16 posts tagged “frederick”
It's been a while (again). Work and life and everything that comes along with it got the best of me ... For me, music has a tendency to be all-consuming, so I have to put it aside when other responsibilities require my attention.
But Bill and Art and I have been rehearsing, and we're really excited about our gig this weekend at the 16th Annual Frederick Festival of the Arts! We'll be playing on the acoustic stage outside La Paz & the Greene Turtle, on Carroll Creek Linear Park in downtown Frederick. I hope you can join us on Sunday, June 7 from 2:00 to 2:45 p.m. For more info: frederickarts.org or 301-662-4190. Click here for the full entertainment schedule.
One of these days we'll get a recording of our band playing. Until then, you can listen to these songs from a solo performance a few years back. And of course, there's always my CD! It was recorded almost 10 years ago, but I still love these songs and play them often. Visit CD Baby to listen to samples and purchase the album.
So, this is a first for me, but ... I'm on TV! The lovely Joanna Lubbes invited me to play on her show, Backstage Pass. It's currently airing on Comcast Cable 10 through March 19th. (Then, like most things on cable, it will rerun here and there.)
Here's the schedule for this week:
- Thursday 3/6 -- Debut at 11:30pm
- Friday, 3/7 -- 6:30am, 9:30am, 12:30pm
- Saturday, 3/8 -- 1:30pm, 5:30pm
- Sunday, 3/9 -- 8:00am, 9:30pm
- Monday, 3/10 -- 8:00am
- Tuesday, 3/11 -- 8:30am, 1:00pm
- Wednesday, 3/12 -- 12:30am, 7:30am, 11:00am
- Thursday, 3/13 -- 8:30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm
For additional air dates, check local TV listings in the Frederick County area. Once I get the DVD, I'll try to snag a screen shot for those of you outside the viewing area.
Now, go fire up that flat screen TV!
March is Women's History Month, and ArtNext is hosting a performance that features local women singers, dancers, actors, and poets. Performers include yours truly, singer/songwriter Sarah McKay, poet/dancer Kristie Culler, Equinox Dance Company, actresses from the Maryland Ensemble Theatre, and more! Admission is FREE and open to the public. For more information, call 301-662-4190 or email info@frederickartscouncil.org.
Gallery open M-F, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and by special appointment
Cultural Arts Center, 15 N. Market St., Frederick
Also in March, the Cultural Arts Center will be home to a nationally touring photo exhibit called "Changing the Face of Power: Women in the U.S. Senate." The exhibit, sponsored by the Frederick Arts Council and the Frederick County Commission for Women, features photography by Seattle-based photojournalist Melina Mara ... This image (above) takes my breath away, so I can't wait to see the others.
Chapter 12, "The Power of Place," was one of the best so far. When I got to the section about "Authenticity," my highlighter almost ran out of ink. I'm already a complete fanatic when it comes to supporting local music, and this section just added fuel to the fire.
Basically, it provides an economist's spin to what's already pretty obvious to anyone who knows anything about the music business. Independent musicians, especially those with active touring schedules, can live and work (and pay taxes) anywhere they want. There's no reason to live in an unsupportive environment that offers few opportunities for inspiration and collaboration. If a city wants to reap the benefits of a vibrant music scene, all the stakeholder groups (musicians, non-profits, government, businesses) must do everything in their power to create an environment that provides opportunities for local musicians.
Some of the best passages:
"Music is a key part of what makes a place authentic, in effect providing a sound or "audio identity." Audio identity refers to the identifiable musical genre or sound associated with local bands, clubs and so on that make up a city's music scene: blues in Chicago, Motown in Detroit, grunge in Seattle, Austin's Sixth Street. This is what many people know about these cities ... it is also the way these cities promote themselves.
"... it's hard to think of a major high-tech region that doesn't have a distinct audio identity. In addition to Seattle and Austin, consider the San Francisco Bay Area. It was home to perhaps the most creative music scene of the 1960s with the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Mamas and the Papas, Haight-Ashbury and the seminal Monterey Pop Festival. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at the heart of the Research Triangle, was recently named as having one of the best local music scenes in the country. Technology and the music scene go together because together they reflect a place that is open to new ideas, new people and creativity. And it is for this reason that frequently I like to tell city leaders that finding ways to help support a local music scene can be just as important as investing in high-tech business and far more effective than building a downtown mall."
Please, somebody, send my local elected officials a copy of this book. Lord knows they need to read it.
Of course, this book is not just about music. In fact, it's mostly about other things. If you have any interest in economic & community development, creativity & creative industries (including graphic design, industrial design, research & development, information technology, biotechnology, and many others), this book is a must-read.
Last night's gallery opening at Studio 11 was a really great night. If you missed it, here's a rundown of the highlights:
- A gallery-walker got up in my grill and told me that I would never be a real artist unless I was passionate enough to quit my day job. He also thought that I should make my songs "more danceable" and improve my image (i.e., American Idolize myself). As you might imagine, I became somewhat hostile.
- I sold 11 CDs and, therefore, will be donating $55 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in memory of my friend Emily. I realize this is not shattering any fundraising records or anything, but I was pretty happy with this.
- Barb Campbell's photos of Frederick were really awesome. I really love this one (above), taken inside The Temple. She also had some beautiful (not too traditional) images of the spires and Baker Park. They'll be up during the entire month of February, so go check them out.
- Due to Mike's new obsession with my version of "Ain't No Sunshine," the Bill Withers favorite has now surpassed all other songs to win the title of most-requested cover song. In celebration of this momentous occasion, I'm posting this awesome video, via Krissy's other blog, art is the new religion.
