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COMING SOON: Photographs to accompany News Features, Spotlight Events, and MORE!
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. Welcome to the
Reinvented (and still under re-construction)
Tied to the Tracks
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ACOUSTIC
AMERICANA
MUSIC GUIDE
NEWS FEATURES
March 4 edition
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“SPOTLIGHT EVENTS” – the newest edition – is available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/03/spotlight-events-acoustic-americana.html
“THE SCENE” is available for the following days, each at its own address
Friday, March 4
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/03/scene-from-guide-for-march-4-2011.html
Saturday, March 5
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/03/scene-from-guide-for-march-5-2011.html
(more coming...)
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THIS WEEK’S NEWS FEATURES
1) “PHIL OCHS: THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE” – SPECIAL SCREENING SUNDAY
2) TIME TO SPEAK UP TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS
3) ERIC CLAPTON, JACKSON BROWNE, LOS LOBOS, MARSHALL CRENSHAW…
WHAT A WEEK AHEAD! EAT YOUR HEART OUT IF YOU’RE SOMEPLACE ELSE…
4) REVIEW: “FOLKTACULAR,” PRESIDENT’S DAY WEEKEND
5) “QUICK TAKES” FROM THE COMING WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT EVENTS PAGE…
6) RECONSTRUCTION PROGRESSES: REINVENTION OF THE GUIDE…
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Here are these feature stories…
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Our # 1 Story:
“PHIL OCHS: THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE” – SPECIAL SCREENING SUNDAY
It opens at the Laemmle chain throughout the L.A. area today, March 4. Rather than simply finding any old screening, attend this special screening EVENT, Sunday at 11 am in Santa Monica. It includes a panel discussion with MICHAEL OCHS, brother and manager of the late Phil Ochs, filmmaker KENNETH BOWSER, Ash Grove founder ED PEARL, and FolkWorks columnist / Topanga Banjo Fiddle Festival “Legend” Award Winner ROSS ALTMAN. Ken Burns’ documentary film work has nothing on this powerful and moving piece by Bowser.
We saw the film at its L.A. premiere at the Grammy Museum, March 1. The panel that followed that screening added incalculable depth and dimension – even though the film stands on its own – and this panel, organized by FolkWorks, will surely do more of that.
Go. See it. It’s amazing. It’s a compelling tale of another time, a time that resonates again in our national experience and individual consciousness into our present, uncertain times. We’ll have a full review in a few days. But go.
The Guide absolutely recommends that you see this film, whether or not you were alive when the late PHIL OCHS was out there with his razorlike social commentary, singing his protest music. It’s part entertaining history, part inspiration for anyone who seeks to make a difference.
The film contains revealing interviews with JOAN BAEZ, PETE SEEGER, PETER YARROW, BILLY BRAGG, TOM HAYDEN, CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS, SEAN PENN, and others, on their memories of Phil and his myriad influences .
The special screening and panel discussion is Sunday, March 6, at 11 am. It’s a Guide “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick, and for the first time, one of our two top picks for this weekend is NOT a live music performance. (The other top pick is the FREE Cajun-zydeco spectacular at 2 pm Sunday at the L.A. Farmers Market.) This FolkWorks-sponsored screening / panel discussion event is at the Laemmle’s Monica, 1332 Second St, Santa Monica; www.laemmle.com; 310-478-3836. More info at www.FolkWorks.org or by phone at 818-785-3839. Tix, $10.
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Our # 2 Story:
TIME TO SPEAK UP TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS
They’re at it again. Politicians are voting to eliminate ALL funding for things artists and arts activists always support, and essentially need.
…TOPIC ONE, of two:
PBS and NPR may actually be killed this time.
Early in the week, the US House of Representatives voted to eliminate ALL federal funding for both PBS (public TV) and NPR (public radio). While the Senate is expected to reject those provisions in their version of the bill, that does not end of the story. Funding must be PASSED, specifically included in bills passed into law, or there is no money.
House Speaker JOHN BOEHNER (R, Ohio) is on record that he will refuse to accept additional Senate provisions in bills coming to Conference Committee. That’s where the “reconciliation process” occurs, to make different House and Senate versions of a bill into one bill that reads the same, for usually quick final passage and delivery to the president for signing into law.
Keep in mind, the US Constitution requires that spending measures originate in the House, not the Senate.
