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Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Chockful: news 'n tunes for trying times. Tuesday April 21 edition 2020

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LATE ADDITIONS:
•  Friday, Saturday, & Sunday cyber concerts -- more still being added.
•  Thursday, April 23 cyber concerts -- several, and more than ya think.
•  Wednesday's web & tv music performances added... just follow the chronology.
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The Dow is down 600 points because oil has a negative value. Tomorrow is Earth Day. Who says there's no such thing as karma?


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Music performances today / tonight on the web AND a BIG show on TeeVee...

In this edition!
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Purrfect.

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Good read, insight on a top international story -- from Al Jazeera English:

"Why did US oil prices crash? And how will it affect me?"

"US crude prices turned negative for the first in history this week. Here's why and what it could mean to you."

https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/oil-prices-crash-affect-200421134650761.html


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Congratulations to 8-time IBMA 
Female Vocalist of the Year Rhonda Vincent 
on becoming the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry!


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Outside your window TONIGHT...

Catch a stunning live show from your window: look up for the Lyrid meteor shower

The peak of the this year's shower will happen overnight on April 21-22.
  

From The Orlando Sentinel, an especially good newspaper for "spaciness."


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THOUGHT FOR TODAY from one born on April 21st...

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."


~ John Muir
, naturalist, explorer, and writer (born April 21, 1838, died 1914)


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On this day, April 21st...

Lost office tradition...
     "Secretary's Day" -- now stuck with the ridiculously unwieldy "Administrative Professionals' Day" -- would have been today if anybody was at work. It was first celebrated today in 1952.

Poisoning for profit in the name of "austerity"...
     The American city of Flint, Michigan switched its water source to the Flint River today in 2014, beginning the ongoing Flint water crisis which has caused lead poisoning in up to 12,000 people, and 15 deaths from Legionnaires disease, ultimately leading to criminal indictments against 15 people, five of whom have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

The guy who stood up to a tank...
     Today in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, In Beijing, appr'x 100,000 students gathered in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang. Things got ugly from there.

Where have you gone, Daddy Warbucks?...
     "Annie" opened on Broadway today in 1977.

First step to bread and circuses...
     Romulus founds Rome today in 753, a cosmically scant 2,772 years ago.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack...
     Baseball pitcher Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first pitcher to record 300 saves, today in 1982.

World's Fairs...
     The Seattle World's Fair (officially the "Century 21 Exposition") opened today in 1962 as the first World's Fair in the US since World War II. (The 1939 New York World's Fair had preceded it.)
     The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair opened for its second and final season today in 1965. Fun fact: Disneyland's "It's a Small World," "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," and automated dinosaur diorama all premiered in 1964 at the fair.

Eim Enery the Eaghth aye yam...
     Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII, today in 1509. Much to the eventual gratification of caterers and the eventual chagrin of eight wives and papists everywhere.

Brazil still knows how to shut down the people...
     Tiradentes, a revolutionary leading a movement for Brazil's independence, is hanged, drawn and quartered today in 1792.

Lone Star Independence...
     The Texas Revolution culminated today in 1836 in the Battle of San Jacinto, as Republic of Texas volunteer forces under General Sam Houston defeated troops under "El Supremo," dictator and Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna. Santa Ana hid among his captured troops as a private until discovered.
*  Houston made him sign-away Texas freedom and an agreement to permanently relinquish all claims to the province of Tejas in return for his freedom and the release of his captured army. Which was a win-win beyond the obvious. The Texans could not have fed everybody.
*  Go there today (after the quarantine, that is) and there's a stone tower higher than the Washington Monument. The world's only surviving original "dreadnought" battleship, the USS Texas, is also docked there.

Genocide and destruction in the name of (another) one true religion...
     The three-day Lisbon Massacre comes to an end with the slaughter of over 1,900 suspected Jews by Portuguese Catholics, today in 1506.
     Twelve thousand Wahhabis under Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad invaded the city of Karbala, killed over three thousand inhabitants, and sacked the city, today in 1802.
     Today in 1926, the Al-Baqi cemetery, former site of the mausoleum of four Shi'a Imams, is leveled to the ground by Wahhabis.
     Today in 1987, the Tamil Tigers are blamed for a car bomb that detonates in the Sri Lankan capital city of Colombo, killing 106 people.
      Today in 2004, five suicide car bombers target police stations in and around Basra, killing 74 people and wounding 160.
     Today in 2019, eight bombs explode at churches, hotels, and other locations in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday; more than 200 people are killed.
     ... all in the name of righteous religious intolerance.

Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more...
      German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as "The Red Baron", is shot down and killed over Vaux-sur-Somme in France today in 1918. World War I had been raging for four years and had only 6 months and 20 days before its inconclusive end.

Worker / labor rights...
     Today in 1856, stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne, Australia marched from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight-hour workday. (Helping prove the lie that it was communist agitators who instigated happy workers to make them malcontents.)

American imperialism... when will they ever learn...
     The Spanish–American War had not yet started when the US Navy began a blockade of Cuban ports today in 1898. The US Congress issued a declaration of war on April 25, and illegally under international law, declared that a state of war had existed from this date.
     Today in 1975, the Vietnam War nears its final bloody end when President of South Vietnam Nguyễn Văn Thiệu flees Saigon, as Xuân Lộc, the last South Vietnamese outpost blocking a direct North Vietnamese assault on Saigon, falls.



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Happy Birthday today, April 21st, to...


Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom "and her other realms," turns 94 today. She is the longest reigning British monarch, and one of the longest sitting heads of any nation in all of recorded history, outlasting every Egyptian pharoah.

Iggy Pop, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor

Patti LuPone, American actress and singer

Glen Hansard, Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor


Joyce Luna Zymeck, American singer-songwriter

Slide Hampton, African-American trombonist and composer

Easley Blackwood, Jr., American pianist, composer, and educator

Jencarlos Canela, American singer-songwriter and actor

John Weider, English bass player

Andie MacDowell, American model, actress, and producer

Robert Smith, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Anastasia Prikhodko, Ukrainian singer

Ebiet G. Ade, Indonesian singer-songwriter and guitarist


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In memoriam to passed musicians and influencers born on April 21st...


John Muir (1838-1914), Scottish-American environmentalist and author, and (one day before Earth Day) the source of today's quote.

Garrett Hardin, American ecologist, author, and academic (1915-2003) was born today, one day before Earth Day.

Eddy Christiani, Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist (1918-2016)

John McCabe, English pianist and composer (1939-2015)

Paul Davis, American singer-songwriter and musician (1948-2008)

Don Cornell, American singer and trumpet player (1919-2004)

Anthony Quinn, Mexican-American actor (1915-2001)

Diana Darvey, English actress, singer and dancer (1945-2000)

Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist and screenwriter (1922-1987)

Efrem Zimbalist, Sr., Russian-American violinist, composer, and conductor (1889-1985)

Randall Thompson, American composer and academic (1899-1984)

Marcel Camus, French director and screenwriter (1912-1982)

Roger Doucet, Canadian tenor (1919-1981)

Ira Louvin, American singer-songwriter and mandolin player (1924-1965)

Vincent Scotto, French actor and composer (1874-1952)


Charlotte Brontë, English novelist (1816-1855)

Antonín Kammel, Czech violinist and composer (1730-1788)



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MUSIC 'n more for Tuesday, April 21st

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Toosdee tunes from Cyberian sources...
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Tue, Apr 21:
Noon Pacific -- 
TRACY GRAMMER &  JIM HENRY 
TRACY tells us, "Jim Henry has engineered pristine-sounding broadcast sound and the set list is largely by request. It's gonna be a fun one!"
     As always, the show is free -- anyone can watch from anywhere, no ticket required -- but donations for the duo are welcome! There are two options: paypal.me/tracygrammer or via the Venmo app @tracygrammer.
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EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY...
4:30 pm Pacific --
RORY BLOCK
 "Home Concert Series" at:

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Tue, Apr 21:
Noon Pacific -- 
TRACY GRAMMER does an online live show via YouTube.

