Festival wrap up thoughts

The fund raising aspect of the three day "Americana Music Festival" raised $1095 for the work of CHS in the community. My in-kind sponsorship donations made this possible to be honest, and I obviously couldn't sustain this myself. I do it for the love of the music and getting people together, but I'll keep having to try different things. The raffle winner is a man who one of our staff got the donation from, and he is excited by the trip!!!

Weedhawks and Nick Barry

Thanks to all the great enthusiastic music lovers who came out to see the Weedhawks and Nick Barry last night and support our agency, not only with the cover charge, but the raffle ticket donations. The crowd's reaction to Nick's performance was so exciting and gratifying (for providing the opportunity for so many friends to hear some of Nick's great songs once again). The Weedhawks put on an unbelievably high energy show, and had both already established fans, and new fans amazed by the end by their performance. Thanks to JT and Corey for the sound; thanks to Kim for hosting us at 6 Pence, thanks to the musicians for pouring themselves into their performances, thanks to the CHS staff in attendance for helping with the raffle and the encouragement. And thanks to the great audience who also made me feel I had done a good thing getting this show together.

Listening to Balthorp Alabama on the car CD player

Don and Cindy let me borrow a CD, so I've been playing it around town. I should say its a EP- from a group that was at the Nelsonville Festival a few months back. See what they are about.

Tonight Weedhawks and Nick Barry

Hope any readers out there in the Parkersburg area are planning to come on out and see the Weedhawks and Nick Barry tonight at 9 pm at 6 Pence Pub on 7th St. in Parkersburg. It will be a great show, and hopefully a large and appreciative audience for local live music!!! And besides, the chance to support a good cause, and to win a chance to go to Nashville in September to participate in the great Americana Music Festival for three days. Nick will be opening up tonight, and we're hoping for a good audience of friends of Nick's getting a rare (recent) opportunity to hear and see him perform "out in the music scene." He is sure to please and bolster your morale and fun loving quotient. The Weedhawks, will follow, and will amaze and awe one and all. Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, and come out for a good night of summertime music and fun.

Mark Stuart and Stacey Earle made their mark on our little corner of the world

We had two great experiences yesterday with Mark Stuart and Stacey Earle. First, in the afternoon, they did a little songwriter's workshop for about 25 people of all ages here at our Mid Town Family Resource Center in Parkersburg. They encouraged some youth to write songs, and explore instruments and styles of music. They related to the adults some of the adventures, and trials and tribulations of the life of a musician. They told their compelling musical stories.
In the evening they put on a great concert for about 30 people here in our coffee house setting. A wide mix of ages, backgrounds and circumstances among the audience, they connected to each and every one, and played a stunning array of song styles and heart felt lyrics and mesmerizing guitar styling. They keep winning over a widening circle of music lovers here in Parkersburg. Some pictures will follow!!!!

some musicians already lined up to perform at Americana Music Festival in September in Nashville

The Americana Music Association announces its initial lineup of artists confirmed to perform at the upcoming 2009 AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL (with additional artists still pending).
Festival showcases will be held Wednesday September 16th-Saturday September 19th at five downtown Nashville venues including: The Mercy Lounge, The Cannery Ballroom, 3rd & Lindsley, The Station Inn and The Basement.
Cross Canadian Ragweed, Will Hoge, J.D. Souther, Marty Stuart, Those Darlins and W.P.A. are among the incredibly talented and diverse roster of artists set to make the 10th annual event a must attend for all fans of great music.
The lineup solidifies and showcases Americana's vibrant and essential place in today's musical landscape. The Americana genre continues to thrive, most notably gaining recent recognition from The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) in the form of a "Best Americana Album" Grammy Award for 2010.



The initial lineup of confirmed showcase artists features:

Among The Oak & Ash
Annie & The Beekeepers
Asleep at the Wheel
Band of Heathens
Baskery
The Belleville Outfit
Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles
Bottle Rockets
Elliott Brood
Grayson Capps
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers
Come On Go With Us
Amy Cook
Cross Canadian Ragweed
DADDY
Deadstring Brothers
Antje Duvekot
Angela Easterling
Tim Easton
The Farewell Drifters
Radney Foster
Clarence Fountain