So, if you believe that PBS, where reeeallly good music performance specials proliferate (even if you only get to watch them as pledge drive cash cows) and NPR, where more indie and acoustic and folk and Americana music gets exposure to a national audience than anywhere else, then it’s time to contact your member of Congress and your state’s two US Senators. (Contact info at bottom.)
…TOPIC TWO, of two:
Public transit is endangered, even as gas prices go crazy.
With the unbridled greed of Big Oil cashing-in (as always), this time by citing instability in Libya and Egypt (it wouldn’t matter to them if they could cite Botswana or Smurfville and get away with it), prices at the pump are going crazy, and will get much worse. Five-dollar-a-gallon gas is likely by the beginning of summer – even though Saudi Arabia has already assured the world it is already increasing its production, AND holding it at the same market price, to absorb any temporary losses caused by interrupted supplies from places experiencing instability. Just as the US economy is showing some signs of improvement, albeit in a “jobless recovery,” it is the greed of Big Oil that will cause the ship of state to take on more water than the bilge pumps can handle.
All of us know that there really isn’t a damn thing we can do to make Big Oil behave as a responsible citizen. Take record numbers of dead baby dolphins washing ashore in the Gulf, after unknown massive amounts of chemically-unknown oil dispersants were unleashed there by Big Oil. And that’s only the most recent example of their public-be-damned, profits-are-all-that-matter paradigm. Until we can all afford electric or biodiesel vehicles, we’re screwed.
That makes PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION crucial to getting people to gigs. And the economy has crippled the funding of the agencies that provide it. In Los Angeles, MTA has once again announced service cutbacks.
Like most people who advocate – and who try to ride – MTA (aka Metro) whenever possible, we are usually frustrated, often stymied, and always left wondering what idiot is making the decisions.
Most often, you find you can GET to a venue or event without too much trouble – other than an inordinate amount of time for the usual experience of around-Robin-Hood’s-Barn routings. Getting HOME from the gig may not be possible before, literally, a 4:30-to-5 am system restart the next morning. Of course, the “Trip Planner” software on the MTA website is woefully inadequate, and wants you to accept that you-can’t-get-there-from-here at all, or that there is no way to use a faster rail line when there often is (it defaults to the buses). And the people at the “511” trip assistance phone number are inexcusably ignorant – or more correctly, they are given a workplace with a profound lack of meaningful resources they can access. Either way, MTA does not provide information when you go to their site – and it’s far worse if you call them – and actually expect to learn how to get somewhere (as in, anywhere).
MTA needs to cut expenses? Get rid of the 511 “service,” since it’s no service at all, and creates the illusion there is help there when in fact, it never works. Beyond that, reduce the every-15-minute midday service (between rush hours) to every 20 minutes, making 4-trip-per-hour lines into three-trips-per-hour, and use the savings to extend the operating hours of lines that currently die when the sun sets. (Similarly, convert midday lines that run every 20 minutes to service every half hour.) Right now, people who work second shifts (like 4 pm-midnight) can’t even consider using Metro. For artists and music fans, MTA is simply not “night-life” friendly.
Some examples are in order. Catching a show at McCabe’s in Santa Monica, you must be a clock-watcher to leave in time for the last nearby bus, or else you’ll walk a long way to access Metro’s “Owl Service” on one of the very few lines that does run all night (its connections don’t, so you probably still can’t get home, anyway). Similarly, you’ve got to leave promptly from a show at the Fret House in Covina – and it’s even more critical there, since NO connections run very late. The Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena HAS BEEN far more accessible, with either of two bus routes connecting down Lake Avenue to the Gold Line light rail in Pasadena, and one of those buses continuing way beyond to numerous connections (often missing them because of dumb scheduling, causing you to wait an hour, outdoors in the dark, for the next one) – but there has been SOME way to do it. A bad situation is about to get worse, if Metro gets its way. After early June, you’ll probably need to ride the Gold Line all the way southwest to downtown L.A. for a connection to go anywhere else. You’ll literally need to go many miles, and spend a couple hours doing it, going exactly the wrong way before you can catch a diverging route headed back in the general direction from which you just came. That’ll be the only way you can go a short few miles the other side of where you started. It may be a specific example, but it’s representative of things that are far too typical.