She tells us, "The online show was so much fun last month that we’ve decided to do it again! Broadcasting live from Jim Henry’s Rubytone Studio — and keeping a safe distance apart at all times, of course — we will stream a full show via YouTube at 3pm Eastern on Tuesday, April 21. Jim Henry has the sound and video dialed in beautifully so that you can be assured of a concert-quality experience wherever you are. No cost to listen; donations for the duo are welcome via paypal.me/tracygrammer or by Venmo @tracygrammer."


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Tue, Apr 21:
6 pm Pacific -- 
BETTMAN & HALPIN play a fiddle-based acoustic concert from their Denver home.
*  Stephanie Bettman tells us, "As of Friday - in the normal world - we were scheduled to been on the East Coast playing shows in NY, PA, CT, and MD. On the one hand, it would've been so good to see you all in those areas and share music with you. On the other hand, I'm so grateful for the time at home. Time to reflect. Time to relax. Time to create and meditate. And I'm not sorry to miss the 6 long days in the car. I hope you are all healthy and staying well."
*  TUNE-IN Tuesday at 7 pm Mountain Time, 6 pm Pacific, 8 pm Central, and 9 pm Eastern. It's live on Facebook. Click here. 
*  Stephanie and Luke say, "Please make an event of it... Invite your friends and family in other parts of the US or world, and connect with them while you listen to us via a watch party!"
*  For those of you who do not participate in Facebook,they've got us covered, saying, "We will be posting the concert on our YouTube channel in the days following the concert. Our first two Facebook Live concerts are there now. Click here for the first concert. Click here for the second concert.
*  They add, "Thank you all for your continued good wishes and support. We are looking forward to cyber connecting with you Tuesday!"


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Tonight on th' Tee-Vee


Tue, Apr 21:
8 pm-9 pm Pacific -- 
On KOCE aka PBS SoCal in Los Angeles / PBS stations nationwide.

The Man Who Tried to Feed the World
Tonight at 8/7 central
The Man Who Tried to Feed the World recounts the story of the man who would not only solve India's famine problem but would go on to lead a "Green Revolution" of worldwide agriculture programs estimated to have saved one billion lives. He was awarded the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work but spent the rest of his life watching his methods and achievements come under increasing fire

Don't miss The Man Who Tried to Feed the World 
premiering tonight at 8/7 central on PBS
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Tue, Apr 21:
9 pm-11 pm Pacific --
"LET'S GO CRAZY: THE GRAMMY SALUTE TO PRINCE"
was taped in January with an audience and saved for airing now, on the 4th anniversary of the musician's death. Loaded with performances by music stars across genres, co-produced by CBS, the Recording Academy, and AEG Ehrlich Ventures.

      PRINCE was enormously talented and his influence reached, and reaches, far beyond the pop music of his time. The Guide published an obit/tribute when he died, titled "SPECIAL EDITION: PRINCE — AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL MUSICAL GENIUS WHO FOUGHT FOR ARTISTS' RIGHTS."

     We opened that tribute thusly:

     "We'll start in an esoteric place. Today's crop of innovative banjo players can trace their realization of the instrument's non-traditional potential to just two people: Bela Fleck and Prince.

     "Today, we lost one of them. And if you're thinking, 'I won't take time to read this because it's not about a genre I care about,' please don't be dismissive. Because this guy could play anything, every instrument you can think of, like David Lindley and a handful of people on this Earth.

     "And Prince absolutely knew and understood music and could very specifically envision the right person in the right place, like any classical conductor you could name."

     We were going to say, "Seriously, you'll enjoy reading it, and find plenty of 'Gee, I didn't know THAT' moments," and just give you the click link to it in the archive
(which is:
https://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2016/04/special-edition-prince-american.html)

     But then we re-read the piece. And we knew right away -- as an intro to really enjoying tonight's tv special -- we needed to reprint it here in full. So it's just below.

*  Tonight's two-hour special airs on CBS stations, nationwide.
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EXTRA - Because of Tonight's tv special...


Four years ago today in The Guide : April 21, 2016...


PRINCE: AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL MUSICAL GENIUS WHO FOUGHT FOR ARTISTS' RIGHTS

by Larry Wines

We'll start in an esoteric place. Today's crop of innovative banjo players can trace their realization of the instrument's non-traditional potential to just two people: Bela Fleck and Prince.

Today, we lost one of them. And if you're thinking, "I won't take time to read this because it's not about a genre I care about," please don't be dismissive. Because this guy could play anything, every instrument you can think of, like David Lindley and a handful of people on this Earth.

And Prince absolutely knew and understood music and could very specifically envision the right person in the right place, like any classical conductor you could name.

Prince was found dead today at his estate and recording studio in Minnesota.

The President of the United States [Barack Obama] put-out a statement noting the shocking loss of "one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time."

Prince was full of surprises. No two of his albums were stylistically the same — and there were 39 of those albums over 37 years, his first at age 19. Sometimes he'd record with unconventional instrumentation, like horns and viola, sometimes things were all strings, but not what you'd expect. He has notable tracks with no bass, so the melody line can carry the day, or the artistry of the percussionist is clearly on display.

He really didn't like or respect rap or hip hop. His innovation often went in the direction of admiration for those who had come before him.

And really, the reason you don't know a lot of things about Prince is not because his genres were not folky, which they weren't, or because of the freaky gender-bending sex-imbued badaas character he sometimes enjoyed playing — as a game with the public and the media.

You don't know a lot of things about his musical genius because so much of him was unassuming and anything but grandstanding. Prince embodied the artist who pursues art for what it tells you about yourself. Not for what you can put up in lights and say "look at me."

Seven GRAMMYS, an OSCAR, a Golden Globe, inducted as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 100 million records sold worldwide, number 27 on the all-time list of the top 100 recording artists, 39 albums over 37 years — plus a central role in calling-out exploitation, discrimination, and things that were just plain wrong. That includes fighting for artists rights and a lot more.

After-hours Eastern time, the New Yorker released next week's magazine cover: solid purple with big raindrops. Purple rain.

He was only 57 years old, still making music last month, after releasing his first recording in 1978. His passing is causing an all-day pre-emption of cable tv. In our time, when a new pop music phenom — mistakenly presumed to be "an artist" — is "a sensation" that's around and gone in three years, Prince is from another era, when there were stars who endured.

It's been a tough year for music icons. Before this, we lost Merle Haggard. Before that, David Bowie, and Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, and the essential "fifth Beatle," George Martin.

What makes somebody influential? Artists of every genre owe a huge debt to Prince for taking-on the piratical business model of Big Music. It cost him plenty, including having to give-up using his name, so he could say "no" to the exploitation of big record labels — in his case, Warner Music. Changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol and writing "Slave" across his face were perceived and presented by corporate mainstream media as unbalanced or even insane. But it worked to bring public attention to the gross inequities of the music biz.

