WOODSTOCK +40 special edition, plus the Acoustic Americana Music Guide, Aug 11 to 20, 2009

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Tied to the Tracks
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC GUIDE
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AUGUST 11 through 20, 2009 EDITION
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This one includes a SPECIAL SECTION: The 40th anniversary of WOODSTOCK! See the special at the beginning of the August 15 section. (Conveniently enough, we’re reprinted that special section right here, just for you. Scroll down…)
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Here, in all it’s easy-to-access hugeness, is what’s happening in the world of acoustic music performances in the Los Angeles region (and festivals all over the map). If you print it out, it’s 108 pages long. And believe it or not, there’s one more edition due before the end of the month! It’s all available at
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http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com
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PLUS, you still can go directly to our special NEWS & REVIEWS edition, at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2009/08/special-edition-look-whos-back-where.html
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And, for those who appreciate music festivals, read Larry Wines’ big round-up of the Spring Music Festival circuit, in FolkWorks, at
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http://www.folkworks.org/content/viewcategorycur/89
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Yes, it’s true –
There are more ACOUSTIC AMERICANA / ACOUSTIC RENAISSANCE music performances EVERY week in the Los Angeles area than the COMBINED TOTAL of ALL OTHER KINDS OF MUSIC!
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(And that doesn’t even take into account the dozens of electric Americana shows!)
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WOODSTOCK +40: Today’s anniversary remembered ~ SPECIAL to the Guide:
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it was forty years ago today in 1969 that the legendary “Woodstock Music & Arts Fair” better known simply as “Woodstock,” began on Yasger’s Farm near the town of Bethel in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. The “Three Days of Peace and Music,” ran August 15-18, and no music festival anywhere, ever, has approached it for legend and lore or for the lineup of the most substantial musicians of that or any other time, before or since. Even if you saw the movie or heard the original film soundtrack album, a bit of reading still brings surprises. For example, did you know that Creedence Clearwater Revival played Woodstock, but were left-off the album and out of the film?
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The first band to take the stage at Woodstock was SWEETWATER, and our friend ALEX DEL ZOPPO was a member. A few days ago, Alex shared the following news with us:
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“I never do this (honest), but I now have a publicist (Harvey Kubernik) who tells me that “just this sort of thing” is what I should be doing prior to releasing my new CD (more on that later).
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“This email is to let you (all) know about some of the activities that have come into my wretched life to eradicate the possibility that I might find a few minutes of chill time this month.
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“I’ve included some of the Woodstock-related stuff that invariably appears every mid-August. Since my old band, Sweetwater is not “active” at the moment, we will not be performing in any of the Woodstock “tributes” this year. However, this being the 40th anniversary, there is an enormous amount of buzz surrounding those three days in ’69. For a band that hasn’t even all met once in the last five years, we are still being kept very busy with our Woodstock heritage.
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“The masses have gotten a bit carried away, methinks. Witness:
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“Both VH1 and The History Channel interviewed the surviving members of Sweetwater (Fred Herrera, Nancy Nevins, and me) a while back, and will be broadcasting it this coming Friday Aug 14th @ 9 on VH1 (Entitled: “Woodstock: Now & Then”). It will most likely show up soon on the History Channel as well. Watch to see if you can figure out whose T-shirt I’m wearing. Prizes will be awarded.
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“Oscar-winning director, Ang Lee’s new film ‘The Taking Of Woodstock’ will feature one of our songs (at least, they’ve already optioned and paid us for it!).
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“Rhino Records (in conjunction with our original label, Warner Brother’s/Reprise) has released a number of differently-configured Woodstock CD Box Sets. These multi-CDs feature never-before released LIVE versions of songs from many acts that were overlooked in some of the other Woodstock releases, ours among them. Depending on which store you purchase one from, the songs (and the inclusion of a given act’s material itself) vary – so please read carefully if you will be looking for Sweetwater material. [editor’s note: or material from other Woodstock artists that will be new to you.]
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“Rev-Ola, the venerable British re-release giant (much like Rhino is here) is re-releasing Sweetwater’s first album for the U.K. and European market.
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“Sweetwater (and quotes from us) also appear in a number of new Woodstock-related coffee-table books, including:
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Mike Evans & Paul Kingsbury’s ‘WOODSTOCK –THREE DAYS THAT ROCKED THE WORLD’ (With a forward by Martin Scorsese)
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“Michael Lang’s ‘The Road To Woodstock.’