Meanwhile, MTA stupidly continues its refusal to install service on miles of old Pacific Electric light rail routes that are still there, on the surface, after they bought those routes years ago. Instead, the west side, in particular, is hostage to MTA’s singular fixation with a subway that’s too expensive to dig.
The Gold Line light rail IS finally being extended, in a glacially slow “expansion project” to Azusa – even though it’s been nearly two decades since MTA bought the whole existing rail line, with tracks in place and heavy, high-speed freight trains then running on it. Yet right now, you cannot ride to the contrived east end of the line in Pasadena and continue east by rail. And anything past very early evening, you cannot continue anywhere east by bus. Rather than using its buses establish the new patterns of flow and accessibility that the Gold Line extension will bring when it finally reopens, MTA is eliminating the one bus line that runs south from Altadena and Pasadena to any EASTBOUND connections – and that soon-to-be-killed line (#485) is the only thing that connects with anything going east, and it connects with just about everything going east from L.A. With a single bullet, MTA is killing the one and only thing that makes all the connections. (From the current east END of the line, the only bus that makes all the connections stops running too early to be of any use getting anywhere – or back – after mid-evening.)
Okay, the death of the one specific line, the only one that connects everything, either affects you or it doesn’t. But it is representative. And if gas hits FIVE BUCKS A GALLON, many more of us must turn to public transit, or simply find ourselves necessarily saving all our gas money just to get to work, and not going anyplace else.
As performers, all this transcends the parts that are about us, like how the hell we can afford to tour. It’s not simply about us and whether we can afford to tour our new CD, whether asking higher ticket prices to cover our higher costs will translate into too few people coming to our gigs. It’s really about whether MOST PEOPLE can afford to drive to ANY gig, or whether they can get there – and back – on affordable and reasonably convenient public transit.
MTA does have a “customer comment period” on its proposed service eliminations and reductions. Even if you do it as a pre-emptive strike to protect access you soon may need to lines they propose to cut, now is the time to let them hear from you at www.mta.net.
Your move. You can make it harder for Washington politicians to kill PBS and NPR. You can make it harder for local transit officials to restrict or eliminate the alternatives to the automobile. We could fund MASSIVE transit expansion AND fully fund and expand PBS and NPR simply by eliminating the federal government’s $45 BILLION annual subsidy that gives our tax money to Big Oil. Instead, our shared enslavement to Big Oil’s ever-expanding greed allows them to live in our pockets as individuals and raid the money we pay into our federal tax coffers.
Writing just three emails – one to your member of Congress (www.house.gov), one to both of your US Senators (www.senate.gov), and one to MTA (or YOUR local transit agency) can make a difference.
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Our # 3 Story:
ERIC CLAPTON, JACKSON BROWNE, LOS LOBOS, MARSHALL CRENSHAW, & MORE: WHAT A WEEK AHEAD! EAT YOUR HEART OUT IF YOU LIVE SOMEPLACE ELSE…
It’s time to brag (again) about our local music scene. Where else can get all this (okay, a top festival – maybe.) Another News Feature after this one gives you ALL of the “Spotlight Events” this coming week, but these need more attention than that:
Sun, Mar 6; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
PETER YARROW & NOEL PAUL STOOKEY, the surviving two-thirds of PETER, PAUL & MARY, play the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, Sunday, March 6.
ERIC CLAPTON with LOS LOBOS play two shows, Tuesday & Wednesday, March 8 & 9, at the Gibson Amphitheatre.
JACKSON BROWNE plays at the Fred Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks, Wednesday, March 9.
ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS musical cast members of radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion” play one L.A. show at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena, Sunday, March 6.
“AN EVENING WITH THE MAJESTIC SILVER STRINGS” – MARC RIBOT, BILL FRISELL, GREG LIESZ, & BUDDY MILLER – in a performance-interview on the Grammy Museum’s Clive Davis Sound Stage in downtown L.A. on Thursday, March 10.
MARSHALL CRENSHAW plays two shows at McCabe’s in Santa Monica; the first is already sold-out, but there may be tix for the 10 pm late show, Friday, March 11. (If you can’t get in, he plays Russ & Julie's House Concerts in Oak Park (Agoura Hills area) on the 12th).
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Our # 4 Story:
REVIEW: “FOLKTACULAR,” PRESIDENT’S DAY WEEKEND
Robert Morgan Fisher’s twice-a-year multi-artist extravaganza returned to Bergamont Station in Santa Monica in February.