This message went out to my email list today. Here's the latest:
Just yesterday, I spent some time chatting with Barb and Mike Campbell at Studio 11, a photography and framing business in downtown Frederick. For the past few months, they've been bringing the First Saturday Gallery Walk to Court Street by opening their doors to locals, visitors, and art lovers of all kinds. The studio is beautiful, and the atmosphere is friendly ... Luckily, it's also an ideal spot for a solo, unplugged performance. If you're out and about during gallery walk, make sure you stop by. I'd love to see you, wish you a Happy New Year, and introduce you to Barb and Mike!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Studio 11, 19 N. Court St., Suite 102, Frederick, MD
I'll be playing a solo, unplugged performance throughout First Saturday Gallery Walk
, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Studio 11 will also be celebrating the opening of the "Flashes of Life" photography exhibit by Chris Kolobow
FREE (CDs for sale)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Music Cafe,
26528-B Ridge Road, Damascus, MD
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
With Bill Gardner (bass) and Art Krum (percussion)
Soups, salads, sandwiches, coffee, and smoothies available for purchase - Come enjoy dinner & music!
FREE (CDs for sale, and we'll probably set out a tip jar)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Brewer's Alley (Upstairs), 124 N. Market St., Frederick, MD
8:20 p.m. (Stick around for Kenny Meek's set at 8:40!)
I play a 3-song set as part of this weekly songwriter showcase, hosted by Ron Goad and sponsored by SAW and BSA
FREE
(CDs for sale -- The event organizers collect donations for the main
act, who will play a longer set at 9:00)
Also coming up ...
A featured guest spot on FNP@3 Artist Spotlight & a show at
Cafe Nola ... Dates & details TBA. Stay tuned for details!
In the works ...
Word
has it that a steel guitarist is joining us at our next rehearsal --
This whole "band" thing is really picking up steam! Also, I'll finally be
recording some of my newer material in 2008. And I'm spearheading a
compilation CD project for ArtNext, spotlighting the best of
Frederick's local music scene.
Speaking of local music ...
NoMa
Lounge, the ArtNext show at the CAC on November 23rd, was a HUGE
success -- There were 150 people who fought off the annual Thanksgiving
tryptophan overdose and came out to support local music! We were able
to raise some much-needed funds for ArtNext (a social network of creative people, initiated by the Frederick Arts Council). In mid-February, ArtNext will
celebrate its one-year anniversary, and we're gearing up for a NoMa Lounge birthday
bash, which will again feature local bands. Get ready to rock! More
details in the next update.
Last night, we saw Menage play at the MET. Aside from a few streaming mp3s on MySpace, I'd never heard them before, but they came highly recommended by some ArtNext peeps. A bunch of us decided to go to the show, their fourth appearance in Frederick, and it was fantastic. Christopher and I bought their most recent album after the show, and have been enjoying it all morning.
A little background, and a Frederick connection: The two spunky southern gals, Mary Ellen Bush and Sarah McDonald, are the founding members of the group. Sarah is a Frederick native, so she had lots of family and friends in the audience. I always think it's cool to see someone from Frederick become successful with their music ... Not only does the band really cook on stage, but they've also received some well-deserved exposure in a Hunt's television commercial. The song in the ad is "Tomatoes" by Menage:
It looks like Menage is playing again tonight at the Iota. Catch them if you can before they leave the DC area.
Show us how you're spending the day after Thanksgiving.
Shopping at malls and plazas on Black Friday is ... well ... not fun. The Frosty Friday shoppers at the Holiday Artists Market (an ArtNext event at the Cultural Arts Center) found plenty of locally crafted, unique gifts. Bonus: No waiting in line to check out. There were a few free gift-wrapping stations downtown, and I volunteered at the one inside the Artists Market from 10:00-12:30.
After that, I met up with Katie and Adam for lunch at the Double T Diner. I had matzoh ball soup and a turkey & bacon panini. (Yes, I'm fully aware of the irony of eating matzoh ball soup and then having bacon on my sandwich.) The staff at the diner got into the holiday spirit by giving everyone free dessert. I had a few bites of the oreo cheesecake, even though I was completely stuffed.
I spent the afternoon getting all my music gear assembled for NoMa Lounge, then I headed over to the CAC around 5:00. J Marinelli went on first, at 8:30. After a somewhat tumultuous sound check, Bill & Art & I took to the stage at 9:30. We played three original tunes and two covers ... After the sound system kinks got worked out on the first song, we were able to get in the groove. The audience was catcalling and swaying to the music by the end of the set, so, mission accomplished! I stuck around to listen to Jaws Hoffa's set at 10:30 and The Stops at 11:30. We had a decent crowd, and everyone had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came out for the show!
Looking for more NoMa Lounge photos? There are some here and here on FredRocks.net. (Thanks, guys!) There were a LOT of photographers there ... If you have photos from the event, let me know. I'll link them up and tell everyone how fabulous you are.
Now it's time to eat some of my Double T leftovers, then head over to the CAC to help with the NoMa Lounge cleanup efforts. Cheers!
Enter FredRocks.net. Networks like this may not be the ideal way to spread your message to the far corners of the world, but it's a great place to stay connected to local people and events. The good folks at FredRocks.net have also been very supportive of ArtNext and NoMa Lounge, which makes them tops in my book.
If you live in the Frederick area and have any interest whatsoever in arts, culture, and nightlife, you'll want to pay a visit. While you're there, check out my new profile.
