FINAL EDITION, Acoustic Americana Music Guide, April 30 to May 18 (and beyond)

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Acoustic Americana Music Guide, April 30 to May 18 (and beyond)
THIS is the “News-only” SHORT edition. The current FULL edition of the Guide is 230 pages long – really – but it’s very accessible, chronological, and user-friendly, so you’ll know all that’s happening out there.
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FINAL EDITION, Acoustic Americana Music Guide
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Unless sufficient support arrives from you, our readers, the Guide will end eight years of publication at the end of May. Thanks to everyone who has sent-in $25 in return for 3 CDs of their choice, or the concert DVD & 1 CD of their choice. Your $25 goes to support the Guide, and you have CDs to enjoy – whether or not we receive enough support from your fellow readers to enable us to keep doing this.
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TO ALL OUR READERS: The Guide needs your support. We will determine and announce, on May 17, whether we can afford to continue to bring you the Guide, or whether publication will end on May 31. Yes, we DO have CDs and DVDs for you to choose, in return for your support! The #7 & #8 News Features, just below, explain what you can do to save the Guide.
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Meanwhile, as long as we continue to publish, we will continue to bring you ALL the news and acoustic music events!
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Are you new, or getting lost with all that’s presented in the Guide?
Each day’s listings of events follow this format:
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xxxDAY, MAY xx
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(1) xxxday’s “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” picks:
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(2) Xxxday’s RADIO & TV SHOWS
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(3) Xxxday’s “BEST OUT-OF-TOWN EVENTS”
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(4) Xxxday’s LOCAL FESTIVALS:
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(5) Xxxday’s “LOS ANGELES AREA ACOUSTIC MUSIC PERFORMANCES” and related events: [which does NOT re-list the festivals.]
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Now, go enjoy! First, here’s this week’s News Features…
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Tied to the Tracks
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC GUIDE & NEWS
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APRIL 30 to MAY 18 events (and beyond, through 2010)
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NEWS FEATURES
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1) CLAREMONT FOLK FESTIVAL, SOUTH PASADENA ECLECTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL, SIERRA MADRE ART FAIR, & PLENTY OF CONCERTS THIS WEEKEND
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Saturday & Sunday, May 1 and 2, head for the San Gabriel Valley, at least one day. The Guide’s extensive write-ups reveal all the “whys” and “what” that you need. While there are offerings all over the L.A. region that are just stellar, any combination of three festivals in the San Gabriel Valley will fill your day and leave time to get to another show or two in the evening. Don’t lament if you’re broke: plenty of things are free. And what isn’t free is especially worth spending some money, starting with the lineup of performances and workshops at the CLAREMONT FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, which happily returns Saturday after a year of hiatus.
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Yes, we know, the May Day March on Saturday, May 1, is expected to draw over 100,000 people in the wake of the new “Show-Us-Your-Papers” law in Arizona. It serves to illustrate how the traditional day for celebrating the successes of the labor movement and workers’ rights has been largely supplanted by a theme of contentious protest of broken immigration policy, complete with people waving flags of many nations from south of the border. If you must actualize your ethics and take part in that, go.
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Otherwise, take a break from worrying about the impending arrival of the oil slick on the Gulf Coast shore, where “Drill, Baby, Drill” has become “Spill, Baby, Spill,” followed by attempts to burn the slick on the surface of the ocean, as “Burn, Baby, Burn,” (no doubt to be followed by more “Drill, Baby, Drill,” etc.)
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Gads. So really, why not escape to the weekend’s fabulous offerings of music festivals and concerts. Participating musicians will surely include political folk songs, some Earth Day songs, and much, much more that’s inspiring and memorable and motivating. It’s all in the Guide’s detailed event listings (where festivals have their own sections each day, before all the shows-in-venues listings, at www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com).
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2) HOW ABOUT A SAN DIEGO FESTIVAL DOUBLE-HEADER, MAY 8 & 9?
