Blog (archive, 2013-2015)
November 15, 2015. Tonight's set was full of references to pets, a happy coincidence given the number of dobermans within earshot at the Silver Maple House Concerts. We hope we didn't offend Cooper, Cubby, Capo or Callan with the lyric about the mangy dog. Things would surely have turned out much better for the cowboy in that song if he'd had a canine like one of them at his side.
November 8, 2015. The Rochester Hills Public Library in MI presents live music once a month and the series is quite popular, with 120 folks showing up for our concert this afternoon. It was a great crowd and there was a really nice energy in the room. After the show, we chatted with several members of the audience, including a man and a woman who had recently started dating. He sang us a few lines of a song he'd written for her and they gazed adoringly at each other. Not to pick favorites but we reckon they get credit for some of the good vibe.
November 7, 2015. Today, we rented a Ford, drove to the Henry Ford Public Library in Dearborn, MI, and performed a carload of songs, including Wooly Old Days, which mentions Ford three times. We also did Jitney. We don’t identify the manufacturer in that song but for the sake of this blog, let’s assume the vehicle has a blue oval with silver letters.
October 24, 2015. The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh’s grand opening was today, with live music and food in the café, artist demonstrations downstairs, and paintings, ceramics, fiber, jewelry and other items (including our CDs) on display in the gallery. Co-founders Kate McGrady and Kate Wagle Hitmar have created a beautiful space, full of natural light and laid out in a way that makes it easy to browse or spend some time with a particular piece.
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October 18, 2015. Seven Springs knows how to handle snow. Heck, the resort makes the stuff during ski season! But our instruments prefer milder conditions so when there was an unseasonably early dusting this afternoon, our AutumnFest performances moved indoors. In addition to heat, we had tables full of folks to entertain. And between sets, we had the pleasure of hanging out with balloonist Sean Miller, who presented us with a custom banjo, and magician David Lawrence, who wowed us with his sleight of hand, making a playing card disappear and reappear. We know it was the same card because he let us mark it up first.
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October 17, 2015. We returned to The Saturday Light Brigade today for another interview with host Larry Berger. In addition to music, the weekly radio program features trivia so we challenged Larry to identify things he has in common with Gary (aka Boy Hillbilly). Larry knew that they both have chemical engineering degrees and worked as environmental engineers in prior lives. But he wasn't aware that Gary has been DJing a weekly radio program this fall, subbing for Ken Batista on WYEP's "An American Sampler." Two former hazardous waste experts spinning CDs on air? Must be something in the water ; )
September 30, 2015. “One Meatball” is more than 150 years old but it’s not widely known, at least not among the folks we run into. So imagine our surprise when a chorus of voices joined in during our workshop tonight with the Steel City Ukuleles. It turns out that a previous presenter had taught them the song. And he did a great job! We were very impressed with their delivery, especially on the punch line.
September 26, 2015. Tonight's Folkside Coffeehouse, presented by the Columbus Folk Music Society, began with an auction. Joe, the emcee and auctioneer, pointed to a comfy couch in front of the folding chairs and explained that the two highest bidders would be entitled to sit on the couch during the concert. They could not take the couch home but could help carry it back to the room from which it was borrowed. The auction commenced and when it was over we thanked the winners for supporting live music and also giving us material for our blog.
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September 19, 2015. Joel Mabus blew us away at MAMA's Coffeehouse in Bloomfield Hills, MI tonight. We'd heard his recordings but had never seen him live and were very impressed by his musicianship, storytelling and rapport with the crowd. It was an honor to open for him and also to add our band's name to the quilt that hangs on stage during the popular monthly concert series.
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September 18, 2015. In addition to turning grapes and blackberries into award-winning wines, Matus Winery in Wakeman, OH hosts live music twice a week. Tonight we performed on the patio while folks sipped Chardonnays and Zins and savored the last weekend of summer. Many of the tables were full and the four women sitting directly in front of us were especially encouraging, clapping and singing along, and squeezing their chairs together to make room for us when we took a break. If there were an award for audiences, this crew would be in the running, for sure.
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September 9, 2015. We hit a major unexpected detour en route to a gig tonight, causing a bit of vocalizing and foot stomping in the car (not the musical kind). Fortunately, the pleasant crowd at Longwood at Oakmont, a retirement community, helped us shake it all off by laughing at our jokes and clapping heartily at the end of each song. Plus, our friends, Pam and Gordon, were at the show, and we got to hang out with them and some of their neighbors afterwards. None of these folks had to drive home, which made us a little envious, but the ride back to Squirrel Hill turned out to be quick and easy.
September 3, 2015. As founder and executive director of the Sunny Pugar Memorial Inc., Annie Pugar arranges for musicians to perform in area hospitals. But she does much more than that, going above and beyond to provide a good experience for everyone -- patients, staff and performers. Today, she met us at the curb in front of Forbes Hospital in Monroeville to help unload equipment, along with Sue Cox, the hospital's director of rehabilitation services, and also escorted us back to our car after the concert. She's doing a great job of honoring the life of her husband, a drummer, by bringing people together through music. (PS The organization's annual fundraising concert is October 15 at the Meadows.)
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August 22, 2015. It was a beautiful day for a ride in the country, which is how we got to Pittsburgh Magazine’s Farm Dinner, hosted this year by Jamison Farm in Latrobe. After an opening set during cocktails, we joined 100 guests for a multi-course meal catered by Six Penn Kitchen and featuring locally-sourced ingredients. One of the fields was transformed into a dining area and from our seats we could see sheep, horses, and a barn cat. It was all quite lovely. We’re not looking to move out of the city but we can understand why that barn cat looked so content.
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August 6, 2015. We had a great turnout for our "Concert in the Courtyard" at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, including kin we'd never met before -- members of the Asbury Heights Hillbillies, a band from a nearby retirement community. What a friendly bunch! They arrived early, giving us all a chance to get to know each other a bit. We talked about ukes and washboards and other musical treasures while we tuned up our instruments and when we started playing, there they were, smiling from the front row. We're hoping we run into them again soon.
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August 2, 2015. Wigle Whiskey's Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden on Pittsburgh's Northside is cool straight up so imagine what happens when you add food trucks, a cookie table, and live music! That's what a couple of newlyweds did tonight and it was quite a celebration. The setting was especially well suited for one of our favorite songs, Bruce Cockburn's Barrelhouse. We ended up reprising it later because we figured it would only get better with age.
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July 25, 2015. Gateway Lodge always treats us real' nice but last night Jody, Ralph, Charles and the rest of the staff outdid themselves with a surprise birthday presentation for a certain hillbilly after our evening performance. The zucchini brownie, topped with ice cream, chocolate sauce and a candle, was a treat but it was the singing that really impressed us. Such enthusiasm! This crew totally gets the hospitality thing.
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July 4, 2015. We spent Independence Day communing with the breezes, trees, rocks, rills, woods and hills along the Great Allegheny Passage. 'Tis a sweet land indeed.
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June 28, 2015. We provided music at the Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church on Pittsburgh's North Side this morning, sharing the pulpit with an inspiring woman named Tereneh Mosely, founder of Olorgesailie Maasai Women Artisans (OMWA) - Idia'Dega, a global, eco-fashion design collaboration. She shared her vision of service as a creative endeavor that engages parties as equals in a celebration of beauty and sustainability. She also told a funny story about mistaking the sound of a jeep engine for a lion's roar.
June 25, 2015. It rained on and off throughout the day which didn't seem to bother the chickens at Shady Side Academy's Junior School. (We're not name calling; they have real live birds there!) But the ground was soaked and the slides and swings were slippery so our "Notes from the Playground" summer concert, presented by The Hillman Center for Performing Arts, moved indoors to the gymnasium. On one side, chairs, mats, bean bags and blankets provided a variety of seating options. On the other side, there were jump ropes and hula hoops for the more active. Our intergenerational audience spanned almost eight decades and, as far as we could tell, everyone played real' nice with each other.
June 21, 2015. Mother Nature must agree that the Summer Solstice is a fitting day for a rally to raise awareness about climate change, because she called off the thunderstorms that were predicted and sent gentle breezes to take the edge off the sweltering heat. Pittsburgh 350 organized the event and the crowd didn't need any "warming up"; folks were smiling and waving earth-friendly signs even before we started our set.
June 6, 2015. Market Square was a busy place today, full of locals playing chess, Urban Dare teams looking for checkpoints, and passersby heading to the Three Rivers Arts Festival. At one end, window washers in a cherry picker cleaned PPG Place's shimmering glass exterior and at the other end, a new high rise was being constructed. It was just our kind of scene and we felt lucky to be part of another summer music series presented by the Market Square Merchant Association with support from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Special thanks to Brock who set up the tent and then startled us by requesting an obscure oldie that was already on our playlist!
June 5, 2015. We provided entertainment for a private party tonight organized by a woman's extended family in honor of her 70th birthday. This was a lively bunch and there were several rounds of roasting along with a "panel discussion" of experts, ages 3-12, who responded to questions about what makes a good grandmother. Notably, a penchant for singing was mentioned as a desirable quality.
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May 24, 2015. We headed east for the weekend to commune with family, friends, and turtles. There wasn't room in the kayak for instruments but we managed to squeeze in a rehearsal while minding kin at the playground.
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May 16, 2015. We had two gigs today and both catered to families with children but at different phases of life. At the Pittsburgh Children's Theater Festival, adults were holding babies, pushing strollers, and following toddlers as they explored interactive exhibits near the outdoor stage. At the next event, a reception at Carnegie Mellon University, college seniors arrived with relatives in town for graduation ceremonies. Over the course of the day, we didn't see a single feud, just a bunch of folks who seemed to be enjoying each others' company.
May 14, 2015. We spent the afternoon in Butler County, performing at a nursing home
run by Concordia Lutheran Ministries, and we took a roadie with us. She
pushed a heavy cart full of equipment, escorted and socialized with
dozens of residents, and even joined us for a couple of songs. After all
that, we decided to give her a break and let her rest on the way home.