Only the comparatively obscure but landmark case that folk artist Michelle Shocked took to the Supreme Court had a greater impact on recording artists' rights; the Court agreed that her label was holding her in "involuntary servitude," banned as slavery by the 13th Amendment. But Prince's battle with Big Music showed how much more needed to be done.

"People want music when they want it, but who do they think it's going to come from if nobody is willing to pay the artist for creating it?" asked Brian Williams, in one of the most concise summations of the central, perhaps existential, problem of the music business.

Despite public misunderstanding in the pre-internet age about his "symbol guy" status, he remained innovative in and out of music. Before long, Prince was THE pioneer in digital online distribution of music, when hidebound execs simply cowered in fear. Yet, he was something of a control freak, so no one else was as perfectly positioned to achieve that technological breakthrough.

Who else could play Jimi Hendrix and James Brown while still being ideosyncratically a music master? He was enigmatic, and he embraced it, because that was Prince, being authentically himself.

All those and plenty more recognitions are part of the tributes coming out of the shock.

Guide contributor Michele Marotta worked with Prince when he first attained fame. She wrote this remembrance to share with readers:

"Prince's passing hit me like a thunderbolt this morning. I was on the freeway and had to pull over. Then spent the next ten minutes crying, and let the shock sink in.

"I first met Price in 1985. My sister, Karen, worked for his management company, Cavallo, Ruffalo and Fargnoli. Through this connection, I was fortunate enough to go on the controversial Purple Rain tour. Drugs and alcohol were not allowed. Anyone caught with or on either, was immediately dismissed.

"Prince was a unique individual. He was a perfectionist. He prayed before every show. And he wore purple lace. As a musician he was a professional in every sense of the word. He was also the only musician on his label given complete creative control.

"He and his ex-wife, Mayte, had a child that died shortly after birth. A tragedy for anyone, famous or not. I believe they divorced shortly thereafter.

"Like the creative person he was, he wrote music to get through the pain.

"He was eccentric, which was part of his charm. Prince was a kind, generous and giving person. He was a musical genius and he will be missed."

Michele is among the many musicians shedding tears today. News sources and social media are filled with proof of that.

Prince music videos were among the pioneers of that art form in the '80s. On MSNBC, they've been running all day between interviews with musicians.

As known as he is for his own distinctive performance art, he goes beyond it. There is so much there. He wrote "Manic Monday" for the Bangles, and "Nothing Compares to You" for Sinead O'Connor. He said he grew-up listening to the Bangles, though he was making his own mark when they became famous.

He was such a contradiction, an enigma, in so many ways. Puritanical about touring band members using drugs. Prayer and spirituality. And the most blatantly scandalous sexy lyrics of the time.

Rachel Maddow reminisced, "Years before the music industry came up with those little warning stickers, Prince's label decided they needed to affix something... just for his records. Now, as a kid growing-up in the '80s and going to record stores, those little stickers could not have been a more powerful attractant. I wanted those records sooo much. Scandalized parents had everything to do with it. Those little stickers could not have been a better marketing tool."

"He was unconventional, wearing flamboyant clothes, hair, and makeup. He was a heterosexual man who was never afraid to explore the female parts of his own character," noted National Correspondent Joy Reid on MSNBC.

So much there. Prince wasn't passive when he saw opportunity for people to be involved. And life always demanded passion. If you attended a Prince concert, you were expected to be on your feet as a participant.

In New York City, the marquis of the Hard Rock Café is now displaying lyrics from "Purple Rain." Outside the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, people are dancing to Prince's "I Would Die for You."

Last year, Prince gave a free concert in Baltimore after the death by police of Freddie Gray — the artist trying to bring that torn city back together. After the Trayvon Martin tragedy, Prince founded and very quietly funded "Yes We Code" to teach high-end high tech industry skills to underprivileged young people.

Prince always sought-out talent. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman worked closely with him before and after doing iconic tv show themes on their own, including "Crossing Jordan," where they also wrote memorable material for Jill Hennessey to perform on acoustic guitar as part of the story lines. Novi Novog played viola on his tours and records; before that, Novi played for Frank Zappa. When you see a booking around town for STRING PLANET, that's Novi Novog and Larry Tuttle. Very innovative stuff. Go see them.

Thinking and writing about Prince inescapably brings freely-associating thoughts. Perhaps he'd like that. He certainly causes it.

Saturday Night Live knew that, too, through several casts and many years, parodying the reclusive, elusive star and his remarks (when he made them), that often seemed astutely incongruous or mildly scandalous.

Rev. Al Sharpton was a Prince friend who went on tv today to relate how Prince supported a lot of civil rights causes and never wanted credit. And if that sounds like an odd association, Sharpton worked for music icon James Brown for more than 20 years.

CNN went to an all-day Prince tribute. Brian Williams hijacked MSNBC's broadcast schedule for hours, evicting the bloviating politicians and echo chamber of pundits. Both cable channels got music luminaries on the phone —including Aretha Franklin with Williams and Stevie Wonder with Anderson Cooper — and many more flocked to cite Prince's influence on their careers.

Susan Rogers engineered some of his most notable recordings. She notes, "Very few artists have worn the 'triple crown' of public fame, artistic respect, and critical acclaim. Duke Ellington was one... Prince was one who wore that triple crown."

Rogers continues, "When we were on the Purple Rain tour, we would do special shows during the day for handicapped kids..., people who couldn't come to the regular shows at night. He would do that on the condition that the press not be told. I have heard from many artists who say he kept their careers alive by funding their tours. As we hear more stories coming in, people will be amazed at who this man really was."

Prince's other principal engineer, Chuck Zwicky, said, "He was gifted and talented and innovative." And to emphasize what "innovative" really means, he added, "We used to say at the end of the day that if something wasn't f'ed up, it wasn't a Prince record."

The Recording Academy® — the GRAMMY organization — released a statement that reads:

"Our GRAMMY® family is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of seven-time GRAMMY Award winner Prince. Today, we remember and celebrate him as one of the most uniquely gifted artists of all time. Never one to conform, he redefined and forever changed our musical landscape. Prince was an original who influenced so many, and his legacy will live on forever. We have lost a true innovator and our sincerest condolences go out to his family, friends, collaborators, and all who have been impacted by his incredible work."

— Neil Portnow President/CEO, The Recording Academy.

Prince was a vegan. He drove people crazy on tour with his Jehovah's Witness religion. Beyond that, he was deeply spiritual and so private he was accused of being reclusive.

Many people who knew him are noting, as Brian Williams is emphasizing, that the unreleased catalog of his recordings is overwhelmingly enormous. Talk will be abundant about what it will take to release the material that Prince didn't.

Alicia Quarles, a freelance entertainment writer, notes that he was working on a book about his life, edited by his brother. "Too many people around him would have said 'yes' to everything, and he needed someone who could be harsh and critical and tell him 'no,' so he would only allow his brother to be involved with his book," she said.

Quarles named Tavis Smiley, Dave Chapell, Eddie Murphy, and Tamron Hall as people with whom he was close.

"Prince made pancakes for Eddie Murphy and his brother after they played a basketball game. Growing up, Prince was quite an athlete," she added.

Van Jones, a CNN political commentator, spoke of Prince's athleticism, too. "He could absolutely kill you at table tennis, and talking trash the whole time."

Jones also said, "He was one of the funniest people I've ever known. He could have you on the verge of peeing yourself, you were laughing so hard. He could do so many things."