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Once in a while, our “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” picks extend beyond our area of regular coverage (Santa Barbara County to south Orange County), and on the weekend of May 8 & 9, we’ve made two picks in San Diego – a pair of festivals. First, the annual “GATOR BY THE BAY FESTIVAL” expands this year to 3 days of Cajun & zydeco music and dancing and New Orleans/Southern Louisiana food and fun, Fri-Sun, May 7-9 (www.sandiegofestival.com).
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You’ll want to get your fill of all things Cajun by the end of the day’s activities on Saturday, because our second “pick” is the annual, one-day-only, “SEA CHANTEY FESTIVAL” on Sunday, May 9, aboard the historic sailing vessel “Star of India.” The venerable tall ship is moored on the San Diego waterfront, bobbing gently on the waves as the music fills the air, so it just doesn’t get any better. Maritime music is lots of fun and structured for echo choruses and other tricks to get you to sing along. (After all, the music began as shipboard work songs to hoist sails or anchors and get all the oomph coordinated to pull at the same time.) The talented full ship’s company includes old favorites KEN GRAYDON and BILL DEMPSEY. Info, 858-566-4040. Presented by San Diego Folk Heritage, www.sdfolkheritage.org.
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3) LAST WEEK’S BIG FESTIVALS DELIVERED ON PROMISES
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Our “Show-of-the-Week” picks for April 24 & 25 included the 4th annual “STAGECOACH FESTIVAL” on the enormous polo grounds in Indio, and the 17th annual “SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL” at Gene Autry’s old western movie-set town in Newhall. Believe it or not, we attended both again this year. Here are some key highlights.
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We can happily report that STAGECOACH has, at last, overcome the single most obnoxious fault of previous years: for the first time, the sound from the “Mane” Stage was not apocalyptically overamplified and did not drown-out the other two stages, a half-mile away. Combined with not-too-hot weather, it made for a fine day on the acres and acres of trampled grass at the polo fields complex. Saturday at Stagecoach included:
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> a fine show by MERLE HAGGARD, a genuine American music legend. He was in fine voice and his large backup band played exactly right, never overstepping, always adding, with fine instrumental solos when appropriate. Anyone who tours with a large band would do well to study them.
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> a joyful show by TRAMPLED BY TURTLES, a five-piece, lightning-fast string band that mixes old-time and bluegrass sensibilities with musicianship on steroids. If you’re a fan of Old Crow Medicine Show and the Avett Brothers, you’ll love these guys.
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> cowboy storyteller/poets BAXTER BLACK and WADDIE MITCHELL each did a full hour’s set, one following the other. Much of the audience clearly had no orientation of ranch life, probably causing Baxter to include his tale of deep-sea fishing and seasickness. Waddie stuck with more traditional fare, and the humor of both seemed to win their audiences.
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> esteemed names RAY PRICE, B.J. THOMAS, and BOBBY BARE all proved that they still “have it,” and it was good to see attentive younger audience members who had quite obviously never seen them before – and almost certainly never heard them on the radio, since the hegemony of Nashville’s “pop country” with its forced formulaic annoyances.
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Of course, STAGECOACH brings the feather-boa draped “taco-hat” full of usual Nashville clichés, de rigeure for anyone who wants a career in today’s version of “country” music. Especially disappointing was VICTORIA WILLIAMS, who came there with folk credentials. She wasted her set by sheep-dipping every word of her lyrics in the stock “Nashvul fah-ke ack-scent frum Mewwww-sick Row,” and she had almost nothing to say as she futzed for prolonged periods between each song. Her first-rate backup players couldn’t save her from being abysmally boring.