She couldn't help with the driving anyway because she has to wait
another six years before she can apply for her license.
May 9, 2015. This afternoon, we drove out past Pittsburgh International Airport and then followed the Ohio River northwest to Bocktown Beer and Grill in Monaca, PA. The restaurant, known for its extensive selection of craft beers, presents live acoustic music every Saturday afternoon and we were the featured performers this week. It was a beautiful day so we set up outside on a lovely covered patio known as the "Beer Garden." They also have a "Beer Library" but we didn't check anything out ; )
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May 2-3, 2015. What does it take to put on a successful weekend-long event attracting throngs of music lovers? The Columbus Folk Music Society seems to have figured it out. We just returned from the 19th annual Central Ohio Folk Festival and were very impressed by so many elements from the signage which helped guide visitors from miles away, to the friendly yellow-shirted volunteers staffing the registration table, tagging instruments in the lock up tent, and selling merch for musicians who were performing or running a workshop. We want to give a special shout out to festival co-directors Art and Sharon; to Mike, who ran sound for the main stage; and to Diane who encouraged us to apply.
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May 1, 2015. During the break between sets at the Plain Folk Cafe Music and Coffeehouse in Ohio tonight, we met a crafty fellow named Donald who builds instruments out of recycled materials. The beauty on top is a 6-string bass mandolin whose neck used to belong to a guitar. And the banjo below features a Chevy hubcap and a resonator made from a metal pickle tray. Yeah, that's what we said!
April 8. 2015. Tonight, we performed at Mansions on Fifth, a boutique hotel in a restored estate situated along Pittsburgh's former "Millionaire's Row." An employee met us at the gate, helped us unload our equipment, and valet parked our car. After we tuned up, we took a little tour, marveling at the quarter-sawn oak paneling, stained glass windows, and majestic staircase in the Grand Hall. We decided to keep our shoes on for this gig.
March 22, 2015. We returned to Lakewood Public Library in Ohio today, the last stop on our March Midwest Mini-tour, for another Sunday afternoon concert presented by the Friends of the Library. As folks filed into the auditorium, a woman asked if it would be just the two of us performing. We told her yes, unaware that a couple of strategically placed spotlights would throw shadows on the wall behind us, turning our duo into a 6-piece band. We were facing the wrong way to catch it, but we heard the effect was pretty cool.
March 21, 2015. Sue Hannibal and her husband, Jerry, hosted another house concert for us in Cleveland Heights, OH tonight. In attendance were several folks we met when we performed there in 2013 along with a few new faces, and our hosts also live streamed the show from their iPad so their son could watch from Chicago. We felt like the Peregrine Falcons being filmed by Nest Cams back in Pittsburgh!
March 20, 2015. We drove to Lake Orion, MI today, about 40 miles northwest of Detroit, for the first of three gigs in a 3-day March Midwest mini tour. This was our second time performing at the Acoustic Showcase hosted by Maggie Ferguson, a musician and folk DJ at WXOU. Maggie's husband, Jack, runs the sound board wearing a Stetson, which he let us borrow for Cowboy Song. The poor soul we were singing about would have been proud to sport a hat as fine as that one.
February 20, 2015. Tonight we opened for David Bromberg at the Rex Theater on Pittsburgh's Southside. The venue was full of fans of this legendary musician, a former student of the Reverend Gary Davis who has collaborated with George Harrison, Doc Watson, Pete Seeger, John Prine and many other wonderful artists over his 40+ year career. It was a thrill to meet him and his band mates -- Butch Armiot on bass, Josh Kanusky on drums, Nate Grower on fiddle, Mark Cosgrove on guitar and mandolin, and guest saxophonist Eric Lawrence. It was also fun to see so many of our friends at the show, including several members of the folk orchestra we used to play with and Bruce, who was looking dapper in his new cowboy hat.
February 7, 2015. Whether we're performing or sitting in the audience, we consider house concerts to be ideal venues. Live acoustic music just feels right in such a relaxed, intimate setting, where it's easy to connect with other people. That was our experience last night at a house concert in Pittsburgh. The warm and generous hosts, Pat and Wilburn, opened their home, rearranging furniture and borrowing extra chairs to make sure everyone was comfortable. Pat joined us for a song, which was especially fun, and lots of folks chanted during the interludes in Dharma Jane, one of two originals we premiered. The other new song, Bittersweet, is not a singalong but Gary's mouth trombone elicited a nice response.
January 18, 2015. We had a great audience for our show at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel today. We were especially happy to see our friend Bruce, who brought two companions with him. Our setlist included the latest version of Etchings, which we modified about two hours before our performance. We're having a very hard time letting this song be done. Maybe it's because "relentlessness" is one of the themes!
January 17, 2015. The Strip District Music Fest drew mobs of music lovers today to the gritty Pittsburgh neighborhood known for its independent restaurants, coffee shops, and specialty food markets. It's also full of colorful characters like Johnny, a parking lot attendant whose smile is as bright as his reflector jacket. We ran into him after our gig at the Thin Man Sandwich Shop and, spotting our instruments, he offered to sing for us. What a performance! We hope to see him on stage at next year's festival.
January 9, 2015. We saw a number of familiar faces today at our "Emerging Legends" concert presented by Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society and the University Library System at Pitt. This gave us the confidence we needed to try two brand new songs: "Bittersweet," an edgy blues shuffle, and "Etchings," a slice-of-life piece about a soldier coming home. The lyrics are up on our website and we're still tinkering so feedback is welcome.
January 6, 2015. Slippery roads and frigid temps this morning prevented our audience from getting to Community LIFE - McKeesport, a day program for independent senior citizens, so we took our show to a nearby high rise apartment building where some of them live. While we set up our sound equipment, aides knocked on residents' doors and we ended up with a friendly group of folks whose warm smiles could have easily melted the snow on the ground. It was a pleasure to spend some time with them along with Bonnie, Hailey and several other Community LIFE employees who seem to have a wonderful rapport with the individuals they serve.
January 5, 2015. Norm Mast and Al Kniola co-host a weekly radio program called The Back Porch on WVPE 88/1 FM Public Radio in South Bend/ Elkhart, IN, and last night they played tracks from their Top Albums of 2014 and said all kinds of friendly things about us and other artists they featured, including The Early Mays, Joe Crookston, Louise Mosrie, and The Stray Birds. We were listening in through the online stream and singing along : )
January 1, 2015. They say a change of scenery can help spark creativity and our retreat in the woods has yielded four new songs. We finished one after climbing a fire tower and another after a walk down to the Clarion River. We have no idea where the other two songs came from but we're very happy they'll be coming back to Pittsburgh with us.
December 26. 2014. We performed for dinner guests at Gateway Lodge in Pennsylvania's Cook Forest tonight, and then, thanks to a nice little bartering arrangement, checked into one of the lodge's cabins, surrounded by old growth, to work on new songs.
December 21, 2014. We provided music for a special Winter Solstice celebration tonight, in collaboration with the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh's Dance Choir. The theme was cleaning house (metaphorically) and the original choreography incorporated sweeping, packing things up, and setting the table for guests. We really enjoyed watching the dancers' movements and expressions, especially during the lively postlude.
December 19, 2014. We love having a music store right down the street so we stopped by Acoustic Music Works this evening, during their Customer Appreciation Night, to show *our* appreciation for Steve and Raymond.
December 4, 2014.
'Tis the season for "best of" lists so here's our "Top 10 Folk DJs of
2014" based on radio play of our original songs this year. If you don't live close enough to pick up FM broadcasts by these wonderful hosts, you can tune in through the station's online stream.
Jim Rogers, Modern Troubadours, WIUP 91.3 FM, Indiana, PA
Joe Pszonek, Radio Nowhere, WMSC 90.3 FM, Montclair, NJ
Maggie Ferguson, Old Front Porch, WXOU 88.3 FM, Auburn Hills, MI
Richard Gordon, The Music Room, WVUD 91.3 FM, Newark, DE
Artie Martello, Mostly Folk, WIOX 91.3 FM, Roxbury, NY
GW Galbreath, Breakfast Special, KAOS 89.3 FM, Olympia, WA
Sandy Blumenfeld, American Crossroads, WNMC 90.7FM, Traverse City, MI
Kathy Forste, KC Cafe Radio, Kansas City, MO
Jim Fisher, Down Home Folk and Bluegrass, WGCS 91.1 FM, Goshen, IN
Jim Schwall, For the Sake of the Song, WORT 89.9 FM, Madison, WI
Jim Rogers, Modern Troubadours, WIUP 91.3 FM, Indiana, PA
Joe Pszonek, Radio Nowhere, WMSC 90.3 FM, Montclair, NJ
Maggie Ferguson, Old Front Porch, WXOU 88.3 FM, Auburn Hills, MI
Richard Gordon, The Music Room, WVUD 91.3 FM, Newark, DE
Artie Martello, Mostly Folk, WIOX 91.3 FM, Roxbury, NY
GW Galbreath, Breakfast Special, KAOS 89.3 FM, Olympia, WA
Sandy Blumenfeld, American Crossroads, WNMC 90.7FM, Traverse City, MI
Kathy Forste, KC Cafe Radio, Kansas City, MO
Jim Fisher, Down Home Folk and Bluegrass, WGCS 91.1 FM, Goshen, IN
Jim Schwall, For the Sake of the Song, WORT 89.9 FM, Madison, WI
October 26, 2014. We got a warm welcome from the staff at the Dayton Metro Library when we arrived this afternoon. Then, just as we strummed the opening chord of our first song, our good friend, Brenda Jean, who is living in Columbus, showed up with a big grin on her face. We performed for an hour and afterwards, several patrons approached us to chat about music and other pleasantries. That's what we call a good gig.
October 25, 2014. We're in St. Louis for a Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM) conference where we're doing showcases presented by Pump House Concerts, AccessFilmMusic, KC Cafe Radio, and FARM. We're also attending workshops and connecting in person with folks we've gotten to know through email, videos and radio broadcasts. No barn raising or hog calling but plenty of other fun things going on.
