
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY
editions load quickly at . www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to: . Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
THREE current editions of the Guide including impending events and entry DEADLINES!
.
.
All three are right here, at separate clicks (or you can just scroll for ’em).
• DEADLINE EXTENDED for ’purt near everything at the prestigious 55th Annual TOPANGA BANJO•FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FESTIVAL. It’s a very big deal to win anything there, and you’ve got through April 6 to enter any of many categories. (See the Guide’s feature story.)
• SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL arrives with the herd April 15-19, 2015. The genres of music are GREATLY expanded, and lots more is different, too. This year requires separate tickets for most every concert; don’t dawdle, or what you most want to see will be sold-out. The BIGGEST CHANGE is a change of venue. The Guide’s feature story sorts it all out for you.
• "AMERICAN PIE," the original handwritten 16-page manuscript with all the songwriting notes and alternate ideas and cross-outs and scribbles, will be auctioned April 7th. The Guide looks at what the song meant, and the records it still holds.
÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷
Each of those feature stories is in its own separate edition, available by simply scrolling down or in the sidebar at left, depending on where you are reading this.
.
.
.
All three are right here, at separate clicks (or you can just scroll for ’em).
• DEADLINE EXTENDED for ’purt near everything at the prestigious 55th Annual TOPANGA BANJO•FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FESTIVAL. It’s a very big deal to win anything there, and you’ve got through April 6 to enter any of many categories. (See the Guide’s feature story.)
• SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL arrives with the herd April 15-19, 2015. The genres of music are GREATLY expanded, and lots more is different, too. This year requires separate tickets for most every concert; don’t dawdle, or what you most want to see will be sold-out. The BIGGEST CHANGE is a change of venue. The Guide’s feature story sorts it all out for you.
• "AMERICAN PIE," the original handwritten 16-page manuscript with all the songwriting notes and alternate ideas and cross-outs and scribbles, will be auctioned April 7th. The Guide looks at what the song meant, and the records it still holds.
÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷
Each of those feature stories is in its own separate edition, available by simply scrolling down or in the sidebar at left, depending on where you are reading this.
.
.
"American Pie" manuscript going to auction; song was the anthem of a generation
.
.
Don McLean's 16-page manuscript for "AMERICAN PIE," the song that became the anthem of a time when hopeful idealism disintegrated into disillusioned loss, will be auctioned by Christie's in NYC on April 7th. The stack of handwritten notes is the whole thing, with all the songwriting process laid bare, the cul-de-sac ideas that didn't make it, and all that did.
It was the # 1 hit song of 1972. It defied radio's "3-minute rule," which was cast in concrete until that eight-and-a-half-minute song came along and listeners refused to accept the butchered radio-cut version. It's still the longest song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100. The album, which also included the enduring song "Vincent," was released to much acclaim, later being included in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die."
McLean was a protégé of Pete Seeger, having played with him in the 1960s. The album "American Pie" was intended as a unified work. McLean said that he was influenced by The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper" album and envisioned "American Pie" to be a similar album.
When released in 1971, it was fresh commentary on the '60s, the defining decade of McLean’s generation. The compelling, thoroughly engaging song has a melancholy feel and rather sparse arrangements. At the time he wrote it, McLean’s first marriage was failing, and his own sense that the course of music had been forever altered by the death of his musical idol, Buddy Holly, when McLean was a 13-year-old paperboy on a bicycle. Still, McLean struck universal chords with his somewhat cryptic lyrics into which each listener projected their own sense of tragically incongruous and contradictory times.
"American Pie" has always lent itself to that. It still does. For years, Mort Saul told his audiences the song was about the death of JFK. It wasn't, but for many who heard it, it was. College courses examined the song and its role as a key summation of an era.
One recent reviewer, referencing the song, says, "...the optimism and hopefulness of the 1960s was giving way to the nihilism and hedonism of the 1970s," though we don't buy that at all.
We argue that the 1970s brought the purposeful group movements and grassroots funding and political activism for saving the environment, stopping exploitive runaway developments, and curbing pollution; it was a time characterized by championing causes like saving whales and redwoods and rain forests and wild rivers, and zero population growth, and the birth of the pro-solar and anti-nuke movements, and much more. And nobody was a bigger music star in the '70s than John Denver, with his anthems about celebrating and protecting the planet for future generations, and getting out and experiencing and enjoying nature. Sure, there was the disco music that still sucks, and the cocaine snorting scene that went with it, but don't tell us that is what characterized the '70s. If you think it was, you probably think the '60s were about go-go boots.