Sam Butler & The Boys

Otis Gibbs

Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
Kara Grainger
The Greencards
Will Hoge
Hot Club of Cowtown
Seth James
Sarah Jarosz
Brigid Kaelin
Jim Lauderdale
The Lovell Sisters
Corb Lund
Chuck Mead
Buddy Miller
Scott Miller
Joe Pug
Reckless Kelly
Charlie Robison
Jim Rooney & The Irregulars
The Rustlanders
Matthew Ryan
Keith Sewell
Amanda Shines
Sarah Siskind
The Smart Brothers
J.D. Souther
Amy Speace
Stone River Boys
Marty Stuart
Patrick Sweany
Those Darlins
The Travelin' McCourys & The Lee Boys
The Trishas
Sara Watkins
Shannon Whitworth
Webb Wilder
W.P.A.
Yarn



The 2009 Americana Music Festival is part of the 10th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, which offers daily seminars, panels and networking opportunities at the Nashville Convention Center, along a stacked lineup of evening showcases

Stacey and Mark put on a great show tonight

Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart put on a fantastic show here at our humble little store front coffee house tonight, to a good size crowd of music lovers. More tomorrow.

a musical question (one more..........)

What's your favorite song with the word "gypsy" in it?

another little survey/contest to get you thinking....

Whose the Greatest Complete(Music & Lyrics) Songwriter of all time?
Here's the Criteria-The Songwriter had to Write "BOTH" the "Lyrics" & the "Music" for at least 10 Brilliant Compositions,and you have to cite those 10 songs. It doesn't matter if those 10 songs were written while they were in a Band,or not. But they had to Write "ALL" 10 Songs "Completely" by "Themself". That means "NO" Assistance from Anyone, on "ANY" of the Music & Lyrics of the 10 songs. Don't waste my time with listing Artists that only wrote the "music",or Artists that only wrote the "lyrics" for the 10 Brilliant songs you're going to list. I'm making this Crystal Freakin' Clear! They had to write Both! If you're not sure if the artist you want to list has written "Both", then DON'T reply!!!Just to give you an idea. Here are 16 Songwriters you could "Possibly" choose from, that fit my criteria-John Lennon,Bob Dylan,Leonard Cohen,Cole Porter,Paul Simon,Van Morrison,Neil Young,Irving Berlin,Paul McCartney,Elvis Costello,Bruse Springsteen,Stephen Foster,Hank Williams,Woody Guthrie,Townes Van Zandt, & Tom Waits.

survey: which version of the Wabash Cannonball do you like best?

Battle of the song #1 Wabash Cannonball?
Who's version do you like best?

Wabash Cannonball

William Kindt
The Carter Family
Little Jimmy Dickens and The Country Boys
Roy Acuff and His Smoky Mountain Boys
Ernest Tubb and His Texas Troubadours
Blind Willie McTell
Eddy Arnold
Hank Locklin
Jack Elliott
Connie Francis & Hanks Williams Jr
Flatt & Skruggs
Johnny Cash
Hank Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys
Chet Atkins
Louvin Brothers
Jerry Reed
Billy Walker
Hank Snow
Willie Nelson
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Boots Randolph
Townes Van Zandt
Front Porch String Band

Or one of the MANY that I left off?

a link to people's dreams about Townes Van Zandt

http://www.townesvanzandt.com/dreams.html

some quotes about Townes Van Zandt: to pique your interest in coming to the movie Wednesday evening

Townes used to say, "Man, I could have been a Poet but this stupid music keeps coming with it." Townes was a funny guy.

He wrote some of the most stunningly introspective songs of our time. His songs evoke imagery and visions of otherworldly places and beauty. His songs reach a place in your soul few writers ever enter. The characters in Townes songs are usually the downtrodden, derelicts, drifters, whores and those less fortunate than most of us, though we can all identify with their "humanity" through Townes' words. He's gone to those dark places, so we don't have to.

Have I told you enough about the Americana Music Association? Here's a little mission statement.....

About Americana Music Association


The Americana Music Association is a professional trade organization whose mission is to provide a forum for the advocacy of Americana music and to promote public awareness of the genre to support the creative and economic viability of professionals in this field. In short, we’re a professional trade association dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in our industry.
The Americana Music Association works closely with those in our industry, whether artists, labels, radio stations, retailers, print media, festivals, agents, publishers, etc. to help organize and build the infrastructure necessary for our genre to achieve success both creatively and financially.