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Our record remains unbroken – never having watched an entire set by anybody on the “Mane” Stage, where Nashville’s pop-country acts hold sway. But, you can’t escape being exposed to it. Even in a site that’s a mile across, you must walk by the back reaches of the Mane Stage’s audience area, a sea of folding chairs where too many people crowd-in late, stand, and block the views of those who arrived early for good chair placements (that particular rudeness invades the tented stages when the bigger names perform, too). We didn’t last long enough to hear KEITH URBAN close the night on the Mane Stage, because we couldn’t take SUGARLAND long enough to stay. We’re told that band’s JENNIFER NETTLES has a good voice, but she was affecting so much of the Nashvul hokiness – both while “sangen” and while “talken” – that with those aspects, and the repertoire of soundalike dysfunctional relationship songs, we found the combination simply intolerable, and left.
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STAGECOACH gets high marks for being inclusive of roots Americana artists on its two stages, shaded beneath huge circus tent canopies, both with good sound systems. With the “Mane” Stage amplification now reined-in, it was a joy to be at those stages. And they do have free water now, even if it’s a half-mile walk to reach it. (The first year, there was no alternative to spending $4 for a small bottle of water; this year, you could buy a souvenir bottle for $10 and get unlimited cold refills all weekend, or hike to the free refill area.) Some may be critical because this year’s booking brought about half the number of artists who performed last year. But past year’s were somewhat overwhelming, and the only real problem is splitting an hour to see half of two acts playing at the same time on the two covered stages. Bottom line: Is it worth going next year? Absolutely.
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Next edition, we’ll bring you a review of Sunday’s experiences at the 17th annual SANTA CLARITA COWBOY FESTIVAL. One tidbit: cowboy music legend DON EDWARDS got a great audience response when he made the observation that “today’s Country & Western is neither of either.”
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4) PBS TO TAPE “THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND” FOLK SPECIAL
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MACK BAILEY, leader of THE LIMELITERS and past guest on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks,” checked-in to report that the group with the venerable heritage has been asked to taje part in an upcoming PBS special titled “This Land is Your Land.” It will feature folk music acts from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. Mack says, “This terrific entertainment is in the final pieces of being put together, and we’ll send out all the final details once we have them. Tickets are going to be sold, so you can be a part of the live audience. We know the taping will take place in Pittsburgh, PA over May 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. We just don’t know which day the Limeliters will be taping.” If you plan to be in the Pittsburgh area at that time, you can contact Mack for more info, through his site, www.mackbailey.com.
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Or, you can wait for a PBS pledge drive to see the special, since that seems to be the only time they offer any music shows.
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Meanwhile, Mack Bailey and his musical (and life) partner Rachel Levy have a busy upcoming performance schedule, in addition to Mack’s touring with the Limeliters. Learn more at www.limeliters.com and www.reverbnation.com/mackbaileyrachellevy.
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5) IBMA WOMEN FEATURED IN JAPAN, & A MISSY RAINES SAM BUSH TEAM-UP
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International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) winners MISSY RAINES & THE NEW HIP did their first radio show on “Tied to the Tracks” in L.A. when Missy first assembled the band, so we’ve always been especially attentive as they continue to compile accolades. Last edition, we told you about their part in the 100th “Live Ham Jam” on San Francisco’s KPIG radio station (a station that makes every folk Americana music fan in L.A. jealous).
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But we thought you’d enjoy knowing more. A feature on “IBMA Winning Women” recently appeared in Japan’s Moonshiner Magazine. Missy tells us, “I was honored to be featured in the 2010 March issue of Moonshiner Magazine along with ALISON BROWN and KRISTEN SCOTT BENSON. Publisher and Editor Saburo ‘Sab Watanabe’ Inuoe interviewed me over the course of a few days in February. Sab is an original member of the group BLUEGRASS 45, the first bluegrass band from Japan to perform in the U.S. I was a big fan and saw them perform. I even have a signed album!”
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When the magazine arrived with her interview, Missy wasted no time going “to one of our favorite local restaurants, Watanabe’s, for some sushi and a translation! And yes, coincidentally, they are related. Owner Hedi is Sab’s nephew. What a wonderfully small world it is!”