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October 23, 2014: Andrew Carnegie very generously provided funds to help build the Shelby County Public Library in Shelbyville, IN so when we performed there tonight we invited him to join us on stage. He agreed on one condition: that he get to play steel strings. The jumbo Taylor was too big for him so we gave him the mando.
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October 23, 2014. We chatted live on air with Penny Lane on Giant 96 WSVX in Shelbyville, IN this afternoon. This was a closed session but we agreed to allow a special guest to sit in. Daisy, a mini pincher, is well versed in studio protocol. She was quiet and calm and kept her paws off the faders.
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October 18, 2014. Canadian illusionists Ted and Marion Outerbridge kicked off the Hillman Center for Performing Arts' 2014-15 season tonight and we provided live music for a pre-show family-friendly HarvestFest party and a post-show adults-only OktoberFest party. None of our instruments disappeared and we managed to avoid being cut in half, all of which was a huge relief. We tried our hands at levitation but the uke bass was being stubborn so we performed right-side up, with our feet planted firmly on the floor.
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October 12, 2014. "Bless you man" is on the playlist for this week's edition of the nationally-syndicated Midnight Special, hosted by Rich Warren. Broadcast on more than 100 stations across North America, the 2-hour program is described as a "weekly aberration of folk music and farce, show tunes and satire, madness and escape." That's our kind of radio show.
September 28, 2014. We were the featured artists tonight on the "Hootenanny Cafe," a weekly radio program hosted by Jon Stein on WTBQ Radio 93.5 FM in Warwick, NY. Jon is a great supporter of independent artists, introducing them to his listeners with enthusiasm. He made sure to let folks know where to find us online and included a bonus track at the end of the show. It was our first radio encore.
September 27, 2014. We just picnicked in Mellon Park with Richard Gordon, bass player with Tater Patch, an old time country music band, and host of "The Music Room" broadcast on WVUD 91.3 FM in Newark, DE. He brought treats to share : )
September 21, 2014. We performed at a private party this afternoon at Pittsburgh's Choderwood, a unique event venue and B&B. Tucked away from the rest of the city, the place is magical, with exquisite gardens, lovely water features, mature trees, and a tranquil walking path that leads down to a dock with two house boats. We saw chickens and ducks and a rooster crowed during our sound check. We were hoping he might join us for some three-part harmonies but he seemed content where he was, perched on a hillside overlooking the Allegheny River.
September 6, 2014. The boat house at the Steel City Rowing Club is full of gigantic racing shells, the second floor deck affords spectacular views of the Allegheny River, and the recreational complex is green. These are some of the discoveries we made during today's gig in Verona, PA. We also made some new friends and ran into a few folks we hadn't seen in a long time.
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September 3, 2014. A few students from a downtown high school approached us today while we were setting up for our lunch time gig in Market Square, sponsored by KDKA News, Star 100.7 FM, and the merchant association. The teens were friendly and curious about our instruments and sound equipment. When we found out one is an accomplished guitarist, we handed him the jumbo Taylor and asked him to play. He was shy at first but quickly found his groove and provided a lovely private concert for us and his peers.
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August 23, 2014. Check out the new stage at Silver Maple House Concerts in New Eagle, PA! Built by Phil, nephew of hosts Deb and Steve Cheplic, the sturdy, level structure looks like it grew out of the gorgeous tree under which it sits. After we finished our second set tonight, Phil's apprentice, Sophie (age 4), danced around the platform, delighting us and other night owls who hung around to socialize, including baby sister, Grace; mom, Katie; Scarecrow Bob; and a rowdy bunch of cicadas.
August 18, 2014. A police officer was stationed near the performance tent in Pittsburgh's Market Square today. We chatted with him while we set up our equipment and after our sound check we asked him what kind of music he likes. "The kind of stuff you play," he said. Aw shucks! It was fun to perform for him along with the business people, tourists, and other folks milling around downtown during the lunch hour.
Photo by Dot Harvison
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August 17, 2014. We performed this afternoon on an outdoor stage constructed from an old farm wagon adorned with a saw, a pitch fork, a hoe and other tools. How cool is that? The venue was J&D Cellars, a small vineyard and winery located about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. It was a warm, sunny day but a roof afforded us protection and folks socializing and sipping wine found shade under a large tent and on a beautifully-landscaped patio surrounded by mature trees. Owners John and Dot host a lot of special events on their 16-acre property so if you missed this one you'll have other chances to visit.
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August 12, 2014. We had a nice chat with Chris Kocher, host of The Signal on WHRW 90.5 FM Binghamton, by telephone tonight. In addition to being a DJ, Chris is a journalist so he knows how to prep for an interview. Great questions! We got so caught up in the conversation we forgot we were live on air. Hopefully we didn't say anything incriminating...
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August 9, 2014. Pittsburgh magazine teamed up with Six Penn Kitchen to host a farm dinner tonight, with proceeds benefitting the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation Free Care Fund. The special event took place at Turner Dairy Farms in Saltsburg, about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. We performed before and after the gourmet meal which featured locally-sourced ingredients. Prepared and served under the direction of Executive Chef Corey Hughes and General Manager Dave Fortunato, the food looked and tasted amazing. And the setting was lovely, too, with beautiful views from both sides of the table.
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August 8, 2014. A stink bug made a cameo appearance during our performance at The Pittsburgh Golf Club tonight, commandeering one of our vocal mics and then the other. We let her have her five minutes of fame before giving her the hook. Later on, a troupe of dancers sashayed over in bathing suits still wet from the pool. We liked their moves so we hired them on the spot, along with a lighting crew of fireflies and an orchestra of crickets. What a production! We are grateful to Dave for helping us scout out the perfect venue.
August 5, 2014. We crossed the Allegheny River twice to get to our gig at the Oakmont Carnegie Library tonight and some of the folks who came to see us perform traveled even farther. But there were a number of locals, too, and one ran home to get his hand percussion so he could accompany us on a song. He did a great job, which we expected, given his name. Thanks, Bongo Tommy! We appreciate your talent and enthusiasm : )
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August 2, 2014. Tonight, the house plant that helped inspire our original song, "Strange Life," bloomed. This happens once a year and lasts only a few hours. Too bad this blog doesn't have a scratch and sniff feature because the fragrance was tremendous.
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July 28, 2014. Scott Regan hosts "Open Tunings" every weekday morning on WRUR 88.5 FM in Rochester and WITH 90.1 FM in Ithaca and today we stopped by the studio to chat and play a few songs on air. Friendly and accessible, Scott is a great supporter of independent music, sharing an eclectic mix of folk, rock and other genres, and he's developed quite a following throughout the Finger Lakes region. In fact, several folks who showed up for our gig at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County said they had heard us on his show. Thanks for the plugs, Scott!
July 27, 2014. Several of our songs mention chickens and tonight, en route from a gig at Spot Coffee in Buffalo to two more in Rochester, we got to hang out with a whole flock of them, along with two horses, a barn cat and the family that runs the picturesque organic farm they all share. Our hosts, Ed, Mary and their daughters, Clare and Sarah, prepared a feast of locally-sourced produce and then we retired to the living room to play fiddle tunes and folk songs together. If it hadn't started pouring, we reckon the chickens would have continued dancing in the yard.
July 26, 2014. Todd Crowley, custodian of Todd's Musical Petting Zoo, has an impressive collection of instruments and a fine group of musician friends, some of whom we met tonight in Corry, PA. The evening began with a lively jam outside then everyone moved indoors where we performed in a charming parlor, with guitars, fiddles, ukes and mandolins hanging on the walls. Afterwards, there was conversation and more jamming. In a place like Todd's, it's hard to put away your axe and go to sleep.
July 25, 2014. Today was a certain hillbilly's birthday and we celebrated by picnicking with friends at WYEP's "Final Friday" concert in Schenley Plaza. Our buddy Wes Conroy and his Grand Piano bandmates did a great set and we were glad to see so many folks enjoying the live music, including WYEP's Bruce Mountjoy whose path we happily keep crossing.
July 21, 2014. It was raining in Fredericksburg, VA tonight so our "Music on the Steps" concert, sponsored by the Central Rappahanock Regional Library, moved indoors. Lynda Baer, program coordinator at the library for 29 years, assured us that folks wouldn't be deterred. And she was right; the library's theater was full by the time our show began. This was an attentive audience and we appreciated their readiness to be entertained and their sense of humor, even when we sang about rubbernecking, which is no laughing matter here in the I-95 corridor.
July 19, 2014. We crossed the Allegheny River tonight to perform in the elegant home of our friends, Dave and Louise, who live just north of Pittsburgh. They set us up in front of a floor-to-ceiling picture window, creating a natural backdrop of lush trees. Most of the 40+ guests had never been to a house concert before but this was an adventuresome crowd and every seat was claimed, including the ones directly in front of us. Dave joined us for one song, impressing everyone with his beautiful, resonant voice and dramatic delivery. Music is especially magical when it is shared in an intimate setting.
July 18, 2014. A few years ago, a good friend of ours responded to an act of aggression with the words, "Bless you, Man." In addition to inspiring a new song, she got us thinking about forgiveness and ever since we've been on the lookout for unheralded heroes who practice it. Folks like Colin Albright. Mr. Albright was the victim of a violent crime and yesterday he asked a judge in Pittsburgh to make sure that the man convicted of attacking him would receive the help he needs rather than be "abandoned and forgotten in the system and left to rot in prison." Mr. Albright also made a point of speaking with the defendant's family, reporting “there was a lot of mutual sympathy between us, and that’s how it should be.” Amen.
July 7, 2014. Despite a plot devised by an airport shuttle driver and security worker to make us miss our flight, we departed on time today and arrived back in Pittsburgh, with all of our instruments in tact (thank you, US Airways!). The long journey home gave us a chance to reflect on our travels and make some notes, which we hope might be useful to folks who are planning a similar adventure. You can read them online at http://www.squirrelhillbillies.com/nuggets.html.