Prince wrote "Nothing Compares to You" for Sinead O'Connor. He grew-up listening to the Bangles. "He was unconventional, wearing flamboyant clothes, hair, and makeup. He was a heterosexual man who was never afraid to explore the female parts of his character," noted Joy Reid on MSNBC.

If you attended a Prince concert, you were expected to be on your feet as a participant.

In New York City, the marquis of the Hard Rock Café is now displaying lyrics from "Purple Rain." Last year, Prince gave a free concert in Baltimore after the death by police of Freddie Gray —the artist trying to bring that torn city back together. After the Trayvon Martin tragedy, Prince founded and very quietly funded "Yes We Code," to teach high tech industry skills to underprivileged young people.

James Peterson, Prof. of Africana Studies at Lehigh University, cited the importance of Prince's presentation and how he enabled fans to comfortably embrace it. "With rap and hip hop pushing a model of hypermasculinity for black entertainers, [Prince] was invested as an artist in being the most prolific artist he could be... in a way that transcends anyone's stereotypes and expectations."

Jersey has the Boss. Seattle has Heart and Nirvana. L.A. had the Doors and the Byrds. Minnesota has long been just as proud of Prince.

Tonight, on the facing banks of the Mississippi in Minnesota's Twin Cities, baseball's Twins have their stadium bathed in purple. So do both downtowns, where thousands of Prince fans have congregated to hear local bands play his music, all organized on five hours' notice from a local radio station. Appropriately, all is bathed in purple. And it's raining.

Today we lost an artist and an authentically American original. A man whose influence transcends music. A man who positively gifted American and global culture.

~ the foregoing is reprinted from the Guide edition of April 21, 2016.


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Late additions...


Wed, April 22nd performances 

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Going-out on the web via ABC-tv affiliates, Wednesday, April 22nd...





Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen headline  'Jersey 4 Jersey'  benefit concert

Tony Bennett, Halsey, SZA, Charlie Puth among lineup





















MORRISTOWN, New Jersey -- New Jersey's biggest names both entertained audiences and reminded them that we're all in this together...from a socially acceptable distance.

"Jersey 4 Jersey" featured a star-studded lineup to raise money to fight the coronavirus pandemic during a special one-hour event on Wednesday night.
Money raised benefits the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund.

Tony Bennett, Jon Bon Jovi, Halsey, Charlie Puth, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, and SZA provided musical performances from their home. Saquon Barkley, Danny DeVito, Whoopi Goldberg, Chelsea Handler, Kelly Ripa, and Jon Stewart also made appearances.

"New Jersey is on the front lines of this pandemic, making it more important than ever for us to do what Jersey does best - take care of one another," New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy said. "That's why we're asking everyone in our state to join the NJPRF and some of New Jersey's finest for some much-needed musical entertainment, levity and Jersey Pride during these unprecedented times."

The event also honored healthcare workers, first responders and other essential employees and reminded everyone of the steps they should be doing to curb coronavirus transmission.
The New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund was launched on March 24, 2020, to marshal resources to meet critical needs and fight the economic and social impact of COVID-19 within New Jersey.

In less than three weeks, more than $18 million has already been raised.

NJPRF will provide grants to existing organizations with a demonstrated track record of caring for vulnerable communities, and 100% of every dollar received will go to organizations that provide essential services to those in need and to assist those on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information, go to NJPRF.org.

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Late additions...


Thu, April 23rd performances 

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY from one born on this date

"But man, proud man, 
Drest in a little brief authority,
Most ignorant of what he's most assured, 
His glassy essence, like an angry ape, 
Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven 
As make the angels weep."

~ William Shakespeare
, playwright and poet (born April 23, 1564, died 1616)

He knew, didn't he? He just knew.

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Thu, Apr 23:
2 pm Pacific -- 
The Paste Happiest Hour: Alex Ebert & Liza Anne - Live stream at 5pm ET

The Paste Happiest Hour: Alex Ebert & Liza Anne - Live stream at 2 pm Pacific 

Today's guests on "The Paste Happiest Hour" are Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros) and singer-songwriter Liza Anne. Tune in for interviews and live performance at  2 pm Pacific.
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Thu, Apr 23:
2 pm Pacific -- 
Brian Haas
Jazz
Free
Facebook
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Thu, Apr 23:
4 pm Pacific -- 
Sierra GreenR&B, Soul
6 p.m. CDT
Venmo donations appreciated
Facebook
Note: This is a weekly event
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Thu, Apr 23:
5 pm Pacific -- 
Sharon Martin in the “Healthier for Air for All” concert series by WWOZ
Jazz
7 p.m.
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Thu, Apr 23:
5 pm Pacific -- 
Ever More Nest
Americana
7 p.m. CDT
Tips accepted via PayPal
Facebook
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Thu, Apr 23:
5 pm Pacific -- 
Jake Landry
Americana
7 p.m. CDT
Free
Facebook | Instagram
Note: This is a weekly event
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Thu, Apr 23:
6 pm Pacific -- 
Johnny Vidacovich Presented by Maple Leaf Bar
Jazz
8 p.m.
Donations accepted via PayPal and Venmo
Facebook
Note: This event takes place weekly through the month of April

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EIGHT-DAYS!

Major FESTIVAL -- "all-time best" re-creation...


Apr 23-26 and Apr 30-May 3:
9 am-5 pm Pacific --
"EIGHT DAYS OF JAZZ FEST,"
a radio version of this year's cancelled "New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival."
*  The broadcast streams daily, the same hours as it would have from the actual festival site.
TUNE-IN at: https://www.wwoz.org/
*  Read the story in New Orleans' "OffBeat" at: http://www.offbeat.com/news/wwoz-to-broadcast-8-days-of-jazz-festing-in-place/
*  Artists that will be featured during Jazz Festing in Place include New Orleans legends like Dr. John, Fats Domino, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, The Meters, Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler, Marcia Ball, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mardi Gras Indians, Trombone Shorty, Kermit Ruffins, John Boutte, The Radiators, Big Freedia, Ernie K-Doe, Ellis Marsalis, Danny Barker,Rebirth Brass Band, Bob French and the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, and many others.
*  In addition to the Jazz Fest broadcast, WWOZ will also air the rare “Fire Benefit” performance that took place in 1974 and features Professor Longhair, the Wild Magnolias, and Dr. John. Interviews and audio highlights will be included as part of the broadcast to maintain the feeling of the festival. 
Click to enlarge
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Late additions...


Fri, April 24th performances (1st look)

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY from one born on this date

"For what is a poem but a hazardous attempt at self-understanding: it is the deepest part of autobiography."

~ Robert Penn Warren
, novelist and poet (born April 24, 1905, died 1989)

(one more reminder: April is National Poetry Month)
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Morning short...

No matter how many times you think it can't get worse...

Last night, the Orange Imbecile actually suggested that people should be injected with disinfectant to kill the virus. He babbled on and it sorta sounded like he advocated drinking bleach.

This morning, the makers of cleaning products -- certainly fearing liability lawsuits from surviving relatives -- are scrambling to tell the species of Trumpus dufus rectal-cranial-invertus NOT to drink bleach.