Far more, the era when "American Pie" was being demanded on the radio was what would come to be called, decades later, the folk americana and folk rock, post-psychedelic era. It was a time of taking account of what had been happening, what could be done by working through disillusionment and loss, and what could be done together. It was the music of Arlo Guthrie and Jackson Browne and the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young and bands called America and Heart and the amazing anthems of ELO and the horns of Chicago and the pop of Elton John and Olivia Newton-John and one-hit-wonder Sammy Johns and back around all those "Johns" to John Denver. Hardly evidence for a time of universal self-absorption. And it was Don McLean's "American Pie."
Christie's expects the Don McLean song manuscript will sell for $1.5 million.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
BE SURE to check the Guide's other two very CURRENT editions, with news of:
• the extended deadline to enter the prestigious TOPANGA•BANJO FIDDLE CONTEST
• the upcoming SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL expanded lineup and new inclusion of genres - and new site
Both are available by scrolling down or in the sidebar at left, depending on where you are reading this.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
The Guide's big MUSIC NEWS EDITION will be along soon.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
More, eventually, as always.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
We know, you may be reading this on a site that the Guide does not own. If so, check-in with us and let us know that all is good on that site – things like whether the Guide appears there with good formatting, and without somebody else collecting money for ads that are running with it there. And be sure to tell us if there’s questionable content or exploitation on that site, so we can sort it out or bail outta there.
Direct to the current editions /
.
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for droppin’ by to sit a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
.
Don McLean's 16-page manuscript for "AMERICAN PIE," the song that became the anthem of a time when hopeful idealism disintegrated into disillusioned loss, will be auctioned by Christie's in NYC on April 7th. The stack of handwritten notes is the whole thing, with all the songwriting process laid bare, the cul-de-sac ideas that didn't make it, and all that did.
It was the # 1 hit song of 1972. It defied radio's "3-minute rule," which was cast in concrete until that eight-and-a-half-minute song came along and listeners refused to accept the butchered radio-cut version. It's still the longest song ever to top the Billboard Hot 100. The album, which also included the enduring song "Vincent," was released to much acclaim, later being included in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die."
McLean was a protégé of Pete Seeger, having played with him in the 1960s. The album "American Pie" was intended as a unified work. McLean said that he was influenced by The Beatles' "Sgt Pepper" album and envisioned "American Pie" to be a similar album.
When released in 1971, it was fresh commentary on the '60s, the defining decade of McLean’s generation. The compelling, thoroughly engaging song has a melancholy feel and rather sparse arrangements. At the time he wrote it, McLean’s first marriage was failing, and his own sense that the course of music had been forever altered by the death of his musical idol, Buddy Holly, when McLean was a 13-year-old paperboy on a bicycle. Still, McLean struck universal chords with his somewhat cryptic lyrics into which each listener projected their own sense of tragically incongruous and contradictory times.
"American Pie" has always lent itself to that. It still does. For years, Mort Saul told his audiences the song was about the death of JFK. It wasn't, but for many who heard it, it was. College courses examined the song and its role as a key summation of an era.
One recent reviewer, referencing the song, says, "...the optimism and hopefulness of the 1960s was giving way to the nihilism and hedonism of the 1970s," though we don't buy that at all.
We argue that the 1970s brought the purposeful group movements and grassroots funding and political activism for saving the environment, stopping exploitive runaway developments, and curbing pollution; it was a time characterized by championing causes like saving whales and redwoods and rain forests and wild rivers, and zero population growth, and the birth of the pro-solar and anti-nuke movements, and much more. And nobody was a bigger music star in the '70s than John Denver, with his anthems about celebrating and protecting the planet for future generations, and getting out and experiencing and enjoying nature. Sure, there was the disco music that still sucks, and the cocaine snorting scene that went with it, but don't tell us that is what characterized the '70s. If you think it was, you probably think the '60s were about go-go boots.
Far more, the era when "American Pie" was being demanded on the radio was what would come to be called, decades later, the folk americana and folk rock, post-psychedelic era. It was a time of taking account of what had been happening, what could be done by working through disillusionment and loss, and what could be done together. It was the music of Arlo Guthrie and Jackson Browne and the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt and Neil Young and bands called America and Heart and the amazing anthems of ELO and the horns of Chicago and the pop of Elton John and Olivia Newton-John and one-hit-wonder Sammy Johns and back around all those "Johns" to John Denver. Hardly evidence for a time of universal self-absorption. And it was Don McLean's "American Pie."