July 6, 2014. We walked around London today, stopping in to meet Alex and Drew who organize a monthly concert series called The Country Soul Sessions. Like all of the other presenters we've encountered here, they are great supporters of independent artists and very friendly as well. We would have loved to stay to listen to their lineup featuring Americana music but we had our own gig to perform at The Harrison near Kings Cross where, as fate would have it, our audience included an American family from Pennsylvania. We enjoyed meeting Ed and Laurie and their teenaged sons and are looking forward to seeing them again back in the States.
July 5, 2014. It was raining when we arrived in Wales last night but skies were clear for the Swansea Community Farm's summer festival today. One of the other bands performing was a local rock orchestra with an uncanny resemblance to the folk orchestra we used to a part of. Capably led by a multi instrumental music educator, the group meets weekly to rehearse, attracting as many as 30 musicians some nights. Eleven members came for the festival gig and they sounded great. They invited us to join in on a couple of songs and we really enjoyed rocking out with them. A shout out to Keith, their director, and our gracious hosts, Alyson, John and Chelsea, who took us to see the city's spectacular coastline before driving us back to the train station.
July 4, 2014. We stopped off in Bath this afternoon to record an interview with Richard Harris, host of a weekly folk and blues program on Somer Valley FM, broadcast on 97.5 FM from Midsomer Norton in Somerset County and streamed online. Conversation flowed freely among the three of us, and from the radio studio we headed over to a pub together. Fish and chips, local lager and cider on tap taste especially good when you are in good company : )
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July 3, 2014. We've had the pleasure of opening for some fine musicians and tonight some fine musicians opened for us at the D3W3 Alton Folk & Roots Club in Hampshire County. It was the debut performance of a local duo called KingSmith but members Dylan and Karl didn't seem the least bit nervous. They set a nice tone for the evening with their joviality and David, the sound engineer, mixed their guitars and vocals beautifully. We're so glad that Lewis Jones, the club's well-loved organizer, arranged for them to be part of the concert.
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July 2, 2014. We ran into the Queen of England this morning. For real and true! She was in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games and smiled and waved at us (and other enchanted onlookers) from 10 feet away. Later, we headed to Dunfermline, north of Edinburgh, where our gracious hosts, Jeanie and Isobel, retrieved us from the train station, took us on a tour of their beautiful, historic town (the birthplace of Andrew Carnegie), and fed us a delicious home-cooked meal. Then the Dunfermline Folk Club welcomed us as the featured performers for their weekly session, listening attentively and lavishing us with gifts. That's what we call the royal treatment.
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July 1, 2014. In communities all across the UK, folk clubs meet regularly in pubs and other venues to give people the opportunity to play music with or for each other. This tradition is one of the reasons we were eager to come here and tonight we began a three day run of folk club experiences at the Star Folk Club in Glasgow. We had the pleasure of opening for another duo, Sandy Brechin and Ewan Wilkinson, who perform Scottish, Irish and English traditional songs and tunes, along with contemporary folk songs, and original compositions. We really enjoyed their music, the attentiveness of the audience, and the lively conversation during the break between acts. We also appreciated the warm welcome by club organizers Tom, Ian and Barbara.
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June 30, 2014. As soon as we got off the train in Liverpool, we felt like we'd come home. What a great city... pedestrian friendly, architecturally rich, and full of folks who love live music! After wandering around town for a bit, we headed over to The Caledonia to set up for our show with the Ukulele Uff and Lonesome Dave Trio, an extraordinarily talented band specializing in music of the 1920s and 1930s. We each did a set and a highlight of the evening for us was when trio members Chris, Bill, and Dave joined us, along with the bar's owner, Laura, for a song.
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June 29, 2014. We made our UK debut at the Leigh Folk Festival today, the largest free folk festival in England. The view from the Peter Boat Stage was spectacular, with a sea of music lovers in the foreground and the Thames Estuary behind. After our set, we stashed our instruments at the Old Leigh Studios art gallery and roamed the Festival grounds for hours. We were very impressed with the quantity and quality of performances. Paul Collier, artistic director, and the rest of the Festival committee did a fantastic job with the planning.
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June 28, 2014. We landed in England this morning for our UK Tour and managed to stave off jet lag by staying very busy. First we navigated immigration, which involved spending some time in a holding pen reserved for travelers like us, who require a little extra attention. Then we hauled all of our luggage on the Underground and hopped on a train to Essex, east of London. Once we got settled, we took a very long walk along the Thames Estuary which meets up with the North Sea just a few miles from where we ended up. It was an invigorating way to begin our travels.
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Photo by Shelagh Collins
June 14, 2014. Three years ago, we squatted on an empty stage at the Three Rivers Arts Festival and drew a crowd of friendly folks who didn't realize we had no business being up there. It was quite a thrill. Today, we returned for another Festival appearance and this one was 100% legit, complete with a paycheck, promotion, and professionally-supplied sound (thanks, Larry Acklin!). All of that would have been more than enough but we were also presented with a sweet bartering deal: Samantha Momeyer, a potter who had watched us perform from her booth, offered us a piece of her stoneware in exchange for a copy of our new CD, "Goody Shoes." We got a real kick out of perusing her wares and making our selection.
June 6, 2014. We were in Mt. Lebanon tonight where throngs ventured out under clear skies for live music, face painting, magic, balloon art and more. The pedestrian-friendly community, located a few miles south of Pittsburgh, hired crossing guards for the special "First Fridays" event, and we could see their reflective vests and hear their whistles from the stage erected for us at one end of the main drag. What a nice way to encourage folks to go for a stroll, socialize with neighbors, and patronize local establishments.
June 4, 2014. Goody Shoes rose to #19 on the May list of top albums compiled by the Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart!
May 14, 2014. It felt like spring today (finally!), with heat radiating from the asphalt in the area blocked off downtown for the Pittsburgh International Children's Festival. But that didn't keep the gregarious Pittsburgh Zoo polar bear mascot away. That dude has some moves and we can only imagine the sweat he worked up under all of that fur as he danced to our music. We were hoping to get a selfie with him after our set but he was gone by then, probably cooling off in the nearby Allegheny River.
May 11, 2014. We called in to Radio Nowhere On WMSC, a weekly program broadcast on 90.3 FM in Montclair, NJ and streamed online, for a live interview with producer and host Joe Pszonek tonight. Joe was one of the very first folk DJs to spin our debut CD, released in 2012, and he's been a great supporter ever since. He asked why and how we write songs together and what it's like to do our own booking and publicity, said all kinds of friendly things, and let us choose which tracks to play during the show. What more could a couple of unsigned, independent artists ask for? Joe is at the top of our charts : )
May 11, 2014. We performed a special Mothers Day concert yesterday at an assisted living and skilled nursing facility in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood. The well-attended event, which included refreshments and time for socializing, was arranged by our friend Hugh as a gift for his 93-year old mother. What a nice way to spend the afternoon. We enjoyed getting to know Jane, the guest of honor, and some of her neighbors, including a man who used to play guitar before Parkinson's Disease set in. His passion for music remains strong and we talked shop after the show.
May 10, 2014. Richard Gordon, producer and host of "The Music Room" on WVUD 91.3 FM in Newark, DE, is in Pittsburgh for the weekend and stopped by this morning to interview us. Like so many radio personalities, Richard is a musician, too, and conversation flowed easily as we discussed the joys of playing music for and with other people. Before packing up his digital audio recorder, he asked if we would do a station identification. That was a first for us and we didn't even try to mask our excitement. Folks tuning in will surely be able to tell we were grinning from ear to ear when they hear us say "We are the Squirrel Hillbillies and you are listening to WVUD and WVUD HD-1, community radio at the University of Delaware."
May 9, 2014. We spoke by phone with Artie Martello, host of Mostly Folk WIOX 91.3 FM in Roxbury, NY, during his weekday morning radio show today. We talked about the usual things -- songwriting, recording, raising chickens -- and when we hung up he played a whole lot of tracks from our new CD, Goody Shoes. What a mensch. We're grateful for his generosity and encouragement.
May 7, 2014. We are thrilled to have made the Folk Music Radio Airplay Charts for April 2014 for most played artists (#39), most played albums (Goody Shoes, #35) and most played songs (Old Dry Bones, #69). This could never have happened without the support of folk DJs like Ken Batista at WYEP-FM, Joe Pszonek at Radio Nowhere On WMSC, Artie Martello at Mostly Folk WIOX 91.3, Bob Brown at WNMC Radio, Jim Rogers at WIUP-FM, Jim Fisher at 91.1 The Globe, Maggie Ferguson at WXOU 88.3 The Grizz, Norm Mast at 88.1 WVPE Public Radio and others who give independent artists an opportunity to reach listeners around the world.
May 4, 2014. We wrapped up our TN "Southern Exposure" Tour at a Songwriters' Night hosted by Deb Champion at the Commodore Grille. These sessions are conducted "in the round" and we enjoyed swapping songs with Patrick Britt, a talented young man from Athens, GA. We also appreciated the encouragement from the audience, especially one man who rose to his feet as the three of us cleared the stage. We think he was kin to Patrick, but it still felt awful' good to get a standing ovation in Nashville ; )
May 4, 2014. We couldn't have asked for a better Nashville debut on Sunday, scoring a gig in a spectacular downtown venue that heavily promoted our show and even provided roadies to help carry our equipment. A big thanks to the friendly staff at the Nashville Public Library, especially Heather, Crystal and Linda, for making us feel so welcome, and to all of the folks who joined us in the Courtyard Gallery or listened from downstairs.
May 3, 2014. Our impressions of Johnson City, TN, home of The Acoustic Coffeehouse, the second stop on our Southern Exposure Tour, is that it is full of musicians. From the customers playing old time music on the patio, to the folks performing a benefit concert next door, to the proprietor himself, cellist Jim Benelisha, there's a whole lot of picking and strumming going on just west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
May 3, 2014. We kicked off our Tennessee "Southern Exposure" Tour today with an appearance on the WDVX Blue Plate Special broadcast live in front of an audience from the Knoxville Visitors Center. The radio program, which runs six days a week all year long, features two acts and when our 30-minute set ended, legendary bluesman Roy Book Binder took to the stage. At 71, he's still touring in his mobile home and entertaining folks everywhere he goes.
