Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Tour Dates coming up

   Friday 23 | Crossroads Cafe, Huntsville, AL - more info
   Saturday 24 | Double Decker Arts Festival, Oxford, MS - more info
   Monday 26 | Lovett Live Auditorium, Murray, KY - more info
   Wednesday 28 | Rumba Cafe, Columbus, OH - more info
May 2010
   Thursday 6 | Abbey Bar @ Appalachian Brewery, Harrisburg, PA - more info
   Friday 7 | Ottobar, Baltimore, MD - more info
   Saturday 8 | The Carpenter Center, Richmond, VA - more info
   Sunday 9 | 123 Pleasant st, Morgantown, WV - more info
   Monday 10 | Beachland Ballroom & Tavern, Cleveland, OH - more info
   Saturday 29 | Mighty High Mountain Festival, Tuxedo Park, NY - more info
June 2010
   Tuesday 1 | Molson Ampitheatre, Toronto, ON - more info
   Wednesday 2 | Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien Center, NY - more info
   Friday 4 | Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY - more info
   Saturday 5 | Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY - more info
   Saturday 19 | Clearwater Festival, Croton on Hudson, NY - more info
July 2010
   Friday 2 | Nateva Festival Oxford County Fairgrounds, Oxford, ME - more info
   Friday 16 | Lebowski Fest, Louisville, KY - more info

The Felice Brothers return to Newport

The spirit of an open-hearted, old-fashioned family reunion is being summoned to life for this year's 51st edition of George Wein's Newport Folk Festival, which begins July 30 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at Newport Casino and continues July 31 and August 1 at Fort Adams State Park.

George Wein's New Festival Productions continues to build on the festival's historic past by featuring emerging young artists alongside some of folk music's most venerable names. This year's festival features Levon Helm's Ramble on the Road, John Prine, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket, The Swell Season, Andrew Bird, The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, Doc Watson & David Holt, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Calexico, Blitzen Trapper, Richie Havens, Sam Bush, The Low Anthem, Tim O'Brien, The Felice Brothers, Justin Townes Earle, Tao Seeger Band, A.A. Bondy, The Punch Brothers with Chris Thile, Dawes, Nneka, Horse Feathers, Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three, Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore, Sarah Jarosz, Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons, O'Death and Liz Longley. More artists will be announced at a later date.

Many of these musicians have performed and recorded together or crossed paths along the musical highway and they see this storied festival as being so steeped in cultural and historic importance that they liken it to "coming home" to the very roots of the folk-music tradition.

Wein has, since 1959, found Newport a scenic and hospitable venue for presenting the very best of this country's blues, roots, gospel, country, bluegrass, Cajun and traditional folk music. Last year's 50th anniversary edition paid tribute to the great performers who wrote the proud history of this festival, notably co-founder Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Arlo Guthrie and Mavis Staples.

"Newport is like a second home to me and I always look forward to the next visit," said Wein. "After celebrating the 50th anniversary with Pete and 17,000 fans, I can't wait to see the magic unfold over the three days."

"There is something so perfect about being in Newport near the water and that old stone fort – all gathered in to sing with family and friends – that keeps me wanting to come back year after year," said Yim Yames. "It's like the walls of the fort are arms, and I feel secure when I am near them, protected by the spirits there – past, present, and future. And, I like to hear our voices bouncing off those old stone walls as my eye drifts to the sailboats on the seashore and the people just smiling and taking it all in."

The 2010 edition builds upon the energy of the half-century celebration to include such legends as Doc Watson, whose infectious "picking" on the flattop guitar expanded the expressive possibilities for traditional country-and-bluegrass and John Prine, whose idiosyncratic, yet soulful compositions have been recorded by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash and George Strait. Writer-actor-comedian Steve Martin also shows his commitment to serious banjo picking at this year's festival where he'll appear with his Steep Canyon Rangers.

Andrew Bird, who's been engaging audiences throughout the country with his resourceful deployment of fiddling, picking and whistling makes his only 2010 U. S. festival appearance on the weekend bill. Another band, The Swell Season, puts forth a simmering, enrapturing spin on traditional Irish music with streaks of rock. It's led by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who won the hearts of moviegoers – and a 2007 Academy Award for Original Song – for their acting and singing in the movie, "Once."