If there's an earthquake? Rod Serling, Alfred Hitchcock, and Edgar Allan Poe are ALL spinning in their graves.
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Friday's cyber concerts
___

(A really good one!)
Fri, Apr 24:
4 pm Pacific --
BECKY TRACY and KEITH MURPHY
-- fiddle, mandolin, guitar, piano and French Canadian foot percussion, from Brattleboro, Vermont.
*  This concert is part of the "New Jersey Folk Project’s 'Acoustic Stayaway' series."
*  Becky and Keith welcome you into their home for another live evening of good musical company -- from traditional songs to driving dance tunes, beautiful airs and some good choruses. They add, "BYOB!"
*  Tune-in; everyone can see the concert (Facebook users and non-users alike) at:
https://cts.vresp.com/c/?BlackIsleMusic/b566437281/c21e6a1775/6e3757caf2
 
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Festival headliners separately; musical magic together...
Fri, Apr 24:
5 pm Pacific --
HARVEY REID & JOYCE ANDERSEN
-- Live Stream Concert Every Friday
*  The direct link for this week’s show is: https://youtu.be/D4tO9PYMWAw
Also available at: http://www.joyscream.com/livestream/
*  The web page just above will always work to direct you to new live streams and other info, links, and ways to make donations.
*  Joyce Andersen tells us, "We’re really enjoying our new live music Fridays online, and have a pile of requests we’ll try to get to this week. We love hearing from old and new friends."
*  Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen ARCHIVED SHOWS ON YOU TUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/c/JoyceAndersen
HARVEY’s YOUTUBE CHANNEL:
https://www.youtube.com/user/GreatSadRiver/videos
MORE at:
http://www.woodpecker.com/ and http://www.joyscream.com/

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Fri, Apr 24:
6 pm-7 pm Pacific -- 
L.A. Poets in Place: Food
Join the Autry Museum of the American West and Dryland in celebration of "National Poetry Month" 
for the last event in this new collaborative series. Featured poets include Nikolai Garcia, the 
unofficial LA METRO Poet Laureate, and Karo Ska, who is currently working in a kitchen in the
City of Angels. This week’s discussion is co-hosted by Viva Padilla, Founding Editor-in-Chief,
Dryland, and Erick Huerta, contributing writer for L.A. Taco
and host of Órale Boyle Heights podcast. >More 

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Fri, Apr 24, benefit:
6 pm Pacific -- 
ALBERT & GAGE, Austin-based acoustic musicians who usually tour the world, present
Christine Albert's "Virtual French" Show

Create a romantic dinner or enjoy an after dinner glass of wine and join Chris & Christine 
for some French music with a Texas twist.
*  Streaming on Facebook at
*  and for non-Facebook folks...
Streaming on the duo's website at
*  Donations to tonight's show will benefit the
which provides financial support to music professionals whose livelihood
has been dramatically impacted by the pandemic.
*  There will be a donation link at Facebook and posted on their website, or you can
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Fri, Apr 24:
7:30 pm Pacific --
THE LICATA BROTHERS 
in their first livestream concert, "from the comfort of their home ...to yours!"

*  Hear material from their upcoming fourth CD as well as favorites from their regular live shows.
*  For those who have never seen Jimmy and Tony Licata live, this is your chance.
*  They're new to this approach, so the concert will run for about a half-hour.
WATCH via YouTube at:
https://youtu.be/lcQYwqsmvdM
MORE at:
www.TheLicataBrothers.com, where there are links for their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*  Look for their CDs on Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, and 9StarMedia.com
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Fri, Apr 24, on TV:
9 pm-10 pm Pacific --
JOHN PRINE, the late, great "Mark Twain of American songwriting," performs on an "AUSTIN CITY LIMITS" from 2018. On KLCS, Los Angeles.




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Late additions...


Sat, April 25th performances (1st look)


While there are still great feature stories in this edition, the latest listings of CYBER CONCERTS is now in. The April 25 edition, at:
https://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2020/04/aprils-closing-weekend-in-musical.html
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Sat & Sun, Apr 25 & 26, CYBER FESTIVAL
Grand Park’s "Our L.A. Voices – a Spring Pop-up Arts+Culture Fest"
Grand Park’s annual weekend-long spring arts experience is going virtual.
Grand Park's Our L.A. Voices
Grand Park's Our L.A. Voices takes place online this weekend, April 25-26, 2020.
Follow Grand Park on Instagram and Facebook or keep track with the link below for a weekend full of 
music, photography, film, a cooking demonstration, poetry/spoken word, workshops and visual art by L.A. artists.

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Sat, Apr 25:
9 am Pacific -- 

The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" Is Coming to YouTube as a Sing-A-Long

Yellow Submarine
The Beatles will release their animated film “Yellow Submarine” worldwide as a live Sing-A-Long, exclusively on YouTube as a one-time-only event on Saturday, April 25th at 9 am PST. This Sing-A-Long version includes song lyrics at the bottom of the screen for you to belt out your favorite tunes. 
Tune-in: 

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Sat, Apr 25:
10 am-1 pm Pacific -- 

Citizens' Climate Lobby celebrates a Virtual Earth Day with a talk by climate scientist Katherine Heyhoe, followed by actions you can take to help deal with climate change, including your choice of FOUR breakout sessions. This is a Zoom meeting.  If you haven't done a Zoom session yet, here's a great chance to try it out with something that matters. Click here ahead of time to register and see what it's about.  


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Sat, Apr 25, FESTIVAL:
10 am-noon Pacific -- 
"THIS MOMENT" ARTISTIC UPRISING

An Artists Uprising
SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020
1-3 pm Eastern Time
Streaming on YouTube Live

Join BETTY & friends Nona HendryxGloria Steinem, The B-52’s Kate Pierson & Monica NationV (formerly Eve Ensler)John FugelsangMartha RedboneEmily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, Tuck & Patti, Skip The NeedleDan Zanes, Sweet Honey in the Rock and more.
THIS MOMENT RALLY will share actions and ideas we can do together for a healthy, inclusive new American Dream.

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Sat, Apr 25, BENEFIT:
2 pm-6 pm Pacific -- 
"All Together Now Telethon" live on several websites from Los Angeles, CA, is an online concert event helping the City of Los Angeles during the coronavirus pandemic. "The concert is set to be a major and significant relief effort addressing the needs of all Angelenos as we collectively navigate these unprecedented and challenging times," says L.A. City Councilmember John Lee. The City, in partnership with Rock Cellar Productions and the Get Together Foundation, will present ALL TOGETHER NOW!


"All Together Now!" goes out free through "Alert the Globe" (www.alerttheglobe.com), ABC7.com and other streaming services. 

The online concert features an array of talented singers, songwriters, musicians, actors, authors, comedians, and celebrities of all sorts “coming together” to perform and send positive messages to the City of Angels and the world.

The growing list of artists participating in this event include 
Jeff Bridges, Smokey Robinson, Carole King, Rick Springfield, Mindi Abair, Paul Rodgers (Bad Company), Melissa Manchester, Mickey Thomas (Jefferson Starship), Mary Wilson (The Supremes), Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), Ellis Hall, Tim Allen, Bobcat Goldthwait, Mike Love (The Beach Boys), Lisa Loeb, Steve Lukather (Toto), Vonda Shepard, Peter Beckett (Player), Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), Alan Parsons Live Project, and Jesse Colin Young and dozens more. The list continues to grow and producers just added Sheila E this week.