May 1, 2014. By the time the doors opened at Club Cafe tonight, there was a long line of folks waiting to come in. The draw? The extraordinarily talented, creative, and hard working Joe Crookston, a touring artist from Ithaca, NY. Joe has been an inspiration to us and a mentor as well, generously sharing his insights about the art and business of making music, so we jumped at the opportunity to open for him (again). This time, Peter Glanville, Brad Yoder and Jason Rafalak shared the bill. What an incredible evening of music! The collaboration among performers made it especially fun.
Photo by Lynette Lederman
April 29, 2014. We rode the bus downtown this morning to receive a proclamation from Pittsburgh's City Council. The televised session gave us a great opportunity to plug organizations that support locally-sourced music, including Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society, the Saturday Light Brigade, AcoustiCafe, SongSpace at First Unitarian, and WYEP FM 91.3 (which, coincidentally, was also being honored with a proclamation today). Standing in the majestic chambers, under the illumination of enormous chandeliers, we couldn't pass up Councilman Corey O'Connor's invitation to perform a song. But we broke with our tradition and kept our shoes on for this gig, on account of all of the Honorables in the room.
April 26, 2014. We returned to Indiana, PA this morning for another live, in-studio interview with Jim Rogers, host of "Modern Troubadours" on WIUP FM 90.1. An enthusiastic supporter of independent artists, Jim covered all of the bases, promoting our new CD, announcing our upcoming gigs (especially our May 1 show with Joe Crookston at Club Cafe, which got three plugs!), and making sure we still had plenty of time to play music. Jim was so busy attending to us that he forgot to mention a music festival that he is helping to plan. So here's our plug: the Northern Appalachia Folk Festival will take place in Downtown Indiana September 5-6. Save the date!
April 25, 2014. We've had the great pleasure of meeting a number of folk DJs over the past few years, a few in person and dozens more online. When these music supporters are not spinning tracks or auditioning new CDs by independent artists, many are writing their own songs. For example, Mitch Bell, host of acousticsongs.com, who interviewed us on 91.7 fm WNJR : W&J Student Radio today, has a new release. You can listen to some tracks on his bandcamp site. (Today's interview with Mitch is archived at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SWPrdllHy4
April 5, 2014. What a thrill to open for The Steel Wheels at the Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society concert tonight! Trent, Jay, Brian and Eric put on a truly spectacular show. If you haven't run into these guys yet, check out their tour schedule to find out when they will be out your way. Or head to Virginia this summer for their Red Wing Roots Music Festival.
April 3, 2014. Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society presented us today as part of its "Emerging Legends" series, co-sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh. Concerts, which are free, take place in the Cup & Chaucer Cafe on the ground floor of Hillman Library, a popular spot for socializing and studying. We've emerged before (several times) so we weren't surprised when the place filled up with students, accompanied by laptops, tablets and phones. Occasionally one would catch our eye and smile and that's when the sweetest harmonies occurred.
Photo by Carol James
April 2, 2014. Last Saturday, we approached uke virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro lafter his Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society concert. We stood real' close, hoping to absorb a bit of his mojo in anticipation of our own Calliope concerts coming up: Emerging Legends tomorrow, Thursday, April 3, 12-1 at the University of Pittsburgh's Hillman Library and an opening set for The Steel Wheels at the Carnegie Lecture Hall this Saturday, April 5, 7:30 PM. We're gonna bring his signed program to both shows, for good luck.
Photo by Shelagh Collins
March 30, 2014. Barefoot, amidst a sea of friendly faces and thousands of circulating books, we had a whole lot of fun at our CD release party for "Goody Shoes" hosted by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill branch. A big thanks to special guest artist Jason Rafalak and everyone else who came out to celebrate with us.
March 29, 2014. We returned this morning to the Saturday Light Brigade, a weekly program broadcast on six radio stations in western PA and eastern OH and streamed online. The studio is full of state of the art equipment operated by a crew led by host Larry Berger. A former engineer, Larry looks very comfortable in front of the console, conversing naturally with his guests while turning dials and pushing buttons. His thoughtful questions and comments convey a genuine interest in the local arts community.
March 23, 2014. We ended our Michigan tour with an afternoon set at the Union Coffee House and Cafe, a family-owned establishment that celebrates originality through its menu, latte art, decor, and Sunday music sessions. The "U" is located in Buchanan, AKA "Redbud City" because of its abundance of redbud trees. It didn't occur to us until we were on our way home that we should have asked the barista to pour our steamed milk in the shape of a deciduous shrub. That would have been a nice visual to carry with us as we drove hundreds of miles over concrete on I-80.
March 22, 2014. In addition to friendly assistance from a crew of volunteers, warmth and applause from the audience, and gracious hospitality from our hosts, we received a parting gift at the end of our concert presented by the Grand River Folk Arts Society tonight: an acorn, hand crafted from a piece of South American mahogany. It is exquisite. And it is also just the right size for storing picks : )
March 21, 2014. For the past 11 years, Maggie Ferguson, a musician and folk radio DJ, and her husband, Jack, have hosted "Live! From the Living Room," a weekly acoustic music series in downtown Pontiac, MI. Two acts are showcased every Friday night and tonight, we shared the bill with another duo, Jimmy Foerch (AKA Banjo-Jim) and Ricky Novak. Ticket seller Andy (also a musician) told folks it costs twice as much to leave as to enter, and Jack, during his welcoming remarks, said he hopes no one is afraid of the F-word ("Folk"). It was a lively evening, full of laughs.
March 20, 2014. Tonight we performed from a raised platform overlooking the Raven Cafe, a "cultural and culinary mecca" in Port Huron, MI that serves up live music three nights a week. And to reach this platform, we had to climb a FIRE LADDER. No, we are not pulling your leg. We weren't exactly graceful but we managed to haul ourselves and our instruments up and down, with some assistance from a much sprier staff. If you ever have a chance to visit this place, do it. The atmosphere is incredible and the food is good, too. And if you ask real nice, they might even let you climb the ladder : )
March 20, 2014. Livonia Public Library in Michigan today for our Noontime Concert underwritten by the Livonia Arts Commission, the crew from Livonia Television was already there setting up not one, not two, but THREE video cameras! They asked for our permission (YES! YES!) and then filmed the entire show. It will air twice later this month on the local cable station.
March 13, 2014. Two highlights of performing at a special event presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust this morning: meeting David Newell (AKA Mr. McFeely from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood); and watching lots of tiny bubbles from a bubble machine float by while we played. The purpose of the special event was to let the press know about plans for the Pittsburgh International Children's Festival, which will be moving downtown this year. We'll be there for the opening day, on May 14.
March 4, 2014. We returned to Forward-Shady Apartments, a supportive housing community for senior citizens, to perform this afternoon. It had been over a year since our last visit and there were some new faces but we immediately recognized Helen. She showed up early so we got to chatting. What a storyteller! She regaled us with tales about growing up in a coal mining town with seven siblings and a few pets, including a dog who liked to drink beer. She gave us enough material for several new songs.
February 26, 2014. It's not uncommon to be offered a free meal when you perform at a venue where food is served. It's one of the perks used to sweeten the deal for starving artists. But tonight was the first time we were invited to eat BEFORE our show. During dinner at Longwood at Oakmont, part of Presbyterian SeniorCare, we learned that many activities are run by the residents themselves. Members of the Music Committee, for example, book artists for bi-weekly concerts and also promote the shows. And they do a great job; we had a full house for our evening performance. Seeing so many smiling faces was the icing on the cake after a tasty buffet.
February 6, 2014. We performed at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children today as part of the school's ongoing concert series that exposes students to a wide range of music. We decided to take some artistic risks and brought a few extra instruments along. The bass uke and crash cymbal garnered some attention but it was the mouth trombone that seemed to generate a buzz.
February 2, 2014. This past summer, when the Pittsburgh Public Market was renovating its new digs at 24th and Penn, manager Tiffany Emig invited us for a tour. Contractors were working on the electrical system so the floors were torn up and there was a lot of dust. Today we returned to serenade shoppers during the grand re-opening and we were relieved to see the lights were on. Even better, the place was clean and there was a sweet smell of roasted garlic in the air. Mmmm...
November 15, 2013. The 6th floor atrium of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh was transformed into a coffeehouse tonight, with live music, comfortable couches, and plenty of treats for patients' families to enjoy. In addition to the folks seated in front of us, we had listeners on the three floors above, whose waves we returned, between strums. The monthly coffeehouse is presented by the Sonny Pugar Memorial, Inc., named after a local drummer who shared the stage and studio with many other artists over the course of his career. What a beautiful way to honor his legacy of communing through music.
November 10, 2013. We don't like to judge a book by its cover but we suspect that if we had looked at the items checked out by patrons who attended our concert at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel today we would have found nursery rhymes, mysteries, romance novels, magazines, travel guides, and quite a few CDs. Libraries are a great venue for artists like us, who enjoy diverse audiences.
October 26, 2013. We headed back to Gateway Lodge in Cook Forest today, this time to perform at a special "Wine & Dine" event. What a classy affair! Each course was paired with a nectar and the sommelier described the selections using tasty phrases that got our creative juices flowing. Now we're thinking about concocting a new musical libation for our repertoire. True, hops are prominently featured in one of our originals, but grapes are a whole other food group.
October 20, 2013. During the break between sets at Bedner's Farm and Greenhouse's "Art Under Glass" fall festival, a woman approached us and said she had a song for us to learn. She didn't know the name but remembered how it went so we handed her the mic and here's what she sang:
On Monday we had bread and gravy,
Tuesday was gravy and bread,
Wednesday and Thursday were gravy and toast,
Which is really just gravy and bread,
So on Friday we went to the landlord,
To get something else instead,
And on Saturday morning by way of a change,
We had gravy without any bread.