By Geo. McCalip, Guide correspondent
Presidents’ Day weekend always falls close to ROBERT MORGAN FISHER’s birthday. Once again, he chose to celebrate by hosting his twice-annual Folktacular at the Writers’ Bootcamp Auditorium in Santa Monica’s Bergamont Station Arts Complex. In addition to the traditional Tito’s tacos (or bean and cheese burritos for vegetarians), wine, beer and potluck food, and plenty of all of it, there was, of course, music. Over nine hours of music.
Robert kicked off the event with a half-hour set starting just after 3 pm, featuring songs from the CD he is now recording. The basic concept of the CD is to juxtapose two songs into a single piece. Examples performed by Robert include “Don’t It Make You Wanna Go Home” with Dave Carter’s “Gentle Arms of Eden,” “Gentle on my Mind” with “Butterfly of Love,” and “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” with “Nature Boy.” All of the songs are covers, and we look forward to the CD because having Robert cover your song is not unlike having Ansel Adams develop your film and print your photos.
Next up were San Gabriel Valley folk stalwarts TIM TEDROW & TERRY VREELAND with REV. MARK on bass and Terry’s daughter JOEY VREELAND on vocals. Joey first performed in public with her dad and Tim at a past Folktacular, and we are happy to report that her voice has finally achieved parity with theirs. Given the quality of Tim and Terry’s harmonies, this was no mean feat, and the results were well worth the effort on her part and the wait on ours.
Four pm brought DALE LaDUKE on guitar backed by FRANK SPANO on his guitar, MARK BREITENBACH on bass and GREG KRUEGER on mandolin. Dale’s songs reflected his background as a “30 and out” auto worker and his love of life in California.
Next the audience was treated to a performance by LORIN HART, longtime member of the L.A. folk scene. She was backed by DAN PAIK on bass and CHAD WATSON on guitar. LISA TURNER joined in vocals on two songs, “Lover Come Back” and “Evil.”
At 5 pm, JEFF GOLD from West Valley Music took the stage with his guitar and was joined by EARL GREY on guitar and vocals, LISA JOHNSON on vocals and GREG KRUEGER on mandolin and guitar. After a set featuring virtuoso guitar playing by Greg, Fisher, in his role as performing emcee, commented “Not too shabby!”
Following Jeff, Robert introduced one of his heroes, BAYARD JOHNSON. Not only has Bayard dedicated a large part of his life to environmental causes, he has also written epic ballads that, Robert informed the audience, are largely autobiographical.
By 6 pm, the audience was ready for something upbeat and Robert came through, introducing singer-songwriter and keyboard player ALFRED JOHNSON. He brought LAURI REIMER on vocals and percussion, and LEON RUBENHOLD on vocals and guitar joined Alfred on stage. Together they rocked the audience with Alfred’s songs, which showed a strong New Orleans jazz influence.
Musician and bestselling author PAUL ZOLLO ably assisted by CHAD WATSON on mandolin, EARL GREY on guitar, JOHN O’KENNEDY on guitar, and REBECCA TROON on vocals and percussion, followed Johnson. One of the highlights of the early evening was the last song of Zollo’s set when JEFF GOLD, with his clarinet, joined the group and the multi-talented CHAD WATSON traded his mandolin for a trombone for a Klezmer style tune.
LISA TURNER, up next, did part of her set before bringing up other members of the locally celebrated ensemble, “THE LISAS,” filled with talented and celebrated performing songwriters who just happen to share the first name, Lisa. Here, LISA JOHNSON contributed vocals with LISA NEMZO on guitar and percussion. Backed by CHAD WATSON on mandolin, the three members of the seven-member group, “THE LISAS,” entertained the crowd that was unfortunately somewhat distracted by the arrival of the truckload of Tito’s tacos. Robert Morgan Fisher brought them a bit of extra attention when he back-announced the group with, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Estrogens.”
Although Robert had not initially included SEVERIN BROWNE in the schedule, he managed to get him in for an evening set and to popular acclaim. After performing with JAYNEE THORNE on backing vocals and DALE LaDUKE on accordion, Severin returned to solo mode for two very soulful numbers.
That brought us to the late evening part of the show, when JOYCE WOODSON took the stage at 8:15 pm. The multiple top-award winning western singer-songwriter used her short set not only to demonstrate her talent as a songwriter, but her lovely voice and charming personality.