Christie's expects the Don McLean song manuscript will sell for $1.5 million.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
BE SURE to check the Guide's other two very CURRENT editions, with news of:
• the extended deadline to enter the prestigious TOPANGA•BANJO FIDDLE CONTEST
• the upcoming SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL expanded lineup and new inclusion of genres - and new site
Both are available by scrolling down or in the sidebar at left, depending on where you are reading this.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
The Guide's big MUSIC NEWS EDITION will be along soon.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
More, eventually, as always.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
We know, you may be reading this on a site that the Guide does not own. If so, check-in with us and let us know that all is good on that site – things like whether the Guide appears there with good formatting, and without somebody else collecting money for ads that are running with it there. And be sure to tell us if there’s questionable content or exploitation on that site, so we can sort it out or bail outta there.
Direct to the current editions /
.
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for droppin’ by to sit a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
There are TWO current editions of the Guide, as April arrives…
.
.
Both are right here, at separate clicks (or you can just scroll for ’em).
• DEADLINE EXTENDED for ’purt near everything at the prestigious 55th Annual TOPANGA BANJO•FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FESTIVAL. It’s a very big deal to win anything there, and you’ve got through April 6 to enter any of many categories. (See the Guide’s feature story.)
• SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL arrives with the herd April 15-19, 2015. This year requires separate tickets for most every concert; don’t dawdle, or what you most want to see will be sold-out. (Yep. BIG CHANGE, with a change of venue.) The Guide’s feature story cuts the cattle into the chute for you, pard.
Each of those feature stories is in its own separate edition.
.
.
.
Both are right here, at separate clicks (or you can just scroll for ’em).
• DEADLINE EXTENDED for ’purt near everything at the prestigious 55th Annual TOPANGA BANJO•FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FESTIVAL. It’s a very big deal to win anything there, and you’ve got through April 6 to enter any of many categories. (See the Guide’s feature story.)
• SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL arrives with the herd April 15-19, 2015. This year requires separate tickets for most every concert; don’t dawdle, or what you most want to see will be sold-out. (Yep. BIG CHANGE, with a change of venue.) The Guide’s feature story cuts the cattle into the chute for you, pard.
Each of those feature stories is in its own separate edition.
.
.
SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL arrives with the herd April 15-19, 2015
.
.
For years, it’s been the best of all the cowboy / western music / western swing / cowboy poetry & western storytelling festivals anywhere. “The times they are a-changin” may not be a cowboy song, but this year, it could be. There will be a LOT of changes this year, engendered in just one thing: the festival will NOT be based in that fabulous Old Western town where it’s always been before, the huge movie set at Gene Autry’s old Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio.
The top-rated TALENT will still perform at the festival, but it’s going to require some moseyin’ around to four different principle venues around the town of Old Newhall, which is part of the City of Santa Clarita. And separate tickets are required for individual shows at nearly all the venues.
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
The festival’s stage shows (music, cowboy poetry & storytelling) will happen at:
Canyon Theatre Guild
Repertory East Playhouse
The Vu Bar and Lounge
William S. Hart Park
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
THE PERFOMERS (at one or another of those places) ARE:
Ian Tyson
Don Edwards
Waddie Mitchell
Dave Stamey
The Sons of the San Joaquin
Chris Isaacs
Kristyn Harris
The Haunted Windchimes
Mikki Daniel
The California Feetwarmers
Rosie Flores
The Lucky Stars
Susie Glaze and the Hilonesome Band
Deke Dickerson
Tiny and Mary
Savannah Burrows
Sons and Brothers
Old Salt Union
Allegretto & Espinoza
The Carolyn Sills Combo
The Get Down Boys
Band of the California Battalion
Joey Dillon
Wild Horse Singers and Dancers
Joe Herrington
Pop Haydn
Dave Thornbury
David Rainwater
Three Bad Jacks
Gamblers Mark
Kim Lenz and Her Jaguars
The Rhythm Shakers
Blue Collar Combo
Karling and the Kadavers
Hard Six
Silvertooth Loos
Galactic Polecasts
Six Silver Bullets
The Buckhenries
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
Performances at Repertory East Playhouse warrant special attention:
Friday, April 17
Rosie Flores
at 8 pm; Award-winning girl of the century, twanging between honky tonk and rockabilly. Rosie fires up her turquoise axe with songs that tell some hard earned tales.