Anyone recognize it? She said she used to sing it as a child... in the 1940s!
October 10, 2013. We would like to address a rumor circulating about our new CD project, "Goody Shoes." Yes, it's true that the fire department got involved during the photo shoot for our cover art. But we did *not* violate any city ordinances. If you don't believe us, you can ask the captain at Station 18 in Squirrel Hill.
October 6, 2013. We performed in the well-appointed auditorium of the Lakewood Public Library in Ohio yesterday and afterwards we hung around for a while with Sue Hannibal, who hosted us for a house concert last winter, and Michael, who works in the library's music department. All of that left us feeling musically and socially satiated but we weren't quite ready to head home, so we stopped by The Flying Fig for dinner. The Cleveland eatery has been part of the farm-to-table movement for more than a decade and the food and service are outstanding. While our meals were being prepared, we chatted with Ray, a friendly waiter who plays bass and has lived in Pittsburgh and New York. Needless to say, we had plenty to talk about : )
October 1, 2013. Thank you, Jeffrey Sisk, managing editor of the McKeesport Daily News, for reviewing our debut CD! We've been following your byline for a while now and we think you "shine," too : )
September 26, 2013. Last time the leaves started changing colors, we were celebrating the release of our debut CD of original folk, country and blues. This fall, we will be recording 12 new songs and we're very fortunate to have some great folks helping us. Will Russell, of Electric Wilburland in Ithaca, will be mixing and mastering our tracks. Will is a genius who has worked with many talented musicians, including Joe Crookston. Julie Stunden, a wonderful painter, is creating original works of art for the front and back of the CD case, based on photographs taken by our friend, Faith Selzer. Replication and packaging will be handled by Oasis Disc Manufacturing. We've launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise awareness about the project and when we emerge from the studio next spring, we will be clutching beautiful cardboard cases with CDs tucked away inside. Kind of like the musical equivalent of acorns in the shell : )
February 26, 2014. It's not uncommon to be offered a free meal when you perform at a venue where food is served. It's one of the perks used to sweeten the deal for starving artists. But tonight was the first time we were invited to eat BEFORE our show. During dinner at Longwood at Oakmont, part of Presbyterian SeniorCare, we learned that many activities are run by the residents themselves. Members of the Music Committee, for example, book artists for bi-weekly concerts and also promote the shows. And they do a great job; we had a full house for our evening performance. Seeing so many smiling faces was the icing on the cake after a tasty buffet.
February 6, 2014. We performed at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children today as part of the school's ongoing concert series that exposes students to a wide range of music. We decided to take some artistic risks and brought a few extra instruments along. The bass uke and crash cymbal garnered some attention but it was the mouth trombone that seemed to generate a buzz.
February 2, 2014. This past summer, when the Pittsburgh Public Market was renovating its new digs at 24th and Penn, manager Tiffany Emig invited us for a tour. Contractors were working on the electrical system so the floors were torn up and there was a lot of dust. Today we returned to serenade shoppers during the grand re-opening and we were relieved to see the lights were on. Even better, the place was clean and there was a sweet smell of roasted garlic in the air. Mmmm...
November 15, 2013. The 6th floor atrium of Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh was transformed into a coffeehouse tonight, with live music, comfortable couches, and plenty of treats for patients' families to enjoy. In addition to the folks seated in front of us, we had listeners on the three floors above, whose waves we returned, between strums. The monthly coffeehouse is presented by the Sonny Pugar Memorial, Inc., named after a local drummer who shared the stage and studio with many other artists over the course of his career. What a beautiful way to honor his legacy of communing through music.
November 10, 2013. We don't like to judge a book by its cover but we suspect that if we had looked at the items checked out by patrons who attended our concert at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel today we would have found nursery rhymes, mysteries, romance novels, magazines, travel guides, and quite a few CDs. Libraries are a great venue for artists like us, who enjoy diverse audiences.
October 26, 2013. We headed back to Gateway Lodge in Cook Forest today, this time to perform at a special "Wine & Dine" event. What a classy affair! Each course was paired with a nectar and the sommelier described the selections using tasty phrases that got our creative juices flowing. Now we're thinking about concocting a new musical libation for our repertoire. True, hops are prominently featured in one of our originals, but grapes are a whole other food group.
October 20, 2013. During the break between sets at Bedner's Farm and Greenhouse's "Art Under Glass" fall festival, a woman approached us and said she had a song for us to learn. She didn't know the name but remembered how it went so we handed her the mic and here's what she sang:
On Monday we had bread and gravy,
Tuesday was gravy and bread,
Wednesday and Thursday were gravy and toast,
Which is really just gravy and bread,
So on Friday we went to the landlord,
To get something else instead,
And on Saturday morning by way of a change,
We had gravy without any bread.
Anyone recognize it? She said she used to sing it as a child... in the 1940s!
October 10, 2013. We would like to address a rumor circulating about our new CD project, "Goody Shoes." Yes, it's true that the fire department got involved during the photo shoot for our cover art. But we did *not* violate any city ordinances. If you don't believe us, you can ask the captain at Station 18 in Squirrel Hill.
October 6, 2013. We performed in the well-appointed auditorium of the Lakewood Public Library in Ohio yesterday and afterwards we hung around for a while with Sue Hannibal, who hosted us for a house concert last winter, and Michael, who works in the library's music department. All of that left us feeling musically and socially satiated but we weren't quite ready to head home, so we stopped by The Flying Fig for dinner. The Cleveland eatery has been part of the farm-to-table movement for more than a decade and the food and service are outstanding. While our meals were being prepared, we chatted with Ray, a friendly waiter who plays bass and has lived in Pittsburgh and New York. Needless to say, we had plenty to talk about : )
October 1, 2013. Thank you, Jeffrey Sisk, managing editor of the McKeesport Daily News, for reviewing our debut CD! We've been following your byline for a while now and we think you "shine," too : )
September 26, 2013. Last time the leaves started changing colors, we were celebrating the release of our debut CD of original folk, country and blues. This fall, we will be recording 12 new songs and we're very fortunate to have some great folks helping us. Will Russell, of Electric Wilburland in Ithaca, will be mixing and mastering our tracks. Will is a genius who has worked with many talented musicians, including Joe Crookston. Julie Stunden, a wonderful painter, is creating original works of art for the front and back of the CD case, based on photographs taken by our friend, Faith Selzer. Replication and packaging will be handled by Oasis Disc Manufacturing. We've launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise awareness about the project and when we emerge from the studio next spring, we will be clutching beautiful cardboard cases with CDs tucked away inside. Kind of like the musical equivalent of acorns in the shell : )
Photo by Deb Cheplic
September 21, 2013. We couldn't have asked for better hosts at the Silver Maple House Concerts in New Eagle, about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. Normally shows take place outside, under the canopy of a thriving tree, but it was raining so Deb and Steve Cheplic welcomed everyone into their newly renovated "listening room," which was full of music-related memorabilia and plush carpet that felt nice under our bare feet. Deb had been publicizing the show for months and the folks who came out were very friendly and encouraging. During the break between sets, we all enjoyed a feast, with crock pots full of comfort foods and trays of freshly baked goods. What a pleasant way to spend an evening. We want to give a special shout out to Sophie, the youngest member of the audience, who impressed us greatly with her intuition about when to sit quietly and when to dance and clap.
September 16, 2013. We headed downtown today for another "Mellow Mondays in Market Square" lunch time concert. The place was bustling and we enjoyed serenading folks with a bunch of original songs and a few of our favorite covers, including "Beautiful Dress" by Emily Pinkerton. That song is super fun to sing, even when you're wearing faded blue jeans.
Photo by Tiffany Wolfe Shaffer
September 14, 2013. Bright blue skies, horse-drawn wagon rides, and vendors selling Amish donuts, handmade ice cream, local honey and fresh produce drew a nice crowd for the Volant Mills' 201st anniversary celebration today. We crossed a covered bridge, claimed a cozy corner on the porch of the historic gristmill, and performed for two hours. Reckon we committed an act of anachronism by relying on a powered sound system. But no one seemed to mind. In fact, one man sitting across the lawn said he appreciated being able to hear the lyrics.
September 13, 2013. Thanks to an impeccably timed downpour, the audience swelled for the finale of our fifth and final free lunch time concert at Schenley Plaza as passersby sought shelter under the big tent. We would like to thank Eyetique, our sponsor, and the Pittsburgh Park Conservancy for giving us many opportunities to share our music with college students, professionals, retirees, tourists, families with children, and other folks drawn to the beautiful green space in the middle of Pittsburgh's thriving Oakland neighborhood.
September 2, 2013. We think it's mighty neighborly of Norman Childs and his optical team to include a couple of hillbillies in Eyetique's long-running Celebrity "ique" Campaign.
August 23, 2013. We were at Schenley Plaza today for our monthly lunch time concert, sponsored by Eyetique, and just as we started "What you gonna do," our blues song about the challenges of urban life, a firetruck approached. The siren wailed for quite a while as the firefighters tried to navigate through heavy traffic around the University of Pittsburgh. We could have taken a break but instead we kept on playing, with our mic amplifying the street noise. We figured it was an appropriate backdrop, given the song's subject.
August 19, 2013. The pavement was wet when we arrived downtown for our "Mellow Mondays in Market Square" concert and more rain was in the forecast, so we were grateful when Winghart's Burger & Whiskey Bar, one of the sponsors, hooked us up with a tent. The lunch time crowd had to pull out umbrellas a few times but that didn't seem to cramp anyone's style. Folks smiled and tapped their toes and a couple even danced. And all of this activity took place in a plaza surrounded by beautiful trees. We love being urban hillbillies.
August 19, 2013. The pavement was wet when we arrived downtown for our "Mellow Mondays in Market Square" concert and more rain was in the forecast, so we were grateful when Winghart's Burger & Whiskey Bar, one of the sponsors, hooked us up with a tent. The lunch time crowd had to pull out umbrellas a few times but that didn't seem to cramp anyone's style. Folks smiled and tapped their toes and a couple even danced. And all of this activity took place in a plaza surrounded by beautiful trees. We love being urban hillbillies.