To that end we conduct an ongoing publicity campaign to help brand and raise awareness of Americana, host a yearly Americana Conference, publish the weekly Americana Airplay Chart, produce the annual Americana Awards Show, participate in other industry events and conferences, produce member newsletters and marketing materials, conduct research about our industry and consumers, work to increase Americana's profile at retail, and serve as an advocate on behalf of Americana's interests.

We also focus on creating attention for the public profile of Americana. These efforts to enhance the general awareness of Americana take the form of projects that increase general visibility and help brand the genre - all with the ultimate goal of connecting artists to an appreciative audience.

The Americana Music Association works behind the scenes within the music industry to foster an environment for growth: building infrastructure, creating networking opportunities, establishing channels that allow professional entities to work effectively and efficiently. Working smarter - not just harder - means achievement of greater success for the greatest number of participants.

Considered together, this range of objectives fosters an environment and encourages long-term growth, creating continually expanding opportunities at artistic as well as financial levels. Some of these efforts have direct impact and produce immediate, visible results. Some are indirect or ongoing in their nature, and may take much longer to bear fruit or prove their value. All are important, as we're in this for the long haul.

We're happy to listen to feedback from our members and look for ways to better use our resources to raise awareness of Americana music.

Click Here for More information about becoming a member

after Todd Snider told the little story about the song Brandy, this person added a comment on Todd's blog

The first concert I ever attended was Looking Glass. I was 18 years old and my boyfriend was a DJ at the local radio station, WPAR, in Parkersburg, West Virginia and he emcee'd the concert. It was held at the City Park in Parkersburg. I was so excited because I had never attended a concert before and the song "Brandy" was popular.

Wow.......years later, many boyfriends later and lots and lots of concerts later..................

Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane, Todd.

Todd Snider reminisces about the song Brandy

Singer-songwriter Todd Snider hears the sound of summer in the song "Brandy" by Looking Glass.

In an interview with NPR's Melissa Block, Snider remembers hearing the song when he was a little kid. "We were grilling outside, and the radio was playing, and [my father] had the grill spatula, and he was making burgers," he says. "And when that song came on, he pretended that spatula was a microphone, and he sang and danced to it."

For Snider, the song is a reminder of happy times. "I love the background — the horns make me think of the '70s," he says. "I miss this time in America." Snider was only 6 years old when he first heard the song, and he still loves it. "Every time that song comes on now, it makes me very happy," he says.

Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart- 3 days away

Stacey and Mark arrived back in Boston a few days ago, to pick up their Suburban, after their trip to Canada. They have played in NYC and now have two nights in PA, heading our way after that. After they leave here, they are headed home to Tennessee, then off to Florida to see how Kyle is doing. (He had some tough injuries in a bike accident). Visit their my space for up to the minute details of their travels!!!! I hope we can give them some great WV hospitality! I hope our bustle hive of our Mid Town Family Resource Center is not too hectic a scene by Tuesday! Lots going on!

further announcement about the great opportunity that the Raffle offers!!!!! Americana Music Festival details!

NASHVILLE, JULY 24th, 2009: The Americana Music Association announced today that tickets for the 8th Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony, scheduled for September 17th at the historic Ryman Auditorium, go on sale Friday July 24th.


Presented by the Gibson Foundation, the Honors & Awards are hosted by Jim Lauderdale along with Buddy Miller and his all-star band. The program has earned a reputation for being the coolest and best live music awards show around.





This year’s event will bring appearances by Asleep at the Wheel, Sam Bush, the Belleville Outfit, Rodney Crowell, The Gourds, Nanci Griffith, Raul Malo, John Prine and many other artists representing this years best of the best of Americana.







The Americana Honors & Awards are attended by 2000+ artists, music loving fans and entertainment industry executives in one of America’s musical shrines, the historic Ryman Auditorium. The event has been broadcast internationally via Sirius/XM Radio, BBC2, and Voice of America. The Honors & Awards have featured many amazing moments over the years including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash’s last live performance together, as well as show-stopping appearances by Lyle Lovett, Rosanne Cash, Solomon Burke, Old Crow Medicine Show, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, the Avett Brothers, Mavis Staples, Robert Plant, Patty Griffin, Levon Helm, and so many more.