Singer Brandi Carlile, whose striking vocals and intimate compositions have won her plaudits and devotion from a growing number of fans, will appear at the festival as will the blazing-hot young singer Liz Longley. Rhode Island artists O'Death and The Low Anthem also will perform on one of the three stages at Fort Adams.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

How Charley Keller helped me appreciate Cyndi Lauper

Here is a link to the video, as I can't embed from my phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwxTBdJo_ow&feature=youtube_gdata

I was planting trees in my back yard with a friend, Charley Keller a few years ago and we got talking about great guitar riffs, the ones that as soon as you heard it, most anyone could recognize what the title of the song was. Charley was a nice kid, super innocent, and a huge fan of Neutral Milk Hotel, Joanna Newsome, and Apples in Stereo. I would tease Charley    Incessantly about his favorite bands, usually taking the devils advocate role purely for my own amusement. Charley would often be met for work in the morning with me telling him that Jeff Mangum's lyrics were self indulgent trash or that Mike Loves lyrics were the real key to the Beach Boys success not Brian Wilsons orchestral arrangement of their surf ballads. None of what I said did I believe, but I just savor a good debate on pop music. During our discussion of great guitar riffs we bounced around some obvious choices, Smells Like Teen Spirit, China Grove, La Grange, Should I Stay or Should I Go, and every Rolking Stones Song ever. Just to be funny I threw out Cyndi Laupers 1984 hit "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", and Charley dismissed it immediately as mindless pop. Ignoring his point, I merely argued that upon hearing even a few seconds of that song, even a periferal music fan could identify the title with the riff. Like name that Tune. Just because it was top forty music did not change that. He relented and we went about our day working in my yard.

For the duration of my work day, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" played on my mind, and I ruminated over the pop world in 1984. I was hardly a Cyndi sycophant because Lauper's fandom was virtually all young women and being in that crowd would have meant I was either gay or impotent. Lauper was a Lilith Fair artist, before it ever happened. 

I got home at the end of the day and played that iconic music video on YouTube. I listened to the words for maybe the very first time, and they struck me;
"some guys take a beautiful girl and hide them away from the rest of the world, I want to be the one that walks in the sun"
I was stunned. I thought it was about, partying, shopping, sleepovers and boys, but rather it was a young woman's Declaration of Independence. 

In 1984, America was amidst Reagan's cultural war, denying diversity, and using intellectual henchman like Seymour Hirsch, (and his war for Cultural Literacy) to push conformity amongst all Americans. Reagan tried to co-opt anything good, or what he deemed wholesome as traditional, American (Republican) culture, which would is why he tried to use Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the Usa", a anti-government, anti patriotism anthem as a campaign song. It was great folly as the song actually depicts the failure of Reagan's regime to protect it's own. Lauper's music was not promoting Reagan's homogenous culture, either. Her songs of that album, depicted true feelings of a young, independent women, totally free from the restraints of male dependency, and free from being depicted as a sexual being foremost. (See "She Bop")
 In 1984, there was only two new Female artists to finish in the top 100 album sales for that year, Lauper, and Madonna. Madonna, went the other direction completely. She famously wore the belt buckle with "Boy Toy" emblazoned on it. She was all sex, she was playing the slut. Unlike Lauper, her music was not independently created, as she was maligned for much of the year as being a creation of super producer Nile Rodgers, formerly of Chic. She had many male fans, many of which wanted to align themselves with the whorish Madonna-ites, rather than the oddly dressed, close-legged, Lauper fans.

In "Girls", Lauper took the misogonystic song, originally written by Robert Hazard, about a women pleasing a man, and twisted it into an anthem of self determination. Her reworked lyrics, the unusual, and self directed fashion sense depicted on the music video became an iconic moment for young women in the 1980's.  
In 1984, Lauper appeared on the cover of Time and Newsweek, in their profile of Women in Rock. She also took home
One of Ms Magazine's Women of the Year honors, for her "defiant joy and displaying of our strength", and noted that Lauper consistently honored her mother and "Girls" might well have been a response to her mothers life as a talented woman, sacrificing career for the shadows of a husband( who left her) and family responsibilities.  
Since that time, Lauper has worked extensively with non profit organizations, mostly aligned with women's rights, and gay and lesbian rights, and had been honored by FLAGG and most recently, by the City of New York Feminist Press, for her lifetime of work for the cause.

The lyrics:

I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mother dear we're not the fortunate ones
And girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun

The phone rings in the middle of the night
My father yells what you gonna do with your life
Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one
But girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have -

That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Girls - they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun

Some boys take a beautiful girl
And hide her away from the rest of the world
I want to be the one to walk in the sun
Oh girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have

That's all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Girls - they want to have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
They want to have fun
They want to have fun

 

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Felice Brothers @Clearwater Festival

Pete Seeger, The Felice Brothers, scheduled to play Clearwater Festival
By Sandy Tomcho
Times Herald-Record
March 09, 2010 - 11:13 AM
The 41st annual Clearwater Festival is scheduled for June 19 and 20 and performers include Pete Seeger, Joan Osborne, Steve Earle and the David Bromberg Quartet, among many others.