Moving from western to country, PAM LOE & CHAD WATSON went up next. Pam, on guitar and vocals, and the multi-talented Chad, on bass and vocals, were accompanied by DEAN PARKS on pedal steel and VERN MONNETT on guitar. As they entertained the audience, the four each amply demonstrated why they have earned reputations as top professional musicians.
For PAM LOE, the stage time was a fun break from her outstanding job running the sound system for the entire event.
Following Pam and Chad, performing host ROBERT MORGAN FISHER returned to the stage to perform some of his original compositions. For accompaniment, he had an all-star lineup, with CHAD WATSON on bass and vocals, VERN MONNETT on guitar, DEAN PARKS on pedal steel, JOHN O’KENNEDY on guitar and mandolin and DALE LaDUKE on accordion. Though he had done an excellent job earlier on the mashup of covers, he sang his own compositions with even more feeling and presence. His selections included “A Life in Music,” his award-winner that placed second in VH1’s folk contest.
The event’s headliner was JOHN YORK of the legendary group, THE BYRDS. Backed by JOHN O’KENNEDY on guitar – and a major note on that is coming – and CHAD WATSON on bass, John did a masterful job of entertaining the audience with many of The Byrds’ classics, including his opener, “Turn, Turn, Turn” (written by Pete Seeger) and “Mr. Tambourine Man” (written by Bob Dylan), plus Byrds originals, well-delivered tales and reminiscences, and a few of his own newer songs. Part way through the set I told an obviously delighted Robert Morgan Fisher, “You’ve got a heck of a problem. How can you ever top this as a birthday party?”
After JOHN YORK finished his rousing set Robert explained that, while John York and Chad had performed together on numerous occasions, JOHN O’KENNEDY had never been on stage with John York before – not ever – nor had they ever practiced together. Indeed, they had agreed to play together only five minutes before they went on stage. The audience was amazed to learn this, as the set had been flawless, and the considerable respect already established for JOHN O’KENNEDY immediately grew to astonished admiration.
As part of the Folktacular tradition, a few additional acts appear after the headliner, along with some who have already performed, during the late night “encore sets.” The first of these featured JOHN ZIPPERER on vocals and guitar, backed by JAYNEE THORNE on guitar and TARA SITSER on keyboard. Next was JOHN M on vocals and guitar with JOHN ZIPPERER on guitar, Jaynee on guitar and Tara on keyboard. The last act was a two-song set by JOE HAMILTON, solo on guitar. Although many people had, understandably left after John York, those who stayed agreed that any of the three encore acts could have easily opened for any other act on the show.
The level of talent and camaraderie was obvious throughout the day. That speaks volumes, not simply about the host of the event, but for and about the acoustic-folk community in Southern California. Folktacular is a concert and a party, and at $20 presale or even $25 at the door, including food and drinks, it was a bargain not to be missed.
The Guide will bring you advance notice of the next Folktacular, which will happen sometime in the late summer or fall.
[Editor’s note: thanks to George McCalip for asking, then providing this thorough coverage of a festival-in-Reader’s-Digest form that is the nine-hour Folktacular. It’s not an easy assignment.]
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Our # 5 Story:
“QUICK TAKES” FROM THE COMING WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT EVENTS PAGE…
As always, there is just soooo much to see and hear and some tough choices for your music dollar. Here are just a few.
Fri, Mar 4; an out-of-town “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7 pm HARVEY REID plays the “Coolwater Concerts” series near Yosemite.
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Fri, Mar 4; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
8 pm NOEL PAUL STOOKEY (of PETER, PAUL & MARY) plays McCabe’s, Santa Monica.
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Fri, Mar 4:
8 pm MICHAEL McGINNIS & FRIENDS at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena.
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Sat, Mar 5:
7 pm HALAU KEAL’I O NALANI at The Getty Center, L.A. (There is a second show Sunday at 3:30 pm.)
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Sat, Mar 5:
7 pm CHRIS BURGAN & FRIENDS at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena.
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Sat, Mar 5:
7:30 pm I SEE HAWKS IN L.A. at the Folk Music Center & Museum, Claremont.
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Sat, Mar 5:
8 pm STEVE GILLETTE & CINDY MANGSEN at Boulevard Music, Culver City.