Free Time has a good article with a picture about our Festival next week

There is a nice picture of Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart in today's Free Time of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel, with the announcement of our three event festival next week. I hope (finally!) that a little newspaper publicity helps generate some turnout at the events next week. These will be great musical entertainment opportunities for the Mid Ohio Valley, and I hope we get some enthusiastic turnouts for the events. Tuesday: Stacey and mark; wednesday, movie night (Townes), and Thursday the Weedhawks and Nick Barry. The raffle for the trip to Nashville in September will be building to an exciting conclusion by Thursday. Track me down if you need any info/ updates on these events. Please keep help spreading the word!

More stuff to excite and intrigue you about the Americana Music Festival

As many of you know, Levon helm kicked off the 2008 Americana Music Festival and Conference. That performance was filmed and is now scheduled to air as part of the Public Broadcasting Service summer Pledge Drive on stations around the country starting on August 1st. PBS will be offering a DVD (Vanguard Records) of this magical evening and you can only purchase this through PBS as part of their pledge drive, so tune in and support public broadcasting and 2008 Americana Artist of the Year Levon Helm! Click here to check your local listings and / or call your local PBS station for information… Click here to find your local PBS station.

Greens add a few new shows to their already long list into the fall

The Greens have added a few new shows to their already long into the fall list of upcoming shows. The Greens will have a weekend after Thanksgiving here in Parkersburg with two shows at 6 Pence Pub. Andy's got a solo show in September there, too. With a weekend coming up in Morgantown, and then some mid-week traveling next week out of state, they will be in the Mid OHio Valley on Friday, July 31st at the Marietta Brewing Company. This is sandwiched in (for me) between the Weedhawks on Thursday the 30th at 6 Pence) and Will Kimbrough at Pomeroy Ohio on the river on Saturday the 1st of August. Then Mountain Stage sunday night!!! Lots of great music!!!
Missing the Greens and their high energy/ get the audience pumped up/ changing the genre throughout the evening style of live shows!!!

a website with live local events listed

Ken Storey passed this on to me; a website with live local (music) and other events listed. its: http://eventful.com and there is a way to hone in on Parkersburg WV, more specifically. Someone has already listed our events for next week (for which I am very grateful!!!- if you did this, you could let me know!!!) I hope I can begin to use these sorts of website listings more and more into the future, as I am sort of discouraged by the "traditional" media response to my submissions. Let me know of other similar ones you come across, and try to help promote these ways of getting the word out!!!! THANKS!

More news from the Americana Music Festival and Conference- more good opportunities!

It seems that each year a good number of people have been coming to the Americana Music Festival and Conference earlier and earlier... and Americana events are taking place all over town. This year, we thought we would present our own 'early bird' offering; The Americana Music Association and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra proudly present, An Evening of Classical Americana at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Saturday September 12. Official Press Release is below.



If you were planning to attend the Americana Music Festival and Conference starting on September 16th, think about coming in a few days early. And for those of you who live here, Classical Americana it is a must see event. Although it’s not officially part of the Festival and Conference, I think we now can assuredly call it Americana Week here in Music City,



Thanks to all of you for your support, your community spirit and your hard work to make the Americana Music Festival and Conference truly the coolest event of the year. Planning is coming along nicely and we will be making some more important announcements shortly... Register NOW and stay tuned!



Looking forward to seeing you all soon.



Jed





Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Byron House,

Buddy Miller, Karen Parks, Abigail Washburn

Join Nashville Symphony In

‘Classical Americana’ Concert Sept. 12 at Schermerhorn



First-ever collaboration between Symphony and Americana Music

Association explores links between classical and roots music



Nashville, Tenn. (July 15, 2009) As part of the opening gala weekend inaugurating the Nashville Symphony’s 2009/10 concert season, the Nashville Symphony is teaming up with the Americana Music Association for a one-of-a-kind musical event on Sept. 12, 2009 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. This innovative concert, which will explore the strong links between classical music and American roots music, features a stellar list of guest performers, including Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Byron House, Buddy Miller, Karen Parks and Abigail Washburn. They will join the orchestra, led by Resident Conductor Albert-George Schram, to honor the rich weave of our country’s musical traditions — everything from blues and gospel to Aaron Copland and George Gershwin.



“This concert will illustrate the amazing connection between roots music and classical music that goes back generations,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association, which promotes awareness of Americana music and supports the creative and economic viability of Americana artists. “Some of the best-known classical composers, from Dvořak to Copland, have long used roots music as a foundation for composition.”



Classical Americana, a First Tennessee Special Event, is partly arranged into segments, each introduced by a narrator. A unique feature of the program is that a particular musician will present a traditional version of a familiar work, such as “Simple Gifts,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” or “When the Saints Go Marching In,” which then will be followed by the full orchestra performing a well-known classical composition that makes use of that original.