July 24, 2013. We had our day in the sun today, thanks to the Saturday Light Brigade, the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, and the New Hazlett Theater. Mother Nature brought the temperature down to a comfortable level while still providing more than enough rays to run the solar-powered sound system. The turnout for the free lunch time concert was good, with some folks crossing rivers to be there, which is almost as remarkable as an eclipse in this city of bridges.
July 12, 2013. We had the privilege of introducing an infant to live music today at our Schenley Plaza gig, underwritten by Eyetique. The three-month old had never been to a concert before but he knew just what to do. While we performed one of our bluesy originals for the lunch time crowd assembled under the big tent, his little limbs moved in perfect time to the beat. True, he had some assistance with coordination, but the cuteness was all his. And the pleasure was all ours.
July 6, 2013. Planning a road trip? Call Johnna and Angelo at Budget Car Rental on Baum Boulevard in Pittsburgh and ask for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. We took it on our 8-day 2000-mile New York "Roots" Tour. Sweet ride, eco-friendly. And fully customizable!
July 5, 2013. We missed the fireworks on the 4th of July so we staged our own display today. Special features included a two-hour morning radio spot on Artie Martello's "Mostly Folk" broadcast live on WIOX 91.3 FM in Roxbury, NY and streamed online, and a two-hour evening show at the the Moon & River Cafe in Schenectady, with a great opening set by local musicians, Rick Saccchetti and Shawn Marosek. There's no question that our New York "Roots" Tour ended with a bang. We're still seeing stars.
July 4, 2013. Last night was our first time ever performing on a beach and we were pleasantly surprised to discover an extension cord sticking up out of the sand, ready to power our sound system. The venue hosts a lot of outdoor parties and apparently a savvy manager came up with the idea of burying the cord a while back. Brilliant! We also appreciated the beauty of the setting sun reflecting off the water. We reckon Mother Nature gets credit for that stroke of genius.
July 3, 2013. Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint near Rochester, NY presents live music on its Sticky Stomp Stage four evenings a week, and last night we served up a heaping plate of blues, with sides of folk and country. The place was hopping and we worked up a pretty good appetite over the course of our two-hour show. Fortunately, the staff took very good care of us. And we didn't drip any sauce on our instruments : )
July 2, 2013. Our Rome street team, led by 85-year old Joanne Crouth, managed to fill the auditorium at Jervis Public Library tonight. What a nice crowd! The good energy topped off our tanks which were still full from our other "homecoming" gig yesterday in NYC. Touring is a great way to make new friends and also catch up with folks we don't get to see as often as we'd like.
July 4, 2013. Last night was our first time ever performing on a beach and we were pleasantly surprised to discover an extension cord sticking up out of the sand, ready to power our sound system. The venue hosts a lot of outdoor parties and apparently a savvy manager came up with the idea of burying the cord a while back. Brilliant! We also appreciated the beauty of the setting sun reflecting off the water. We reckon Mother Nature gets credit for that stroke of genius.
July 3, 2013. Sticky Lips BBQ Juke Joint near Rochester, NY presents live music on its Sticky Stomp Stage four evenings a week, and last night we served up a heaping plate of blues, with sides of folk and country. The place was hopping and we worked up a pretty good appetite over the course of our two-hour show. Fortunately, the staff took very good care of us. And we didn't drip any sauce on our instruments : )
July 2, 2013. Our Rome street team, led by 85-year old Joanne Crouth, managed to fill the auditorium at Jervis Public Library tonight. What a nice crowd! The good energy topped off our tanks which were still full from our other "homecoming" gig yesterday in NYC. Touring is a great way to make new friends and also catch up with folks we don't get to see as often as we'd like.
Photo by Graham MacIndoe
July 1, 2013. With an audience full of familiar faces and a genius running the PA system, performing at the Living Room in NYC was even more thrilling than we'd imagined. Thank you, sound engineer Steve Ha, and the many friends and relatives who showed up to cheer us on.
June 30, 2013. Imagine our delight when, after driving from Rochester to Red Hook for the third branch of our New York "Roots" Tour, we discovered a mural of a tree directly behind the performance area at Taste Budd's Cafe. That visual, plus the friendly greeting from employees Steve and Cameron, put us right at ease and gave us a "happy place" to return to when we ran into some nasty weather en route to our second gig of the day, a live appearance on Radio Nowhere broadcast on WMSC 90.3 FM in Montclair, NJ and streamed online. Host Joe Pszonek is a wonderful supporter of independent artists and he did a great job plugging our upcoming shows in NYC, Rome, Rochester and Schenectady. No tree mural but the studio's equipment is state of the art.
June 29, 2013. The baristas at the Starry Nites Cafe, in the heart of Rochester's Neighborhood of the Arts, let us choose whether to perform inside or on the sidewalk patio tonight. It was a balmy evening so we opted for the outdoors. We drew a nice crowd, including Mike McLaughlin, a local musician, and a group with a toddler who enjoyed stuffing bills in our tip jar. We asked if we could take the child with us on the rest of our NY "Roots" Tour but her mom was reluctant to part with her. We understood; she was awfully cute. We're hoping to encounter similar displays of enthusiasm along the trail.
June 28, 2013. As soon as we pulled onto Angelica's West Main Street, we knew we had picked the right town to start our NY "Roots" Tour. Quaint store fronts, generous tree lawns separating the sidewalks from the streets, a post office built in the mid-19th century, and Black-Eyed Susan Acoustic Cafe, a beautifully-decorated eating establishment that attracts customers who appreciate live music. We had a wonderful evening. Thanks, Don and Karen, for inviting us to perform!
PS We didn't hit a single deer en route to our next gig in Rochester : )
June 28, 2013. As soon as we pulled onto Angelica's West Main Street, we knew we had picked the right town to start our NY "Roots" Tour. Quaint store fronts, generous tree lawns separating the sidewalks from the streets, a post office built in the mid-19th century, and Black-Eyed Susan Acoustic Cafe, a beautifully-decorated eating establishment that attracts customers who appreciate live music. We had a wonderful evening. Thanks, Don and Karen, for inviting us to perform!
PS We didn't hit a single deer en route to our next gig in Rochester : )
June 16, 2013. It was raining pretty hard when we arrived at the Three Rivers Arts Festival about an hour before our scheduled appearance on the AcoustiCafe stage in Gateway Center today. Fortunately, Pittsburgh-based multidisciplinary artist Toby Atticus Fraley let us hang out in his tent. We marveled at his work, including some robots made out of recycled materials and vintage found objects. We handed one little guy a uke and he delivered a very compelling performance of the blues, despite his personal preference for heavy metal.
Photo by James Allen
June 15, 2013. The outdoor patio at Biddle's Escape was a lovely place to perform tonight. Owner Joe Davis and his staff, Becca and Britta, took good care of the customers, including several friends of ours, while we strummed, picked, and sang for two hours. The coffee shop sits on a well-traversed corner of a residential neighborhood and a few passersby stood near the fence to listen for a while. It was just our kind of scene: urban, friendly, and open to spontaneity.
June 9, 2013. We were fortunate to be part of a sonic smorgasbord served up by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh yesterday. The diversity of musical flavors and textures presented on two stages during the 2013 Summer Reading Extravaganza appealed to many palates, and thousands came to partake over the course of the 5-hour event. We especially enjoyed the Undercroft Opera's tasty selections from Bizet's "Carmen." We might be a couple of urban hillbillies, but we like us a plateful of high culture from time to time..
June 7, 2013. Our day began with our annual visit to the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh. Students at the Day School, seated in their wheel chairs or on mats on the floor of the gym, responded to our music in all different ways. During one song, a boy approached us and as he stood less than a foot away, his big brown eyes moved back and forth from our faces to our fingers. Watching him take it all in was quite a moving experience for us and we talked about him and some of the other children as we drove to our second gig of the day. The crowd that turned out for that show – our monthly lunch time concert at Schenley Plaza, underwritten by Eyetique – was friendly enough. We even got a special song request. But no one came to stand near us. Maybe they didn't realize they could.
June 7, 2013. Our day began with our annual visit to the Children's Institute of Pittsburgh. Students at the Day School, seated in their wheel chairs or on mats on the floor of the gym, responded to our music in all different ways. During one song, a boy approached us and as he stood less than a foot away, his big brown eyes moved back and forth from our faces to our fingers. Watching him take it all in was quite a moving experience for us and we talked about him and some of the other children as we drove to our second gig of the day. The crowd that turned out for that show – our monthly lunch time concert at Schenley Plaza, underwritten by Eyetique – was friendly enough. We even got a special song request. But no one came to stand near us. Maybe they didn't realize they could.
May 15-17, 2013. There are lots of cool things about being involved with the Pittsburgh International Children's Festival, an annual 5-day event that attracts thousands of folks. This was our 4th year performing and a highlight for us was meeting Irena and Dimitri, real live circus clowns who toured with Cirque de Soleil before forming AGA-BOOM. They approached us after one of our lunch time shows and we chatted for a while. Had they come a little earlier, we would have invited them on stage during "The Carny," our original song that mentions tents and tightropes and even includes the line "step right up!" Oh well, maybe next year...
May 10, 2013. We kicked off our 2013 Schenley Plaza monthly lunch time concert series today, with support from Eyetique and encouragement from Mother Nature, who called off the rain so folks could come spend the hour with us outside. Perhaps that was her way of showing appreciation for Eyetique's owner, Norman Childs, who has been a strong proponent of planting trees in Pittsburgh's urban core.
May 4-5, 2013. We had two great shows at The Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV this weekend. Proprietor John Bright has created an incredible venue for live music and healthy dining. After our Saturday afternoon show, we headed a few miles down the road to play for the critters at Blackwater Falls State Park. The setting provided a nice backdrop for "Lotus," our new song about beautiful things growing in unlikely places.