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Sat, Mar 5:
8 pm TERESA TUDURY plays the “Parlor Performances” series in Santa Monica.
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Sat, Mar 5:
8 pm T-LOU & HIS SUPER HOT ZYDECO BAND play a Cajun-zydeco dance at Transfiguration Catholic Hall, L.A.
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Sat, Mar 5:
8 pm “SPRING SQUARE DANCE” event with TRIPLE CHICKEN FOOT at HM157, Lincoln Heights.
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Sat, Mar 5:
8 pm PILAR DIAZ plays the Grand Annex, San Pedro.
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Sat, Mar 5; world music; festival:
8 pm-2 am “BRAZILIAN CARNAVAL” with CHALO EDUARDO, KATIA MORAES, ANDREA FERRAZ, HECTOR TORRES, KIRK BRUNDAGE, WILL PHILLIPS, JOE DE SA, SANDRON RABEL, ANTONIO CARLOS DE SANT’ANNA, & LEO COSTA, at Club Nokia, L.A. Live, downtown L.A.
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Sun, Mar 6, daytime; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
11 am Special screening of “PHIL OCHS: THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE” sponsored by FolkWorks magazine, with panel discussion following, at the Laemmle’s Monica, Santa Monica.
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Sun, Mar 6, daytime:
11 am LUCKY DIAZ plays a Matinee Kids' Show at McCabe’s, Santa Monica.
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Sun, Mar 6; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
2 pm T-LOU & HIS SUPER HOT ZYDECO BAND plus LISA HALEY & THE ZYDECATS, and others, perform a Cajun-zydeco spectacular on the Farmers Market West Patio, L.A.
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Sun, Mar 6, in Santa Barbara; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
2 pm TERESA TUDURY & REBECCA TROON play a double-bill at Ken and Elaine’s House Concert series in Santa Barbara; reservations get directions at 805-453-3364.
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Sun, Mar 6:
3:30 pm HALAU KEAL’I O NALANI at The Getty Center, L.A.
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Sun, Mar 6; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7 pm ROBIN & LINDA WILLIAMS (“A Prairie Home Companion”) at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena.
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Sun, Mar 6, in the desert; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7 pm PETER YARROW & NOEL PAUL STOOKEY, both of PETER, PAUL & MARY, play the McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert.
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Sun, Mar 6:
7 pm “SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTS” with JONATHAN SEGEL and McCABE & MRS. MILLER, presented by Crawdaddy Magazine at McCabe’s, Santa Monica.
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Sun, Mar 6, in Ventura:
8 pm MONTANA SKIES at Zoeys Café, 185 E Santa Clara, Ventura 93001; 805-652-1137.
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Tue & Wed, Mar 8 & 9; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7:30 pm ERIC CLAPTON with LOS LOBOS at the Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal City.
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Tue, Mar 8; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
8 pm ALEX DEPUE & MIGUEL DE HOYOS at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena.
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Wed, Mar 9; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7 pm JACKSON BROWNE at the Fred Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks.
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Wed, Mar 9; Tue & Wed, Mar 8 & 9; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7:30 pm ERIC CLAPTON with LOS LOBOS at the Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal City.
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Thu, Mar 10; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
8 pm “AN EVENING WITH THE MAJESTIC SILVER STRINGS” (MARC RIBOT, BILL FRISELL, GREG LIESZ, & BUDDY MILLER) at the Grammy Museum’s Clive Davis Sound Stage, L.A.
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Thu, Mar 10:
8 pm MONTANA SKIES at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena.
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Fri, Mar 11, an out-of-town “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick, in Bishop:
7:30 pm HARVEY REID plays the Inyo Arts Council concert series, Bishop.
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Fri, Mar 11; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
8 pm BORDER RADIO at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena.
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Fri, Mar 11; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
8 & 10 pm MARSHALL CRENSHAW at McCabe’s, Santa Monica. (If sold-out, he plays Russ & Julie's House Concerts in Oak Park, Agoura Hills area, on the 12th.)
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Sat & Sun, Mar 12 & 13; FESTIVAL; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick ♣♣♣♣:
Annual “LOS ANGELES IRISH FAIR” at the L.A. County Fairgrounds – Fairplex – in Pomona.