The guest artist roster is a who’s who of top-flight Americana talent.

Headliners include Buddy Miller, the celebrated guitarist and noted singer-songwriter who has won more Americana Awards than any other artist. Grammy-winning, IBMA Instrumentalist of the Year Alison Brown is a progressive banjoist. A founding member of the influential New Grass Revival, mandolinist Sam Bush is one of acoustic music’s most respected figures, while Jerry Douglas is easily the world’s best-known Dobro player. Byron House adds the unique and acclaimed versatility that has made him one of the top bass players in the country. Soprano Karen Parks recently released a critically acclaimed collection of operatic spirituals, and vocalist Abigail Washburn is also a cross-genre banjoist who has collaborated with Béla Fleck.



The idea for this groundbreaking collaboration came from a casual conversation some months ago between Hilly and Alan D. Valentine, President and CEO of the Nashville Symphony. “We were former classmates in Leadership Music,” Valentine explained, “and one day we started talking about how magical it would be to bring together some fantastic Americana artists with the Nashville Symphony. The essential connections between these musical genres are amazing, as this concert will amply demonstrate.”





For ticket information, please call the Symphony Center Box Office at 615.687.6400 or go on-line to NashvilleSymphony.org.

Putting Flyers around town for the upcoming benefit shows

I put some flyers up today. I could still use some help with this if anyone has the notion. Since the Free Time let me down by not putting a notice in this week, for some advance publicity, I feel I have to rely more on the grass roots nature of promoting. I will count on word of mouth, and e-mails more, but the flyers do reach a certain amount of people, too. The two live shows the week of July 28th (Stacey Earle and mark Stuart, and the weedhawks and nick barry) are great entertainment opportunities right here in the Mid Ohio Valley. I can't seem to drum up much help with publicity from the "traditional" media outlets. Likewise the Great Raffle for Nashville trip will mostly have to be promoted by word of mouth.

shows upcoming

Mountain Stage will be in Ashland KY (Paramount) on August 2nd. Todd Snider and Nancy Griffith are on the line up.
The Avett Brothers will be in Huntington on Oct. 29th.
Steve Earle returns to Stuart's Opera House on August 27th.

Townes Van Zandt movie showing

Margaret Brown's film "Be Here To Love Me" on the life of Townes Van Zandt, will be shown at Children's Home Society of WV -Parkersburg, 1739 St. mary's Ave. on Wednesday, July 29th starting around 7:30 pm. This movie is a gripping story of Townes life, and music, and the influence he had on a generation of music. Many interview clips of key and well known musicians are included. You can gather a strong sense of his intriguing life, and his impact on so many others, and his powerful music from the movie. This event is packed in the middle of three days of Americana music celebrations here in the Mid Ohio Valley (Parkersburg and southeast Ohio) with live music events Tuesday and Thursday. This movie is in a coffee house setting, donations are accepted to support the work of Children's Home Society of WV in the community with area children and families. Contact the Society at: 304-485-0650 for details.

Buy your raffle tickets now for a trip to Nashville, for the Americana Music Festival

Raffle tickets are now on sale for a chance to win a trip to Nashville Tennessee, on September 17-20, to attend the Americana Music Festival. Details about this great package can be received from Steve Tuck, or several staff members of Children's Home Society of WV who are helping with this fund raiser. Call Steve at: 304-485-0650 or e-mail him: stuck@childhswv.org The tickets are $5 and will be available up to July 30th, when the drawing will be held at the Weedhawks show (which is also a benefit for CHS). This is a prize package worth over $1000, and is provided by the generous sponsorship of a donor, and thus the proceeds from the raffle will support the work of the agency with area children and families. The Americana Music Festival includes an award's ceremony, for which the winner will receive 2 tickets; many great artists in the Americana field have been recent winners; and you can imagine a great opportunity to see many of the legends in the genre. Additionally, there are "wristbands" for three nights of live music venues in the great Nashville scene. The accommodations are the hotel at the heart of the festivities. Contact Steve for more details!!!!

Weedhawks show in Parkersburg approaching!!!!