Even the support team will make you say wow: Waddy Wachtel (Stevie Nicks), Roy Bittan (Bruce Springsteen), Gregg Bissonette (Ringo's & everyone else's drummer) Bunny Brunel (Herbie Hancock), Jeff Chonis (Ringo Starr), Rob Shanahan (Ringo Star, Paul McCartney), Kaylene Peoples (agendamag.com), Lisa Roy (Grammy Awards), and recording engineer extraordinaire Csaba Petocz, are just a few on the team with Alert The Globe and the eSoundLink Company.

☆ 100% of the proceeds go to the City of Los Angeles COVID 19 Fund and the links to donate will apoear during the show. 

Feel free to copy and share this write-up -- globally -- as you see fit and remember to tune in.

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Sat, Apr 25:
4 pm Pacific --
P3 Theatre Company brings A (Quarantined) Lady, A One-Man (Virtual) Cabaret

Starring P3 Theatre Company Executive Director and Founder, Jon Peterson.
"Have you ever noticed that all the best show-stopping numbers are sung by the show’s leading ladies? In this cabaret extravaganza, Jon Peterson explores these smashing tunes through the eyes of a (quarantined) man. Move over, Patti. Have a seat, Bernadette. Pipe down, Ethel. This theatre is no lady!"
*  TIX to watch on your screen, $20, here



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Sat, Apr 25:
5 pm Pacific -- 

Loudon Wainright III, longtime extraordinary songwriter and singer, does a live show, titled “Songs I Wish I’d Written” performing for the "Folk Music Society" in Berkeley, CA at the world famous Freight and Salvage, and you can watch it here

*  Loudon will be singing songs by Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, Jesse Winchester, Merle Haggard, Tom Lehrer, Hank Williams, and maybe more, hopefully finding an excuse to slip-in one of his own. 

*  Scroll down that same page just a bit and you can hear other "virus era" shows from the past month, including one that features more "graduates of both the Berkeley and the Pasadena Folk Music Societys," Laurie Lewis, and Peter Rowan, plus an Alice Gerrard interview, and more.

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Sat, Apr 25, benefit:
5 pm Pacific -- 
BILLY BOB'S TEXAS & CAVENDER'S COLLABORATE FOR THE GOOD OF THE LONE STAR STATE
You're Still Farming & We're Still Singing virtual concert
Performers Announced for Virtual Benefit Concert Saturday, April 25th.

Free, Donation-Based Virtual Concert Benefits Texas FFA Foundation
FORT WORTH, Texas – Billy Bob’s Texas and Cavender’s have partnered together to present “You’re Still Farming & We’re Still Singing” – a free, donation-only virtual concert benefitting the Texas FFA Foundation – on Saturday, April 25 at 7 PM Central.

Performances by
Aaron Watson - Casey Donahew - Cleto Cordero - Cody Johnson - Jack Ingram - Josh Abbott - Kevin Fowler - Koe Wetzel - Mike Ryan - Neal McCoy – Parker McCollum - Pat Green - Randy Rogers - Tracy Byrd - Wade Bowen - William Clark Green
Streaming on Billy Bob’s Texas Facebook Page

The virtual benefit concert will be the second for Billy Bob’s Texas. The club celebrated 39 years on April 1, but instead of a concert at the 100,000 square foot honky tonk, the concert was streamed online in order to uphold the Tarrant County stay-at-home declaration intended to limit the spread of COVD-19.

"This opportunity to continue to involve our yearlong Billy Bob's Partners in a virtual concert for an organization that is benefitting kids in this western and agricultural industry is wonderful. It is such a creative way for this tight-knit group to all stay connected and supportive as a community during this time apart," said Katherine Kolstad Laramore, Corporate Partnerships at Billy Bob's Texas.

“The agriculture industry is as important as ever as it continues to fuel and feed America. The FFA is shaping the leaders of tomorrow and we at Cavender’s have pledged to lift them up. We have a 55-year history of supporting the communities where we have stores and this is a unique opportunity to support the future leaders of the great state of Texas,” said Jennifer Green, Public Relations and Special Events at Cavender’s. "We are very excited to be part of this event. We love to support Texas country music and the FFA. There really couldn't be a better combination for Cavender's," said Clay Cavender.

The concert is free to enjoy, but donations will be accepted to help provide scholarships and leadership development opportunities for students and agricultural science teachers.

“Texas is blessed with three vital and renewable resources: youth, agriculture, and leadership,” said Aaron Alejandro, Executive Director, Texas FFA Foundation. “Our program empowers the dreams of our members today, ensuring they are dynamic influencers in the future. Together we will help our students be resilient today, so they will be stronger leaders tomorrow. Your support is helping make Texas a better place to live, work, and raise our families.”

The Texas FFA Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Charitable Contributions to the Texas FFA Foundation are deductible for federal tax purposes.


About Billy Bob's Texas:
Located in the heart of the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District, Billy Bob’s Texas opened in 1981 and has since become known worldwide as The World’s Largest Honkytonk. This iconic entertainment venue hosts over ½ million guests and 300 live music events annually. Boasting over 100,000 square feet, with a capacity of 6000 fun-loving folks, Billy Bob’s contains a restaurant, private event spaces, and even real bull riding inside the Texas-sized venue. www.billybobstexas.com
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Sat, Apr 25:
8 pm Pacific -- 


THE BROAD STAGE PRESENTS 
Red Hen Press Poetry Hour


Sat, APR 25 at 8 PM (PT)

Find us on Facebook* or visit thebroadstage.org/athome to tune in live 
 
Lift your spirits with another enlightening evening of poetry and discussion, moderated by award-winning writer Sandra Tsing Loh. This week, enjoy live readings from poets Ellen BassDexter L. Booth and sam sax, plus a lively combination of poetry and music from Keith Flynn.


*To view the livestream via The Broad Stage Facebook page, scroll down to “Posts” to see the live video. If you do not see it, refresh and try again. Message us on Facebook if you have trouble finding it so we can help.
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Late additions...


Sun, April 26th performances (1st look)


While there are still great feature stories in this edition, the latest listings of CYBER CONCERTS is now in. The April 25 edition, at:
https://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2020/04/aprils-closing-weekend-in-musical.html
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Sun, Apr 26:
2 pm-2:45 pm Pacific -- 
KEN O'MALLEY

www.facebook.com/kenomalleyirishmusic/live


Ken O'Malley Irish Music presents

LIVE ONLINE PERFORMANCE:

 "SONGS AND STORIES OF IRISH EMIGRATION PART 2"




Ken will present another live performance from his home on Sunday, April 26 starting 
at 2:PM PDT
(5:PM EDT and 10PM Ireland and UK)
He will be singing and playing Irish favorites including more songs and stories of Irish emigration.
Everyone is invited and the direct link is 

 


The show will last approximately 45 minutes (or a little more) and is free of charge. 

For those who would be interested in contributing to a virtual tip jar, you can use Venmo: @kenomalley (4 digit code 1062) or PayPal: paypal.me/twlord 

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Feature Stories filed Tuesday, April 21st...

Today's news, views, perspectives, & 



things of interest to artists, including, but not limited to, music and performance topics

______

Commentary / Perspective:  When some think they're entitled to screw everybody else

by Larry Wines


'Tis a puzzlement. They want to self-identify as a "freedom movement" with a strong "go-to-work" ethic, yet they show-up deliberately creating traffic jams that catch only themselves in their add-water-and-stir-paralysis to "get-us-moving" protests, since nobody else -- nobody sensible -- is out driving-around to paralyze. 