Saturday, April 18
California Feetwarmers
at 8 pm; Fun-lovin' masters of ragtime, Dixieland blues and early swing, The California Feetwarmers have a depth of character that sets them apart from others who have followed that throwback path to New Orleans, Circa 1920. Their hugely-entertaining and boisterous on-stage antics are solidly underpinned by playing that is as close to the source as it can be.
Susie Glaze and the Hilonesome Band
at 5 pm; Blending classic folk with rough-edged stories of tragedy and fate, Susie Glaze and The Hilonesome Band features orchestral arrangements that sound like chamber music gone folk!
Savannah Burrows
at 2 pm; A native Californian who loves to ski, surf and spend time with friends...but most of all, loves music. Savannah merges contemporary country and pop, creating a unique sound all her own.
Sunday, April 19
(at 1 pm )
Tiny and Mary
The brother and sister act is the real thing, a whole lotta Western with just a little bit of Swing. A cowboy crooner and the honey lamb of the honky tonk, Tiny and Mary hope you'll hop-along the old harmony trail!
Deke Dickerson
Incorporating country, alternative country, rockabilly, hillbilly, blues, Western swing and rock n' roll.
The Lucky Stars
The Lucky Stars play raucous, good time dance music that sets the mood for a rollicking good time, as well as their very own brand of heart-broken blues.
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
Here’s the Cowboy Festival’s Schedule of other Concerts & Events…
Wednesday, April 15
An Evening with Kristyn Harris and Jim Jones
Thursday, April 16
Film Tour (Part 1)
Senses
Friday, April 17
Film Tour (Part 2)
Don Edwards
at Rancho Camulos
John Wayne and The Shootist
Friday Night Flickers
An Evening with Cow Bop
at William S. Hart Mansion
Saturday, April 18
Cowboy Festival
at William S. Hart Mansion
Cowboy Festival
at Canyon Theatre Guild
Cowboy Festival
at Repertory East Playhouse
Cowboy Festival
at The Vu Bar and Lounge
Dinner and Show with Marie Wise Hawkins
An Evening with Buffalo Bill
at William S. Hart Mansion
Sunday, April 19
Cowboy Festival
at William S. Hart Mansion
Cowboy Festival
at Canyon Theatre Guild
Cowboy Festival
at Repertory East Playhouse
Cowboy Festival
at The Vu Bar and Lounge
Santa Clarita Valley Historical Site Bus Tour
Cowboy Church
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
Full details and tickets at
www.cowboyfestival.org
Box Office
Phone: 661-250-3735
Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
More, eventually, as always.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
We know, you may be reading this on a site that the Guide does not own. If so, check-in with us and let us know that all is good on that site – things like whether the Guide appears there with good formatting, and without somebody else collecting money for ads that are running with it there. And be sure to tell us if there’s questionable content or exploitation on that site, so we can sort it out or bail outta there.
Direct to the current editions /
.
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015,
Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks.
All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for droppin’ by to sit a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
.
For years, it’s been the best of all the cowboy / western music / western swing / cowboy poetry & western storytelling festivals anywhere. “The times they are a-changin” may not be a cowboy song, but this year, it could be. There will be a LOT of changes this year, engendered in just one thing: the festival will NOT be based in that fabulous Old Western town where it’s always been before, the huge movie set at Gene Autry’s old Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio.
The top-rated TALENT will still perform at the festival, but it’s going to require some moseyin’ around to four different principle venues around the town of Old Newhall, which is part of the City of Santa Clarita. And separate tickets are required for individual shows at nearly all the venues.
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
The festival’s stage shows (music, cowboy poetry & storytelling) will happen at:
Canyon Theatre Guild
Repertory East Playhouse
The Vu Bar and Lounge
William S. Hart Park
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
THE PERFOMERS (at one or another of those places) ARE:
Ian Tyson
Don Edwards
Waddie Mitchell
Dave Stamey
The Sons of the San Joaquin
Chris Isaacs
Kristyn Harris
The Haunted Windchimes
Mikki Daniel
The California Feetwarmers
Rosie Flores
The Lucky Stars
Susie Glaze and the Hilonesome Band
Deke Dickerson
Tiny and Mary
Savannah Burrows
Sons and Brothers
Old Salt Union
Allegretto & Espinoza
The Carolyn Sills Combo
The Get Down Boys
Band of the California Battalion
Joey Dillon
Wild Horse Singers and Dancers
Joe Herrington
Pop Haydn
Dave Thornbury
David Rainwater
Three Bad Jacks
Gamblers Mark
Kim Lenz and Her Jaguars
The Rhythm Shakers
Blue Collar Combo
Karling and the Kadavers
Hard Six
Silvertooth Loos
Galactic Polecasts
Six Silver Bullets
The Buckhenries
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
Performances at Repertory East Playhouse warrant special attention:
Friday, April 17
Rosie Flores
at 8 pm; Award-winning girl of the century, twanging between honky tonk and rockabilly. Rosie fires up her turquoise axe with songs that tell some hard earned tales.