Tickets are available and cost $40-$125 depending on whether you want single day passes or camping passes.

The festival will also feature storytellers and family-oriented entertainers, juried crafts, a Green Living Expo, a working riverfront, environmental education sites and the Circle of Song, where audience participation is the focus. More artists are scheduled to be added to the lineup and final stage schedules will be announced soon.

The festival celebrates the efforts of Clearwater, an organization dedicated to the preserving of and education about the Hudson River. It was formed by folk icon and Beacon resident Pete Seeger.

Call 418-3596 or visit www.clearwater.org for more information.


Saturday's lineup
Brother Joscephus - brotherjoscephus.com
Buckwheat Zydeco - buckwheatzydeco.com
Felice Brothers - thefelicebrothers.com/
Keller Williams (Loopless Acoutic) - kellerwilliams.com
Le Vent Du Nord - leventdunord.com
Mike Doughty - mikedoughty.com
Milton - miltonmusic.com
Railroad Earth - railroadearth.com
Pete Seeger - peteseeger.net
Sara Watkins (of Nickel Creek) - sarawatkins.com
Slavic Soul Party - slavicsoulparty.com
Steve Earle - steveearle.com
Steve Forbert - steveforbert.com
Toshi Reagon - toshireagon.com
Walkabout Clearwater Chorus - walkaboutclearwater.org/chorus/Home.aspx
Arm-of-the-Sea Theater - armofthesea.org
Kim & Reggie Harris - kimandreggie.com
Jay Mankita - jaymankita.com
Dog on Fleas - dogonfleas.com
Paul Richmond - shows4allages.com
The Storycrafters - storycrafters.com
Rick Nestler - ricknestler.com
Laura Simms - laurasimms.com
Ken Corsbie - kcorsbie.com
Bob Reiser - bobtales.com
Nancy Tucker - nancytucker.info


Sunday's lineup
Angel Band - www.angelband.net
Dan Bern - www.danbern.com
Jonatha Brooke - www.jonathabrooke.com
Dala - www.dalagirls.com
David Bromberg Quartet - www.davidbromberg.net
Donna The Buffalo - www.donnathebuffalo.com
Eileen Ivers - www.eileenivers.com
Folklore Urbano - www.folkloreurbano.com
Hazmat Modine - www.hazmatmodine.com
Joan Osborne - joanosborne.com
The Lee Boys - www.leeboys.com
Lucy Kaplansky - www.lucykaplansky.com
Nightingale - www.nightingalevt.org
Rhett Miller - www.rhettmiller.com
Ryan Montbleau Band - www.ryanmontbleauband.com
Pete Seeger - www.peteseeger.net


-Times Herald-Record

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Felice Brothers to play Lebowskifest!!!!!

Lebowski Fest 2010: Cities Announced!


The folks at the league office have gotten together with the boys down at the crime lab and have come up with the following cities for Lebowski Fest 2010!

Lebowski Fest Los Angeles: April 2nd & 3rd

Lebowski Fest Orlando: May 21 & 22nd

9th Annual Lebowski Fest (Louisville): July 16th & 17th

Lebowski Fest Chicago: September 17th & 18th

Lebowski Fest Seattle: Oct 15th & 16th

Lebowski Fest New York: November 4th

Tickets for all events go on sale this Friday, March 5th!

Check the website for details on each event.
9th Annual Lebowski Fest with The Felice Brothers!

The Felice Brothers will be kicking off the weekend at the 9th Annual Lebowski Fest before the big outdoor screening of The Big Lebowski!

We are working on some other fun things for the weekend so stay tuned.

A discounted Achievers Pass that gets you in to all events for the weekend will be available.

Discounted hotel info has also been posted on the site.

Tickets go on sale on March 5th at 11am EST!

Get more info on the 9th Annual Lebowski Fest on July 16th & 17th in Louisville here.
Avoiding the pinch on St Patty's Day
St. Patrick's Day is coming up and you can avoid being pinched and let everyone know that you are an Achiever with the classic green Achiever Shirt*!

*Does not include giant green hat, green lei, shoulder Leprechaun or mock turtle neck.

The Achiever Shirt is available in standard unisex sizes or Ladies American Apparel.

Send us a photo of you in your Achiever shirt and we'll put it here.