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Sat, Mar 12 ♣♣♣♣:
“IRISH CENTER’S ANNUAL ST PATRICK'S CELEBRATION” at the Hilton Hotel in Glendale.
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Sat, Mar 12 ♣♣♣♣:
2:30 pm “SHAMROCK TALES” at Arcadia Public Library, Arcadia.
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Sat, Mar 12; an “EVENT-OF-THE-WEEK FOR ARTISTS:”
4 pm “PARTIAL CAPO WORKSHOP” presented by HARVEY REID at Boulevard Music, Culver City.
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Sat, Mar 12; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7 pm SALTY SUITES, the band of SCOTT GATES, CHUCK HAILES, & CHELSEA WILLIAMS, plus THE WIMBERLEY BLUEGRASS BAND, at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena.
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Sat, Mar 12; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7 pm HARVEY REID plays his only L.A. show of this tour at Boulevard Music, Culver City.
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Sat, Mar 12; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
8 pm MARSHALL CRENSHAW plays Russ & Julie's House Concerts in Oak Park, Agoura Hills area.
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Sat, Mar 12:
8 pm “TRIBUTE TO DEXTER GORDON” by the LUCKMAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State Univ. L.A.
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Sun, Mar 13:
11 am OZOKIDZ play a Matinee Kids' Show at McCabe’s, Santa Monica.
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Sun, Mar 13; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
2-5 pm monthly “SONGWRITER SANCTUM” with guests SEVERIN BROWNE, DAVID STONE, KRIS GARRETT, & JOE HAMILTON at the Church in Ocean Park, Santa Monica.
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Sun, Mar 13, in San Diego; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
6 pm HARVEY REID plays Old Time Music in their brand-new location in San Diego.
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Sun, Mar 13; a “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” pick:
7 pm MICHELLE SHOCKED at McCabe’s, Santa Monica.
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Sun, Mar 13:
7 pm DOWN 4 THE COUNT at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, Altadena.
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Our # 6 Story:
RECONSTRUCTION PROGRESSES: REINVENTION OF THE GUIDE…
Have you checked it out yet? The Guide now has four sections, each with its own address:
SPOTLIGHT EVENTS
THE SCENE
NEWS FEATURES
VENUE DIRECTORY
Okay, this is proving FAR more time-consuming than we thought. It remains an inevitable and necessary task. With the constant proliferation of acoustic renaissance and folk-Americana performances (indie and otherwise), each edition of THE ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE was growing longer and longer, requiring more and more time each week to write and TO READ.
It finally reached the point where we had to concede that a growing number of people were telling us they could never find everything that’s in The Guide in time to make planes to go see it. AND we had to let go of the desire to include write-ups for EVERYTHING, as we confronted the fact that we were trying (and succeeding rather well) to cover far too much. That brought the realization that the way we’ve been doing things is not sustainable (unless we hit the lottery to afford a 40-hour-a-week, six-person staff).
So, we devised a reorganization plan, and that became a massive reinvention of The Guide. It’s the four sections named at the beginning of this feature story.
It includes “THE SCENE” the biggest change, – and it’s what most people want – a way of determining the odds of finding something they’ll like on any given night (or day), FOR MUSIC FANS AND ARTISTS alike. It also includes our RADIO & TV LISTINGS.
Artists seeking opportunities for places to get booked, or hang out with other artists, or test-drive a new song at an open mic, or take part in a jam, or whatever else might be happening that’s tempting to attend, have always turned to The Guide, though we were hearing how overwhelmed they were with it.
Fan or musician, whether your scene is indie singer-songwriter, or blues or bluegrass or Cajun or cowboy or Celtic, much of it comes down to what KIND of things happen WHERE, and what the chances are of finding something on any given night or weekend. That provided the centerpiece for reinvention of the Guide. Since it is SEPARATE from the “SPOTLIGHT EVENTS” the new format gives our readers something with REALLY fast access, a new approach, new content, a new format, and more.
“SPOTLIGHT EVENTS”-? Of course, you want SPECIFICS, as well as a feel for THE SCENE. So, we “Spotlight” the hottest shows in town (or, in the case of Southern California, a whooole BUNCH of towns), and that’s separately published. It’s ONLY what we’re spotlighting, it does NOT contain everything under the musical sun, so it’s a quick overview with just enough details of spotlighted shows to be a quick read.