Saturday, April 18
California Feetwarmers
at 8 pm; Fun-lovin' masters of ragtime, Dixieland blues and early swing, The California Feetwarmers have a depth of character that sets them apart from others who have followed that throwback path to New Orleans, Circa 1920. Their hugely-entertaining and boisterous on-stage antics are solidly underpinned by playing that is as close to the source as it can be.
Susie Glaze and the Hilonesome Band
at 5 pm; Blending classic folk with rough-edged stories of tragedy and fate, Susie Glaze and The Hilonesome Band features orchestral arrangements that sound like chamber music gone folk!
Savannah Burrows
at 2 pm; A native Californian who loves to ski, surf and spend time with friends...but most of all, loves music. Savannah merges contemporary country and pop, creating a unique sound all her own.
Sunday, April 19
(at 1 pm )
Tiny and Mary
The brother and sister act is the real thing, a whole lotta Western with just a little bit of Swing. A cowboy crooner and the honey lamb of the honky tonk, Tiny and Mary hope you'll hop-along the old harmony trail!
Deke Dickerson
Incorporating country, alternative country, rockabilly, hillbilly, blues, Western swing and rock n' roll.
The Lucky Stars
The Lucky Stars play raucous, good time dance music that sets the mood for a rollicking good time, as well as their very own brand of heart-broken blues.
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
Here’s the Cowboy Festival’s Schedule of other Concerts & Events…
Wednesday, April 15
An Evening with Kristyn Harris and Jim Jones
Thursday, April 16
Film Tour (Part 1)
Senses
Friday, April 17
Film Tour (Part 2)
Don Edwards
at Rancho Camulos
John Wayne and The Shootist
Friday Night Flickers
An Evening with Cow Bop
at William S. Hart Mansion
Saturday, April 18
Cowboy Festival
at William S. Hart Mansion
Cowboy Festival
at Canyon Theatre Guild
Cowboy Festival
at Repertory East Playhouse
Cowboy Festival
at The Vu Bar and Lounge
Dinner and Show with Marie Wise Hawkins
An Evening with Buffalo Bill
at William S. Hart Mansion
Sunday, April 19
Cowboy Festival
at William S. Hart Mansion
Cowboy Festival
at Canyon Theatre Guild
Cowboy Festival
at Repertory East Playhouse
Cowboy Festival
at The Vu Bar and Lounge
Santa Clarita Valley Historical Site Bus Tour
Cowboy Church
= + = + = + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = += + = +
Full details and tickets at
www.cowboyfestival.org
Box Office
Phone: 661-250-3735
Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
More, eventually, as always.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
We know, you may be reading this on a site that the Guide does not own. If so, check-in with us and let us know that all is good on that site – things like whether the Guide appears there with good formatting, and without somebody else collecting money for ads that are running with it there. And be sure to tell us if there’s questionable content or exploitation on that site, so we can sort it out or bail outta there.
Direct to the current editions /
.
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015,
Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks.
All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for droppin’ by to sit a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
DEADLINES EXTENDED FOR COMPETITORS in the prestigious Topanga Banjo•Fiddle Contest (through April 6, 2015)
.
.
Attention all singers, pickers, strummers, bow wizards, harmonica players, soloists, duets, trios, bands, and devotees of other acoustic instruments. Win THIS and enjoy adoration. It’s a VERY big deal, and this year, they are SHORT ON CONTESTANTS.
The 55th Annual TOPANGA BANJO•FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FESTIVAL happens MAY 17, 2015 at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills. In every other year, entries would be closed long before now. But not THIS YEAR.
APRIL 6, 2015, is the EXTENDED DEADLINE
Some mighty famous people are past winners of various TBFC contests. ALL LEVELS are available to fit your skill level to that of the folks with whom you’ll compete – from Beginner all the way up to Professional Musician.