Photo by Dennis McCurdy
April 20, 2013. We performed today as part of an Earth Day celebration in Harmony, PA. This sweet little town, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, has a burgeoning music scene, thanks to Dennis and MJ McCurdy, proprietors of the Bottlebrush: A Gallery for the Arts. The gallery is housed in a beautiful old building with an interesting history and is allegedly haunted but we didn't have the pleasure of meeting the ghost in residence. Too bad. We were really hoping he/she would sit in on "Insane when we're apart," our freaky love song that mentions a "telephone that moans" and "clothes... [that] go traipsing through the hall."
April 13, 2013. Jim Rogers was a wonderful host today for our in-studio performance on "Modern Troubadours," his weekly program broadcast live on WIUP-FM 90.1 in Indiana, PA and also streamed online. In addition to giving us a chance to play seven of our original songs on air, Jim plugged some of our upcoming gigs. He did such a nice job, with his smooth DJ voice, that a listener emailed us after the program to let us know he's hoping to come see us on stage next week. Thanks for introducing us to a new friend, Jim!
April 4, 2013. Easy access to glorious green space is one of the many attractions of living in the urban forest of the city's East End. Our parks are featured in the current edition of Squirrel Hill Magazine, and the calendar of events at the back includes our upcoming concerts in Schenley Plaza, a popular spot for sedentary shade dwellers as well as critters who like to chase their tails in the sun.
April 3, 2013. Someone in Austria just ordered a copy of our CD from CD Baby! Danke von die Eichhörnchen Hinterwäldler!
April 4, 2013. Easy access to glorious green space is one of the many attractions of living in the urban forest of the city's East End. Our parks are featured in the current edition of Squirrel Hill Magazine, and the calendar of events at the back includes our upcoming concerts in Schenley Plaza, a popular spot for sedentary shade dwellers as well as critters who like to chase their tails in the sun.
April 3, 2013. Someone in Austria just ordered a copy of our CD from CD Baby! Danke von die Eichhörnchen Hinterwäldler!
April 2, 2013. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill branch recently added our CD to its music collection and last time we checked, it was on display right next to one by Bruce Springsteen! We're also in circulation at the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library in Ohio. Now when folks want to "check us out," we'll know where to send them : )
March 17, 2013. A couple of lovebirds danced cheek to cheek, pausing several times to smooch, during "Something Awful" at the Pittsburgh Public Market today. Then, in lieu of taking a bow they took a copy of our CD from the merchandise table, graciously leaving some cash behind and smiling at us as they sauntered off, hand in hand. Thank you, lovebirds! We hope you have a wonderful life together : )
March 8, 2013. We had the great pleasure of spending an hour today with T. Mitchell Bell, host of acousticSongs LIVE!, a weekly radio program on WNJR 91.7 FM broadcast from Washington, PA. Mitch invited us to play a few songs and in between we chatted about music and other necessities of life. What an affable guy! He videotaped the entire interview and archived it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qmrkJggITU&feature=youtu.be.
March 3, 2013. We made the evening news in Ohio! WMFD TV videographer Archie McMillan came to our gig at the Mansfield Richland County Public Library on Sunday, March 3, and got enough footage from different angles to create an awesome 50-second clip. The Mansfield News Journal also sent a staff photographer. The publicity was a welcome surprise but what made the roadtrip really special was the enthusiastic audience. After our 90-minute set, folks hung around for a while to chat and quite a few took home copies of our CD.
March 8, 2013. We had the great pleasure of spending an hour today with T. Mitchell Bell, host of acousticSongs LIVE!, a weekly radio program on WNJR 91.7 FM broadcast from Washington, PA. Mitch invited us to play a few songs and in between we chatted about music and other necessities of life. What an affable guy! He videotaped the entire interview and archived it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qmrkJggITU&feature=youtu.be.
March 3, 2013. We made the evening news in Ohio! WMFD TV videographer Archie McMillan came to our gig at the Mansfield Richland County Public Library on Sunday, March 3, and got enough footage from different angles to create an awesome 50-second clip. The Mansfield News Journal also sent a staff photographer. The publicity was a welcome surprise but what made the roadtrip really special was the enthusiastic audience. After our 90-minute set, folks hung around for a while to chat and quite a few took home copies of our CD.
March 2, 2013. Sue Hannibal was the perfect host for our house concert in Cleveland Heights on Saturday night. A month before we arrived, she put us in touch with Jimmie Wilson who played one of our songs on his WRUW-FM 91.1 Cleveland radio program. Then she distributed flyers, made phone calls, and sent emails to make sure we had a room full of friendly folks to perform for, including Kim who wore squirrel earrings and brought a homemade tote bag that said "squirrels for peace." It was a beautiful evening, start to finish : )
Photo by Todd Crowley
February 24, 2013. We just returned from the 2013 Folk Alliance International conference in Toronto. Wow! Highlights for us included meeting folk DJs John Platt from WFUV Public Radio in NYC and Rich Warren from WFMT 98.7 FM in Chicago; running into Ken Whiteley, Jim Kweskin, the Stray Birds, and other artists who are as friendly as they are talented; and performing in private showcases hosted by Todd's Musical Petting Zoo, Andy Cohen, and AccessFilmMusic. And to think, we would have missed it all had the Canadian border patrol worker been a stickler about passports. But that's a story for another post...
February 22, 2013. Our music hit the NY radio waves this week! Artie Martello played "When I'm Gone" on his weekday morning show, Mostly Folk WIOX 91.3 FM in Roxbury, Jon Stein played "The Carny" on his weekly program, the Hootenanny Café, on WTBQ Radio 93.5 FM in Warwick, and Ray Baumler played "Something Awful" on WRUR 88.5 FM in Rochester.
Photo by Derek Wahila
February 10, 2013. We had the honor of leading a crowd of 320 in a song at Yinzercation's Rally for Public Education at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater this afternoon. The event featured several speeches, including one by a Pittsburgh Public Schools student who lost a cherished music teacher due to budget cuts. At the end of the rally, we joined this inspired and inspiring young woman, along with activist-musician Anne Feeney and two of the rally organizers, for a few rousing verses of "This little light of mine." There's nothing like singing for a good cause.
February 4, 2013. Hey, one of our songs was played during the Super Bowl! Didn't catch it? Yeah, we missed it, too. But folks who tuned into Joltin' Joe's Radio Nowhere show on WMSC 90.3 FM in Montclair, NJ last night heard the first-ever radio broadcast of our original "Omaha"! That's the equivalent of a touchdown for a couple of urban hillbillies like us : )
February 3, 2013. The Pittsburgh Public Market's open stage today was a hoot! As ecmees, we had the great pleasure of introducing all of the performers, including Kristin Ward, an enchanting belly dancer; Cyndy Carroll, a charming singer/guitarist (accompanied by the convivial Sandy Roman on harmonica); Shelagh Collins, a lovely soprano; Cam, a captivating slam poet; Life(Liss) and Digg It Dave, a talented duo from Erie; John Burke, an expressive accordianist; and the Unsmokable Brokes, an electrifying local band.
January 14, 2013. The theme for tonight's AcoustiCafe open mic at Club Cafe was "Romeo and Juliet" so we decided to open with our original "Joe and Donna," a song devoid of tragedy but full of drama. Next, we performed "Carny" but had to modify our arrangement on the fly because of the old uke-in-the-mando-case trick. Our closing song ("Insane when we're apart") felt oddly normal after all that. Thanks to Jesse Prentiss for coordinating the popular showcase and to Slim Forsythe for hosting this week.
January 13, 2013. It's always a treat to perform at the Pittsburgh Public Market but today's show was extra sweet because of who showed up: our friends, Mark and Linda, who run SongSpace at First Unitarian, a popular folk music series; and four Pitt students we just met at another gig on Friday. Encouraged by all their smiling faces (and a few others we didn't recognize), we tried out a brand new song. We got lost a couple of times but kept on moving, which is kind of what the song is about. It's called "Refugee."
January 11, 2013. Our "Emerging Legends" gig, sponsored by Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society and the University of Pittsburgh, went very well today. We performed in Hillman Library's Cup & Chaucer's Cafe and every table except one was taken. A man approached us when we were packing up and told us our show was the best one he'd seen "all year." Sure, we're only in the second week of 2013 but it was still an awfully nice thing to say!
February 3, 2013. The Pittsburgh Public Market's open stage today was a hoot! As ecmees, we had the great pleasure of introducing all of the performers, including Kristin Ward, an enchanting belly dancer; Cyndy Carroll, a charming singer/guitarist (accompanied by the convivial Sandy Roman on harmonica); Shelagh Collins, a lovely soprano; Cam, a captivating slam poet; Life(Liss) and Digg It Dave, a talented duo from Erie; John Burke, an expressive accordianist; and the Unsmokable Brokes, an electrifying local band.
January 14, 2013. The theme for tonight's AcoustiCafe open mic at Club Cafe was "Romeo and Juliet" so we decided to open with our original "Joe and Donna," a song devoid of tragedy but full of drama. Next, we performed "Carny" but had to modify our arrangement on the fly because of the old uke-in-the-mando-case trick. Our closing song ("Insane when we're apart") felt oddly normal after all that. Thanks to Jesse Prentiss for coordinating the popular showcase and to Slim Forsythe for hosting this week.
January 13, 2013. It's always a treat to perform at the Pittsburgh Public Market but today's show was extra sweet because of who showed up: our friends, Mark and Linda, who run SongSpace at First Unitarian, a popular folk music series; and four Pitt students we just met at another gig on Friday. Encouraged by all their smiling faces (and a few others we didn't recognize), we tried out a brand new song. We got lost a couple of times but kept on moving, which is kind of what the song is about. It's called "Refugee."
January 11, 2013. Our "Emerging Legends" gig, sponsored by Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society and the University of Pittsburgh, went very well today. We performed in Hillman Library's Cup & Chaucer's Cafe and every table except one was taken. A man approached us when we were packing up and told us our show was the best one he'd seen "all year." Sure, we're only in the second week of 2013 but it was still an awfully nice thing to say!