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Closer to the Guide’s home turf, Missy reports that “While in California this winter, we had the pleasure, no, the sheer JOY of having DAVID GRISMAN come by and sit in with us! SAM GRISMAN, David’s son and an awesome bass player, came by as well and it was great to see him! We got him up for a few tunes, too!”
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If you’re one if the lucky folks attending this year’s “MERLEFEST” in North Carolina, MISSY RAINES & THE NEW HIP are among the headliners, performing with the SAM BUSH BAND. The two groups are sharing stages for several tour appearances, and we hope they’ll keep it going long enough to get to the West Coast together. Meanwhile, search the web and you’ll find some videos of their show together at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. And there are more videos from January with Missy and her band at the Midland Theater in Newark, OH, performing with friends and fellow Compass Records label mates, the Alaskan bluegrass band, BEARFOOT.
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6) TEHACHAPI GETS NEW ACOUSTIC MUSIC VENUE
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JOE CRAVEN, MIKE & RUTHIE (from the MAMMALS), BANSHEE IN THE KITCHEN, JAMES LEE STANLEY, & STEPHANIE BETTMAN are among the upcoming shows.
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FIDDLER’S CROSSING is a brand new 60-seat acoustic music venue and community gathering spot in downtown Tehachapi, established by DEBBY HAND, owner of Mountain Music and PETER CUTLER, radio program engineer for “Folkscene” (heard on KPFK, 90.7 FM and simulcast at www.kpfk.org on Sundays from 6-8 pm).
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Peter Cutler tells us, “Up until the end of last year, we had a great venue in Tehachapi known as MAMA HILLYBEAN’S CAFE and we all did everything we could to make it a success. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, they couldn’t afford to continue into this year. We were all devastated by its loss and Debby and I vowed to bring back much of what they offered in terms of bringing live acoustic music to Tehachapi at reasonable ticket prices, including bringing back the much loved and well-attended open mic nights. We are operating on the proverbial shoestring, with volunteer help, donations etc. We are not a cafe…no food served. We have great, fresh coffee, teas, etc and some goodies that will vary from event to event. The emphasis is on what’s happening in the venue rather than on what is served. We are open on an event basis, rather than all day, every day. In addition to presenting live music, we will also have workshops from time to time, host meetings of local interest groups, be a classroom for Mountain Music, have jams and more. We are inviting the public to come up with event ideas as well. If they are viable, we will seriously consider them. Fiddler’s Crossing will be, very much, by and for the community. Check us out!”
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News of the new venue will surely be greeted with enthusiasm by the many touring and L.A.-based musicians who looked forward to their gigs at the delightful, but vanished, Mama Hillybeans. Tehachapi is a mountain town between the Mojave Desert and Bakersfield, just off the Hwy 58 Freeway, about two hours from L.A. A gig in Tehachapi is a perfect booking between Southern Cal and Bay Area tour stops.
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Already, Fiddler’s Crossing is offering a good schedule of events. In fact, they have acts booked into November, when RUTHIE & MIKE (from the MAMMALS) will perform. A “CHAMBER MUSIC JAM” is Friday April 30, and on Saturday May 1, they’re doing support for “AN EVENING OF LISAS” concert hosted by LISA NEMZO in Tehachapi’s BeeKay Theatre, with a meet-and-greet at Fiddler’s Crossing after the show. On Friday, May 7, the new venue will begin to add a musical dimension to the town’s “FIRST FRIDAYS” art galleries event, and on Saturday, May 8 they’ll host a concert by BANSHEE IN THE KITCHEN’s new lineup. May 14 is an open jam, and May 15 brings JOE CRAVEN DAY at Fiddlers Crossing, sponsored by the Arts Council of Kern County. JAMES LEE STANLEY plays in June, and STEPHANIE BETTMAN in August.