“THE SCENE” is available for the each of the following days, at
Friday, March 4
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/03/scene-from-guide-for-march-4-2011.html
Saturday, March 5
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/03/scene-from-guide-for-march-5-2011.html
“NEWS FEATURES” continue as the weekly place where we “connect the dots” on events, music industry news, and news about the art being created by artists. (And artists, who you’re sleeping with is your business, we don’t report on any of that here, and we find so-called “entertainment journalism” deplorable and despicable with its gossip-column crap).
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Our little commercial…
BUY AN AD, HELP KEEP THE GUIDE GOING!
Sending us $25 gets you an ad in the Guide (prepared, run in the Guide, and sent to you for other uses) for your event or CD release or gig, AND you become a Guide Annual Subscriber (making you eligible for ticket giveaways and more!)
Please become an annual supporter by sending us $25. That helps sooooo very much! Bringing you all this information is a time-devouring production, on par with gathering and reporting the news for any full-size 40-page WEEKLY newspaper!
Seriously: Throughout 2010, the Guide often ran 100 pages – or more – of 8 ½ x 11 size pages, EVERY WEEK… Yes, there IS that much acoustic music happening out there! And it’s why we’re changing to the new format.
WRITE US at tied to the tracks (at) Hotmail dot com … and THANK YOU for your support!
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MORE STUFF >>>>>>> Resources, etc…
Our newly updated VENUE DIRECTORY is available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/02/venue-directory-from-guide-updated.html
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RECENT EDITIONS of The Guide’s NEWS FEATURES are still available…
February 18 edition’s NEWS FEATURES are available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/02/reinvented-acoustic-americana-music.html
The topics are…
1) “Show-of-the-Week” Picks – February 9th through 15th
2) IBMA Bluegrass Stars Play Saturday at Glendora’s Haugh Center
3) NATHAN ROGERS, Canadian Musician Son of an Icon, to Play Saturday
4) SUSAN JAMES CD Release Party to Bring Huge Lineup, February 15
5) FRANK FAIRFIELD, Old-Time String Music Maestro, Performs Tuesday
6) “New Music Seminar” Coming to L.A., Monday through Wednesday
7) ASSOCIATION OF FINGERSTYLE GUITARISTS Annual Festival is February 19
8) The Best New Products We Found at NAMM
9) EDITED Trio Leads Full Lineup – Concert Review
10) Sending Your Music to Media - A CD or Downloads?
11) Grammy Awards Arrive Sunday – Who Will Watch?
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February 4 edition’s NEWS FEATURES are available at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/02/acoustic-americana-music-guide-february.html
The topics are…
1) “Show-Of-The-Week” Picks – February 4th through 7th
2) Musician / Filmmaking Duo Debuts New Film Saturday Night in L.A.
3) Uber-Talented ANNIE MOSCOW Is Subject of Magazine Feature
4) SARAH LEE GUTHRIE & JOHNNY IRION Playing L.A. & “Last Call with Carson Daly”
5) 50th Anniversary of Arhoolie Records Brings Big Bay Area Shows
6) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TV Special Premieres this Weekend
7) Submission Deadline Nears: “We R Indie & Indiegrrl International Music Conference”
8) Just Give Me that Lone Star Beer, and BOB WILLS Music…
9) MARINA V to Perform in London for Sir Bob Geldof
10) Will We Hear the Top 40 – From Another Planet?
11) Local Indie Songwriter Has Original in Hallmark Channel Movie on Saturday
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Questions? Comments? Contact us at
tied to the tracks (at) Hotmail dot com
(We’re trying to cut-down spam; so, remove all the spaces when you type it.)
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The LATEST EDITION of THE GUIDE, with the NEWS FEATURES, THE SCENE, SPOTLIGHTED EVENTS, & THE VENUE DIRECTORY – what it takes to bring you the world of current acoustic music happenings, including “heads up” notices to buy advance tickets for shows likely to sell-out…
Plus VENUES TO HEAR MUSIC OR CONTACT TO GET GIGS, and lots more
– is available 24/7 (& frequently updated!) at ~
www.acousticmusic.net or at
www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
or use links from the News-only edition at
www.nodepression.com/profile/TiedtotheTracks
- or follow any of the links in the fifteen web sites and web groups that carry the Guide’s weekly News Features.
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Entire contents copyright © 2011, Lawrence Wines & Tied to the Tracks. All rights reserved.
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