And, CONSIDER THIS: if the number of competitors is FEWER, it just might be YOUR YEAR to take home a prestigious prize!
All the details, including online sign-up, is at
http://www.TopangaBanjoFiddle.org
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
PLUS…
MUSIC LEGEND AWARD nominations extended…
The MUSIC LEGEND AWARD was established by the Topanga Banjo•Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival, Inc. (TBFC) in 2002 to honor and recognize a person, group or organization which has distinguished him/her/itself over the years, in the preservation and advancement of old time, folk and bluegrass music in the Southern California area. The prize consists of a plaque and public proclamation with a cash award of $1000 and is presented at the Topanga Banjo•Fiddle Contest on the main stage every year.
The deadline for nominations has been extended until April 6, 2015. If you have someone that you would like to nominate, go to:
http://www.topangabanjofiddle.org/legend_award.html
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
LOOK FOR THE GUIDE’S EDITOR at TBFC: He’ll be EMCEE of a buncha things, all day!
He’s Larry Wines. He’s been emceeing at TBFC for ten years. But if you’re a “regular,” you probably know that. When he’s not at a mic, he’ll love it if you mosey on over and say howdy with your best pickin’ grin.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
TOPANGA BANJO•FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FEST on FACEBOOK…
TBFC is facing the same thing at the hands of Facebook as other nonprofits, music festivals, etc.
In the last year or two, Facebook has severely limited the number of people that are reached by posts to a page. For example, the Topanga Banjo•Fiddle page has about 1700 Likes / Followers – BUT, a post may reach as few as 50 people, unless there is expensive “additional action” on the part of the nonprofit contest organization. TBFC board member Carl Gage explains, “Facebook justifies this by pointing-out the sheer volume of posts, and they say, ‘just because someone Likes a page, doesn’t mean they want to see all the posts to that page.’ The fact is, they now charge, BY THE DAY, to increase the reach of posts, so their bottom-line goes up along with their stock price.”
While Carl adds that it’s “No big surprise,” it’s clear from what he says that TBFC simply cannot afford to subsidize Facebook’s business model.
Carl continues, “We have raised that reach recently, but still have a long way to go to get our message to more folks. We ask that you ‘Like / Follow’ the TBFC page and ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ every post on your own timeline. This should help increase the scope of our posts.”
Go to
https://www.facebook.com/topangabanjofiddle
As Carl cautions, “Sometimes when you search for a page you have to sift through some extraneous results,” so you’ll want to use the exact address, or, as he says if you search, “look carefully for our page.”
Carl concludes, “Please forward this to music-loving friends and associates that will help support TBFC, including [prospective] judges, emcees, super volunteers or anyone else that you can reach and ask that they do the same. Thanks for your support.”
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Reprise:
“Alright. Just What's Going on? The Big Question Addressed” from March 13, 2015
As we reported then…
.
CAN'T GIVE YOU "THE BIG REVEAL," BUT...
The Guide's BIG NEWS EDITION for March was obviously delayed, and "why" is not anything trivial. It's literally a matter of life and death. (You can see for yourself, three short paragraphs down.)
Several of our writers are working on assignments, and when they're done, we will publish their reports in a fresh news edition.
The Guide's editor must, for the present, fulfill ONLY that role: as EDITOR of reports and reviews and feature stories written by others. And the reason why is a big one.
Now, "literally a matter of life and death"-? You did read that accurately. Our editor says:
"I'm immersed in a field research project to find a living example of a severely endangered species. That is the only way to stop a developer whose strictly-for-money activities will (quite literally) totally destroy the entire habitat of the species at issue.
"I have found dead remnants of the species. We need to 'bring 'em back alive' to stand any chance of saving the only place where they live.
"By now you have noted that I have not told you WHAT the species is. Not even whether it is flora or fauna.
"And I can't. Because the greedy bastard developers subscribe to a very sophisticated web search service that notifies them of any mention of any aspect of this - on any website, in any news story, in any COMMENT to a news story, on social media, or anywhere. Only private email is safe, and only if no one copies and pastes into their social media account or some public forum.
"That is not an unfounded fear. The developer has:
(a) obtained all government-required permits to proceed with their destructive development, with no reference to the presence of the elusive and severely endangered species;
(b) already aggressively attempted to directly eliminate (read murder) the entire species at the first mention of it on the web (shocking and horrifying what they did, and are willing to do); and,
(c) prepared to launch a high-speed "push" with a phase that would only destroy - completely – both by killing outright and eliminating all habitat for the specific endangered species AND EVERYTHING ELSE alive there (which is a considerable variety of species) - and to do it apart from (or at least well in advance of) achieving their greedy money-grabbing goal.