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Meanwhile, they host an open mic every Wednesday at 6:30 pm, and the $5 cover includes refreshments.
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Fiddler’s Crossing is located at 206 East F St, Tehachapi 93561. A dedicated website for the venue is in the works. Meanwhile, contact Debby at Mountain Music at 661-823-9994 or cellored@gmail.com, or check out their events at www.grungehobbit.com
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6a) PAYING GIGS IN TEHACHAPI
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There’s MORE music news in Tehachapi: beginning Thursday, May 27, then every Thursday through the summer is the new “FARMERS MARKET MUSIC” from 4-7 pm on the little stage in Railroad Park, in the center of the market, along the railroad tracks. It’s intended for acoustic musicians. Organizers tell us, “Come out and enjoy the music and pick up your produce; [there are] crafters and some of the town’s businesses set up, as well.” Begins May 27.
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MUSICIANS: this farmers market gig pays $100 each week for the 3 hours (to be divided among those in your group, or those booked to play). You can also put out tip jars and sell music-related merchandise. If interested in performing, contact folky@creativewireless.net or 661-821-1082 after 10 am. We’re told by the booker, “Keep in mind this is not a true ‘listening crowd,’ but people will sit and listen while having their bratwurst and brewskies. This is not practice-time, and the music should be ‘family friendly’ and general easy listening. (However, a of couple traditional murder ballads thrown in is okay by me!)”
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7) WILL THE GUIDE HAVE A FUTURE? IT’S IN YOUR HANDS (DVDs & CDs FOR YOUR SUPPORT)
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We don’t enjoy making the news about us. But the online culture has created an expectation that whatever you can find on the web is free. That’s a shame, because a lot of what you want and expect to find simply can’t be here without a modest level of your financial support. It’s looking like the Acoustic Americana Music Guide may publish its final comprehensive edition, with its final detailed listings covering events through the end of May. After that, we would continue to bring you a modest amount of news, but no more daily listings of live music performances, workshops, radio & TV with live acoustic music, etc.
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We’ve been telling everyone that our detailed reporting – on the VAST amount of live acoustic music performances and artist workshops in the Los Angeles region, plus notable events on the arts scene and acoustic festivals everywhere – stuff that you can’t find anywhere else – may vanish.
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We need you. Really, really, need you. More to the point, we need a little of your money. We’ll give you cool stuff RIGHT NOW in return. And we’ll even give you chances to receive great tickets to shows ALL SUMMER – IF we’re still doing this. You can read the whole urgent appeal at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2010/03/support-guide-and-get-some-great-dvds.html
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Here, we’ll keep it simple: The Guide must ask you, NOW, URGENTLY, for your financial support. We’ve been doing this for eight years, through thick and thin, through two very serious eye surgeries (with two more to come), and it’s grown and grown – it’s had to, to keep track of, and tell you about, the HUNDREDS of amazing live acoustic music events that are out there EVERY WEEK. As a result, it’s come to require sooooo much time that we just can’t do it for free any more.
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RIGHT NOW, we are offering some GREAT thank-you gifts in return for your support – we have CDs and DVDs we can send you, while they last.
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We can and will continue to bring you the Guide, and even EXPAND to a full-feature website (see News Feature #2) – IF we have your help. But without your help, we’re gone. Kaput. Finis. And you’re on your own to figure-out WHO PERFORMS WHAT, WHERE AND WHEN. (Others may tell you some of news of “who” and “when,” but nobody else tells you WHAT kind of music, for all those times you see names that otherwise have no meaning to you – yet.)
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SEND US A CHECK FOR $25, and we’ll send you a professionally-produced concert DVD and a CD, OR 3 CDs (either option, your choice) PLUS another bonus! The complete list of “thank-you” gifts you can choose is at
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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2010/03/support-guide-and-get-some-great-dvds.html
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WRITE YOUR $25 CHECK TO “TIED TO THE TRACKS” AND MAIL IT TODAY TO:
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Tied to the Tracks
PO Box 5427
Pasadena CA 91117-5427
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Then email us at tiedtothetracks@hotmail.com and put “Guide support” in the subject line – tell us what DVD / CD choices you want – confirm your selections before they’re gone. (Whatever happens, you’ll get GREAT STUFF in return for your support!)