We are within two weeks of the Weedhawks coming to Parkersburg for a show!!! I hope word is getting around of the great summertime opportunity to catch the Weedhawks in the mid Ohio Valley. This highly entertaining and hard working duo is sure to impress those uninitiated. Long time fans will relish the opportunity to get revived with their great music and showmanship. The show is Thursday, July 30th, starting with an opening set by Nick Barry, at 9 pm, the Weedhawks will take the 6 Pence Pub and Eatery stage after Nick. $5 will get you in for a great evening of entertainment, and its a donation to Children's Home Society of WV and its work with area children and families. The Weedhawks are brought to parkersburg by a generous sponsorship, so the proceeds all go to CHS. The Weedhawks, are prolific song writers and sharp musicians, and their raccous and bawdy songs are sure to leave you laughing and shaking your head. They have a rabid following; which is always a sure sign of a inventive/ creative / hard working duo of musicians. Visit their my space site for a flavor of their music and following.

Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart coming to Parkersburg

We're within about 10 days of Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart's return to Parkersburg and our lil coffee house setting. They are currently in British Columbia doing some touring up there. They return to the USA and NYC next week, and begin their travels back toward Tennessee, with two shows in PA and then us!!! They are some great traveling musicians! Check out their my space to see about Kyle Mims' bike accident, and how they are trying to raise some donations for his medical bills. Stacey and Mark will give a great show, and impress our humble audience here on St. Mary's Ave. in Parkersburg. Please tell your friends and fellow music lovers of this great opportunity to hear a stellar duo of songwriters/ singers/ guitarists/ travelin' troubadours. Tuesday, July 28th - evening show is 8 pm; daytime music workshop is 2 pm. Donations are gratefully welcome to support the work of Children's Home Society with area children and families. Generous sponsorship has brought Stacey and Mark to town, so give enthusiastically, knowing your support of this great musical opportunity also supports work with children and families in the community.

traveling music today- Charleston and back

I listened to Owen Temple's Dollars and Dimes today on the way down to Charleston. This was one of the musicians I had seen at the house concert Monday night. This was a great listen; I had heard probably half of these songs the other night, in the live acoustic versions, and this was a great recorded sound of the songs, with some good back up instrumentation, and good solid vocals. These are great travelin' songs; great story songs.
Then I listened to an old non commercial CD of Todd Snider's, "country fried." This had mostly songs NOT recorded on the CD's in his discography, and a "younger" voice. A good thing to listen to, for a tried and true fan, to get a deeper glimpse into Todd's song writing evolution.
On the way back I listened to Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde.

Owen Temple and Adam Carroll last night in Parkersburg

I went to a great house concert at John Radcliff's house on Quincy Hill last night. He has some regular "song pulls" there, and these occasional house concerts. The song pulls feature local songwriters, who have written a song within the last 30 days prior to the event. They seem to have built quite a good comraderie among local musicians. John's house is very classy in the old downtown area, with nice floors, woodwork, windows, furnishings. A very welcoming venue for a house concert! The two musicians were great "hard travelin' storytellers and good songsmiths. They traded songs, helped each other out, with harmonica, guitar and vocals; were both engaging and entertaining, and modest in their place in the world of music. They are in the Texas songwriter category, but have a wide view, and are good observers of the human condition. They are funny, and relaxed in their approach to the intimacy of the house concert. You can check out their my space sites, and they have downloads, CD's, and a tour schedule to give you a flavor of their musical world. I talked to Owen more of the two at the set break, and enjoyed hearing his take on his musical life. Their "alter ego" country singer- Gary Floater is a great hilarious concept, and they undoubtedly get a lot of good mileage with new audiences across the country with this creative concept. That will stick with me, and endear them to me as a stand out.

quote of the week

"You don't get harmony when everyone sings the same note." Doug Floyd

Traveling Music today

Anais Mitchell, Mindy Smith and Adrienne Young were the women singers I listened to today on my trip to Charleston and back. Anais, who came through Parkersburg and played at the Front Row, through an arrangement I made with Righteous Babe records, has a great and unique voice, very poetic lyrics, and diverse musical styles. I still follow her touring and developments from her visit here. Mindy Smith, who I stumbled on because of her duets on John Prine's Fair and Square album, has a beautiful voice, and plaintive and emotion ladened lyrics. Adrienne Young has those "old timey" instrumentals, a good environmental conscience, some great musical partnerships, and puts on a great live show. Will Kimbrough's involvement in this CD (that I listened to today) Plow to the End of the Row, brought me back full circle to the last few days of music.