As for the Trump Cultists' promotion of a work ethic, they fly the big blue flag emblazoned with the name of the laziest sum bitch ever to hold ANY elective office. I mean, if there was a dogcatcher as lazy as he is, the pandemic would be rabies or distemper, or at least fleas. 

And so he infests us (courtesy of Mark Zuckerberg, his mega-billionaire social media facilitator pal) with these sudden spontaneous "Freedom protesters" bent on "Liberating" blue states from the very containment protocols specified by the White House Coronavirus Task Force (when he, the impatient self-centered oral diarrhea-ist lets the docs say anything). 

“They seem to be very responsible people to me.” - Donald Trump. Which, btw, is nearly identical to what he said about white racist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia after one of them used his car to run-over a group of racially and ethnically inclusive counter-protesters -- maiming several and killing one young woman.
The goofy protesters are everywhere at once, running cover for the dictator-loving leader of their death cult: he who is steadily imposing totalitarian measures to privatize everything from the post office to the national parks; he who creates shortages and price wars over needed medical supplies because some hidden mogul is making money off misery and suffering; he whose infatuation with a border wall and stopping immigration is causing billions of dollars of food to rot in the fields... And on and on in the Untied States of Dumf*ckery.


I keep waiting for corporate Big Media to find their archive footage of these same dimwit protesters who were carrying signs in 2009 that read "Obama will kill us all!" when they were terrified because they were not getting ENOUGH of a shutdown over H1N1 and Ebola.



And by the way, they were also the same dimwit protesters carrying signs against Obamacare that read, "Keep your government hands off my Medicare!"



Yes, THAT WAS proven at the time by then-rudimentary facial recognition software being applied to footage shot all over the country. Which coincided with the charter buses hired by the Koch brothers to haul their cadre of spontaneous paid protesters from place to place. And I really want to see the age-progression software applied to that same facial recognition software now. Before taxpayers are asked to hospitalize them when they're stricken with the plague virus. (Because If the Koch brothers paid them to go out there this time, then they are Koch employees and Koch health insurance should pick up the tab.)


(Click to enlarge)

Perhaps the networks and cable news channels could air a bit of THAT archive footage and comparative facial imagery in between their excruciating taxicab-with-a-siren LiMu Emus and their Big Pharma ads for impossibly unaffordable esoteric drugs that treat diseases nobody has.



I can't help but believe the Europeans are wondering how WE ever saved their asses in two world wars. 

At least the timing was great for Saturday night's cyber concert on every network except Fox. A benefit for the same W.H.O. -- the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION -- that Trump was vilifying and de-funding in the middle of a pandemic. Vilifying after his fifteen US embedded emissaries from the CDC had been sending reports and memos from within the W.H.O. since November warning that a pandemic could hit, and since December warning that it WOULD hit.

Still, nobody in corporate Big Media picked-up on it when the Orange Imbecile said he isn't responsible because he never read anything that said there was a problem. That needs to go down in history. Way down. Huckuva job there, Brownie.

I've been saying for a long time that he can't read above a low elementary school grade-level. It's why he defaults to his moronic catalogue of incongruous ad-libs. He hits a word he doesn't know, and he replaces it with an ad-lib. How quickly evolution has reversed course. We used to joke that Dubya needed a Presidential Library for a place to keep his comic books. At least he read comic books. Trump couldn't pour piss out of a boot with instructions stamped on the heel. He'd realize there was reading involved and he'd tell somebody they're fired. Then he'd have Jared cut a deal to outsource bootmaking to Ghina.


As for the red state governors and a deal in the works? It's more likely the GOPper gov's are getting word he won't sign any more bailouts for states that don't support whatever tweet the twit all-thumbed last.

Meanwhile the maskless moron protesters -- aka the new Typhoid Marys -- are cropping-up in EVERY state. They've even thrown their toxic tantrums in L.A. One a-hole was on CNN saying he "won't wear a mask... hugs people, shakes hands... because that's just what you do!" CNN edited it masterfully, cutting to Trump saying, "These protesters are tremendous people..." blah-blah bloviate-contaminate. Then a quick cut to a couple of exhausted docs with mask-bruised faces saying, summarily, "w-t-f."

I watched a few hours of Fox on Sunday to see if it's really a fantasy alternative universe. It is. Obviously, Coronavirus is just a plot to bring-down the Trump Presidency. He's a victim, doncha know? They're a one-note orchestra, and that note is indistinguishable from a noxious fart.

(Click to enlarge)
Shee-it. We're the nation with the highest number of cases, and the Ministry of Propaganda is more influenced by the negative price of a barrel of oil. At least they're consistently slimy. 

Slimy... which reminds me, I wonder if the "very stable genius" will send a get-well card to his fat little dictator bud in North Korea? There are indications the murderous little bastard is dying after surgery when something-or-other didn't go well. Probably surgery to get Trump's lips out of his ample ass.

So, you're shocked by this new tone here? Back before the COVID crisis hit, we promised you lucid, relevant perspective.

The US death toll passed 42,000 this morning. It was 19,000 on Friday. Wonder what the Trump-bump will be after the multiplier of the "freedom" protesters? That, and the Trump-worshipping megachurches who genuflect for someone who promises to criminalize a woman's right to choose -- and who has, himself, demonstrably broken every one of their foundational Ten Commandments. (If you don't believe that, ask And we'll recount them for you.) And what effect will "liberating" the newly-packed Florida beaches have -- right across the Florida-Georgia Line from the still legally-mandated empty beaches. Uhh, until Friday, when Georgia "reopens" its Southern culture on the skids "big hair" beauty and tattoo parlors. And the Bible Belters open Pandora's Box.

All that is out there for anybody to read (unless they're lost in the Fox Dimension). You can ignore it and be surprised by yet another "shocking thing that nobody could see coming" or you can pay attention, get motivated, and say no to runaway stupidity. We promised you perspective. That means no more mister nice guy. Trump, and this inscrutably wierd, tantamount-to-any-irrational-religious-fervor, Trumpertarianism are getting people killed.

At least there are those six little plaques on the Moon commemorating the only accomplishment of the late, great human race that can't be reinterpreted into meaninglessness by arrogant, self-serving stupidity.
___

"We just want to make sure we have the capacity to deal with the new cases we know are coming if economic activity reopens. Right now we can't. We want to know we are prepared when interaction resumes in public spaces." 

~ Dr. Celine Gounder, infectious diseases expert, speaking on CNN.


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BLUEGRASS PODCASTS & VIDEO





Toy Heart: A Podcast About Bluegrass 
Hosted by Tom Power

Bluegrass Stories
Hosted by Katy Daly and Howard Parker
High Fidelity unleashed a new video of their take on Jim & Jesse's The South Bound Train from their upcoming release, "Banjo Player's Blues".

John Holder of Blue Ridge Sound shares his advice on using a microphone versus plugging in your instrument. Check out John's Live Sound For Bluegrass & Acoustic Music series on Facebook and YouTube.


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Gibson Guitar / Gibson Brands will keep you happily busy...


"Gibson TV" offers plenty for your screen


Take a spin through THESE free offerings. Oh, yes, more is coming.


Watch Now
Watch Now
Watch Now
Watch Now
Watch Now

Watch Now

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Hot Americana music -- the SINGLES chart


Here ya go, two parts, both charts. First the SINGLES, then the ALBUMS.

Americana Radio Singles Chart - 4/21/20

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Hot Americana music -- the ALBUMS chart


Here ya go, the rest of two parts, both charts. You just saw the SINGLES. Here's the ALBUMS.