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Seriously, unless we get sufficient support from you, our readers, we just can’t do this any more. It is our desire and intention to keep publishing the Guide, and to make it even better – but we simply cannot do it without your help. THANK YOU!
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8) THE ACOUSTIC MUSIC NEWS IS MOVING TO ACOUSTICMUSIC.NET – WITH OR WITHOUT THE GUIDE – IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOU…
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We are committed to continue to write at least some News Features, as the Acoustic Americana Music News. (That’s the smaller part of what we do now.) THAT much will move to acousticmusic.net. Whether we continue to produce the comprehensive Guide of live acoustic performances, workshops, and events – the biggest part of what we do now – is an open question. (And things at the moment are not looking that good. We need more folks to step up and send us a check, if we’re going to continue to invest all this time to produce the Guide.)
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The long-sought goal to move the Guide to a full-feature website can be realized, at last (okay, it would take a few weeks to get it all done). There are SO MANY acoustic music concerts, club gigs, festivals, workshops, acoustic music radio shows, and MORE, and describing all of that for you (as we work hard to do) just overwhelms many people with the Guide’s current format. Even though we’ve separated each day’s radio & TV listings and given each of them their own url, the live shows you can go see ARE ENOUGH TO FILL WELL OVER 100 PAGES EACH WEEK (!)
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In addition to the need to make everything MUCH more user-friendly – and rapidly accessible to find specific events and days – we have long wanted to do even more.
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We get offers from venues large and small, all the time, to GIVE-AWAY TICKETS to great shows – to you, our readers. We have done some of that (to see Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, and others) but it isn’t easy to do that kind of thing without a real website. We can essentially take-over at AcousticMusic.net – not quite a coup, because what’s on that site will still be available there and accessible from a new full-function directory. We’ll be able to update the site with LOTS MORE, including exciting new graphics and news of more Folk-Americana / Acoustic Americana / Acoustic Renaissance and other acoustic music – more than you can find anywhere else! (Yes, we already DO more of that than anybody else, each week in our “plain Jane” presentation of the Guide… so maybe you should think of what we can do on the new site as all that on steroids, PLUS photos PLUS hours of archived performance-interviews as dowloadabe audio from the huge radio show library PLUS concert ticket give-aways.
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Plus, “more” includes HUNDREDS of hours of performance-interviews, recorded live, from the “TIED TO THE TRACKS” Radio Show Library and concerts recorded live. We get requests all the time to hear favorites again. So far, we haven’t had a way to do that. Moving to a full-function website can make FAR MORE available to you!
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Moving the Acoustic Americana Music News – with or without continuing the Guide – and what happens with the new presence on the established acousticmusic.net site – will be determined by your financial support. For one thing, we will need money to pay the octopus tentacles of the music industry so can we provide the radio show recordings there. And as we discuss in the preceding News Feature (above), we just can’t continue to spend the many, many, MANY hours required to write the Guide and do it anymore for free.
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9) OOPS – WHEN LINKS DON’T LINK TO WHAT’S INTENDED…
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Seems our recent link from www.acousticmusic.net – where we’ll soon move whatever we’re still doing – got itself stuck on an old edition of the Guide, from waaay back in March. Oops. By the time you read this, it should be fixed, so that it will always take you to the most current edition. Meanwhile, you can always go directly to the latest edition at
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www.acousticamericana.blogspot.com
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If you’re reading the “News-only” edition, the current FULL edition of the Guide is 230 pages long – really – but it’s very accessible, chronological, and user-friendly, so you’ll know all that’s happening out there.
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