Hello all you email incipients …er… recipients. It is time to overcome my phobia to writing and or responding to emails. It behooves me to begin as a most dense calendar of events comes calling. After a holiday lull of but three shows, (only one was a first timer) we climb on back to our more usual many selections. While not going back to all of the last two months events I would mention that J T Nero & Allison Russell were a hit and we will hope they return. Also, the Peter Mulvey sponsored holiday concerts in the round were the most attended since we started them ten years ago. And New Years Eve with Randy Sabien and Mike Dowling was the most successful NYE we have ever had. We were briefly as successful as one can only hope to be in this business. It was a working vacation as we were surrounded with pleasant and attentive fans of listening music. Invigorating.
So though I have used all the types of pitches over 26 years of hawking shows I have gotten up the gumption to bore myself yet again with my own writing.
For starters, please check our web site to get times and the sequence of events (oh yes and ticket prices and the need at times to pay in advance). I am going to go outside the analog of shows coming up and just give you some information about some of them.
First and foremost:
Sam LLanas (By the way the double L produces a y pronunciation) who has continued to write music outside of his BODEANS involvement recently left the group (and took most if the identifying characterizations of their brand with him – especially his voice) to pursue a music career built around his own song writing. It represents a bold step
in Mr. LLanas life to follow his artistry where ever it may lead. We are extremely lucky to be included in his first performances with his new band. Sam will be doing songs as a solo and with the group on this Saturdays installation at the Carpe. A great opportunity to be up close to a performer who has been on so many stages where his intensity can be felt hundreds of feet away. Of course if you are a hundred feet away from a performance at the Carpe then you are outside the building. We have about 25 seats left so call to reserve. Mr. LLanas’ professionalism in writing and arranging will be easy to take in and enjoy. A feather in a small club’s hat.
We also have performers coming who have long been trekking the roads and airspace while constantly adding onto their own body of material. These troubadours have been visiting our oasis for many years now and believe me, it takes a lot of continuing song writing and honing of performance just to hold one’s ground. These returning brilliances include Cliff Eberhardt this Friday, Garnet Rogers on the 23rd of February, Steve Forbert on 25th of February, Claudia Schmidt on March 9th, Jim Post with Randy Sabien on March 30, Malcolm Holcombe on March 31, Dan Navarro on April 1st (no foolin’), and Jeffrey Foucault on April 29th.
Bill Staines, whom I forgot until last week was coming on Sunday, February 19th, certainly falls into the life long troubadour category, hell he could serve as the definition of the modern day troubadour. Make note that it will be a 7:00 o’clock performance as is the usual starting time for our infrequent Sunday shows.
The New Pioneers will be here tomorrow night at 7. In addition to their traditional bluegrass music we will have another old-time music stylist group, The Krause Family Band on Friday March 2nd. A couple of choices for string music enthusiasts.
Small Potatoes, an extremely accomplished and entertaining duo return on February 17th. They also make their living putting on thousands of miles each month of the year. It’s lucky they’re married or they wouldn’t even see each other but a few times a year…. say not a bad way to keep a relationship from… oops I digress.
We will also have performance poetry (hey it’s not a groaning response we’re looking for here, we have a poet laureate in this combo) under the banner of Obvious Dog with Bill Orth, Bruce Dethlefsen and Catheryn Coffel on Saturday February 18th.
Danny Schmidt and Carrie Elkin will bring their artistry here on Thursday, March 29th. As each of them also have ongoing solo careers it will be on the order of a two for one type of night except that they perform together on these tours so expect all that can be accomplished by two voices and a variety of instruments – similar to Small Potatoes.
We will be filling some other nights in March and April but it is obvious that we are, once again, loading the docket with a myriad of talent and variety. Even our own local performers will get into the act, Los Zombies on February 16 and MArch 9th (8:00), the band of many names but always the ongoing band mates of Bill Camplin ( yes, we are mated) on February 24 and March 23. And Mare Edstrom & Kenn Fox return along with MR. Fox’ Midwest Guitar Trio on March 24th.
So in my despondency over the uselessness of these countless and continuing entreaties for people to participate in our heart and soul of presenting performance there is always one person who comes along and asks “why aren’t you writing us email list folks anymore?” I hope that person is satisfied. If the name of that one person would just stay the same I would simply call them.
OH, here is one little scammy kind of experiment I would like to have all of you do. If, and I mean if, you can think of a single other person in your pantheon of friends who would be inclined to have an interest in this joint would you please forward this email to them (not all of them, just one or maybe two). Don’t forget to give them a personal note as to why it is being sent so they will blame you first.
Maybe I will do this again this year. Whatever the results it isn’t the fault of these performers if there is not a waiting list of people trying to get in to hear them.
Amen (Amend). – bill c