Invitation to have input on the 2010 Americana Music Tribute Series of Children's Home Society of WV-Parkersburg

I am gathering anyone who is interested in having input/ participating in, the planning of the 2010 Americana Music Tribute Series for CHS on Wednesday, December 16th at 6 pm here at our offices (3rd door) and I’ll probably throw in PIZZA too. Please invite anyone else you think might be interested in brainstorming any ideas.



Already on the books is the (5th?) annual Johnny Cash Tribute for February 27th (Sat) at the 6 Pence Pub. I’ll be buying the obligatory 7 inch action figure Johnny Cash soon. (we have to finalize if a certain agency program will be the beneficiary of this event and help with the promotion and event- Mid Town Family Resource Center gets first crack)



The “Whole Lotta Hank” tribute and possible second “Cajun Cookoff”- needs a new venue ( I think we will all agree……) and the time it is held is totally open to input (it does not have to be in April again). I would like to organize a local group to go down to Charleston on January 9th to see how they do a Hank Williams tribute in Charleston, led by John Lilly- I went last year and it’s a classy event.



The Bob Dylan birthday tribute SHOULD be around Bob’s birthday in late May; but there are no certain limits to this event!



The longest standing event: The John Prine Tribute SHOULD be in October- (around the 10th or 11th).



We are having some initial discussions of an outdoor event down at the Rowing Club boat house (by the toll bridge, on the river) and maybe this would be a “safe” (???) venue to bring the Weedhawks to; being as I’ve got myself banned from bringing them to the 6 Pence, and about every other good venue to bring them to P-burg has closed down. (But this is open to any brainstorming).



I will want to have some coffee houses at our storefront on St. Mary’s Ave. again this year. I have an offer out to a fellah from the southern part of the state to come in January. And I have been offering Fred Shreve and his Mckinley All Stars a slot sometime before their big whingding in February at the Worthington Golf Club ball room. I figure Mark Stuart (and Stacey Earle) might give me a shout sometime this year, when they would be passing through. I have an invitation out to Jason Wilber (John Prine’s ace guitarist, and fantastic singer songwriter in his own right) to come back this year. I am trying to get some of my musical idols (Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack) (who have a fluid band, DADDY) to stop through on their travels.



I still am trying to formulate MY OWN PERSONAL NEXT concept : a tribute to The Band.



As far as raffles and such: I would like to organize a second annual raffle for tickets to the Americana Music Festival (probably in September in Nashville), and have it extend a little longer in the lead up time. I wouldn’t mind going to the International Folk Alliance festival in Memphis in February, where many of my similarly favorite musicians gather.



Coming back from San Antonio (at a conference there in November) I would like to organize a “dueling pianos” event as a fund raiser sometime in 2010. Ask me about it; but many of you have probably bumped into these at resort towns, etc.



My new years fantasy would entail pooling everybody’s resources and forming a cooperative / collective that could purchase the Boreman Wheel House and run it as a mid Ohio Valley music co-op venue. I am a little dismayed at the venue options for all these ideas.



I’d like to revive the commemorative 2010 series t-shirt if anyone has contacts with shirt makers or potential sponsors for that.



If you can’t come out on the 16th, but want to feed me a stream of consciousness missive, with your own thoughts or reactions, please do. (CHS employees- you should weigh in on which events your programs would like to be involved in for promoting and benefiting from- you don’t need to attend to do this!!!)



I will do some calculating, but I think this whole Americana Series brings in over $5000 for the agency; but I have to admit that I personally have contributed a pretty significant in-kind contribution to make this happen. I don’t mind keep doing this, but additional sponsors or other ideas to cut the expenses would definitely be appreciated)



OH and Vinyl record sales- don’t forget ideas about this wild monstrosity!!!!!!!!!!