"Beyond that, use your imagination to fill-in the blanks, and understand that the use of some non-standard nomenclature has been deliberate, to avoid their web search patrols. I can only tell you this is not some 'GMO-corn'-thing. It is a unique species that is millions of years old and about to vanish because of the greed of a few who care about increasing their financial riches and NOTHING else.
"Someday I will reveal all. Hopefully, that will be because we have saved the species in its very unique, very singular, very fragile habitat. And not because I am posting a post-mortem photo depicting the destruction of something special that could never again exist on this Earth.
"In the meantime, if you know someone in a prominent organization with successful experience in this kind of thing, we need to build the most powerful clandestine coalition possible.
"I wish I could have used more standard references, the scientific name of the species, and, in general, not been so mysterious and cryptic here. I hope you understand. Send me an email with any suggested contacts. Your general comments are welcome, too, but ONLY as private email. We cannot risk you posting something that alerts the developer's web search service.
"And really, wish me luck. I am the only one in a position to go to the site and spend what has already become a LOT of time there. Yep, luck. The endangered species and I are both really going to need it."
CONTACT email is:
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
The Guide's big MUSIC NEWS EDITION will be along soon.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
More, eventually, as always.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
We know, you may be reading this on a site that the Guide does not own. If so, check-in with us and let us know that all is good on that site – things like whether the Guide appears there with good formatting, and without somebody else collecting money for ads that are running with it there. And be sure to tell us if there’s questionable content or exploitation on that site, so we can sort it out or bail outta there.
Direct to the current editions /
.
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015,
Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks.
All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for droppin’ by to sit a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
.
Attention all singers, pickers, strummers, bow wizards, harmonica players, soloists, duets, trios, bands, and devotees of other acoustic instruments. Win THIS and enjoy adoration. It’s a VERY big deal, and this year, they are SHORT ON CONTESTANTS.
The 55th Annual TOPANGA BANJO•FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FESTIVAL happens MAY 17, 2015 at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills. In every other year, entries would be closed long before now. But not THIS YEAR.
APRIL 6, 2015, is the EXTENDED DEADLINE
Some mighty famous people are past winners of various TBFC contests. ALL LEVELS are available to fit your skill level to that of the folks with whom you’ll compete – from Beginner all the way up to Professional Musician.
And, CONSIDER THIS: if the number of competitors is FEWER, it just might be YOUR YEAR to take home a prestigious prize!
All the details, including online sign-up, is at
http://www.TopangaBanjoFiddle.org
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
PLUS…
MUSIC LEGEND AWARD nominations extended…
The MUSIC LEGEND AWARD was established by the Topanga Banjo•Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival, Inc. (TBFC) in 2002 to honor and recognize a person, group or organization which has distinguished him/her/itself over the years, in the preservation and advancement of old time, folk and bluegrass music in the Southern California area. The prize consists of a plaque and public proclamation with a cash award of $1000 and is presented at the Topanga Banjo•Fiddle Contest on the main stage every year.
The deadline for nominations has been extended until April 6, 2015. If you have someone that you would like to nominate, go to:
http://www.topangabanjofiddle.org/legend_award.html
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
LOOK FOR THE GUIDE’S EDITOR at TBFC: He’ll be EMCEE of a buncha things, all day!
He’s Larry Wines. He’s been emceeing at TBFC for ten years. But if you’re a “regular,” you probably know that. When he’s not at a mic, he’ll love it if you mosey on over and say howdy with your best pickin’ grin.
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
TOPANGA BANJO•FIDDLE CONTEST & FOLK FEST on FACEBOOK…
TBFC is facing the same thing at the hands of Facebook as other nonprofits, music festivals, etc.
In the last year or two, Facebook has severely limited the number of people that are reached by posts to a page. For example, the Topanga Banjo•Fiddle page has about 1700 Likes / Followers – BUT, a post may reach as few as 50 people, unless there is expensive “additional action” on the part of the nonprofit contest organization. TBFC board member Carl Gage explains, “Facebook justifies this by pointing-out the sheer volume of posts, and they say, ‘just because someone Likes a page, doesn’t mean they want to see all the posts to that page.’ The fact is, they now charge, BY THE DAY, to increase the reach of posts, so their bottom-line goes up along with their stock price.”