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“‘Woodstock, 3 Days of Peace & Music’ (Richard Havers & Richard Evans).
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“‘Join Together –Forty Years of the Rock Music Festival’ by Marley Brant, which has scores of quotes from Fred & I and covers about ten fests that we performed at during those ‘golden festival years’ years between Monterey and Altamont.
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“Genesis Publishing’s immense (hand bound) coffee table book (which we haven’t seen, and consequently have no title for, yet). We were interviewed extensively for that one by Rona Elliot and the book is filled with unique Henry Diltz photos.
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“Lots of other interview activity for me this season as well – Radio stations and magazines from around the world have been doing Q & A’s and getting quotes from us for months now – and it’s only gotten more intense as the date approaches.
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“Of course, there’s online stuff, too: Check out the newsletter (link below) from the good people at SHURE MICROPHONE Co. (who supplied the mics at Woodstock). There’s a thorough Q & A they did with Fred & me on just how well those mics worked, etc.
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“Additionally www.sonicboomers.com has a lengthy Q & A with me on virtually everything I could remember of my life. From musical influences as a kid, through my years on the road and all the way to today’s shenanigans. The interviewer already knew so much, it’s scary! But it’s up on their site only for THIS week. (You can always cut & paste it for further reading).
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“I have now joined the rest of humanity and gotten an internet presence: My own (personal) site, with even more drivel about (you guessed it): me. But WAIT! There are also pix of dozens of other cool musicians whom I’ve worked with over the years, scores of classic posters and “Pop fest” artifacts, some odd ADZ recordings, and the videos are entertaining. And I’ll be adding more stuff in the coming weeks and months.
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“All are welcome. Wake the dog, wrench the kids from the X-Box, call your 3rd cousins, pull total strangers off the street and drag the entire bunch to a screen near you! See & hear all at: www.AlexDelZoppo.com (pretty clever site name, eh?)
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“Then, there’s the old standby: www.SweetwaterBand.com (The original Sweetwater site, which actually blinked a little this year, and has some new info).
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“Now, you’re probably wondering, ‘Why would that monkey get a publicist?’ Well, I haven’t, but my record label has. I’ve been signed to a cool indy label: Meroke Sky Records, and I am currently finishing up a CD full of my new songs, with some amazing musicians on it. When it is ready to be released, you’ll probably get another one of these pesky newsletters (but hopefully shorter).
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“People of Earth: It’s a virtual Alex assault! You have been warned!”
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~ Alex del Zoppo
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So, other’n all that with Woodstock remembrance projects, what’s Alex doing these days? Plenty, including performing with Severin Browne in the “First Fridays Band” every month at Kulak’s Woodshed (always in the Guide), and booking speakers and emceeing the very worthwhile meetings of the “L.A. SONGWRITERS CO-OP.” It’s always included in the Guide, and here’s the basic info:
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Thu, third Thu, every month:
7:30-10:30 pm L.A. SONGWRITERS CO-OP monthly meeting, with music industry guest speaker, at The Pig & Whistle, 6714 Hollywood Bl (1 blk E of Highland), Hollywood. Event info, 323-551-1000; www.SongwritersCoOp.com. Meets here every 3rd Thu, hosted by ALEX DEL ZOPPO. Info: info@songswritersCoOp.com; 323-551-1000’ More at www.SongwritersCoOp.com. Get feedback from songwriting professionals and your peers on what’s working in your original song and how to make it even better. Bring 15 to 20 copies of your lyrics (with chords if possible) and your music on CD or tape or play it live. Meetings start promptly. $5 admission fee.
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THE LINK for the Shure story on the mics of Woodstock, referenced above, is in “Shure Notes” issue 36. It’s very recommended reading. Here’s a sample: “The 40th anniversary of Woodstock inspired us to look back at some of the real classics in the Shure line and what makes them future-proof decades later. Speaking of Woodstock, we were honored to talk to Alex Del Zoppo and Fred Herrera of Sweetwater, the first band to perform there.” More of the fine interview article, and some free downloads of Sweetwater’s music, are at www.shurenotes.com/issue36/article4.html
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