Americana Radio Albums Chart - 4/21/20

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_________________________________________________

We have lots of MUSIC NEWS
features in the works, and they'll
be along as we get them dressed,
shoes tied, cowlicks combed down,
bowties cranked straight, 
and strings tuned.

Find a comfortable spot by the 

wood stove -- you'll prob'ly need to 
grab the cards for solitaire, since you 
can't have somebody over for a round 
of checkers. But we'll be along...
directly, from a safe social distance.
In Cyberia.
_________________________________________________

On to the necessary boilerplate...

Boilerplate? What "boilerplate"? Where's the main pressure gauge? And the firebox? How do you add water so it won't blow-up?

Who came up with that goofy term for the basic essential informational stuff? ...obviously some dumbass...

Alright already, it's right down there...

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LEGALESE, CONTACTING US, 'N SUCH...
________________________________

Direct to the Guide's current editions /

MOBILE-DEVICE-FRIENDLY

editions load quickly at


Or at

.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>
.
CONTACT US -- Post Comments / Send Questions / say Howdy at:

Tiedtothetracks (at) Hotmail (dot) com
.
OR USE THE COMMENTS FUNCTION on the Blogspot site.
.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>

Entire contents copyright © 2020, 

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. That includes both traditional and innovative forms. From the deepest roots to today’s acoustic renaissance, that’s our beat. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues (now undergoing a major update), and inside info on FESTIVALS and select performances in Southern California in venues from the monumentally large to the intimately small and cozy. We cover workshops, conferences, and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kinds 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 bluegrass and pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to all the swamp water roots of the blues and the bright lights of where the music is headed now.
.
The Acoustic Americana Music Guide. Thanks for sittin' a spell. The cyber porch'll be here anytime you come back from the road.
<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>-<^>

We'll be back again soon with music news and more "News of the Non-Trumpcentric Universe." (c)
________________________________

Til we catch ya again on the flip side 
in this new decade...
as Buford the Wonder Dog looks on 
and in our best Kathy Baker
"Hee Haw" voice: "THAT's all!"

_________________________________

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Here's a reprint of important info from one of our February editions:

COVID-19 Coronavirus PRACTICAL PRECAUTIONS

(good for avoiding the "regular" flu & colds, too) 

Compiled from medical and emergency responder databases and interview comments. Copy and paste into your phone / post / print / share.

•  Coronavirus lives on inorganic surfaces anywhere from two hours to NINE DAYS; it all seems dependent on temperature, unless it is killed by disinfectant. When tests revealed that, even health care workers were surprised. It brings more emphasis to many of the following points.

•  Get the flu vaccine -- ordinary flu will likely mimic Coronavirus, so avoid being ostracized and quarantined.

•  Wash your hands, a lot: scrub for 20 seconds and wash them often.

•  Stop shaking hands. Don't do "fist bumps" because that's still hand-to-hand contact. And don't become a mad elbow-bumper, because of the next point.

•  Cough into the inside of your elbow, ANY TIME you cough.

•  Keep your hands away from your face -- touching your nostrils, eyes, or mouth brings-in every germ your hands picked-up.

•  Get a little bottle of hand sanitizer on a miniature carabiner. Clip it to your belt loop or purse strap and use it frequently. (Be sure you snap the lid shut, or it'll drain all over your clothes.) You can refill it from the pump bottle by the sink.

• Make your own hand sanitizer if the stores are out. Formula, from a doctor who makes it with her kids: two parts isopropyl alcohol (drugstore alcohol, at least 70% alcohol), one part aloe vera gel, a dash of any essential oil. Works just ss well as store bought stuff.

• Stay home if you're sick -- even if you don't get paid, DON'T be the "Typhoid Mary" that brings a pandemic of this or ANYTHING contagious. If you're "taking one for the team," make it the big team -- ALL of us.

•  Don't be a transporter. Immediately remove shoes inside your front door and change clothes when you get home. Don't plunk-down on the couch until you shed what you were wearing at work or in the store or on the bus or in the coffee bar. Stop tracking everything from the sidewalk onto your kitchen and bathroom floors and your rug.

•  Be mindful of your car. Everything you touch, everywhere, is on your steering wheel. Everywhere you sit is on your car seat. Keep 'em disinfected -- Clorox wipe the wheel, Lysol spray the seats, often.

•  Everything you wear goes in the hamper. No multi-day wearings between washings.

•  Keep track of where Coronavirus and other flus are headed, the latest ways to avoid contagion, and what symptoms go with what disease, by putting the CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL in your favorites: www.cdc.gov

•  Call your doctor or public health officials if you become symptomatic, and DON'T "just go" to the doctor or urgent care or ER; everybody else in the waiting room does not have what you have, and vice-versa.

•  Wear a mask when you go to the doctor (remember, everybody else in the waiting room does not have what you have, and vice-versa) -- the check-in counter will give you a surgical mask if you ask, or maybe even tell you it's mandatory. 

•  Don't buy-up all tbe masks that medical responders need. Nearly all the masks in the stores are Dust Masks, made to keep carpenters and other tradesmen from inhaling sawdust. Expecting those to protect you from tiny viruses is like trying to filter water with a tennis racket. Plus, wearing masks everywhere is not a good idea -- without training and lots of practice, you'll contaminate the thing and then breathe a stewpot of microorganisms up-close and personal.


•  Get proper nutrition and plenty of sleep to support your immune system. THAT is THE best way to stay healthy.

•   REALLY IMPORTANT: Think about what you routinely ignore:

   ~  your phone or tablet, which you constantly handle while you're touching everything else in the big, wide world, then keep handling when you're eating (keep your devices disinfected).

   ~  the Kleenex or cloth hankie you pull out of your pocket -- this time your nose or eye gets the side your dirty finger got last time (yeah, duh!)

   ~  door handles & knobs, especially "pull-to-exit" on the restroom door, and all door handles you grab or push.

   ~  gas pump handles -- whatever was deposited on them is now on your steering wheel, and marinading on your hands as you snack while driving.

   ~  restaurant menus, salt and pepper shakers, ketchup and mustard and hot sauce bottles that every unwashed hand touches. Same goes for bins of packaged condiments at fast foodies  or convenience store / gas stations (Use 'em, then use your hand sanitizer.)

   ~  lunch buffet serving spoons, spatulas, tongs that every unwashed hand uses in the food bins (your freshly-washed hands just got contaminated). And if sneeze guard glass panes aren't at the right height or aren't clean, demand a refund and leave.

   ~ coins in change and money, in general -- coins and folding money are germ transit systems. (Back to your little bottle of hand sanitizer.)

   ~ airline & train tray tables -- who knows when they were last cleaned and to what extent? When we saw a baby being changed on one... (bring a little plastic box of Clorox wipes when you travel).


   ~  bring your own food on the airplane -- you're probably doing that, anyway, since they stopped feeding you back when they started charging for carry-on luggage and made you ride with your knees in your armpits. Flight attendants have tested positive -- their hands pour drinks, dispense snacks, and pick-up everybody's garbage. 

   ~  remember to think and act consciously. There is an acute need to be mindful of others, so neither be paranoid reactive nor obliviously ignorant. There was great advice in the old cop show at the end of every briefing: "Be careful out there."

Read AND SHARE The Guide's complete feature story on the COVID-19 Coronavirus in the edition at: https://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2020/02/leap-day-weekend-leaping-into.html

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