While Carl adds that it’s “No big surprise,” it’s clear from what he says that TBFC simply cannot afford to subsidize Facebook’s business model.
Carl continues, “We have raised that reach recently, but still have a long way to go to get our message to more folks. We ask that you ‘Like / Follow’ the TBFC page and ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ every post on your own timeline. This should help increase the scope of our posts.”
Go to
https://www.facebook.com/topangabanjofiddle
As Carl cautions, “Sometimes when you search for a page you have to sift through some extraneous results,” so you’ll want to use the exact address, or, as he says if you search, “look carefully for our page.”
Carl concludes, “Please forward this to music-loving friends and associates that will help support TBFC, including [prospective] judges, emcees, super volunteers or anyone else that you can reach and ask that they do the same. Thanks for your support.”
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
Reprise:
“Alright. Just What's Going on? The Big Question Addressed” from March 13, 2015
As we reported then…
.
CAN'T GIVE YOU "THE BIG REVEAL," BUT...
The Guide's BIG NEWS EDITION for March was obviously delayed, and "why" is not anything trivial. It's literally a matter of life and death. (You can see for yourself, three short paragraphs down.)
Several of our writers are working on assignments, and when they're done, we will publish their reports in a fresh news edition.
The Guide's editor must, for the present, fulfill ONLY that role: as EDITOR of reports and reviews and feature stories written by others. And the reason why is a big one.
Now, "literally a matter of life and death"-? You did read that accurately. Our editor says:
"I'm immersed in a field research project to find a living example of a severely endangered species. That is the only way to stop a developer whose strictly-for-money activities will (quite literally) totally destroy the entire habitat of the species at issue.
"I have found dead remnants of the species. We need to 'bring 'em back alive' to stand any chance of saving the only place where they live.
"By now you have noted that I have not told you WHAT the species is. Not even whether it is flora or fauna.
"And I can't. Because the greedy bastard developers subscribe to a very sophisticated web search service that notifies them of any mention of any aspect of this - on any website, in any news story, in any COMMENT to a news story, on social media, or anywhere. Only private email is safe, and only if no one copies and pastes into their social media account or some public forum.
"That is not an unfounded fear. The developer has:
(a) obtained all government-required permits to proceed with their destructive development, with no reference to the presence of the elusive and severely endangered species;
(b) already aggressively attempted to directly eliminate (read murder) the entire species at the first mention of it on the web (shocking and horrifying what they did, and are willing to do); and,
(c) prepared to launch a high-speed "push" with a phase that would only destroy - completely – both by killing outright and eliminating all habitat for the specific endangered species AND EVERYTHING ELSE alive there (which is a considerable variety of species) - and to do it apart from (or at least well in advance of) achieving their greedy money-grabbing goal.
"Beyond that, use your imagination to fill-in the blanks, and understand that the use of some non-standard nomenclature has been deliberate, to avoid their web search patrols. I can only tell you this is not some 'GMO-corn'-thing. It is a unique species that is millions of years old and about to vanish because of the greed of a few who care about increasing their financial riches and NOTHING else.
"Someday I will reveal all. Hopefully, that will be because we have saved the species in its very unique, very singular, very fragile habitat. And not because I am posting a post-mortem photo depicting the destruction of something special that could never again exist on this Earth.
"In the meantime, if you know someone in a prominent organization with successful experience in this kind of thing, we need to build the most powerful clandestine coalition possible.
"I wish I could have used more standard references, the scientific name of the species, and, in general, not been so mysterious and cryptic here. I hope you understand. Send me an email with any suggested contacts. Your general comments are welcome, too, but ONLY as private email. We cannot risk you posting something that alerts the developer's web search service.
"And really, wish me luck. I am the only one in a position to go to the site and spend what has already become a LOT of time there. Yep, luck. The endangered species and I are both really going to need it."
CONTACT email is:
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
The Guide's big MUSIC NEWS EDITION will be along soon.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
More, eventually, as always.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
We know, you may be reading this on a site that the Guide does not own. If so, check-in with us and let us know that all is good on that site – things like whether the Guide appears there with good formatting, and without somebody else collecting money for ads that are running with it there. And be sure to tell us if there’s questionable content or exploitation on that site, so we can sort it out or bail outta there.
Direct to the current editions /
.
MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY editions load quickly at
.
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US at / send Questions / Comments to:
.
Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
Contents copyright © 2015,
Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks.
All rights reserved.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for droppin’ by to sit a spell.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)